♥The stunning Salt River Canyon, whimsical wild horses, and a gripping ghost town♥
This year has proven to be quite adventurous. We’ve had the pleasure of two trips so far and have another planned; consequently,
I’ve been working hard to share at least this one before we embark on the third!
In March, we escaped the cold for a while. (Never did that before.) Rick’s parents winter in Apache Junction, AZ, each year…
So, 3 things kept running through my mind:
- We can say goodbye to the winter weather for a bit
- There is a place for us to stay
- We could enjoy special one-on-one time with the inlaws
Rick was able to get the time off, therefore…
Hello Apache Junction!
The only downer was we had to fly, 🙁 but only one-way. 🙂
… AND, our daughter, Calie, would be stationed in Yuma during that timeframe, so we would get to see her, too! BONUS! 😀
This post shares how we enjoyed Apache Junction so you won’t miss a thing on your possible getaway there. Here we go…
My last post was all about trees. Click here to see some majestic trees.
This post includes
- Cacti and desert
- Small mountains and wild horses
- A ghost town and old movie set
- The incredible Salt River Canyon
- Sedona and Jerome 🙂
- And much more
We relished our time in the sun, so I hope you’ll tag along with us and allow me to introduce you to many amazing places. But, you know what?
Every day can be an adventure, no matter where you are. All it takes is a good mindset, gratitude, and to open your eyes to every little thing around you. 🙂
Join me now, won’t you?
A Kidnapping and 6,000 Pipes
If you’ve read about some of our other adventures, you know we take off early for our trips. We got up at 2:00, and son-in-law Dave delivered us to the airport before 4:30 am. Lots of turbulence just confirmed my dislike of flying. 🙁
We landed at 6:30 Saturday morning (we still had a whole day!) in Phoenix, Bob and Maryln picked us up, and we immediately hit the road for the 3-hour trip to Yuma. We had a kid to see!
Plans changed
The tentative plan was to spend the weekend with Calie in Yuma, but, instead, we “kidnapped” her off base and drove 3.5 hours to Apache that morning. (She technically wasn’t supposed to go over 30 miles away, oops!)
LOTS of travel/driving and enjoying each other’s company characterized this day!
On our way to Apache, we stopped at Dateland. An interesting place, it proffered samples galore of many different kinds of dates and “all things dates” for sale.
The date groves were very pretty. Being something I’d never even thought of before made Dateland more fun.
Pizza and Pipes!
That evening, Grandma Jordan and Grandpa Bob (as the grandkids call them) introduced us to a unique place for dinner...Organ Stop Pizza. The pizza tasted fine, but the entertainment was unlike anything I had seen before.
The huge room had two floors and all eyes gazed at a man playing a massive Wurlitzer organ with 6,000 pipes!
Festive chaos
Dancing animals and instruments, such as drums, which moved or played via the organ’s pipes, and red, purple, and aqua-colored lights added to the festivity.
It was UNIQUE, to say the least. 😯 But, we were ready for our LONG first day to end!
Today’s mission: Get us to Arizona and get Calie to Apache.
The incredible mighty organ… and his man.
This is where they escape to each year 🙂
Home sweet home, at least for 8 days
Scottsdale, Sedona, and Jerome
This day brought many spectacular sights and a visit with a family friend at her beautiful home in Scottsdale.
After breakfast at Micky D’s (no, not McDonald’s), a hometown cafe known for its biscuits and gravy, Scottsdale was our first stop.
Becky treated us to a tour of their home, garage, and large shop, which boasts of many collector’s cars and fun memorabilia. We also saw the backyard pool and met their 3 “puppies,” one of which busted out of his metal cage while we were there! 😯
The red town
From Scottsdale, Sedona and its breathtaking scenery beckoned to us. Merely driving through Sedona is a treat because of the stunning red rock formations as far as the eye can see!
