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Writer's pictureSpencer

Don't Bring A Pony To A Horse Fight!

You'll understand why in a moment..


We are continuing our southerly swing through the Grand Canyon state and have been loving every minute of it. After visiting Tuscon, we traveled northwest to the capitol city of Phoenix.



The campground we selected was Roberts Sunrise RV Resort in Apache Junction, home of the Superstition Mountains.


This 55+ RV resort, about 35 minutes from downtown Phoenix, has many privately owned sites that are available for individual rent. It was an exceedingly well-kept resort filled with friendly people who love to socialize.


We had a very memorable event happen when we first arrived. After pulling into our site, I began my usual setup process of pulling cables and hoses from our basement when I heard someone yell: "Hey.. Hey!" Thinking I may have pulled into the wrong site, I looked for the source of the yelling. Across the street stood a man waving in my direction. Puzzled, I slowly pointed to myself, he nodded and yelled,"You are coming over for dinner, aren't you?" A total stranger inviting total strangers over for a meal. I didn't know who was crazier: him for offering or us for accepting! These friendly neighbors graciously insisted we join their cookout. We shared a totally unexpected and enjoyable evening together. Although I have long forgotten this gentleman's name, I remember that he was from Vancouver Island in Canada, and I have to say, Well done, Canada. Well done!



There are numerous mega-campgrounds throughout the Phoenix region, so you have lots of options. If your budget allows, we would highly recommend checking this campground out.


ACTIVITIES:


There are four primary things to do in this snowbird mecca: Shop, Eat, Hike and Golf (there are over 200 golf courses in the metro area). And we did three out of the four.


HIKING:


The Superstition Mountains are close by and they are filled with hikes of different levels of difficulty.


WORDS OF CAUTION: There is no humidity in this arid part of the country, so you don't realize how much you're sweating (until its possibly too late). You can be hiking in 90° weather and feel totally dry and comfortable, all the while you're slowly dehydrating like a raisin. There really is some truth to the saying "It's a dry heat". Dehydration sneaks up on you and I'm sure it has caused the deaths of many a naive hiker. If you're going to hike, leave early and take lots of water. By time you realize you're thirsty, it may be too late.

These rugged mountains received their name in the late 1800's by local farmers who were inspired by stories told by the Pima Indians about strange sounds, mysterious lights, disappearances, and deaths that occurred throughout the mountain range.



This is a beautiful area to hike filled with rugged terrain, cactus, and native flora and fauna. Be sure to wear sturdy hiking shoes as many of the trails are carpeted with loose rocks.


FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT'S SUMMER HOME:



About 30 minutes outside of Phoenix, at the foothills of the McDowell Mountains and just off of Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd., lies the beloved summer laboratory of Frank Lloyd Wright. Our admiration of this unparagoned architect has grown with each encounter of his iconic creations across America. He waged a one-man war against big cities "topless towers". He had no use for cities built of cold, heartless concrete and steel. He chaffed against the cookie-cutter, suburban "box houses" and claimed that "a box is more of a coffin for the human spirit than an inspiration".


This location, built in 1937, embodies all that FLW loved: earth tones, one story buildings, construction materials from the surrounding environment, and lots of natural light. He believed in architecture that was organic, integral and “of its surroundings”.



Over the years, as Wrights popularity grew, so did this complex. A drafting studio, dining facilities, sleeping quarters, three theaters, and a workshop were added to accommodate his growing number of apprentices and staff.



It is fascinating to stroll these grounds. It seems as if Mother Nature herself raised these buildings up from the very soil upon which it sits. Rugged, functional, artistic, airy.. and with almost no closet space (FLW had issues with storage space).


THE MYSTERY OF FLW FINAL RESTING PLACE?


Before leaving, I wanted to share an interesting story we heard about the mystery surrounding the burial place of FLW.


Upon his death in a Phoenix hospital in 1959, his sixth child from his first marriage, Robert Llewellyn Wright, drove through the night to return Wright's body to Wisconsin where it was buried in a family plot at the Unity Chapel Cemetery in Spring Green, WI. He was surrounded by the graves of his grandparents, his mother, several of his sons and daughters, and a lover that was murdered by a deranged servant.


It was the wish of Wright's third wife and widow, Oglivanna, that his body be removed from its Wisconsin grave, cremated, mixed with her ashes and used in the walls of a memorial garden that was to be built on the grounds here at Taliesin West. That plan was put into effect upon her death in March 1985 and done without the notification (or approval) of Wright's living relatives. Once exhumed and cremated, his ashes were mixed with Olga’s and interred at a secret location somewhere on these grounds. Its actual location is known only by a very few. Even in death, his life continued to be a swirl of drama, flare and colorful eccentricities.


NORTH TO PRESCOTT!


