My last road trip was way back in early August. Since that time, there’s only been one day of reprieve below the scorching-hot temps (caused by a crazy dust storm – also known as a haboob – that coated my living room floor*), so it was time to get out of Dodge** and explore more.
*To be fair, the dust particles only entered the apartment because I made the wise decision to grab a video from my balcony. The wind was intense (my mobile almost recorded itself falling several stories), palm trees bent in surrender while the sky took on an unusual shade. And the footage was cool… but cleaning up crunchy hardwood was less so.
**First fun-fact of today’s blog – “Dodge” refers to Dodge City, Kansas. According to this site, back in ‘the day’, it sat at the edge of the unknown frontier – so buffalo hunters and cowboys would seek lodging and relaxation before heading to parts unknown – which came in the form of gambling halls and brothels. Fictional lawman Marshal Dillon, of Gunsmoke fame, coined the “Get out of…” term to encourage debaucherous dudes to depart.
Turns out, instead of leaving Dodge, I apparently picked places that replicated the Old West. But no brothels on this trip (sorry to disappoint).
All three destinations were nestled in and around the Superstition Mountains – and since superstitions can sometimes be tied to the paranormal, it was only fitting that…
The first stop was Goldfield Ghost Town. Settled in the early 1890’s, it used to boast about 4,000 residents, but once all the gold was harvested (within a quick 5 years), the area emptied out (what a bunch of gold diggers!).
In 1943, a fire ruined most of the buildings, however it was eventually reconstructed and now supplies a taste of the old-timey feel. Among the sites, there’s a museum, church, jail, small ride-able train and a disproportionate amount of shops, as well as a few watch-out-for-snakes signs (good reminder). Note: Nary a ghost in sight.
About 10 miles from that apparition-less area was the Dolly Steamboat which provides short cruises on Canyon Lake. With both inside (air-conditioned!) and outside (too hot!) seating and popcorn and beer on offer, we were all set to sail.
The captain called out various points of interest and teased that we might see a bighorn sheep, bald eagle or even some bears. It was a relaxing hour and a half out on a body of water in a desert. Until moving here, I was unaware of how lake-y this state is. I’ll save you the internet search – there are 128! Note: Nary a big (or small) horn sheep, bald eagle or bear in sight.
The last leg of the adventure was Tortilla Flat. Not the John Steinbeck novel from 1935, which was set in Cali, but instead a tiny community (established in 1904) right here in Arizona. Today, it has a population of 6 (not including ghosts or bears – but I didn’t come across any here either) and is approximately one Chicago city-block long.
Don’t be fooled by the name, there are no tortilla-related businesses around. But they do have a restaurant known for delicious burgers and chili. The waitress also strongly suggested the onion rings – and that these should be dipped in ranch dressing (that sounds unnecessarily decadent…I could just have a salad…what to do?).
The walls were covered by dollar bills and the décor, in general, was whimsical and inviting.
Also, in Tortilla Flat you’ll find the requisite gift shop, a little school house plus a fudge store that featured prickly pear gelato (my belly was too full of ranch-covered-rings to consider it).
Altogether, an engaging few hours spent surrounded by nods to a bygone era. While there was no escaping the heat, I definitely earned my ‘visit tourist traps’ merit badge. And for all the warning signs, nary a snake in sight!
Would you prefer to come face-to-face with a ghost or a bighorn sheep? Comment below 🙂