The splendid rock configurations cuddle the town as buildings and stone are virtually intertwined. One especially cool site is the Chapel of the Holy Cross, built right into the red rock. 😎
Calie and Grandpa eagerly await their biscuits and gravy at Micky D’s
This old Chevy is just one example of the many treasures to be found here
Nice backyard
Posing in front of the Wests’ home
Sedona at last
Rocks and buildings intermingle as one
I love this scenery!
Before leaving Sedona, we consumed some tasty pizza at the Oak Creek Brewery and had a photo session, too. 😉
Great white-barked trees guard the old southwest-style buildings
These crazy-shaped trees/hedges cracked me up!
Photo op with the family
I’m the only one who ever wants a serious pic
A quirky ghost town, a marvelous mansion, and a town sliding down the mountainside
Believe it or not, we were not yet done for the day because only 30 miles separated us from Jerome, a cool old mining town built on the steep, 30-degree incline of Cleopatra Hill, so we continued on.
Upon arrival in Jerome, we explored the Douglas Mansion, built in 1916 above the Little Daisy Mine, the quirky Gold King Mine/ghost town, and the captivating town itself in the middle of the beautiful Verde Valley.
Unending gorgeous views!
Gorgeous view overlooking the Verde Valley
The Douglas Mansion overlooks Verde Valley
We relished the beautiful day in Jerome
Some buildings in town have slid down the mountain!
The Gold King Mine is very eclectic
What a view!
I love the colors mining sometimes leaves behind
A long way home…
We devoured some Chick-fil-A on the 150-mile drive back to Apache and arrived home after dark. What a long AND scenery-packed day!
A bunch of cool sights and MANY miles characterized this day.
Mission: To get home and into bed!
We were in the pick-up all day!
Nice!
We don’t often get to see a cactus-silhouetted sunset 🙂
The Scenic Apache Trail and Drama on the Interstate
Calie had to be delivered back to base today. 🙁 But first, we made the best of our last day together with visits to Apache Land and Tortilla Flat via the Apache Trail.
The historic Apache Trail
“It’s one of the oldest scenic byways in North America, a drive full of hairpin turns and sun-flares over desert hills. The trail begins in the town of Apache Junction and winds its way through the storied Superstition mountains. The long, twisting road is dotted with ghost towns, lakes, desert dams, and narrow bridges before terminating at the Roosevelt Dam.” ~ reposted from Saguaroland
We discovered many gems along the way, such as Canyon Lake, a fun one-way bridge, and cacti-landscaped views.
Calm and soothing scenery!
Apache Land
Apache Land is a former movie-set-turned-museum and makes its home among beautiful desert scenery.
Westerns like “Gunfight at the OK Corral,” and Elvis Presley’s “Charro!” were filmed here as well as “Death Valley Days.”
Many stars left their footprints behind via concrete molds hung on the walls of the barn, which is also the resting place of Doc Holliday’s buggy.
The Elvis Chapel, built for his movie “Charro.”
We enjoyed some surprisingly good prickly pear ice cream at Tortilla Flat
Onto an old stagecoach stop
Nestled in a beautiful and scenic drive through the hills of the Tonto National Forest, you’ll find Tortilla Flat, the only authentic stagecoach stop to survive the 1900’s along the Apache Trail.
The “Flat” got its start as a freight camp because of the road construction to Roosevelt Dam in 1904. (More later on the dam and its incredible surrounding beauty.)
While there, we watched a shoot-out, ate prickly pear ice cream, and spied some saloon girls in the restrooms. 😀
The 1932 Tortilla Flat one-room school, near the location of the wild west shoot-out
I was a dancing girl for a short time
This cactus holds flowers
Calie made an awesome dancing girl!
Breathtaking Canyon Lake
Me and the kiddo
Fun view going over the bridge
My second favorite kind of terrain; first choice-mountains!
A foiled escape
After all this driving and sight-seeing we still had a 4-hour drive to convey Calie back to base.
While on the interstate back to Yuma, we noticed a low-flying helicopter coming straight toward us. As it passed directly over the pick-up, we looked back and, much to our surprise, spotted two Mexican men running across the interstate right behind us!
