Because there was so much to do in the area, and we were with friends to do them with, I took tons of pictures. So, you may want to view this posting in segments, unless you have about a half hour to kill!
It was a very friendly park, which you can see by the welcome on the activity center as you come into the park.
This park was designed for park models that people buy and/or lease the spot for as many months as they wish. Most of them buy the little home and then lease for the whole year, even though they don't stay in them during the summer. That way, they can leave all of their stuff there and no one else uses the spot. It is like having a second home in the sun! But for a reasonable cost. For now, they have a few spots for RVer's.
Our friends Jim and Sue came into the park the same day we did and parked three spaces down. One day we played golf shoes (our name for the game), which was a new game for them. Of course, Sue and I made sure the guys won. They are much easier to live with when they win!
There were really nice shuffle boards, and of course, we again made sure the guys won!Superstition Mountain Massacre Rock Hike
There were guided hikes that left from the park each Tuesday and Friday. We went on three of them. It was so much fun. The park is located close to Superstition Mountain. It is spectacular.
The first hike we went on was on the other side of Superstition Mountain and we hiked up to Massacre Rock. It was about a four mile hike and was on a Friday. The Friday hikes were a little more strenuous than the Tuesday "Smell the Roses" hikes.
We thought we would be sore after that first hike because it was a lot of climbing up hill. But, I guess we have been riding our bike and walking enough that we are in pretty good shape!!Usuary Pass Mountain Saddle Hike
The next Tuesday we hiked up through a pass to the saddle of the pass. It was a little easier hike and Jim and Sue came with us. There were 41 "old" people on the hike. It is really amazing that people like us can still do these things when they get to be in their 70's and 80's! It is my goal to still be hiking in my 80's.
We stopped a little more often on the Tuesday hike. There was so much to see and so many fun people to get acquainted with as we walked.
Yup, that is where we are headed. It didn't look too far away, if you could get there as the crow flies. But there were quite a few draws and hills to climb before we got there.
The desert is just starting to come alive with the green leaves and flowers. The ocotillo is one of my favorite desert bushes. It has bright red flags on all of their tips and the plants get so green before they bloom. The poppies are also starting to pop out all over the desert.
I think we are going to make it. Here is Terry on one of the uphill climbs. He doesn't even look tired!
Some of the terrain was a little scary. Here are Jim and Sue navigating some slick rocks. I helped a little old lady over it. She was kind of shaky and I was afraid she may slip. But we were almost to the top.
Yeah! We made it! Now it is time for a rest and some snacks. Jim and Terry both found a rock to sit on. The man sitting next to Jim is Bob, the one that we rode with to get to the trail heads on all of the hikes we went on.
What a view we had from the saddle. We could actually see all of the Phoenix valley.
The next Tuesday we hiked up through a pass to the saddle of the pass. It was a little easier hike and Jim and Sue came with us. There were 41 "old" people on the hike. It is really amazing that people like us can still do these things when they get to be in their 70's and 80's! It is my goal to still be hiking in my 80's. We stopped a little more often on the Tuesday hike. There was so much to see and so many fun people to get acquainted with as we walked.
Yup, that is where we are headed. It didn't look too far away, if you could get there as the crow flies. But there were quite a few draws and hills to climb before we got there.
The desert is just starting to come alive with the green leaves and flowers. The ocotillo is one of my favorite desert bushes. It has bright red flags on all of their tips and the plants get so green before they bloom. The poppies are also starting to pop out all over the desert.
I think we are going to make it. Here is Terry on one of the uphill climbs. He doesn't even look tired!
Some of the terrain was a little scary. Here are Jim and Sue navigating some slick rocks. I helped a little old lady over it. She was kind of shaky and I was afraid she may slip. But we were almost to the top.
Yeah! We made it! Now it is time for a rest and some snacks. Jim and Terry both found a rock to sit on. The man sitting next to Jim is Bob, the one that we rode with to get to the trail heads on all of the hikes we went on.
What a view we had from the saddle. We could actually see all of the Phoenix valley.Canyon Lake Hike
It is always fun to hike by water. This one started out just across the street of the parking lot going in Canyon Lake. On the other side of the bridge, there was a nice inlet where people were float tubing. We thought it would be a nice place to bring our float tubes and fish, if we had an Arizona fishing license.
