Superstition Mountain

We find our way on Route 88 out of Apache Junction headed toward Superstition Mountain.

 The Apache Trail was a stagecoach trail that ran through the Superstition Mountain.  The Superstitions, as they are called, are the largest of the mountain ranges surrounding Phoenix, visible from many miles away along the straight roads through the suburbs east of Mesa. They rise steeply above the flat desert to a high point of 5,024 feet, and are characterized by sheer-sided, jagged, volcanic peaks and ridges separated by boulder-filled canyons, all covered by saguaro at low elevations, with other cacti and bushes higher up.  Early settlers named the hills on account of the many myths and stories told by the local Apache Indians about the mountains, and tales such as the fabled Lost Dutchman gold mine.

On our drive we find Goldfield Ghost Town.  This must stop, tourist stop, is a 1890's boom town gone bust and then brought back to life. 

 Walking down main street you see the train station, jail, blacksmith and saloon, which is of course across from the bodega. 

At the end of town is the church. 

Artisan shops now fill these old buildings with cowboy hats and pottery and all sorts of old west souvenirs.  When the mines were closed, the town like many out west, shut down.   The whistle of the train and some authentic artifacts give us just a little taste of that wild west history.

A little farther up Route 88 is Tortilla Flat, a small unincorporated community in far eastern Maricopa County. It is the last surviving stagecoach stop along the Apache Trail. According to the Gross Management Department of Arizona's main U.S. Post Office in Phoenix, Tortilla Flat is presumed to be Arizona's smallest official "community" having a U.S. Post Office and voter's precinct. The town has a population of 6. Not to miss out on the Lost Dutchman legend, this stop has its own rendition of the mine. 

 The Lost Dutchman mine is named after German immigrant Jacob Waltz, who purportedly discovered it in the 19th century and kept its location a secret.The Lost Dutchman's is perhaps the most famous lost mine in American history.

Fun day ends with a bite and beverage at the Hitching Post. Live music plays, as a lone rider heads out  to the dessert.

  Thanks Lowell and Linda for a great day!