Wednesday, November 22, 2017 (Travel to Mazatzal Hotel and Casino, Payson, AZ)

We woke to clear sky again this morning...another beautiful day and a great travel day! We were all packed up and ready to go shortly before 9:30 and after a stop at the sani-dump, we were on the road.

I took this picture while Steve was emptying the holding tanks...the entrance to Dead Horse Ranch SP with Jerome up on the hillside above...

Here are a few pictures I took along our drive to Payson. The start of our climb...

 This marker was at a pull out we stopped at...

We're now in a pine forest, and down we go...

 The town of Strawberry...looks like a cute little community...

 East Verde River....

We arrived at Mazatzal Hotel and Casino around 11:30...our destination and "home" for the next couple of nights...

Ray and Deb had passed us when we stopped at the pull out on the highway, so were waiting for us when we arrived. We both checked out the parking lot for the most level 'out of the way' spots. We both decided on spots along the edge of the lot...there was another fifth-wheel between us, but we were all happy with our choice.

With parking lot video cameras and the police department behind us, we aren't too worried about leaving our generator chained up while away...

After we had done a minimal setup and had lunch, we all climbed into Deb and Ray's car and headed out for an afternoon of sightseeing...to Tonto Natural Bridge State Park...located a short distance back up highway 87.

The natural bridge was discovered by David Gowan, a Scotsman, in 1877 while hiding from Apache Indians, and so impressed was he by the unusual, secluded location that he persuaded his family to emigrate and live there. Although they left in 1948 their lodge remains - since being included in the National Register of historic places - and forms the centerpiece of the buildings in the state park

We spotted the lodge as we drove down the very steep and windy road into the valley...

The gate house was closed but a sign instructed visitors to go into the gift shop, located in the lodge, to purchase park passes. After paying the park fee, $7 each, we continued into the parking lot.

This is the lodge from inside the park...

We decided to start with a short hike on Waterfall Trail...about 300 feet long and ends at waterfall cave. Ray and Steve went ahead of Deb and I...

As you walk down the trail you get misted on. The canyon wall looks like formations you'd see in a cave...

Although hard to tell from the photo this is a narrow opening to the other side...

The larger opening on the opposite side...

Looking above...

Looking inside. If you look close you can see water droplets...

Looking towards the smaller opening...

The (natural) bridge is not immediately apparent, as beyond the park buildings stretches a flat meadow that seems to cover all the ground between the canyon walls. (As shown in the picture of the lodge above) The creek actually runs a hundred feet below in a narrow gorge, the edge of which is hidden by trees, flows under the bridge beneath the meadow and continues downstream through a rather wider canyon. Depending on which dimension is used as a measurement, Tonto is the world's largest travertine bridge - 180 feet high, 400 feet long and about 100 feet thick on top.
You can see the Natural Bridge from four different parking lot level viewpoints, without hiking down to the bottom...we started by going to Viewpoint 3 and 4. Our destination below!

You actually walk over the bridge between Viewpoints 3 and 4. There is a metal grate where you can see the waterfall below...









Ray, Deb and I standing on the bridge near the grate...

We're now half way down the trail...

The trail is listed as 2200 feet, down  and back leading to an observation deck in the creek bottom...

Reflections in the pool...

A small waterfall below...

The sun has created a rainbow...

Ray, Deb and I standing on the observation deck with an amazing backdrop...

Very cool!

To the right of the falls you can see the hole that Steve took a picture of the falls through the grate...

Steve and Ray down below...

That's not a sun beam. Steve took this from behind the falls. The rock is very smooth and slippery...

When Steve was editing the photos this one turned out totally black from the suns reflection on the water. With the Lightroom photo editing program adjusting the shadow removal, exposure, and highlight settings this was the result. He loves his Lightroom!

A wee break in the shade after our hike back up...

Then we decided to check out Viewpoints 1 and 2...

Just to the right of the above photo...

Panoramic view...

We are now headed to that viewpoint on the other side...

As we returned to the car and started to head out of the parking lot, we were treated with some wildlife grazing in the meadow...javelina and deer...

What an excellent afternoon...another amazing area! There are also two other trails, that are much longer...but I'm sure would be just as interesting as the two we went on.

Back home, we relaxed outside with a 'cold one' before walking over to the casino for dinner.

Cedar Ridge Restaurant is not the typical buffet restaurant that you find in the bigger casinos. You have a choice of the buffet or ordering off the menu. The buffet special today is all you can eat crab legs, along with salad bar, soup and dessert. Being used to the big buffets of the casinos we usually go to, we were a little confused at first. But after getting our salad from the buffet, Steve, Deb and I ordered the prime rib from the menu and Ray went with the buffet. The prime rib, served with baked potato, was excellent! It was the best we have had in a very long time!

After a wonderful dinner, Ray and Deb headed home and Steve and I decided to try our luck out on the slots...giving ourselves a $5 spending limit (whoo hoo!). I won a bit to start...but it didn't take long before I was down my $5. Steve, on the other hand, was up $8!