Just then, a border patrol truck came speeding across the field as the helicopter kept the men “pinned down.”
It could have been a scene out of a movie. What a thrill!
Sad time…
We tearfully said goodbye to Calie at 6 pm as we dropped her off. But the day wasn’t finished yet. Nope; we were going to leave the country!
Being so close to the border, we decided to go into Mexico and take a quick look around. 🙂 We did and got through customs safely, although it was a little nerve-wracking.
After a treat of cappuccinos and snacks, we headed east and arrived “home” at 11 pm. Another good, long day in my travel journal.
Mission: To see more awesome Arizona desert sights and deliver Calie safely back to Yuma.
“Flavored” Olives, Camelback Mountain, and Los Gringos
We woke to a clear beautiful morning. After breakfast, we traveled to Queen Creek for some olive oil education.
Do you use a good quality olive oil? How do you know? They say it’s good to “know your farmer” …well, I do now!
Chocolate??
The morning spent at Queen Creek Olive Mill taught us a lot because we partook of a tour and presentation.
However, before our tour started, we explored the grounds ourselves and inspected some of their offerings, such as citrus and other fruits.
Meyer Lemon, roasted garlic and vanilla bean, as well as bacon and chocolate, are some of the available olive oils. After a few samples, we purchased our choices and have since ordered more. 😉
**One great thing I learned is their oils are safe up to 380-410 degrees. 😮
We saw a camel…
After the Olive Mill, we wound our way to South Mountain Park, which offers awesome views of the Phoenix metro area as well as some historic buildings. These structures provide opportunities for exploration and unique backgrounds for photos.
The Phoenix valley is flat with the exception of a few small mountain ranges, Camelback probably being the most recognizable, and fun. The distinctive formation looks like a camel lying face down.
Explore and Photograph (right up my alley!)
Dobbin’s Point Lookout, with its stone ramada built in the 1930s, shares great views of the flatland and boasts a large copper compass which kindly points out landmarks. While there, we, as well as a professional photographer (with a model) snapped lots of views.
To see this perspective helped me understand the layout of the whole area.
See Camelback Mountain in the upper left of picture?
Saw this gorilla face in South Mountain Park
Hazy, sleepy mountains in the distance
Phoenix is to the right in the photo
This cool structure is the inside of Dobbins Lookout
It’s just me
A very tall saguaro
Interesting cactus skeleton
Ready for a relaxing evening
When our stomachs told us it was time to eat, we chose Los Gringos–good food and good service in a very colorful atmosphere. Ole!
As we headed home the sky showed off for us, and before long we sat in the luscious Arizona evening taking it easy. 😀
Comparatively, this was a short, stressless day!
I find it ironic that as I write about sunny Apache Junction, it’s 33 and snowy here in mid-October!! 😯
Mission: To have a slow, easy day.
Maryln liked her strawberry daiquiri…
…While Rick and Bob really enjoyed their beverages 😉
The sky showed-off and gave a perfect ending to the day
Wild Animals, 4-Wheelin’, and a Ghost Town
Get ready for a wild, jam-packed adventure today!
I haven’t mentioned this before, but my in-laws stay at Superstition Shadows, a retirement community, each winter. Consequently, they proudly introduced us to the group they hang out with. …WELL, it was time to hang out with “the group” today!
Hanging with the senior citizens
We welcomed the day with coffee and donuts (ugh) at the community center, then took a scenic drive (of course, because it’s all scenic down there!) out to Butcher Jones Recreation Area for a picnic, an awesome surprise, and an adrenaline-pumping ride in an all-terrain vehicle driven by a crazy old daredevil of a driver!!
On a side note…
“Hanging with the senior citizens” reminds me of the movie “Return to Me,” with David Duchovny (Bob) and Minnie Driver (Grace). They’re in their 30s and hang out with her grandpa and his hilarious friends. Bob invites his friend Charlie to meet him at a bar for a beer, and when he arrives he finds Bob bowling with the old guys. Charlie, with big eyes, goes up to him and whispers, “What’s up with the senior citizens?!” If you haven’t seen it, it’s awesome and so funny.
