Dreams, Moments, Travels
While a beautiful blue sky is nothing to take for granted and the little pink clouds only add to the nice view – we need rain. Up north, no snow this season has killed the skiing business. After nearly 11 years of living in the desert, I would like to move someplace where moisture has a presence.
Having won $365 million in the lottery the day before, our heads were in the clouds all day. Ok, our heads were in the clouds, but we didn’t win the lottery, so much for the power of positive thought. I suppose being lucky every day in life is a fair trade for not being lucky in a really big way for only one day.
The smog blew out that has been hovering over Phoenix. The promised rain for the weekend never materialized. A few lone light wispy clouds blew through making for a beautiful midday sky.
After giving Jutta a week to recuperate from jet lag, we packed my mother-in-law into the rental car and pointed the car west for a 16-day road trip, her fourth trip to America. Our visit to Death Valley was a high point for Jutta, as it was a dream destination she’d wished to see for many years. From there, we drove north over the coast, pausing to visit the elephant seals near San Simeon, and a little further north, we watched two of the rare California Condors that have been released back into the wild. Slowly, we went north, stopping at Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey, taking photos of the Golden Gate Bridge, taking a walk in the Muir Woods National Monument, visiting Point Reyes, and then the Redwoods National Park.
In Oregon, we camped for two nights in Yurts at the Sunset Bay and Cape Lookout State Parks. After years of trying, we finally were able to visit the Sea Lion Caves. We visited lighthouses, the Blue Heron Cheese Company, and stopped for ice cream at the Tillamook Cheese Factory. Our next stop was Washington.
After going to Mount St. Helens Volcanic National Monument, we cut west to the coast, stopping at Pacific Beach and then continued north for a visit to the rainforest of the Olympic National Park. Northeast, we stop in on the scenic North Cascades National Park before slicing across Idaho to Glacier National Park.
This was Caroline and my second visit to Glacier, and this time, we were greeted with sunny skies. It is our intention to one day continue north up the Rocky Mountains to Banff, Yoho, and Jasper National Parks in Canada. Leaving Glacier from the east side of the park, we head out onto the Great Plains, where a few Bison can still be seen.
The Great Plains never fail to amaze me. They have their own unique beauty that lends contrast to the coastal anchors on their east and western sides. We drive along the eastern front of the Rockies on our way south to Wyoming for a return visit to our favorite national park in the United States, the mighty Yellowstone.
Only a day and a half have been planned for Jutta’s second visit to Yellowstone, but a pleasant reminder it was. Soon, we would be going south through the Tetons National Park on our way to Dinosaur National Monument before driving into Colorado for a ride on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Steam Train.
Up the Mokee Dugway from Mexican Hat, we drove around Lake Powell to Capitol Reef National Park, then Bryce National Park, and finally, an overnight at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Sixteen days on the road with your mother-in-law is not the easiest thing in the world to do, but we did it.
Picked up Grandpa Herbert at 9.30 this morning for some lunch and took a long way round to get there. We drive out through Scottsdale over Shea Blvd to Fountain Hills, where we take Arizona State Road 87 north towards Payson. On the way, we stopped to grab this photo of the Superstitions (on the right), where, much later in the day, we will finish our sightseeing.
The road out of Phoenix quickly takes us out of the desert and into the mountains. North of the view on the left is Payson and the Mogollon Rim. These mountains are part of the Mazatzal Mountains. Not far from here is the turnoff for Road 188, which leads us south to Lake Roosevelt.
Lake Roosevelt is filled to near capacity due to our extraordinarily wet winter. A mere two years earlier, the lake was at 9% capacity. Our first view of the lake is twelve miles north of the dam – we are amazed. My only mistake in visiting the lake is that I didn’t make this effort six weeks ago when the surrounding hillsides were deep green and dotted with wildflowers as far as the eye could see.
The lake is incredibly beautiful under the deep blue sky, reflecting blue back towards the heavens. The bridge crossing the lake sits in front of Roosevelt Dam, this is also where our turnoff is to the Apache Trail. The building of the Dam was authorized in 1903, with construction beginning in 1906. In 1911, the world’s highest rubble-masonry dam was completed at a cost of $10 million.
Beginning in 1989 and completed in 1996, the original dam was encased in a new concrete block structure for safety reasons, taking the dam to a new height of 357 feet and a new length of 1,210 feet.
Today, the dam makes for a recreation area popular with boaters who take the narrow historic dirt road called Apache Trail to its cool waters. The lake itself is created from the dammed waters of the Salt River. On the lower side of the dam begins Apache Lake created by the Horse Mesa Dam. Apache Lake is only accessible from the Apache Trail, the road Grandpa Herbert and I are currently traveling.
The Apache Trail was originally created for hauling supplies for building the dam from Phoenix. The narrow, well-maintained trail snakes through canyons for approximately 22 miles before depositing travelers in the center of Tortilla Flats. For travelers coming from Phoenix, it is a long, dusty, bumpy road to drag a boat on, with some very narrow passages!
Canyons, deserts, cliff ledges, and lakes make the Apache Trail a terrific drive for the adventurous. Be careful on hot days and take enough water as help out here might be slow coming, and be patient; driving the Trail’s 22 miles takes about two hours. The vistas along the trail are spectacular, and for the casual visitor to Phoenix, the trail offers the fast traveler a great opportunity to see a slice of the Wild West much the way it has always looked, with the added benefit of lush lakeside views from time to time.
Expansive views quickly give way to cramped ledges and canyon views that will leave those with vertigo wishing for paved highways on some wide, flat city road.
These are the Superstition Mountains, a place of lore and lost treasures. The Lost Dutchman’s treasure of gold is alleged to be hidden somewhere in the mountains, with many a man (and woman) scouring the range on any given day. Before you exit the mountains, the trail will give way to a paved road, and your butt will be happier.
Along this road and shortly before starvation, we reach the Superstition Saloon in Tortilla Flats. This old-time saloon is a historic outpost popular with travelers from around the globe. The walls are covered with many a dollar bill of travelers who have signed, dated, and left messages telling of what country they came from or tacked a business card to it.
So far out in the desert on the edge of the Superstitions, this tiny hamlet named after a John Steinbeck book of the same name is at times one of the most international locations in all of Arizona. Lunch was ok, nothing spectacular really, but the location, view, and ambiance make up for the flair lacking in the cooking. A prickly pear ice cream next door to the saloon made a nice dessert. The day is already getting late, and we need to get home, so without ceremony, we get into the Hyundai and continue the twisting, curving drive out of the mountains.
A short drive west of Tortilla Flats we come to Canyon Lake, in a truly stunning location. It is only late April, but people are out in the water enjoying the great views. The surrounding canyon offers the perfect location for such a wonderful recreation area. A small parking fee is required, boat launches are convenient, and camping is encouraged.
Weekends in the summer make this a busy place, but on weekdays, the pace is relatively slow, and the surroundings quiet. During the spring, temperatures are mild, but in mid-summer, you will find the mercury climbing past 100 degrees; you have been warned. In a few short miles, we will be in Mesa and back on the freeway. The last scenic view we take in is that of the Superstitions.
Looking into the golden heart of the Superstitions, we are reminded that somewhere out here may lie a fortune. As hokey as it sounds, my fortune is found every time I have the chance to pass these ways. No matter how many times I drive through this place, there is always magic to behold.
Late in the afternoon, a few sprinkles of rain fell on parts of Phoenix and Scottsdale here in Arizona. A small rainbow showed vibrantly for seconds and was quickly gone.
