The End of the Apache Trail

we made it safe and sound. At that point we had a choice- go back the way we came or go the 'long way'. We chose the long way. :)

At the end are Roosevelt Dam and Roosevelt Bridge

and more shots

I should warn you that I took over a thousand shots on this vacation. Now many are duplicates and some just suck but it still gives me fodder for lots of blog posts. By the way, we still haven't reached the end of the trail.....

In the Mountains

here are some shots of deeper into the Apache Trail. As you proceed there are more and more switchbacks. Then there is a spot that it turns into a dirt road.
The sign even warns you 'dirt road for the next 22 miles'.
Ha! I thought. 'Dirt, schmirt. I'm from Nova Scotia. I'm not afraid of dirt roads.'
However, what the sign doesn't say is that this 'road' will turn into a 10 foot wide washboard path. With no guardrail and that there is a drop of a couple hundred feet. Did I mention that there are cars coming the other way? Did I also mention that I have this recurring dream in which I am driving up the side of the mountain and drive over the edge?  I'm not sure why I believed that my death grip on the handle of the door as we wound our way up and down would stop us from careening over the cliff, but I did. That's the benefit of magic. It doesn't have to make sense. I also took comfort in the fact that I wasn't driving. My self talk went something like this:
 "Teresa, you are not psychic. Those recurring nightmares are not prophetic."
"But don't you remember that Psych experiment you were in University? The one that said you were able to predict the future? What about that?"
"But you are always driving in your dreams, you're not driving now. So there"
"okay"
"Now look at the beautiful landscapes and smarten up"
"well it is stunning...."

I then look over at my husband as we go around a particularly tight corner and he's digging in his pocket. He's driving with one hand! He's now using both hands to open his pill bottle"
'WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" I shriek
he looks at me and explains in a perfectly reasonable voice that he needs an antacid.
'GIVE IT TO ME THEN AND PUT YOUR HANDS BACK ON THE WHEEL'
'Relax' he says. "I'm a skilled race car driver"
"And we can play that later tonight if you like, but for now TWO HANDS ON THE WHEEL'
dead silence ensues for a few minutes.
Then my son (19 years of age) speaks from the back 'um, you know, we don't need to hear this'.
'oh we're not fighting, don't worry' I say
'uh, not that, but the other thing...the race car driver thing'.
Poor boy. the things his parents expose him too.
anyway, enough story here are some photos to show you why it's worth it to do this drive:

to prove I am not exaggerating

Road Trip!

Buckle up, I'm taking you on a trip. Last week the family and I headed to Arizona for a family vacation. It was incredible. Really- you should go. The first day (well, technically the day after we landed) we went on an adventure. First, let me back up a bit. Vacations are my job. I don't know how I got the job. I'm pretty sure that I didn't apply but I must not have backed up fast enough when Fate said "so who wants the title of 'Family Vacation Planner'? The job description requires me to know what is locally available to appeal to all members of the family, figure out when and how we're going to do it, share the plan and then defend the plan. Defending requires skills that should have landed me on the cheerleader squad at high school. I show so much pep I'm positively Tigger. So one of my plans was that we would drive the Apache Trail. It sounded cool in my research. So I mapped it and off we headed in our rented Ford Explorer. It was incredible.Awe inspiring. Beautiful. Harsh. I've run out adjectives. It was also incredibly scary. But not the first part. The first part (at Apache Junction) lures you in. Come along it says. You need to see what's around the corner. Here are some shots from the first part of Journey.

I'll show more photos of the journey inland.

waiting for spring

while we wait, here's a flower to keep you going

get the jumper cables

But I don't think that it will help.

you never know what you'll find in the woods. I found this gem on a property nearby. It's not unusual to find abandoned cars in the woods. Some people have permits. Many probably do not. I walked around trying to find the best angle. I chose this one because it shows the old engine and I liked the flare.

counting down

13 days and we head to Arizona.....