Day 2: Superstition in the Desert
After an all out horrible night with Minnie (she was up ALL night unable to calm her brain to sleep- part of her institutonlization that we deal with) we got up with the sun to face the day.
The fact that we could get up with the sun (and not the gloom) made this easier to deal with.
I briefly (so. very. briefly) threw around the idea of going for a jog. Then decided against it. I blamed being tired (although what was my excuse the rest of the week? Right, I didn't have one.)
Our plan today was to head East, yonder to those big ole' mountains past Phoenix.... the ones that got the name 'Superstition'.
Oooooh. Ahhhhhh.
We had never been that way before so it sounded a good a plan as any. And the daily process of me having to shower, dress & sunscreen 4 people (myself & three girls) began. This is a very time consuming thing.
Now, why the name Superstition? Why indeed. We'll I got a good story for ya folks.....
Way back in the early pioineer days...the days before statehood... the days of the 'wild west' when Arizona was a mere territory full of Indians trying to protect their lands-- people flocked (ok, probably not FLOCKED) down here for adventure & mostly... for the lure of gold & silver rumored to be in the area.
Towns were set up quickly in areas where there was thought to be gold.
They kinda looked like this....
You know, except missing the signs that said "Souviners" and "Get your Coca Cola here" on the buildings.......
The inhabitants were a rough and rumble sort. Law was scarce.....
Scary wild outlaws & gold diggers roamed the area. Much like these three...
Those are three scary girls I wouldn't want to meet in the Main Street Emporium after being told they couldn't have that gigantic stuffed Minnie Mouse. Able to give any roughneck cowboy a run for their money back in the day!
One particular immigrant (swede, I believe) was rumored to have found a honey hole of gold with his partner. He 'struck it rich' and his partner 'dissapeared'. Anyone said to have gotten close to him or his mine also met untimely demises. He died without ever telling anyone the location of his goldmine. And since then, prospectors have gone out in search of the elusive gold. Many died in the quest & to this day.... no one has found that mine rumored to be in the very mountains we were heading into. And such...they got their name...
The Superstition Mountains.
Oh. Ah. Back Story. Over.
We stopped at an old mining camp now turned tourist trap (see above two pictures) outside the start of the mountains. Goldfield I believe it was called.
It was fun to explore. Until...three school buses of kids arrived for their field trip.
Then it wasn't so fun anymore.
Oh, look... my mother. I ought to put this in my intro. Nothing says come read my report like a picture of 'Granka' in a birdcage outside a bordello.
I also tried to convince her to put this as her facebook profile picture..but she wasn't having it.....
Okay- that was a side track. So buses arrived & I tried to run out of there. Because frankly.. I didn't want 200 grade school kids in the 'deserted' goldmine. Kinda ruined the 'atmosphere'.
But..but... itsy & bitsy & daddy & granka wanted to explore the mine. Considering 30 school kids were joining them in the 'mine'. My scarlet letter mother & myself decided to wait it out while the rest of them ventured down.
They regretted that decision. But I didn't. And fully enjoyed my fudge while waiting for them.
We pressed on into the Supersitions.... down to a nice little lake to have a picnic lunch.
Yhea. Nice view indeed.
The girls wanted to get in the lake. Here's a pic of Minnie wanting to try it but scared of the new texture (you have to remember, she spent 4 years NEVER leaving her room..she had never been outside, seen grass, felt grass, felt wind, ect... EVERYTHING has been new to her!). So Princess is trying to put her down and she's pulling her feet up!
But she is a brave, brave girl- always- and eventually her feet went down. And she found a shell...and she was HAPPY!
After that we pressed on . I have no real way to explain or convey the terror of the next hour. Right after that pleasant little lake comes a dirt road.
This dirt road goes up and down VERY VERY STEEP MOUNTAIN ROADS. Did I mention it's dirt? And it's about 1.5 car length across but it's a 2 way road? Or that it snakes and curves without guardrails? How about all the pot holes & parts of road washed out? How about the fact that Granka likes to 'sightsee' while he drives and often runs off the road? Scare you yet? It did me!!!
Ayi. It was really scary. I tried not too look too much. I took a few pictures but they really don't show it well.
This is looking DOWN the road....
Notice the nice sign that mentions you might want to turn or you'll fall off a cliff.
Out the side of the window....
Notice in this picture Minnie holding princess band-aids. It was her safety net for when we tumbled off the mountain. She wanted to make sure we would all get patched up.
Ok. Not really. She just really likes princess bandaids. Bandaids and "F#ck C#cks". She's easy and cheap to entertain. No need for pricy toys.
Somehow, after an hour on this road. We made it. Safe and sound and no need for any Cinderella bandaids. Phew!
We came to a nice little dam. Roosevelt Dam. Kids were underimpressed.
Then on to our final destination in the Superstion Mountains... Tonto Cliff Dwellings.
See them...way up there?
These are one of the few in the US left that are accessible to the public. Probably because they know not many of the 'public' want to traverse that road to get to them..... (not really, there is another way to them... that's the way we went home).
But I was super excited to explore them. And so up, up, up we forced the kids. It was a tough hike but the kidlets did good. Except for the meltdown RIGHT at the very top by Minnie.
Where she didn't want to be talked to, touched, nothing... always a fine time for that while standing perched on a mountain cliff.........
So I sat her down with Princess...and let her recover.
Meanwhile, I explored this....
Look at that view! Awesome!
It was worth the climb..and the tantrum...and the dirt road.......
If only we had found that gold as well.
I bet one of those 200 field trip students found it instead!
We had a 3 hour drive home. Stopped at an Italian place for dinner. Where the world's worst karokee singer EVER was booked to sing. Clearly that is where washed up performers go.... when their career is done.
Then to my kids most favoritest of all places to go when we are in Arizona. I mean ,they look forward to this most when we announce our trip to Arizona every year....
It is.. of course...
The dollar store. Duh.
Because we don't have 15 in our immediate area in our hometown. Nope, no way.... the Arizona one is the BEST.
So there's your recap of our night. Karokee singer = the worst. Dollar store = the best. The death-defying trip on the Superstion Mountain Road was just icing on the cake.
We used to go to Scottsdale every spring (my parents & I) and I can still remember the SMELL getting off the plane! Love it. 
Can't wait to hear more!
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