Back to the story
Located near one of beautiful Lake Saguaro’s beaches, this day of picnic-ing held promise. It wasn’t long before a wild horse came galloping through the picnic grounds! What a surprising surprise! 😀
He was beautiful and didn’t seem afraid at all as he came close to us more than once.
Danger ahead!
After our picnic and horse-watching, we had the “opportunity” to get scared and risk our lives! Ol’ Roger and his all-terrain vehicle apparently made up their minds to terrorize us.
We bumped our way into the empty wilderness, saw more wild horses, and took many perilous paths amidst the striking scenery.
Straight down…no way!
Once, I was prepared to jump ship because that ol’ daredevil wanted to go down a very vertical trail, but luckily the lady in the front talked him out of it! 😯
Roger thought it would be fun to take a different way back, but the path he chose kept getting narrower and narrower and finally dead-ended. After much finagling, he got us turned around.
I was relieved and my heart settled down only when the ol’ daredevil finally stopped the vehicle! 🙄
Look in the mirror 🙂
Crisp and majestic
This kind of place absolutely enthralls me
All of that adventure added up to quite an exhilarating afternoon! But on to, maybe, my favorite place of the whole trip…Goldfield Ghost Town. (GGT)
Goldfield intrigues me.
I love everything historic, mysterious, and mountain-y, and this place reeks with them all. BUT, it’s even better than that as the ghost town sits in the shadows of the Superstition Mountains, which have their own murky past. 😯
For more on these mountains, click here.
Besides its location and mystery, GGT appeals to me because of the fun, neat buildings and, depending on the time of day, the favorable photo opportunities.
Family vacation delight
I just remembered another reason this area/terrain entices me so. When I was 10 years old my family took a trip to Arizona, and one of the most fun activities we experienced was Legend City, an extremely exciting amusement park.
The Lost Dutchman Mine Ride, their most famous, and to me, memorable, ride worked its way indelibly into my young mind as my brother, Rick, and I wound our way through the old mine via an ore car, alternating between fear and exhilaration. 😯
That’s probably where my love of mining, mountains, and mystery started!
I’ve included numerous photos from GGT, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. 😉
Inviting, isn’t it?
The Superstition Mountains overlook Goldfield Ghost Town
Bob, Rick, and Maryln check GGT out
It was a perfect day at Goldfield
#4 would be tough!
Grandma enjoyed the view from the deck of the Mammoth Saloon
These mountains ooze mystery
I like to keep the mountains in view at all times 🙂
Enchantment!
At the saloon, the servers dress in style
Taking time for an us-ie (or 2 selfies)
Peppermint stick ice cream in a freshly-while-I watched-made waffle cone
Lots of fun things to see here
Palo Verde trees are abundant in the Apache area
The wild, wild west
Prickly pear-cacti make good ice cream
Their personality goes better with cloudy days
This is pretty cool
The irresistible Mammoth Saloon
Sunset at Goldfield, a good place to be
The old mine shaft on a lazy afternoon
The 10 commandments, cowboy version
Nice shot of mountain and cactus
Silly Mountain Park
Immediately after Goldfield, we made our way to Silly Mountain for a quick evening hike. I’m so glad we went then because I got my favorite pic of the Superstitions.
⇒ ⇒ ⇒
Perfect timing. 🙂 (We hiked all trails at Silly Mtn the next morning, but without any remarkable photos.)
We saw more cactus skeletons; they pique my interest.
This is my favorite snap of the stupendous Superstition Mountains
This dying saguaro bravely stands guard over the valley
What’s left of a cactus skeleton
Poor thing!
The Superstitions from another perspective
The cacti in Silly Mountain Park say goodnight
Now, that’s an entrancing sunset 😎
Rick and I walked around the complex and hung out at the trailer while Bob and Maryln played games with their buddies at the clubhouse. Even though they are 78 and 79 respectively, they just keep going!
