My trip to Phoenix was my first time in Arizona. I went to visit a friend that moved back there, and had a great time catching up with her, and making new friends. I definitely fell in love with the beautiful scenery, since I made time to drive to Sedona, which is an amazing place. There are so many things to do that you need to rent a car because you will have to drive some distances depending on what you want to see. I only had four days there so I didn’t venture too far but mainly stayed in the Phoenix area. I definitely want to take another trip to Arizona to spend more time at the national parks. Having great friends there just makes it much more fun.
I started out in Apache Junction with a trip to Goldfield Ghost Town. This used to be a mining town that was formed in the late 19th century due to the gold rush that occurred there…after all the gold was mined it became a ghost town since the population left. Now it’s a tourist spot that has been recreated to look like it once did. You can go through the different shops.
There is even a church there that has the ten commandments cowboy style. There is also a train that takes you around and you can go down to the mines.
I really enjoyed Lulu’s Bordello and even took a tour of it. What would a town in the Wild West be without its brothel? The girls must have done well since their rooms were pretty nice. You can see the old Sears’ catalog where they ordered their corsets from.
I learned where “shot glass”comes from: since the size of your bullet determined how much alcohol you received. They bordello even had its own local currency called “floozy coins.”
I’m sure you can figure out what it bought… The tour is pretty cheap, but informative and entertaining. If you’re a history nerd like me, it’ll appeal to you even more.
I really enjoyed horseback riding through the beautiful western terrain. Ok Corrals is next to Goldfield. My friend’s parents were gracious enough to take me horseback riding. I live in Chicago so this was a nice change of pace for me, and riding horses happens pretty rarely… We rode for over an hour through the desert landscape; and the guide was very nice, and told us allot about the area, wildlife, and plants.
After all these fun activities, I couldn’t wait to eat. Dinner was at Mammoth Saloon which kept up with the Wild West theme. They serve burgers and other popular bar stuff like chicken tenders. I was happy with my beer and burger. The outdoor area has a great view of the Superstition Mountains, which I was told no one has ever come out of alive since many go hunting for gold but never return. I love spooky stories!
