Outdoor Fix

We noticed many cars parked just off US Hwy 60 and hikers making their way up Silly Mountain.  There is a trail head that goes straight up the west side of this mountain, elevation 2,139 feet. The trail is easy to navigate with great scenery. It's only a climb of 400 feet elevation to the summit.



Easy Botanical Walk

It is supposed to be a great hike for beginners although it has some tricky spots. We climbed a mere 400 feet in elevation to the summit. This time we came prepared with a walking sticks and a backpack full of water.

Easy to Moderate Trails

Leroy and John tried geocaching (hide and seek using GPS coordinates) on the hike but failed to produce any treasures.  Trinkets are hidden "Arizona style", mostly under rocks.



Geocaching

Switchbacks

Ha! Old Huff & Puff

It was an easy hike.  Our next hike should be the Big Rock Candy Mountain.

Mesa Market Place / Swap Meet

A Shopping Spree in the Desert

 

You can find just about anything you are looking for, or not looking for, at the Mesa Market Place.  This is a swap meet that you want to keep coming back for more. There is no charge to get in or for the parking.  It is not your typical grungy, dirty, weird marketplace.  The four rows of tents are a half  mile long.  You can explore the shops and get your exercise at the same time.  There are over 1500 vendors with all new goods and crafts.  You have to explore each row to see all the items being sold.  And don't worry about the weather, it goes on rain or shine under the huge tents. The Mesa Market also serves $3 beers.  You can walk down the aisles and drink your beer or sit down to people watch and listen to music.

A Shopper's Paradise

They have a very cheap breakfast for $2.00 which includes 2 eggs your way, hash browns, toast and coffee. Bacon or sausage is another $1.50. They also have musicians and entertainers.

If you find something you want, buy it. The same item may be available elsewhere in the market but there will rarely be a price difference that is worth going back to another vendor.

You can find Native American Indian jewelry, luggage, leather goods, rugs, Southwest souvenirs, T-shirts, hats, Southwest home decorations, cactus plants, tools, kitchen gadgets, dried foods, pottery, salsa, cosmetics, watches, purses, shoes, clothing and more. The vendors are not pushy and some are willing to barter.

You will spend three to four hours wandering the aisles.  It is recreational shopping at its finest. The market is only open Friday-Saturday-Sunday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

We were there twice in January.

Lots of Stuff

Tons of Stuff

Recreational Shoppers

Arizona Opry

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Family Fun, Although Somewhat Cheesy

We took in a variety show at the Barleen Family Arizona Opry dinner theatre. The Barleen twin daughters and their family members and friends present a night of music and comedy.

There is a stage in a "bingo hall setting" that seats 500.  The stage was brilliantly lit with shiny brass instruments, some from such well-known artists as Herb Alpert and Doc Severinson. The dinner was a selection of American favorites including chicken, rice, roast beef, potatoes, fresh vegetables and a roll. And a large piece of chocolate cake! It is amazing that they can serve 500 people in less than 20 minutes. 

George Staerkel (married to a Barleen twin) is the music director and plays at least 20 instruments.  He is an original member of the Tokens (The Lion Sleeps Tonight) and, of course, reprises the song as a part of the show.  The musicians play horns, guitars, keyboards and drums so well you wonder why they are in Apache Junction, AZ. It is impressive how many instruments each professional played.

Willie Nelson of the AZ Opry

The AZ Opry's gift shop has a variety of things including blinking rings, yodeling pickles and a "record store" with CDs by all of the performers. 

After the show, Leroy with Brenda, or was it twin sister Barbara?

Apache Trail, Tortilla Flat and Lower Cliff Dwellings in Tonto National Park

"The Apache Trail combines the grandeur of he Alps, the glory of the Rockies, the magnificence of the Grand Canyon and then adds the indefinable something that none of the others have."               President Theodore Roosevelt

We took a day to explore the legendary Apache Trail. The original trail was a foot path that Apaches used to travel through the Superstition Mountains. It later became a stagecoach trail for miners and mountain men in search of their fortunes. It is Arizona's first designated "Historic Highway." While looking for desert bighorn sheep and coyotes we saw canyons, desert lakes, towering saguaro cacti and the beginning of desert wildflower buds.

 

Nice Curves! And Lots of Them!

Apache Trail offers a scary ride at times, especially the heights and few guardrails. We certainly got a feel for the trail during the mining era.
 

 
 


Canyon Lake

Tortilla Flat was a fixture of the Apache Trail since 1904 and provided a welcome stop for travellers on the Yavapai Trail which connected the Tonto Basin with the Salt River Valley.

Century Old Stage Stop

The Apache Trail once served as a stage coach and freight wagon route from Mesa to Globe.  Indians, cowboys and miners have all roamed the mysterious Superstition Mountains. Tortilla Flat is the last surviving stagecoach stop on the Apache Trail. 

Yee Haw

We grabbed lunch at the Superstition Saloon.  You can saddle up at the bar and order a big burger or really, really hot chili.

