MESA: GETTING OUT AND ABOUT AND SEEING SOME SITES

February – March, 2019

No matter where we have been there have been curiosities; those things that probably had their origins in practicality that was/are known to the locals but remain a curiosity to visitors.  We have developed a belief that Arizonians like to identify their towns by painting names and/or letters on mountainsides.  In Tucson we saw the “A” mountain, and we were told it is so named for the University of Arizona whose students paint it the beginning of each Fall semester upon their return to campus.  We saw an “A” mountain in Tempe as well, and it sits on Hayden Butte rising above Arizona State University.  We saw the “Q” on the mountainside southwest of Quartzsite, and the “B” just south of the town of Bisbee.  And, of course, the Phoenix sign above is northwest of the city with an arrow apparently pointing to city center.

Mesa and the entire Phoenix metroplex is part of the Sonoran Desert.  Annual rainfall averages 4-8 inches, and the temperature can exceed 110 degrees Fahrenheit daily from late June through the entire month of August.

Phoenix and Tempe share Papago Park.  The park features many hiking and biking trails, fishing pools and picnic areas, a golf course, the Desert Botanical Garden and the Phoenix Zoo.  One of the natural geological formations within the park and a regional landmark is Hole in the Rock.

It’s an easy climb to experience the eponymous view.

Governor Hunt’s Pyramid Tomb is included as an Atlas Obscura top 10 oddity for the area, and the Tomb was right around the corner from Hole in the Rock in Papago Park. George Wylie Paul Hunt was the first governor of Arizona, serving a total of seven terms, and he presided over the convention that wrote Arizona’s constitution.  Hunt served in both houses of the Arizona Territorial Legislature, and he was posted as U.S. Minister to Siam.  His tomb is on the national registry of historical places.

At the base of the Superstition Mountains is Apache Junction.  Apache Junction is well known by RVers because of the many great campgrounds in the area and by others for the legend of The Lost Dutchman Gold Mine.

According to legend, there is a rich gold mine generally believed to be in the Superstition Mountains that was named after German immigrant Jacob Waltz (1810–1891), aka “The Dutchman,” who purportedly discovered the mine in the 19th century and kept its location a secret.

There is a marked trail some believe heads in the direction of the mine.  We couldn’t resist trying to increase our fortune and walked a good potion of that trail.  Sadly we have to report that other than some beautiful vistas and desert flowers no other treasure was found.

The Crazy Tourist reported that it was worth the hike up the 15 degree grade of Hayden Butte Preserve because there were over 500 petroglyphs done by the Hohokam peoples to be seen.  So off we went on an 80-degree day with bright sunshine.

About 3/4 of the way up we bumped into 3 players from the AAF Arizona Rattlers who were doing all-out sprints up the last quarter of the Butte.  They took time to talk with us and let us know what University gave them their start.  Seeing that Brian was wearing Michigan gear he was asked whether or not he liked Jim Harbaugh!

We hiked to the top but we saw no petroglyphs. We did however see the movable grass field associated with the University of Phoenix’s football stadium.

Tortilla Flat is nestled in the Superstition Mountain Range in the midst of the Tonto National Forest, and it is the last surviving stagecoach stop along the Apache Trail. Tortilla Flat is an authentic remnant of an Old West town, and it is Arizona’s smallest official “community” having a U.S. Post Office, voter’s precinct, and a population of 6.  The roadway from Mesa into town is one of those twisting, winding roads with a bunch of switchbacks – perfect for a motorcycle ride on a nice day, and the road out of town becomes dirt – a 4-wheeler’s dream.  On the drive you pass by Canyon Lake Vista – beautiful!

The town consists of 3 buildings; the general store (souvenir shop), ice cream and confectionary shop, and the Superstition Saloon (bar/restaurant) and outdoor music patio. The seats at the bar in the Saloon are saddles and are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and the walls are plastered with layer upon layer of dollar bills.  Patrons from who knows how far back sign their dollar, hand it in, and the Saloon staples it to the wall.  In talking with the waitstaff, there are buckets of dollars waiting to be added, and the estimate is that over $300,000 is already on the wall!  Everyone is welcome in Tortilla Flat.

Just a few miles from our “resort” in Mesa is the Usery Mountain Regional Park, and the 3-mile Wind Cave Trail hike was calling our name.  The trail is rated moderate, but as we’ve come to understand in this part of Arizona that means scrambling over and around boulders, up and down steep inclines, loose dirt in spots and a fun 4-5 hours to complete the up and back hike.

The ASU Grady Grammage Memorial Auditorium is another of those “you should see it” places in Tempe from Atlas Obscura as well as the Crazy Tourist.  The Auditorium is a multipurpose performing arts center on the ASU campus.  The name commemorates a former President of Arizona State University; however, its novelty is being one of the last public commissions designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

…and how do you know its spring in the American Southwest?  Well, the cactus start to bud!  Could desert flowers be far behind?

Barbara and Brian