Goldfield Ghost Town

Today we went on a mini road trip...a whole 30 miles up the road.
All the way to the Goldfield Ghost Town, which lies in Lost Dutchman National Park, just outside of Apache Junction, Arizona.


When we got home... and I checked my camera, I realized I took over 100 pictures during said trip.
I am sorry.

But... you *can* thank Picasa... I was able to condense all of those pictures into just 99 collages.
Okay, not really 99... but definitely less than a hundred.

I figured it will be like YOU came with US! Except you didn't have to pay the $82 for admittance to their three main attractions. Nor did you have to pay $81 for some not so good {horrible, really} lunch food.
Lucky dogs. A free trip out west.
You're welcome.

We live super close to the Superstition Mountains... they are on the east side of Phoenix. They have been my very favorite mountain range since I was a wee one. I used to call them the String Meat mountains... they look like pot roast to me.

These are the very same mountains we can all see from Nic's room - actually, it's now Abby's room.
That is, if we are all crowded in there. Here's a pic from before we moved in, just a bit further away.

And here is the range from today. Along with some cactus.

Goldfield has about 15 buildings... and is on a considerable amount of land. And on that land, there were a ton of old vehicles, tractors, and other old, old stuff just laying around (wonder if I should contact TLC, maybe get them on Hoarders?!)...   One was from 1918!! Maybe they all were. Hmmm.

Abby loved checking the things out!

Okay, I did too. (note to self, cut bangs tomorrow, too much forehead, jaime).

We took our time, walking through the small town. It was established in 1893, a mining town.
The last time any real gold was found was back in 1983, though... (weird, look how the numbers are switched!) - and it was worth about 2 million dollars. Nice!

The green building is a BORDELLO. We didn't go in.
Only because they wanted to charge us $3 each.
The nerve of them.

One attraction was called the Mystery Shack... it was all crooked. Hard to explain, but the chandelier was hanging absolutely straight and centered. It was the rest of us that were off our rockers.  We had a good time. Especially Nic. The guide let him be his assistant for several tricks.

One of the things we wanted to take the kids to do was to go see the mine.
It had been 18 years since Marcos and I had been. We skipped school went on a weekend day and took a trip down into the mine. Oh the memories.

By the way, before we actually went into the mine today, there was a little girl off to the side that whispered loudly to her mother, "I wonder if there are going to be any Mexicans down there, mom!?"

Uhem. I looked at Marcos and laughed.
Only the ones I was taking down, darlin'...
Ahhh, kids.

We found out that Jason and Grant from Ghost Hunters had been there for a preliminary visit recently... and they are coming back at the end of February to film an episode. SWOON! I wonder if Steve Gonzalves will be with them?!?! 

Bottom left?!
A potty for the miners.
Blech.

And this folks... is my VERY favorite picture. Those there are REAL smiles. A once in a lifetime shot.
And I got it. In a fake mine. On Saturday, February 4, 2012.

Okay - it's not a FAKE mine, per say - just that attraction doesn't REALLY take us down into the ground. Not beyond 15 feet at least. Insurance purposes, I suppose. Hey, the tour guide did call Abby "Arkansas" the entire tour... and he also turned out the lights once or twice. And someone did pinch my BEE*HIND (lordy, I hope it was the husband!)...

All in all - it was a fun day and a great mini road trip... which is the perfect start to some of the other road trips we have planned for Spring Break. More ghosts, more mines, more Arizona... Lots of fun!

I hope you enjoyed your trip to Goldfield, ladies and gents (?!)...
It was our pleasure taking you along! ;)