This was a little more rigorous hike, since it was on a Friday, and there were only 17 people who came. The rock formations along the trail were really something.
This mountain is called Weaver's Needle. I thought that was an appropriate name because weavers use needles, but we learned that the Weaver who the mountain was named after was a person and not a profession. The Lost Dutchman's gold mine is supposedly somewhere "in the shadow of Weaver's Needle." No one has found it yet!
Terry and Bob getting to the top. There were taller mountains around us, but it still felt like we were on the top of a mountain.
I had Terry take a picture of me (it doesn't happen too often) to prove that I also made it to the top! 
It had some interesting old buildings. I am not sure which ones were original and which ones were put together later. They have gunfights in the middle of the street on the weekends.
Terry had to check out the Bordello. It looks like he found a friend there. Actually, she was walking along the street and I asked her if she would go stand by Terry while I took a picture. (At least that is my story--and I am sticking to it! Terry probably has a different version.)
The jail looked pretty authentic. We got a kick out of the "jail rules." 
Since Terry found a friend at the Bordello, he said that I needed a friend and this is the one he picked for me!
It is always fun to hike by water. This one started out just across the street of the parking lot going in Canyon Lake. On the other side of the bridge, there was a nice inlet where people were float tubing. We thought it would be a nice place to bring our float tubes and fish, if we had an Arizona fishing license.
This was a little more rigorous hike, since it was on a Friday, and there were only 17 people who came. The rock formations along the trail were really something.
This mountain is called Weaver's Needle. I thought that was an appropriate name because weavers use needles, but we learned that the Weaver who the mountain was named after was a person and not a profession. The Lost Dutchman's gold mine is supposedly somewhere "in the shadow of Weaver's Needle." No one has found it yet!
Terry and Bob getting to the top. There were taller mountains around us, but it still felt like we were on the top of a mountain.
I had Terry take a picture of me (it doesn't happen too often) to prove that I also made it to the top!Goldfield Ghost Town
One day we, with Jim and Sue, went back to the base of Superstition Mountain where they have "tourist-ized" an old mining town called Goldfield. You can take tours down into the original mine where they mined for gold. You can also pan for gold.
One day we, with Jim and Sue, went back to the base of Superstition Mountain where they have "tourist-ized" an old mining town called Goldfield. You can take tours down into the original mine where they mined for gold. You can also pan for gold. 
It had some interesting old buildings. I am not sure which ones were original and which ones were put together later. They have gunfights in the middle of the street on the weekends.
Terry had to check out the Bordello. It looks like he found a friend there. Actually, she was walking along the street and I asked her if she would go stand by Terry while I took a picture. (At least that is my story--and I am sticking to it! Terry probably has a different version.)
This is the little church in the mining town. I think they might still use it for Sunday services. I thought it was kind of unique with the wagonwheel and the yoke chandeliers.
The jail looked pretty authentic. We got a kick out of the "jail rules."
Since Terry found a friend at the Bordello, he said that I needed a friend and this is the one he picked for me!Superstition Mountain Museum and Apacheland
We went on a little nature hike at the museum and learned some more about the names and habitat of the plants in the area.
There was this really neat tree carving at the front of the museum.
Also, outside the museum was the remains of a western set that has been used in a lot of movies. This hanging gallows was used in a lot of westerns. The Apacheland Movie Ranch Museum is a special museum of western motion pictures and television that were filmed there over a 45 year period, including “Charro,” which starred Elvis Presley. Among some of the better known motion pictures filmed at Apacheland were: The Ballad of Cable Hogue, Arizona Raiders ,The Haunted, The Gambler II and Blind Justice. Television series included Have Gun Will Travel, and Wanted Dead or Alive. (From the pamphlet.)
Of course, I always get a "outhouse shot" whenever I can! There was a really cute poem on the door that I took a closeup of and then copied into my "poem" file when I got home.
This is the old blacksmith's shop and a man actually uses it and makes a lot of useful items that he sells, using the original techniques that they used back then.
Inside of a barn, they had some other things they had rescued from the burned-down movie set. This is a "doctor's buggy" similar to the one that Doc used in the Gunsmoke series.