 Dollar Wallpaper -I Think I Will Start Tomorrow

Look Out Miss Kitty

Mountainside of Saguaros

In 1906 the trail, now known as the Apache Trail, was completed as a freight road for the construction of the Roosevelt Dam. Mule teams once hauled men and materials that made Roosevelt Lake.

Roosevelt Dam

Theodore Roosevelt Lake covers old farmlands and now supplies electrical power and water for irrigation and recreation.

Bridge Reflection

The Salado Indians looked to the desert to supplement cultivated foods and fulfill their material needs.  Mammals, birds, ad reptiles were important to their diet. They made tools from bones. Yucca provided edible stalks and buds, sewing needles from leaf tips, leaf fiber for rope nets, maps, and sandals, and roots for making soap. 

It was a steep hike up to the ruins

Built in the early 14th century, this village was part of a vast multicultural network that extended from the Four Corners region to Northern Mexico. While remains of thousands of similar villages dot the Southwest, this well-preserved building represents one of the last Salado cliff dwellings in the Southwest.


This cliff dwelling was occupied for about 100 years but there is indication that there were periods of extreme drought as well as devastating floods here. This may be why the Puebloans left as it would have impacted their gardens.



Prehistoric Indian Ruins

At the Lower Cliff Dwelling

Stone Grinding Tools - The Mano and Metate

The metate was used to grind corn and mesquite pods into flour.
They also crushed beans, seeds and nuts.





Quartzite - It's Showtime!

It's Show Time!

An RVers Dusty Heaven

Quartzsite, AZ holds an annual gem and mineral show each January.  It is the largest gathering of RVs and RVers. This is the 49th annual Pow Wow Gem and Mineral Show.  It is like the Iola Car Show but on steroids.  All shows are free of admission and you may be lucky enough to find free parking.

Rugs and Rocks

Gems, Minerals, and More Rocks



Shopping for Salt Lamps

You can shop over 300 tents and stands for gems, rocks, minerals, arts, crafts, hobbies, jewelry, silver and gold, precious metals, antiques, coins, lapidary tools and equipment and supplies.  There is also a huge tent in the middle of it all where you will find 70 indoor vendors.



Disneyland for Seniors

Got Books?



A trip to Quartzsite would not be complete without a visit to the local bookstore. We did a quick stop at the Reader's Oasis Book store where Paul Winer has been selling new and used books and magazines for over 22 years.  What's the attraction?




Nice Top Hat

No Tan Line

Hiking ...Again

We were off on our second hike in the Tonto National Forest.  It is recommended that you always take at least two bottles of water on a hike in the Superstition Mountains.  Today's "easy" hike is 2.2 miles one way and supposedly a flat hike that changes elevation by only 600 feet.

Inquiring about Wildlife

Rugged Landscape in the Sonoran Desert

Rocky Trails, Washouts, Woops and Hillsides

Refreshing Sarsaparilla

The best part of hiking is lunch afterwards.  Today we stopped at the Mining Camp Restaurant where we enjoyed a cold refreshment and a very large hamburger.

Survived to Hike Another Day

Queen Creek Olive Mill

Queen Creek Olive Mill is the only working olive mill and farm in Arizona.  The olive groves are located at the base of the San Tan Mountains on the Gila River flood plains. This region has fertile soils which produce quality fruits and vegetables.  

Olive Affair

Tours are offered to see first hand how olives are pressed into fresh extra virgin olive oil. Here you can sample olive oil, spa products and fresh baked goods.

Sampling Olive Oil

I sampled chocolate olive oil and bacon olive oil along with an artichoke/roasted garlic tapenade. We purchased a French baguette to break bread with friends and enjoy the tapenades in the olive grove.

Relaxing in the Olive Grove

 

 



 

 

 

 

Organ Stop Pizza

Organ Stop Pizza is home to the largest Wurlitzer theatre organ in the world.  The Wurlitzer organ was originally built for the Denver Theatre in 1927.  It was used until the early 30s until the advent of talking movies and the Great Depression. A fire silenced the organ due to extensive damage.



Up Comes the Organ

Our organist, Charlie Balogh, played the Wurlitzer to perfection and took requests.  He played everything from Frozen to Phantom of the Opera to Play that Funky Music.  Supposedly, there are only three people who can play this mighty Wurlitzer.


Almost 6,000 Pipes

Several additions were made to the instrument by acquiring parts from other Wurlitzers over the years.  There are continuous efforts to make additions and improvements to the organ.  The estimated value of this Wurlitzer is $4 million.

Eating Pizza During the Concert

We went early to get seats in the balcony.   The concert is continuous with short intermissions. Happy Birthday was requested and played in every set.  My favorite was the intense version of Phantom of the Opera. I could almost see Christine running from the Phantom.

Horns Overhead

The organ is raised on an elevator from a lower level bneath the stage and swivels so there is really no bad seat in the house. It's like Chuckee Cheese's for Seniors.

Music and Lights In Sync