The Apache Trail was a stagecoach run through the Superstition Mountains. Now it links Apache Junction with Theodore Roosevelt Lake through the Tonto National Forest and the rugged desert mountains. Part of the trail is unpaved and not something we would take our large RV on. There are four lakes on the Trail. We though we would check out Canyon Lake and go as far as Tortilla Flats, which is where the unpaved part starts. We are holding up on taking the whole all day trip for when we stay at Usery Park, our next destination. Driving through Fountain Hills on our way to the Trail, I got a quick shot of their famous fountain which goes off every hour. It is the world's fourth largest fountain that goes up to 562 feet in the air. It was built by Robert McCulloch the year before his Lake Havasu project, the reconstruction of the London Bridge.
We drove to Apache Junction and headed on the Apache Trail.
We are so happy to be able to be here in Spring as the wildflowers are just fantastic.
We stopped to check out Lost Dutchman State Park which looks like another great spot to stay with its great views of the Superstition Mountains. Maybe a further stay here down the line. We went by Apache Lake, one of the four lakes in this area. They have what looks like a nice national forest campground but it was already closed for the season. Darn, it was right on the water.
There are a number of one lane bridges along the Trail.
Below is the very small town of 6, Tortilla Flats. It was the last remaining stage coach stop on the Trail. Their one restaurant has unique wallpaper. It is hundreds and hundreds of dollar bills tourists from around the world add to the walls. Oops, my camera battery ran out and the spare one hadn't been charged. Oh well, we will be coming by here again and we get more pictures.
We turned around before we got to the dirt section of the Trail, saving that for another day. We headed back to the campground.
On Friday, we went to the Old Town Scottsdale Farmers Market. It is quite large with lots of locally grown produce and other interesting products. Of course we had to buy some. In addition to some needed produce, we bought an orange flavored horseradish, a corn relish, and a couple of bottles of barbeque sauce. They had one of my favorites, Raspberry Chipotle. We had fun sampling new tastes. They also have artisan breads, cheeses, meats and tamales, and much more.
It was a busy place, especially for a week day. Where we are staying isn't that far from the town of Fountain Hills and Scottsdale, but everywhere we went seem to take at least 50 minutes to an hour to get to. It was that case for the Market. We also went to REI another day as I needed some new shoes as several of mine have bit the dust. I got some nice hiking shoes and a pair of sandals. Joe got a new camelback water bottle. I had a membership card and the person who helped us told us Joe could get one too. The cost would be offset by the 20% off coupon he would get and so we were able to use two coupons and will in the future so it was a good deal. I also had $50.00 in dividends from last year and so I used that also. Great!!! We stopped in at Whole Foods to get unsweetened coconut flakes which you can't find everywhere. Of course we couldn't get out of there with just that. They were giving samples of stevia sweetened ice cream which we tasted and then ended up buying some. One day, I used some of my purchased coconut to try a new granola recipe. I have been making my own for a number of years, but found a new recipe to try. It calls for less oil and less sweetener. I usually use sugarfree maple syrup but this recipe calls for a small amount of honey and includes orange, lemon and apple juices for the liquid and orange and lemon peel. Turned out yummy. It is a keeper. We enjoyed our time at McDowell and are soon to head to Usery Regional Park and further adventures in the Phoenix area.
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