Terry and Jim needed boots, hat, and a set of six-shooters in this scene.
Sue and I modeled in front of an old covered wagon.
Should we unlock the door--should we through away the key--should we unlock the door--should we throw away the key! That was a tough decision!
This is probably one of the most famous of the buildings they were able to restore. The Elvis Presley Chapel is a movie memorabilia museum showing the movies that were filmed at Apacheland. Survivor of two fires, one in 1969 and one in 2004, which decimated Apacheland Movie Ranch, the Elvis Presley Memorial Chapel was donated to the Superstition Mountain Museum. The chapel was taken down piece by piece, nail by nail, has been reconstructed on the museum ground. We had a fun day at the mining town and the museum. 
There was a fun dinner and dance at the Park on Valentine's Day. Since that was our 39th wedding anniversary, Terry agreed to take me. We even danced a few times--something we haven't done for a long time! 
Sue and Jim came with us and we had a great time! Thanks to Jim and his camera phone, he shared these last two pictures. I had forgotten to take my camera. 
It rained a couple of times while we were in Apache Junction. And when it rains, it pours! All of the rain water runs down the streets in the park and collects in the area where the horseshoe pits and shuffle board games are.
It even flows over into the the tennis courts and floods them. It is a pretty good system and only takes about a day for the water to disappear from the drainage area. All of the housing districts and areas around there have to be set up with a system like this so the rain water has someplace to go.
We went on a little nature hike at the museum and learned some more about the names and habitat of the plants in the area.
There was this really neat tree carving at the front of the museum.
Also, outside the museum was the remains of a western set that has been used in a lot of movies. This hanging gallows was used in a lot of westerns. The Apacheland Movie Ranch Museum is a special museum of western motion pictures and television that were filmed there over a 45 year period, including “Charro,” which starred Elvis Presley. Among some of the better known motion pictures filmed at Apacheland were: The Ballad of Cable Hogue, Arizona Raiders ,The Haunted, The Gambler II and Blind Justice. Television series included Have Gun Will Travel, and Wanted Dead or Alive. (From the pamphlet.)
Of course, I always get a "outhouse shot" whenever I can! There was a really cute poem on the door that I took a closeup of and then copied into my "poem" file when I got home.
This is the old blacksmith's shop and a man actually uses it and makes a lot of useful items that he sells, using the original techniques that they used back then.
Inside of a barn, they had some other things they had rescued from the burned-down movie set. This is a "doctor's buggy" similar to the one that Doc used in the Gunsmoke series.
Terry and Jim needed boots, hat, and a set of six-shooters in this scene.
Sue and I modeled in front of an old covered wagon.
Should we unlock the door--should we through away the key--should we unlock the door--should we throw away the key! That was a tough decision!
This is probably one of the most famous of the buildings they were able to restore. The Elvis Presley Chapel is a movie memorabilia museum showing the movies that were filmed at Apacheland. Survivor of two fires, one in 1969 and one in 2004, which decimated Apacheland Movie Ranch, the Elvis Presley Memorial Chapel was donated to the Superstition Mountain Museum. The chapel was taken down piece by piece, nail by nail, has been reconstructed on the museum ground. We had a fun day at the mining town and the museum.
There was a fun dinner and dance at the Park on Valentine's Day. Since that was our 39th wedding anniversary, Terry agreed to take me. We even danced a few times--something we haven't done for a long time!Sue and Jim came with us and we had a great time! Thanks to Jim and his camera phone, he shared these last two pictures. I had forgotten to take my camera.It rained a couple of times while we were in Apache Junction. And when it rains, it pours! All of the rain water runs down the streets in the park and collects in the area where the horseshoe pits and shuffle board games are. It even flows over into the the tennis courts and floods them. It is a pretty good system and only takes about a day for the water to disappear from the drainage area. All of the housing districts and areas around there have to be set up with a system like this so the rain water has someplace to go. Well, we had a great time staying in Apache Junction. Some day, we wouldn't mind staying most of the winter in this area. It was kind of wet the morning we left, but it was time to head out to other adventures!
1 comment:
The Weavers Needle looks like the mountain in the movie "Holes". In the movie it was called God's thumb and two of the boys took refuge there. Cool pictures of the desert.
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