Flights to the mainland were smooth and on time, nevertheless, didn't sleep and lost a full night's sleep. Got our rental car (a new Nissan Versa - seems like we are stuck with Nissan this time: Rogue, Sentra, Versa,,,) and drove from Phoenix Airport directly east, into the impressive Superstition Mountains. What a change: desert-like landscape now, rugged mountains instead of rainforest, volcanos and ocean, dry air and cacti, crazy drivers and 12 lane traffic. And, much cooler at arrival, only about 60 deg. F., but warming up to about 80 deg. during the day.
Fresh air and vistas is what visitors (and many motorists) get on the scenic Apache Trail, U.S. Route 88. This road through the Superstition Mountains and Tonto National Forest winds in narrow curves with switchbacks and on one-lane bridges. It starts just east of Mesa and was more than a century ago built to provide access to the Roosevelt Dam construction site. Completed in 1905, the trail is named for the Apache Native Americans who helped pave the path.
The first attraction on the way is Superstition Mountain Museum with gold mining artifacts connected to the nearby Lost Dutchman Mine. Next stop: Goldfield Ghost Town (pics below), more of a family fun destination, a collection of old wood buildings in an old silver and gold mining community. A general store, cactus shop, bakery, photo studio, saloon/steakhouse, a narrow-gauge train ride, horseback rides, a gold mine tour, gold panning and a zip-line are offered, too. And, it was extremely crowded due to President's Day!
We didn't have time, but would have loved to go on a hike at Lost Dutchman State Park, where several trails lead into the Superstition Wilderness and Tonto National Forest. Named after the fabled lost gold mine, it is located in the Sonoran Desert, at the base of the Superstition Mountains.
It became even curvier on the way to Canyon Lake (felt like a racecar driver and would have gotten sick if not driving), one of four lakes created in 1925 when the Salt River was dammed. It's used for recreation, too, and especially boating on the lake - unfortunately, also with noisy motor boats - is popular. We had a 90-min. tour on the Dolly Steamboat - together with many retired "snowbirds" - and saw plenty of bighorn sheep.
Tortilla Flat is where the paved road ends, located two miles east of Canyon Lake, is an Old West-style village with gift shop, ice cream/candy store, museum and Superstition Restaurant & Saloon. Tortilla Flat is often called the “last surviving stagecoach stop on the Apache Trail", because it has started out as a stagecoach stop in 1904.
Checked in the Sheraton at Wrighleyville in Mesa at 5 pm, one of these typical "brown-beige, no windows to open" modern business hotels. Had burgers and a beer at the hotel's sports bar and called it a (looong) day. What a change to the days before, in every regard!
Keine Kommentare:
Kommentar veröffentlichen