I loved this day! 😛
Mission: To have a picnic by a lake (and be surprised by wild horses!) and go to my favorite place, GGT.
Whew! What a lot of traveling, sight-seeing, and picture-sharing with you! I hope you are enjoying “your trip” to Apache. Two more scenic days to go. This is a monster blog! 😯
Remote Desert Roads, Roosevelt Dam, and… Bingo!
Gigantic saguaro are even in town!
After Village Inn for bacon and eggs, we set out to relish the “most scenic route in Arizona .” ⇐ Be sure to click on this link; it’s an awesome one!
First stop, Canyon Lake, which we had previously seen on our way to Tortilla Flat. Even though this was the “most scenic drive,” we were almost the only ones on the road. I liked that because we could easily stop for pictures. 🙂
Just as beautiful the second time around
A few miles past the lake, we came to Tortilla Flat again. From this picture, you can see how remote and small it is. This time, though, we kept on into the desert wilderness. We stopped so I could immortalize this cactus abloom. All the while antsy and scared, because I just knew a rattler was going to surprise me! Snakes and I aren’t friends. 😳
The tiny and remote Tortilla Flat
A rare splash of color seen on the trail
We carefully picked our way through old cowboy and Indian territory
Starting on the right, the dirt road winds past a big eye peeking out!
I see one eye and a nose on a big head with green hair, do you?
This is how I rode practically the whole way; it’s the only way to get good snapshots (and sun!) 😀
Golden rock, blue sky, and cacti 🙂
So far, so good. Secluded desert, rocky cliffs, winding dirt roads, unique plant specimens, bright blue lakes… all led up to the captivating Roosevelt Dam and stunning Roosevelt Dam Bridge… 😉
The original dam had unique masonry work and was a National Historic Landmark
What an attractive dam!
I was intrigued by this old building
I love how the rock layers slant into the water
The impressive Roosevelt Dam Bridge, built in October 1990
The restaurant had a hitching post
Leaving the fabulous Roosevelt “brothers” behind, we continued on and finished the “most scenic route in Arizona” loop, arriving back in Apache in time for an early dinner. Filly’s Roadhouse won the honors, with a real hitching post for customers’ horses!
We ate delicious chicken dinners in the great out of doors as the Superstition Mountains looked on. 😎
This is no joke!
Great view to eat dinner by
Filly’s outside dining area
Palm Trees and Moon
We drove home by the light of a daytime moon, and Rick and I took a dip in the pool before we played Bingo with the senior citizens that night. They are serious about their Bingo; everyone plays multiple cards. Rick won a game! 😯
Mission: To drive Arizona’s most scenic loop and to eat at a real cowboy place.
Beautiful blue sky and moon…and palm tree and mountains
Swimming and winning at Bingo–what a night! 😉
The last day and the last spectacular sight is…
The Salt River Canyon
Goodbye to sunny, adventure-filled days
Saying goodbye to sunny places is always hard, especially in March, but, with this sad thought in mind, we packed up the trailer and loaded the pickup.
On our way out of town, we made a stop. Every year, Grandma and Grandpa bring back goodies for everyone from the “swap meet.” Well, I finally got to experience it for myself: The 1.25 mile-Mesa Swap Meet with 1600 distinctive shops is unbelievably huge.
Anything you could think of, or have never even thought of, was there. A tank top with the Superstition Mountains on the front suited me. 🙂
Then…we bid this beautiful, jam-packed-with-fun city adios.
But, Bob and Maryln had one more eye-candy treat planned! We made our way out of Arizona via the breathtaking Salt River Canyon.
Fun trip with the Mr.
This lookout overwhelmed the eyes
Lots of details to see in this image
The old and new Salt River Bridge(s)
Pretty colored water
Fun place to explore
The memorable Salt River Valley
A view looking back
A famous spot in the Canyon
We will always remember our sunny winter getaway
After the Salt River Canyon, we encountered flat (boring) terrain for the rest of the trip. The glittering evening sky did its best to make up for it, though.
