The grass is always greener…

… down the middle of the fairway! Our last vacation we decided on a road trip (no real surprise there). But our first day we only went about 100 miles out to Palm Springs to meet friends for a round of golf at Indian Wells Country Club. Talk about green…. That course is in pristine shape and the contrast of the green grass against the desert hills makes for a stunning backdrop! I was a little distracted with all the beauty - I took about 200 pictures! But I took some time to hit the ball as well (although not always in the middle of the fairway haha)…

After dinner and a good nights sleep we headed towards Tucson, AZ but took two lane back roads instead of the interstate. And I’m so glad we did, because we got to see a different part of that area than we ever have. The small towns, remote homesteads, endless views of cactus…. There’s so much beauty in the starkness of it all. As usual, my hubby made some u-turns, one of which led to possibly the most beautiful desert landscape I’ve ever been in! Sand, rocks and saguaros…. So awesome! After a couple hundred more photos we continued on to our final destination for the day: Cracker Barrel! And the hotel next door…. Funny how that worked out. ;)

The next morning we went into Saguaro National Park. This was our first visit to this park and it didn’t disappoint! Spent some time in the visitor’s center then took some dirt roads through the park. So cool…. From there we headed to Lowell, AZ which is a small town right next to Bisbee. We heard about a street in Lowell that is an outdoor museum of sorts. It feels like you’re walking into the 1950s and like time has just stood still… businesses that are abandoned and look like they closed one day and just never went back. And the streets are lined with old cars from that era as well. We probably spent more than an hour just walking up and down the street taking it all in. And I of course took MANY photos…. How could you not?! It is such a unique place that I highly recommend visiting if you ever find yourself close to that area.

After leaving Lowell we headed to Tombstone for the night. On our drive we stopped at a HUGE mine to (you guessed it) take some pictures of the massive mining pit. So impressive the sheer size of it and all the beautiful colors. It ceased operation in the 1970s and they have these cool cutouts in the fence around it so you can get unobstructed views.

In Tombstone we stayed at “Inn History” which is a newly renovated hotel where history is their main focus. Throughout the rooms they have decorative pieces that are historic in nature, and next to each is a QR code that takes you to information about what you’re looking at. Super cool idea and very well done. They have another property at the Grand Canyon that we hope to visit later this year.

In the morning we walked around Tombstone a little bit, saw lots of “cowboys,” checked out the OK corral, did some shopping…. Super cool old west town with TONS of history, especially about the Earps! One might think I’m an old west fan since my kids are named Wyatt & Morgan but truth be told, I didn’t even know Wyatt Earp’s brother was named Morgan when I named my daughter. :) After walking around town we headed towards Apache Junction and the Superstition Mountains, again via back roads instead of the interstate. The drive was SO beautiful. There was rain forecasted but we never saw any. We did see more saguaros and mines though! We ended up at a hotel NOT next to a Cracker Barrel, so instead we had a nice dinner at a great little Italian restaurant the gal at the hotel recommended. We took our leftovers back to the hotel and watched a movie before falling asleep in a super comfy bed.

The next morning we headed into the Superstition Mountains, stopping first at a great little museum that had an awesome outdoor model train display. Many old westerns were filmed in that area, and even some using the buildings at the museum. When we were done we headed to the Goldfield Ghost Town, which reminded me more of a small amusement park as opposed to an actual ghost town. But it was super fun and we got to see horses, and a cowboy shootout. We said it would be a great place to bring the grandkids to! After we did some shopping and picture taking (being careful to avoid the baby rattlesnake they say wasn’t part of the show) we proceeded on the Apache Trail to Canyon Lake. Got out and walked down to the water and around the marina checking out the boats. From there we drove about another 10 miles past the saloon at Tortilla Flats before turning around and heading back into town for an early dinner. And after dinner we headed towards home, spending the night in Yuma. From our hotel window we could see what would be the last Cracker Barrel from our trip! Perfect.

Disclaimer: I’m not an off road enthusiast. My husband is. The Apache Trail continues on for about another 20 miles past where we turned around. A section of the road was just recently reopened (was damaged in 2019 by floods and landslides and a fire) so now it goes all the way through to Roosevelt lake (although 4WD and a high clearance vehicle is required, which we have). The views are supposed to be spectacular. But unfortunately we don’t have any pictures because my hubby did another u-turn. Only this time it was to go back the “safe” way and not continue on the windy dirt path with 1000 foot drops and no guard rails. LOL I’m a wimp I know. I hope someday to not be! Time will tell I guess…. Because like the great golfer Ben Hogan once said, “As you walk down the fairway of life, you must smell the roses, for you only get to play one round.” And I am really enjoying this round, and the roses are oh so sweet! Just like my valentine, who loves me, as well as this journey we’re on together… and who doesn’t mind making those u-turns, even if it’s to go see again where we’ve already been.