Tortilla Flat, Goldfield Mining Town and Lost Dutchman Museum, AZ

Friday, February 14 to Saturday, February 15, 2014

After spending two full days at the Lost Dutchman State Park, we were off to explore Tortilla Flat. Only a few buildings accounted for the name, but was it ever busy. We treated ourselves to lunch - a Bull-Rider burger and onion rings - after all it was Valentine's Day! We left there to locate BLM land just north of Tortilla Flat, to spend the night up in the mountains. Never had a view quite  like that with a full moon to boot. The next day we took in Goldfield, a reconstructed, very commercialized mining town. Even the heat was oppressive, we also stopped at the Super Mountain Lost Dutchman Museum to learn more about the history of the old west. Our night was spent a the Apache Junction Elks Lodge.

Friday, February 14

We're liken the lichens.

Canyon Lake, a nice surprise after not seeing much water in the desert for a while.

Tortilla Flat was just packed with people out for the day.

All the walls are covered with dollar bills, left by people visiting from 67 countries.

Not too much goop on the walls!

Tucked in a small corner with a big appetite. It sure was tasty.

Riding high in the saddle at the bar

What you see building wise, is all that there is to Tortilla Flat.

Feeling surrounded

The winding road that led to our overnight BLM site.

All alone with nothing but great mountain scenery

Time for a haircut, didn't want to look too much like a desert rat.

Delicate blooms

Grace taking in the rays

Seeds from the Adam's Needle

Mountains aglow

A full moon was rising over the mountains and then....

Saturday, February 15

.....setting in the morning....

.....just before the sun came up

A little hike after morning coffee. That's us on the left.

Saguaro up close and personal

View from above camp

Canyon Lake was a very popular boating and fishing destination.

Had to do the touristy thing at Goldfield Mining Town

The buildings are all recreated, on the original site

Pin cushion cactus in bloom

Dude just looking for a fight

Main street

About a dozen too many gift shops

Grab a shovel and start digging for gold

Did the gold mine tour

Mining tunnel

Grace looking for any leftover gold

An old Linotype machine used in the printing business by making lead letters.
This might seem like an ancient machine, but that's what was used at
the paper when I started. No smart comments!

Ah, the old saloon.

Now, this was a real woman

Quick on the draw, but....

...not fast enough

The guns kept blazing

The sheriff and the dancing girls survived

Sure glad she didn't get her way back then

Worship place

No room, not even at the bar

This cowgirl wants to get out of Dodge.

I know you've seen other pics before, but this is taken from far away and shows
a better perspective of the ambitious hike to the top of Flatiron that was done
while staying at the Lost Dutchman State Park a few days earlier.

Not Thomas the Train!

A bunkhouse

That's some bad hairdo lady!

A labyrinth sundial

Old posthole digger

They're out!

Crusher used in breaking down rocks in the gold industry

It was a small, but topnotch museum.

Our sleepy spot. An RVer who was an Elk Lodge member signed us in. Bought him a beer.