Cacti, Ghost Towns and Rattlesnakes

We left Yuma on March 4th after some last-minute RV repairs and headed for Apache Junction, which is next to Mesa, which is next to Tempe which is all part of Phoenix.  We had a lovely ride in nice weather, took several hours to try to level off on very un-level lots (didn't happen), then went to the pool only to find it so cold that we would have risked hypothermia (by which I mean it couldn't have been more than 80 degrees).  So we jumped in the hot tub with a bunch of drunks and called it a day.

We hit the ground running after that.  First stop was the Mesa Marketplace and Swap Meet where

A few treasures to add to RRR's collection

RRR stocked up on earrings. (last count is 109 pairs).  This place is huge!  We tried to connect with Carm and Jackie but there was no way we could find each other in that massive crowd.  Interesting place but, since there is no room left in the RV, I just couldn't justify buying the gorgeous, 600-pound swing set or the $1200 folding bike.  I had to settle for blueberry cashew pemmican.  Oh well....next year.

The next day we toured the Lost Dutchman State Park.  We looked but we couldn't find him, so we went cactus viewing instead.  It's amazing how many varieties there are and almost all of them bear fruit that can be eaten, although I don't know who would have the nerve to pick a single fruit off a 50 foot saguaro cactus.  Most things in the desert either want to hurt you or kill you, we've discovered.  RRR backed into one plant by accident and the back of her scooter had spines embedded in the leather seat.

We took Monday off for much-needed RV repairs (again).

On Tuesday we went to the Goldfield Ghost Town and had a great time looking at the shops, the chapel, panning for gold and visiting a reptile exhibit. Didn't have much luck finding gold but we did find a few garnets and came away with a bag full of wet dirt, which is currently in the trunk of my car, gathering mold.

The snakes were beautiful, but I'm glad they were behind a half-inch of glass.  Even so, I'm pretty sure that one of those big buggers could have had us for lunch if he was so inclined.  We were even lucky enough to see the albino cobra show his hood - amazing!  We thought the ghost town was going to be a fun little two-hour thing but we spent all day there and still didn't see everything.

Apache Junction turned out to be a fun place.   More to come....