Kayaking at Canyon Lake - Arizona

Apache Junction, Arizona

Lost Dutchman State Park

It's always good to be back in the Superstition Mountains.  We look forward to our time here each year!  There is so much hiking, kayaking and exploring to do.

Kayaking on Canyon Lake this weekend is the plan!

 Lost Dutchman State Park - W/50a/Dump, $35, #100

The Superstition Mountains as our backyard!  Flatiron in the middle.

Sunset is particularly pretty as the setting sun's rays light up the mountains and turn them orange.

My first hike is usually Jacob's Crosscut to get used to some elevation.  This short hike takes you, left across the flank of the Supes.  Right will take you up Siphon Draw to Flatiron.  That'll come later.

If you take Treasure Loop you'll be right across the top part.  A bit steeper.

This view gives you an idea how steep it is. It may not look that bad, but it sure is a good workout.

The flowers are beginning to peak.  Looks like we got lucky and timed it perfectly this year!

The Poppies are poppin' out too.

This next two weeks we'll be enjoying sunsets and campfires.  We have some friends joining us in a few days.  It will be their first time here.  They are thinking of joining me up Flatiron.

The weather has been great.  Sunny and warm.  Saturday we headed up to Canyon Lake for some kayaking.  We usually paddle back up to First Water Creek which is has beautiful steep canyon walls.  Unfortunately it's a short paddle.  This time we wanted to try paddling up La Barge Creek which is longer but more open.

I do love how the cactus grow right down to the water.

We buy the $8 Tonto National Day Use Park Pass at Tortilla Flat and then put-in just east of the marina.  It's an easy paddle past the campground and marina into the creek area.  Found some neat things like this small tunnel in the rock walls.

It was a nice paddle but we came to the end sooner than we hoped.  Steve suggested we take the arm up to Tortilla Creek next.  I was glad we did because that section turned out to be our new favorite.

Another cave over here.

A strange symbol painted on one of the rocks up on the wall.  Not sure what it is or what it means.  It sure couldn't have been easy getting up there either.

This area was the most popular too with many more people out.  Everyone just enjoying the sun.

 

Paddling under the bridge of Hwy 88 by the marina.

What we call, Skull Rock with a heart in the eye socket.  But we also see an elephant.

The canyon walls around Canyon Lake.

The later part of the day and the lighting made for some great reflections back in this part of the lake.

It was just gorgeous!

We love getting on the water here.  So refreshing.  Anytime we can put the kayak in while we're in the Arizona desert, is a good time.

Crazy, Creepy Things in Casa Grande - AZ

Casa Grande, Arizona
Pinal County Fairgrounds 

Did we find an alien spaceship out in the desert?  Read on to find out!

After leaving Surprise we wanted to spend a few days with Curt and Glenda so off to the fairgrounds for a quiet place to drop the trailer.  W/E/Dump, $20, #11.

One of the best sunsets yet!

Curt and Glenda had stocked up on some king-sized snacks and drinks.  We played cards and laughed and caught up.  Before we headed out to visit some crazy, creepy places in the desert, they brought us to Sabino Canyon.  I've been wanting to do some hiking here, so it was nice to get a heads up.

There are a lot of Saguaros out here and surprisingly, a lot of water in the creek.

There are a lot of trails here and quite a few people out hiking today.

After a tram ride part way up the hillsides, we walked some of the lower parts of the park then headed off to Tucson for some lunch.

Thunder Canyon Brewery is a nice spot for some lunch and beer tasting.

The walls are decorated with large, interesting art.

We were up bright and early to find and explore some weird things out here in the desert.

On our way we drove past this.  What is it?  We don't know.  It looked like 4 very large pipes coming out of someone's house?

The first stop was at what is called The Domes.  They were built in1983 by a computer company.  

According to Abandoned Way website:

Construction went something like this: After the foundations were complete, giant balloons were mounted onto them, supported by steel skeletons. A coating of polyurethane foam was applied to the outside of each balloon, which hardened to form a layer several inches thick. An additional three inches of concrete was then added to form the outer shell then the balloons were deflated creating the domes.

Steve and Curt entering the Spaceship building.

One is the shape of a spaceship and the others look like caterpillars.  They are slowly falling apart.  They are on private property about 50 feet from the dirt road.  Enter at your own discretion.

A view inside.

They are covered in graffiti and there is a lot of broken glass around.  Probably from all the underage partying and such going on over the years.  It has been scheduled to be demolished in 2019, but they are still intact at the moment.

Due to the shape and openings, the domes make very loud, strange echos.

Really strange sounding inside.

Very cool to see and while we probably shouldn't have been inside, I'm glad we walked around and inside them.  Definitely very cool to see.

Next up are the Corona Satellite Calibration Targets.  Actually named the Casa Grande Photogrammetric Test Range. They were used in 1959-1972 and occupy a 16x16 square mile are in the desert.  There were originally 272 targets. The myth was that these 60'x60' crosses were used for an intelligence satellite program.  They were not to calibrate cameras for any spacecraft.  Instead, they were used by the US Air Force to calibrate certain aerial mapping cameras.

In the center is a geographical marker.

We found a second one as well.  Of course there are geocaches out here to mark these oddities.

Ground Zero!

Our next mission was to visit the Neon Sign Park.  The city was awarded a grant for a preservation program which resulted in the restoration of 14 vintage neon signs from the area.  It's fun to walk around and look at them.  We weren't able to return at night when they are lit up but we will on another visit.

This guy keeps an watchful eye on the park.

My favorite sign.

They had nice plaques for each sign.

After this last sign we figured we'd need an ice cream break after a few more geocaches finds.

We did a new type of geocache that is a multi tour of an area to unusual places and you answer a question.  These are actually quite fun and we'd like to put one in Placerville one day.  You had to count the steps at the museum for this question

The final question was answered after you found this large mural and you had to count out the number of times that the Hwy 84 appeared.

Once we got back to Curt & Glenda's Hurley was pooped out.  He found a nice spot in the sun to rest.

On our last day Steve got up early to play Pickleball with Curt for a second time.  I slept in ;-)

Mesa, Arizona

Usery Mountain Regional Park

We had a couple more days before our reservation at Lost Dutchman so Steve found us a spot here.  Nice and peaceful.  We just relaxed.

W/E/Dump, $32, #59.   

The sites here are mostly very large and would fit any size rig.  Very private with lots of greenery and space between sites with a great view of the mountains behind us.

We watched a couple very nice sunsets which cast a golden and later, red look on the mountains and lit up the sky with pretty colors.

I did hike a small trail so I could get ready for another trip up Flatiron next week. 

We have seen this for years across from the park so I decided to look up some info on it.  It was built by a boy scout troop under the directions of an eccentric ex-WII pilot in the 1950s.  So now ya know.

This guy is HUGE!  Well that wraps up our fun time in Casa Grande.  Next, The Superstitions!!