Although Arizona’s certainly not as colorful as Colorado, it’s striking in its own way. 🙂
Mission: To have a lifetime-memorable vacation and special time with Bob and Maryln. A huge thank you to Bob and Maryln for a wonderful warm getaway! ♥
An impressive sunset to top the day off
As showcased above, here are the spectacular sights we explored in and near Apache Junction:
- Sedona
- Jerome
- The fun, historic Apache Trail, which leads to MANY wonderful places and MUCH gorgeous scenery
- Apache Land
- Tortilla Flat
- Butcher Jones Rec area for the wild horses
- South Mountain Park
- The Superstition Mountains and Silly Mountain Park for good views of them
- Goldfield Ghost Town
- Roosevelt Dam and Bridge
- The Salt River Canyon
Our time has come to an end; I hope you enjoyed this sunny adventure. Let’s get together again soon.
Blessings and desert blooms,
Pam
I call these “feet” cactus. Look at the blooming toes!
Author: Pam
Glad you’re here!
Thanks so much for taking me with you , , I Love Apache Junction , , and My Superstition Mtns , , have made the trip from Michigan 4 times and spent the winter there , , God Bless you for sharing , , Loved every pic and place , , even some I had not seen , , Thanks again ! !
Hi Ruth,
I’m so glad you enjoyed the “trip” and thanks for commenting! Explore my website for more travel stories. 🙂 Blessings!
We go to Apache Junction every year for 5 months since 2013. And we have been to almost all the places you shared with us.
Thank you for sharing!
Marie
Marie, You’re quite welcome! Thanks for reading my post. If you like Colorado or California, check out some of my other blogs. 🙂
Loved this SO much! You have such a way with your words that I felt like I was a mouse in your suitcase along for the ride!
I, too would rank CO number one, but some of my best memories with family are in the Southwest! My niece and sister have hiked Camelback mountain, too!
Sedona was an awesome experience for me as well…did you by chance get to see “Snoopy Rock?” Kind of like Camelback, you could see the iconic silhouette of Snoopy laying on his back on top of his dog house! I’ll have to find my pic of that to show you if you didn’t see it!
I just loved everything you did! The organ intrigued me…( Sam would have loved that!) the ghost town, and all of Apache Junction. Is that the same place that had the famous “End of the Trail” scene? I’m gonna have to look that up too! Thank you so much for sharing! I love details and you didn’t leave me disappointed! Keep posting, Pam…as I wait to read more!!! 💗
Jana, I sent a reply to you via email, but I should have responded here. Thanks for the kind words! No, we didn’t see Snoopy, but would have liked to., I’ll have to look up the “End of the Trail” scene. 🙂 Since we were with the in-laws, the only “hiking” we got in was Silly Mountain.
Blessings! 🙂
Bravo Pam! It’s an interesting and well-documented travelogue! I feel like I’ve just enjoyed a beautiful South Western adventure this cool Colorado Saturday morning, thanks to you! I loved all of it! Especially the Goldfield Ghost Town. I would love to set up my plein air easel and paint some scenes, and then spend another day Canyon Lake is fabulous and possibly as beautiful as the Black Canyon in Gunnison CO. And the giant saguaro are fascinating.
My Nana Esther and Grandpa Dan loved Apache Junction and spoke of their annual trip there. They eventually finally retired and sojourned to Sun City for 6 months every winter since the Colorado cold settled in their arthritic bones. I always wanted to visit them there but didn’t make it. But I gave them an oil painting I did for Christmas one year of one of their favorite Arizona desert scene photographs. I was happy to inherit it. I think I’ll get it out of storage and find a place to hang it. It will now remind me of you as well!
Thanks for sharing another episode of your travels!
Hey Danna! Thanks for reading my post. I’m glad it reminded you of good memories! 🙂 We’re off this week for another adventure, gathering more pictures and memories to create another story post. 😉 Blessings!