So I recently took a week long trip through many states to help a buddy of mine that lived in the desert -move back to Bozeman Montana. Lord knows why he wanted to move back or why I went along on the trip for sure. Of course I got a ton of pictures along the way! It was an interesting trip in many aspects ---mainly that I did not fly back home until the day after my beautiful wife and my anniversary. Something I am still paying for ---for sure. Although I did have a few tricks up my sleeve along the way, to make the return a little smoother and the stay in the dog house a lot shorter. ;) This time the trip was way more thought out ---than my recent trip back home. And much more enjoyable, because it was far less stressful. Although the first two days were not really planed at all. The first full day I ended up still in Arizona. And since I try to keep this Exploring page as current and local as possible wish to share this --day one with you all now --- mainly while our Internet is cooperating. Day two finds me in Vegas---a mere two hours from my moving buddy----in a comped and mostly free casino hotel room. My last trip home found me in Vegas the night after the big shooting last October----so I wish to do volume five of that trip --Billings into Vegas and than a full day to get back home---next. To give a feel of the difference going into Vegas was this trip---and because that trip was last October and all.
Perhaps my favorite picture from the whole trip
Some little town in Montana
Poor ED!
Another favorite because our last name is Adams and I grew up in Wyoming!
Hanging side by side going into the bar in the ghost town I am going to talk about soon.
I have been across this great country.
And Arizona has it's own kind of beauty all it's own!
Tonight's blog post is all Exploring in Amazing Arizona, like I before mentioned. And the open road eventually took me to Apache Junction for some reason. Now sometimes I have trobule with this blog page, because I have been all across this state, but these trips were in the past, as in at least six years ago. And I try to keep this page up to date and do not use old pictures and such. My wife and I had been to many of the areas in Apache Junction and the next day in Bullhead city. And it was kind of hard going there with out her---especially so close to our anniversary.
Just our of our drive way in ST David AZ
Don't take this kind of picture when you are Exploring! ;)
This journey started out in Sierra Vista ---were we recently learned is an Enterprise dealership much closer to us than any in Tucson. I have really praised the company in the past, and it is still the only place we can rent from ---because they accept debit cards and do not do an actual credit check. But I had some issues with them this time---we will simply leave it at that. My first clue should have been --when the dealer and I checked out the car---I was still asleep mostly, and verified it was about a quarter of a tank from being fully full. I got just down the road almost to Benson---still 30+ miles away--and the check gas light was on----it was actually a quarter of a tank down from being emptily empty. Did I mention I was not fully awake yet? After yelling at the company for a good while, I was more awake for sure, but not really in a better situation. Live and learn.
I have talked about this before here---but also took a large batch of painted rocks along on the trip to hide along the way. Above is just a few of them that our whole family and a few friends did. You put a rock group from Facebook on the back and hope that someone finds them and posts there find and than hides them in there Exploring or likes it so much that they keep it. I know it sounds terrible, but I/we all are a little addicted.
Special rock because my travels had me on the road over St Patrick's Day.
Several of the pictures along these posts, if you look closely you can see rocks hidden.
At first I was not really sure where I was headed.
And I ended up on a lot of back roads for sure.
The best kind of roads!
I took a breather here---in the middle of no where.
And hid a rock or two.
Thinking these big markers led to something amazing.
I hoofed through the desert for a good bit and mainly found more desert and piles of garbage.
But these markers were neat!
A good deal later I ended up in Apache Junction. It had been a good long while since I /we had been here last. I went to a large city park to get my bearings straight and grab a bit to eat. While hiding a few rocks here---I actually found two hidden painted rocks. I basically got back in the car and drove to the Wal Mart store. This Kool /retro bus was in the parking lot.
I had to run across the street was this Starbucks that my wife and I had visited on a rare skip day with out the kiddos some six years before. Although I did not go inside the view from the porch was still amazing, minus her beauty of course.
On into the hills because there is gold buried in them there hills!
I soon found I was in the midst of many a tourist trap.
And I was about a mile from The Lost Dutchman State Park.
I did drive up there---but did not wish to pay the entrance fee.
So returned to the "ghost town."
Now my wife and I had been here before in the past too.
But it was years ago, and it was not tourist season.
We were almost the only ones there---and I kept asking if it was even open, than.
We even went down deep into the mine for the tour.
On this day I could hardly find a place to park.
This train loops all around the property.
But I did the same for free on foot.
Maybe taking a picture or three.
I have always been a sucker for a train caboose.
I have pictures of them from across the country.
And have always thought one in my yard would make a great office!
So much to take pictures of.
So hard to not get tourists in the shots.
My poor car rental.
But I found it a parking spot!
Tow Mater?
Old fire truck with a view!
In front of the jail, with just some of the rules.
In the huge bar.
Where I might have had a brew just to say I did!
This was actually just down the road
at a museum that was already closed.
But what a back drop!!
Might of needed to leave a painted rock or two here also.
It was getting into evening and I really was not very far from home so it was time to hit the open road!
In the middle of construction I pulled over to capture this church.
Than walked down the dirt to see the cemetery.
A water truck thankfully stopped spraying water as it past my parked car.
Not sure where I was at this point---
but probably the only almost fully covered parking lot I have ever seen for a store.
In the rain or desert climates.
Time to really get on the gas pedal.
From the covered parking lot.
And than three passed directly over me at one point.
Arizona sunsets are always amazing and different colors completely.
As I said it was getting kind of late already.
I had planned to drive until about 8 30 ish and find a motel.
But found myself really in the middle of no where at that point.
Well after 9 PM I was nearing Kingman Arizona.
We have lived there in the past and hated every minute of it.
So even though a part of route 66 goes through there---I drove very fast past, without even a stop.
At one point I was thinking day one would take me back to the Grand Canyon or Flagstaff, but at some point decided that was a long drive --not really on the way.
I kept going that night to Bullhead/Laughlin and stayed the night.
That and beyond to Searchlight and Vegas and more beyond is for another day.
Next the last chapter in my trip back home to Wyoming and beyond!
Thanks for coming along!
And as always
**HAPPY TRAILS!!**
