Monday, February 6, 2012 (Val Vista Village RV Resort, Mesa, AZ)

Last year when we were visiting our friends, Garth and Donna in Apache Junction, they took us on a scenic drive around Superstition Mountain to the Tonto National Monument; then Roosevelt Lake Dam and then to Fountain Hills...a beautiful loop drive.  Today, we were going to take Dennis and Suzanne on that drive...well, Dennis would be driving...

We all piled into the jeep and were on our way at 11:00...heading east on Apache Trail through Apache Junction.  We turned onto highway 88...but we soon realized that this was not the route we had taken last year...oh well...it looks interesting; we’ll carry on.  It ended up being a beautiful and very scenic drive.

Our first unexpected stop was at Goldfield Ghost Town...

Superstition Mountain in the background...

Suzanne and I trying on sunglasses...too funny!

The Bordello...

You could go on a train ride...or horseback riding (all for a cost, of course...)

A couple of gangsters...

We continued on our way...beautiful scenery...this is Canyon Lake...

Then onto Tortilla Flat, authentic remnant of an old west town, nestled in the midst of the Tonto National Forest, Superstition Mountain Range...

What we were not expecting was a sign that said “Pavement Ends”...what?!  The last 22 miles was gravel road.  Now, if it had been a smooth gravel road, it would have been no problem...but no...it was bumpy and very washboardy...sheesh!  Rather than turn around and have to go back the way we came, Dennis chose to sacrifice his recently washed jeep and continued  on...he was the driver, after all.  But it was rather slow going....the scenery was absolutely stunning! 

Apache Lake...

We finally hit pavement upon arriving at Roosevelt Dam...ahhh...

This is on the other side of the dam...the lake side...that is a huge bridge!...

By this time it was 3:30...and what Steve and I hadn’t realized was that it was still quite a long drive back to Mesa...hmmmm...it didn’t seem that long last year.  Since poor Dunkin had been left at home, we needed to get back...so we headed straight home.  When we headed out on our drive this morning, I figured we’d have a nice scenic drive through the mountains, loop around to Fountain Hills and stop for lunch at about 2:00.  HA!  We arrived home just before 5:30...hungry and thirsty!  But other than the bumpy gravel road, the trip had been great with such beautiful scenery!

If you wish to take a look at all of the pictures taken today....click here....

Scenic Drive to Roosevelt Dam, AZ