Tortilla Flats

This is Totilla Flats and your are in fact looking at all of it (if you don't count the campgrounds). It is a gift shop, a restaurant (inside and outside dining), and an ice cream shop. Wow, those pioneers did have it good!!!!!!!

Yet, as tiny as the place is, it is packed with visitors even for lunch on a Monday. This is the real gold mine in the Superstition Mountains.....the hell with the lost Dutchman.


In this town the folks line up to eat burgers and dogs (no not Fido).


The women like their Indians tall and firm.


The landscaping also makes a good security fence (very prickly).


And coveralls instead of shorts are a fashion faux pas punishable in a most heinous and permanent manner.


More about Tortilla Flats, then try this link >>>>>>>> more about

Special Note: This is the first time I have ever used my Blackberry's camera feature, but I forgot my trusty Kodak. Mediocre is the best I can give it, but it saved the day. I even emailed the pics from the phone to my computer via hotmail. I am still struggling to stay a part of the high tech generation, but it's ugly.

Copper Spike Railraod (Globe, AZ)

Globe, Arizona is about 70 miles from where we are staying in Mesa. I had heard about a restored train (circa 1950's) there and thought we should check it out. So we made reservations and took off with some friends.

Approaching the ticket office to pickup our tickets (special extra cost tickets for the dome car, nothing is too good for my readers).


The train, an engine, the dome car, and a lounge car.


Seated in the dome car. Luxurious, roomy seating with privacy..........not so much.


I decided to wander a bit (can't sit still too long). On my way back to the lounge car I took this off the platform between cars. Yes, it is still desert, just 2500 feet higher than Phoenix.


The lounge car. complete with bartender.


Looking out the backdoor window......


The town of Globe came into existence in the 1870's with the discovery of silver. Copper was discovered in the 1880's and is still actively mined today. Globe claims the first governor of Arizona as a native son.

This link will tell you >>>>>> about Globe

You would all like to hear how great the train ride was, but it was just "okay". The restoration was excellent, the service (luncheon) was good, but not free of confusion and re-dos. The trip itself was 2 hours. We pulled out of the station, traveled for 30 minutes, then stopped and backed back to the station. We continued backing right past the station and out to the Apache Gold Casino. We picked up a tour group from an earlier trip and went back to the station. The scenery is high desert. The most entertaining aspect of the trip was the antics of the the other passengers.

This link will tell you >>>>>>>> about the Copper Spike Railroad

Laughlin, Nevada

Having not done much this winter, besides work at our respective hobby "jobs", we agreed that it was time to do something different. Sooooo, we booked onto a group bus tour to Laughlin, Nevada. We stayed for two nights in the Edgewater.


Laughlin sits between the Colorado river and the desert. It is a casino town, period. There is little else, well one outlet mall, but that's almost like gambling. Our room had the desert view.


The river side view is more interesting. Here you see the Colorado Belle casino (looks like a riverboat) which was next door to us. You can also see the midget floating version of the Colorado Belle, which is a tour/dinner boat.


There is regular traffic on the river. All of it is tourist orientated with water taxis, tour boats, and in warmer weather there are a lot of private watercraft. In this picture we a looking across the river toward Bullhead city, Arizona. Many who work in the casinos park in the lot you can see just right of center and catch a water taxi to work.


Of course what casino trip would be complete without a shot of a few of the locals. Note that the locals all have one arm. But, even with that disability, they still put on a friendly face, make cheery noises, and are perpetually shaking hands.


I am sorry to inform you that Sharon nor I left any money with the one armed locals. We did take in a comedy show, three movies, and approximately ten times too much buffet food.

Laughlin came into being in the 1940's as a motel and a bar to service the miners in the area and the workers building the Davis dam. It was purchased in 1964 by Don Laughlin and within two years he had the first casino going and was building himself his own little version of Las Vegas.

Here's a link to info on Laughlin>>> About Laughlin

Spring Has Sprung, Summer's Comin'

I was in the RV park in Mesa, AZ, sitting at the in-park, outdoor bar and grill, poundin' pounders and listening to the band play beach music.......

and it hit me............this view would make a great picture, where's my camera?????

Well, after a few pounders (16 ounce bottles of your favorite brew)I really could not find the motivation to get up out of my lounge chair and go get the camera. So, I had another pounder and went back the next morning to take the picture........

For many of you this picture must seem like heaven after the rotten winter that the east coast and mid-west have suffered. I hope that the scene alone can give you a lift of spirits. This weather (or something close) is headed your way.

By the way, we even had it bad (that's relative, of course) here. We had three nights in a row where the temperatures dipped into the mid-20's. That was complicated by a loss of electric power for the same 3 days. Now 20's aren't that bad........unless you furnace won't run. Of course there is an offsetting day coming our way. Next Wednesday's high temperature is supposed to be 90.