A trip to the desert. Boy was it hot.

Michael, Susan, and I headed into the desert on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, to visit old Arizona before air conditioning.

Patty Ann and Enzo enjoying their time together.

After yesterday’s crazy, long day of traveling, I finally got to do some touristing with my brother and sister-in-law.

We headed out to desert.

Unfortunately it as too hot for Patty Ann so she stayed back at Michael and Susan’s beautiful home in Meza with Enzo. (Truth is I forgot her magnets).

Susan and Michael by their pool at their beautiful home.

Our first stop was the air-conditioned Apacheland Ghost Town and Museum. Rick the museum docent told the history of the area, highlighting the story of the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine.

German immigrant Jacob Waltz was said to have discovered a secret gold ore vein in Superstition Mountain in the late 19th century, which can be seen in the distance behind the museum. He took great caution to not revel where his gold mine was located fearing other’s would stake a claim.

Just before he died he told a friend where his mine was and she drew a map, but she looked for two years based on his description and never found it so gave up.

Over the years others have looked for the lost mine, but no one has been successful in finding it.

Michael and I stand in front of the Elvis Chapel, one of the two buildings that didn’t burn down on the Apacheland movie set. Photo by Susan.

On the museum grounds also were the two remaining buildings from the movie set built in 1959 for the popular Westerns being filmed. All but those two buildings were destroyed in a fire in 2004.

The local businesses capitalized on the Lost Dutchman legend. Photo by Susan.

Just down the street was Goldfield Ghost Town. Here we found a complete town, with the various buildings converted into shops and restaurants. They had tours of the old gold mine, but we didn’t take it.

Susan and Michael enjoy a break in the hot sun during our tour of the Goldfield Mine Ghost Town.

We were off to the Canyon Lake Reservoir in the Tonto National Forest, stoping along the way to check out the beautiful mountain vistas.

A little further down the very winding two-lane road we came to Tortilla Flats, an old town established in 1904. It’s now a tourist stop with souvenir shops and a restaurant.

This guy was offering everyone a cigar as you walked toward the restaurant at Tortilla Flats. Photo by Susan.

They make the margaritas tall at the Tortilla Flats restaurant. Photo by Susan.

Our appetizer at the Tortilla Flats restaurant, a chicken salad with corn and black beans. Photo by Susan.

We ate an early dinner before heading back home. It was a long day, but very interesting, but boy was it hot—109 degrees. I can’t complain since I live in Florida and I can attest that it’s a different kind of heat. There’s no humidity.

Later that evening we met Tom Mura, a friend I met in Florida who moved back to Arizona. It was great seeing Tom again.