Before I tell you how uninspired we were by the city of Prescott, let me tell you about Interstate 17. It is the only major artery that takes you directly from Phoenix to the northern parts of the state, such as Flagstaff and Page. On a major two-lane interstate, with few off-ramps and barely a shoulder, things can quickly go from this:


Photo courtesy of Arizona Department of Transportation

..To this, in a matter of moments.


Photo courtesy of Arizona Department of Transportation

It's the "Hotel California" of roads. Along this 273 mile route, you'll encounter windy turns, aggressive tractor trailer drivers, the occasional burro on the road, lack of cell service in many areas, road construction usually involving blasting, sudden and unexpected cross winds, and overall monotony. And, if you should get stopped in a traffic jam, be prepared to be stopped for hours. It's a stretch of road we have come to dread; and there is no other (reasonable) way to go. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming:



The reason for our visit to Prescott (pronounced Pres-kit!) was to visit some long-time friends from our days living in Ohio. Chris and Holly. There aren't many campgrounds to choose from in this area, but we were very pleased with Point of Rocks RV Park. Be aware that some spots here are quite narrow, and so are the roads, so make sure you check with the campground about your accommodations before arrival.


Our site at Point Of Rocks RV Park


I'm sorry to say that as pleasant as this oasis city is, there is little that makes it unique (other than you can see people panning for gold at the local streams). It does have a small historic district but if not for our friends, we would have found this stop totally forgettable. The nice thing is, the temperatures are very moderate and it has a Costco!


This is Chris and Holly. They took us hiking at the the Granite Dells.



If you're in this area, this is a must see. There are many trails that wind through these rumpled and rippled granite hills. I would recommend bringing hiking shoes and hiking sticks but don't let this deter you, it is such a beautiful area and many of the trails are rated as easy. Later, we found out that these hills have an unusually high concentration of uranium, which probably adds to that healthy glow that many of the residents have!



JEROME, ARIZONA:


About an hour's drive east of Prescott, is a town rich in minerals and history; the town of Jerome. A place once classified as the "largest ghost town in America". You won't understand Jerome until you visit. First, this mining town is uniquely built right into the side of a steep mountain (elevation 5,200 ft).



Secondly, you'll find that some of the buildings here (like the old jail) lost the battle with gravity and have slid from their original location to their current lower-elevated position. Lastly, you can feel the weight of history as you walk these streets. The air is heavy with a mixture of dashed hopes, dreams, wealth, struggle, sadness and tragedy. You will experience it when you walk these streets.


When copper was discovered in the late 1880's (some of the purest veins of copper in the world), numerous mines opened attracting workers from all over the globe. By the early 1920's, the population had swelled to over 10,000 people. The town made national news in 1917 when labor unrest at the town's largest mine, led to the expulsion at gunpoint of about 60 International Workers of the World members, who were loaded on a cattle car and shipped out to southern Arizona. It hard to imagine (and horrifying to think about) living in a time where business owners were allowed to basically "kidnap" disgruntled employees at gunpoint and ship them off to parts-unknown with impunity. It's only a few degrees different than the rights slave-owners had over their slaves. There are a lot of people that will have a lot to answer for come the Day of Judgment.


As with most mining towns, their fortunes rose and fell with the price of the precious commodity. In 1958, the last shovel full of gravel was tossed. As the mines closed, the town's population dwindled to about 100. The perseverance of this core of individuals saved the town from extinction. Their efforts to attract businesses back to the town has accounted for it resurgence.



This is a great place to spend an afternoon. There are many historical structures to tour, wine tasting rooms to try, eateries at which to refuel, and boutiques to shop. It has something for everyone.

"HOLD MY BEER!"


We had an incredible experience while we were hiking in the Tonto National Forest, just outside of Apache Junction. The trail takes you along the Salt River which is home to about 300 wild horses that roam a 20,000 acre section of Forest Service land.


These horses are thought to be descendants of the Spanish explorers that arrived here in the 1500's. The horses in this area live in family units called Bands where there is always at least one lead stallion and one lead mare. There can be up to 20 or so other horses (or various ages) rounding out the group.



As you can see from the video below, competing Bands will try to steal the foals of another band to enlarge their own "family". As you can imagine, this does not go over well for the dam or the lead stallion! We saw three predators attempting to separate a foal from its mother. The mother did the best she could to deter the kidnapping but could not fight off the three. Fortunately, the stallion of the band rushes in and chases off these intruders. It was very exciting and it all went down before we even realized what was going on. Isn't nature wonderful!



We spoke with one park ranger, who was walking along the trail, about the wild horses. She was not a fan of the creatures, as beautiful as they are, since they are very destructive to the environment and require a lot medical attention. A very interesting perspective.

That's it for this blog post. Although we visited these locations in March of 2019, the wonderful memories of this state linger on.


My next blog post will tell you about the single most beautiful location we've encountered in all of the 48 states!


See you on down the road!

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Great blog! Watching the horses’ behavior was the best part, never thought the males did that, but it makes sense I guess. Love the desert scenes and as always, makes me want to be there.

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