Denning RV Travels: Next Stop....Apache Junction

Apr 12, 2012 to Apr 18, 2012

Leaving Tucson we headed north to Apache Junction ( a suburb of Phoenix). Coming into Phoenix we were on Hwy 202, which is the bypass around Phoenix. That highway was awesome!!! It was wide, walls on both sides of the highway and meticulously landscaped. It also had NO trash anywhere. It was a very pleasurable drive through the city. We came into Phoenix around 2PM, thus not much traffic...just don't go near that road during rush hour!!!! Cleveland drivers have nothing on Phoenix drivers during that time of day!!

We went to Apache Junction because I heard about the Apache Trail. I thought that would be a fun thing to do....drive the Apache Trail.....in the BIG truck. We waited to do that on the 15th of April. On the 13th of April (which was Friday the 13th) we drove over to Superstition Mountain Museum and Gold Field Ghost Town.

Pictures of Superstition Mountain:

Superstition Mountain.
Not sure I would want to live at the bottom of a mountain
with that name.

Here are some of the buildings in Gold Field Ghost Town. This makes our 3rd Ghost town we had visited. With the exception of the Dome Rock Mining town, they are all pretty much the same...old buildings with junk shops inside to sell replicas of old time stuff. Hay they have to make a living some how.

What is an old town without a Saloon!!!

The local bordello (darn tourists in the way)

The local Ghost town Church

A working train..they gave train rides around the ghost town.

And what respectable Ghost town would not have their
own collection of old rusting cars and farm equipment.

Now on to the Apache Trail. The article that I read it said it was not for the faint of heart. By the time we got finished with it, I am totally surprised Abby's head didn't pop off and all the guts come spilling out..I was holding her so tight. Not sure if it was for her sake or mine.

First stop on the trail was Tortilla Flat. Tortilla Flat is the last remaining stage coach stop along the Apache Trail. It has a population of 6. The place was crazy!!!!

Beginning of the Apache Trail...nice!!!

Welcome to Canyon Lake.

OMG...there is water in Arizona!!!!

Tortilla Flat Restaurant:

Bar stools are saddles....Cute!!

The Walls are covered in money!!!!

And they threw in some fun stuff!!!

The scenery was pretty impressive.

The road was even more impressive!!!!

There was a mile marker out in the middle of flipping NO WHERE!

In the Tonto National Monument there are Cliff Dwelling.

Tonto Cliff Dwellings built around AD 1250.

Pretty close quarters and really hard to get to in the early days.

But the view is breathtaking!!!

Our last adventure in Apache Junction was to visit the Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park. I took over 50 pictures of the Arboretum, unfortunately I can't post them all. The place was just full of flowers. I have a wonderful time...looking at all the flowers, knowing that I didn't have to weed them!!!