Gold Canyon 2024

We are back home in West Central Minnesota now. Some snowbirders stay in Arizona (or wherever they go) for as long as 6 months. I am starting to miss home before the end of our three month reservation at Gold Canyon RV & Golf Resort.

This winter of 2023/2024 was a non event in Minnesota with record warm temperatures, hardly any snow, open water on the lakes at Christmas, and one of the earliest ice-outs on record in March. On the other hand, there were more than average cooler and wetter days than normal in the Phoenix area. The many days with temperatures in the 60’s were great for hiking or biking, going on outings, or generally walking around outside without winter coats, so I am not complaining. The rainy days working on knitting or weaving projects and listening to the rain patter on the roof of the RV were quite cozy.

This year I took advantage of some exercise classes and even learned a few line dances. I spent time on my blog and on my part time “job” of being the treasurer for our extended family cabin LLC. We got to know some of our neighbors. I knit a pair of socks, and wove shoelaces and a scarf. I worked on a counted cross stitch project that is very slow going, and that I won’t be able to write about for months.

We spent time with Wayne’s sister and brother-in-law who were there for two months, and with friends and family visitors including our son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter. The time goes fast.

Outings included Boyce Thompson Arboretum, about 20 miles east of Gold Canyon, and the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix. We bought a membership at Boyce Thompson, and then realized it is good at many arboretums around the country, including the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum west of Minneapolis. There was a fun collection of giant colorful art cacti at Boyce Thompson, created by Oliverio Balcells to celebrate 100 years of the arboretum.

Cacti at the The Desert Botanical Garden were adorned with foam cups to protect against freezing when we went there in January.

I experienced the Mesa Market, otherwise known as the Swap Meet, a place with hundreds of stalls for vendors selling all kinds of things including clothing, yard art, household goods, golf equipment, and you name it. I am not into shopping, but I braved the giant parking lot and crowded maze of hallways at this place once to buy an Arizona theme sweatshirt. At a block party on our street at the resort, we talked to a woman we had not met before. When asked what she liked to do, she said she goes to the Swap Meet on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, every weekend. Oh my. Then she said they had only been at the resort for a couple of weeks and she was buying gifts for people back home, so it made a little more sense.

We went on a day trip with Wayne’s sister and brother-in-law, Marlene and Steve, to see Cliff Dwellings at Tonto National Monument, about 1 1/2 hours away near Roosevelt Lake. After the long drive and time in the visitor center, there was a hike to get up to the Cliff Dwellings. The site is amazing and the view is beautiful.

Gold Canyon is east of Apache Junction, on the far east side of the Phoenix metro. It has a very wild west vibe, where you might see a trailer with a horse in it at the nice grocery store parking lot.

The Superstition Mountain Museum in Apache Junction was worthy of several outings. Click here for a link to the website for this attraction that includes a historical museum, assorted old west buildings, some old Mining machinery, and a cool model train. We attended a couple of events there including “Western Cowboy Day” where we watched a fake old west shoot out, and cowboy “Teton Ken” flirted with Marlene.

We also went to the Native American Arts Festival at the Superstition Mountain Museum, where we saw hoop dancing by the Yellow Bird Indian Dancers. It was hard to get a good photo, so following is a picture from the brochure. Click here for a link to info about the talented Duncan family. Click here for a video of champion dancer Tony Duncan.

From1960 to 2004 there was an 1800 acre old west town movie set in Gold Canyon called Apacheland Movie Ranch. Classic western movies and TV shows were filmed there, including Bonanza, Death Valley Days, Gunfight at the OK Corral, and Charro. A fire in 2004 burned down most of the buildings, but the barn, chapel, and gallows were saved and moved to the site of the Superstition Mountain Museum. No visit to Gold Canyon is complete without a stop at the Elvis Chapel.

There is a large display of photos and memorabilia from the Apacheland Movie Ranch inside the barn, including photos of Ronald Reagan, Clint Eastwood, Elvis Presley and many movie stars who were before my time.

The following collage was on display in a local restaurant.

There are a couple of saloons in Apache Junction where locals arrive on their horse and tie it on a rail while partaking of happy hour. Our granddaughter got to see her first horse up close at the Hitching Post Saloon.

Gold Field Ghost Town is another activity in Apache Junction that is on the list of places to take visitors. It is a very touristy 1890’s old west town, and the other place with a real saloon where locals arrive on their horse. There is outdoor seating in the back of the Mammoth Steakhouse and Saloon with a great view of the Superstition Mountains. Note that if you are vegetarian or vegan, find a different place for dinner!

The Apache Trail Scenic Drive starts in Apache Junction near Goldfield Ghost Town, and goes on for 40 miles of beautiful scenery. We did this outing twice. The road was constructed in the early 1900’s to connect Apache Junction with Roosevelt Lake. Before that it was an Apache Indian trail, and then a Stage Coach route. If you are not familiar with this area, you do not think of lakes in Arizona, but there are a couple of them east of Phoenix. The Apache Trail goes past Canyon Lake, which you can see in the background at the scenic overlook in the next photo. There is camping, as well as a marina and restaurant at Canyon Lake.

Tortilla Flat is the next stop after Canyon Lake on the Apache Trail. Tortilla Flat is a one block long “town” with a population of six. There are a couple of touristy buildings including a saloon and gift shop, and an outdoor space with bar food and live music every afternoon. The ladies room has some unique art on the stall doors.

A few miles after Tortilla Flat the road is no longer paved, and becomes very windy, narrow and scary. There is an overlook at a Fish Creek Hill that looks like a mini Grand Canyon. At this point you cannot go any further due the road being washed out. If you could continue on, or if they fix the road, you would be able to continue on to Roosevelt Lake and Roosevelt Dam. The next photo was taken at the Fish Creek overlook. If this looks familiar, I already used it in a previous blog post. If it does not look familiar, then you are not really reading my posts. LOL.

Continuing with the “wild west” theme, I have a photo of my granddaughter wearing our friend’s western hat, while we visited at the pool.

And then there is a photo of the repurposed cowboy boot bag that I bought at an art fair, that I also used in a previous post.

Following are random hiking photos from this year.

I am glad we have the opportunity to get away from winter, and take advantage of all the things to do in Arizona that we can’t do in Minnesota. It is nice to be able to be outside a lot, and also have minimal chores living in our 5th Wheel Trailer. But by the end of our time there I am ready for my normal routine at home, and maybe the RV is starting to feel a little too cozy.

After being home for over a week, I am finally starting to feel like my life is back in order here. The taxes are done, but I still have to put the Christmas decorations away. We moved them all down to the basement bedroom in late December. Out of sight, out of mind. Going for a walk around here is not quite as dramatic as hiking in the Superstition Mountains, but the rolling hills and lakes of Otter Tail County are beautiful too.