Greetings from Apache Junction

We got to Apache Junction last Sat. I am a little lazy getting on the computer when I have to go to another building to do it. Apache Junction is about 20 miles east of Phoenix. It is at the base of Superstition Mountain. There was a lot of gold mining in the area. In fact, people are still looking for a lost gold mine in the area. The location died with the miner, but people are still looking for it, even today.

This mountain is the start of the Apache Trail. The brochures call it the most scenic drive in Az., so of course, we had to go. WRONG! Off we go onto the WORST road in America. All is fine for awhile, then it says the next 22 miles are gravel. The road is wide so we figure we'll go for it, how bad could it be. After a while it goes into a one lane road, but cars are still coming the other way. It is very, very rough with hairpin curves. You can't see if there is a car coming your way around the curve. One neighbor in the next Rv to us, said he actually got out of his truck and walked around the curve to see if anyone was coming. Very, very scary. One side of the hill is a steep drop off. Last month the rains were so bad that they closed the road. I'm sure some of it had washed away because you took your life in your hands when you had to get over as far as possible for another car. I really thought we were going down a few times. It is very scenic, but Denny couldn't really take it in because he couldn't take his eyes off the road. Eventho I was the passenger, I had my brakes on the entire time. We were never so glad when the 22 miles ended. Took forever. The regular road started again at the Roosevelt Dam. Theodore Roosevelt made the dam that created Lake Roosevelt. President Roosevelt considered this his 2nd best accomplishment behind the Panama Canal. The Lake is the most beautiful lake I have ever seen. Of course, I didn't get a picture, but there is always next year.

I mentioned to my folks that they never told us about the gravel, rough hairpin curves and they just started laughing. Dad said they forgot. Of course, they haven't been on it in 25 years. I'm sure it was much worse now. He said he remembers only one bad stretch of road. Hah! The whole 22 miles was one bad stretch of road.

Superstition Mountain

I never realised that there are so many varieties of cactus. There are over a 100. There are 3 in this picture. The short ones in front look very soft, but if you happen to get the spines on you, it takes a pliers to get them out. That happened to my Dad.

This is my friend Vicki and her husband Dave. We went to high school together. She is the main reason we came to the area. They winter down here in Surprise, Az. for about 7 months every year. They live in the most beautiful parks we have ever seen.

This is the entrance to our park. It is very, very nice.