Blogs from Apache Junction, Arizona, United States, North America

As soon as we had arrived at the Tortilla Campground, I had my eye on the ridge across the creek from us on the other side of the canyon. It began as a low hill a little bit west of us, then tapered up gradually to the east, until near the end, where it steeply rose to a sort of mesa, with sheer cliffs falling several hundred feet over the road. It looked very climbable, though the last pitch could be a challenge. The real issue though, was the creek. A few days ago, when we had come up here on our reconnaissance mission, it had looked like you could step over it. After the heavy rains of our last night at Dutchman, it was a torrent. So I watched it, and on our third day ... read more

With the weather still overcast, we hooked up and took our leave of Lost Dutchman SP. We were in no hurry, as this would be our shortest camp-move of the trip. It’s only about 12 miles to Tortilla Flats, but what a difference those few miles make. Nice as it is, Lost Dutchman is like camping in a city park, while up the twisty roads and over the ridges to the Tortilla Campground, it’s practically wilderness. We found a good spot open, with great southern exposure for our solar panel, and we were all set. The drive in was no problem, I actually enjoyed snaking Moby and Fred around the many curves. The guy we were camped next to said there were 116 curves, to be exact, but we didn’t count. Cathy seems to be getting ... read more

The opening and closing segments of the 2016 Chapter of The Great Adventure went pretty much according to plan, but Uncle Larry relearned the value of flexibility during the middle portion of the trip. I usually limit my plans to only a couple of time-dependent events, and 2016 was no different. First, I wanted to spend Mother’s Day with my 94-year-old Aunt Lena in Florida. During my week in Sanford, we enjoyed portions of several days together. Second, I wanted to attend White Mills Days in White Mills KY, birthplace of my mother and home to my only other surviving aunt. I had been promising 88-year-old Aunt Louise that I would attend White Mills Days “one of these years.” Stop procrastinating, Uncle Larry! Neither of you are getting any younger. She is still very active physically ... read more

Since I relocated my winter headquarters to Phoenix metro early in 2014 and since one of my sister’s granddaughter’s (my great-niece) relocated to Chino Valley AZ in mid 2014, my sister has been planning a trip to Arizona and, then, to California to visit her best friend. She dislikes the snow and the cold of Illinois winters as much as I, but, all thing considered, it’s not really practical for her to relocate. At 84 years young, she doesn’t have the stamina to walk even moderate distances anymore, so I tried to pick a few attractions that wouldn’t tax her abilities too much and saved them for her visit in mid-February – a GREAT time to escape Illinois. Our first stop was the Wells Fargo Museum in downtown Phoenix AZ. There is no parking lot for ... read more

Some final photos from Apache Junction, Arizona - Lost Dutchman State Park - The region we came from a few hours south and this region we're in now....is the hottest / driest location on the continent. Summer daytime temps average over 100 degrees and this region gets 7-12 inches of rain PER YEAR. Despite this, the ground is covered with adapted plants, it seems almost too plush considering the little rain the area gets. The first set of pictures.....A series id like to call 'Good Night Cacti' show my fun with the cactus silhouettes and the setting sun. The second set of pics is a series from my hike up to the local high point via the Siphon Draw Trail up to about 5,100 ft (starting at only 2,080ft) big vertical gain over a three mile ... read more