Gas is gold... never return a rental with fuel. |
With five suitcases full of dirty laundry, we headed for our personal oasis in the desert: the Curtis family vacation home near Phoenix, Arizona. Our good friend Anne's parents' offered their home for our southwest trip and their generous hearts are a big part of why we loved Arizona. With only 5 miles of gas left in our tank (philosophically and literally) we arrived at their lakeside home just in time. After 11 days of traveling in the same clothes and sharing a different hotel room night after night, we needed personal space and a washing machine like cowboys needed water and whiskey after a long trail ride. The automatic dryer and swimming pool with jacuzzi were added bonuses for these tired travelers.
Arizona Paradise |
Located on the historic Apache Trail, Goldfield sprang up thanks to the nearby discovery of silver. The folks named the town Goldfield in hopes of throwing other "get rich quick" folks off. Between you and me, they should have chosen something less desirable like "Tar Town" or "Freon Field", but who am I to judge... Just kidding. I shouldn't rewrite history like that. I was just trying to be a little more creative than the people who actually settled there in 1893 and named their town Goldfield for the nearby GOLD ore mines. Anyway, visiting this fun-filled ghost town made me a little playful, too.
Going from boom to bust in just 5 years, the town resurrected itself in the 1920s trying to use new technology for mining the gold ore. Bust again by 1926, the town lay in waste until Bob Schoose and wife, Lou Ann, saw value in creating a tourist attraction in 1988. This boom stuck and the ghost town has grown with relocated preserved and refurbished buildings that include a saloon, boarding house, brothel, jail, museum and general mercantile store. They also reopened one of the Superstition gold mines for tours and offer train rides and horseback guided tours of the area.
Treasure Maps leading to the Lost Dutchman Mine |
Kids try their luck at the museum's poker table. |
Before heading out of town for dinner, Greg and Wyatt had to check out the Reptile Exhibit (the girls and I waited patiently outside.) According to Wyatt, they saw "super cool scorpions and awesome rattlesnakes!" Did someone say rattlesnake? Let's eat!
Fried rattlesnake, anyone? |
Thank you, Anne and Jackson, for taking the reins from this road weary mom and planning a fun-filled family day!
Howdy Jenny!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing your blog with us! Next time y'all want to head back just let me know so i can make sure yer all VIP "Very Important Pardner"
Be sure to post your pics on our Face book page so we can "Share" them with all our cowpokes! Plus you have a chance to WIN FREE dessert! https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rustlers-Rooste/53455785877
Happy Trails!
Social Media Wrangler
Ashley Allen