Site #98. That’s the moon at the top of the picture.

The Dutchman wasn’t really a Dutchman, and he wasn’t lost.  He was German and the lost refers to his gold mine somewhere in the Superstition Mountains.  In the 19th century, Dutchman was kind of a generic term used for Europeans from Germany and surrounding countries.  Kind of like how I now use the term Euro.  And his lost gold mine is one of the famous tales of the old west, or at least in Arizona.

The last time we were in Arizona it was the dead of summer.  The weather is much more hospitable this time of year, heck it’s almost as nice as San Diego, almost.

The blogosphere was correct about this campground.  It is wonderful, well ran, and with many amenities like bird feeders throughout, great hot showers that are included in the cost, and even a mountain bike trail.

Our friends, Old man Birch and his wife, Georgie, met us out here for three of the four days. Birch’s daughter, Jenny, lives somewhere in Phoenix, so she came out for an overnight stay with her son Kyle.  And their Uncle Wayne also showed up for a day.  All in all it was a wonderful time.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Mrs. Camp Host and her double rake. Raking the decomposed granite is both serious business and artwork!

Beyond the basin of Siphon Draw Trail in the Superstition Mountains.

Old man Birch and Amelia cruising the mountain bike trail around the campground.

Sara, alive and flirting with Old man Birch.

Diego, the Birch’s son. He’s a crazy mix of dachshund and pit bull. Muy guapo.

Old man Birch and Georgie. The happy couple doting on their son.

Antenna.

Amelia on one of the Hawes Trails.

The Superstition Mountains. “There’s gold out yonder in them there mountains.”

The obligatory blue sky saguaro shot.

No caption needed.

Lucky dog.