Last day in Casa Grande

6 February, 2008
Our last day in Casa Grande proved to be very interesting. We were invited to Anneke’s cousin Adriana’s birthday party in the evening but had the day free. On the spur of the moment in the early afternoon, we decided to head up into the mountains to have a not to close look at some of the reported 27 inches of snow that had fallen in the last front passing thru the area. We ended up taking a drive thru the Tonto National Forest and the Roosevelt recreation area including the lake and dam.

After taking in some beautiful scenic views, we decided that AZ highway 88 was the shortest way back, as time one was now getting short. If we had taken the time to read our scenic highway book, we would have discovered that this road is one of the best in Arizona, and perhaps the country for raw beauty. We would have also found out that it is a rugged 22 mile narrow dirt road carved out of the very edge of Superstition Mountain. It was recommended that you allow most if not all of a day for the trip –with a full tank of fuel.

It proved not to be an overly difficult trip, but was exceeding slow due to the narrow road, steep climbs and descends, areas washed out by the storms, several washes which still had swift moving water across the road and most important the need to stop and admired the fantastic views. Unfortunately, since this was planned as just a short hop, we only had our simplest of cameras with us and the setting sun restricted some opportunities. Never the less it was worth the effort and we will have to return some day better prepared.

We did make it to the party only 15 minutes late and had a great time enjoying the company and the great food. Happy Birthday-Adriana!