Castle Dome Mine District: Ghost Town

Why would anyone want to live in such a remote, desolate, sweltering part of Arizona? Silver! Castle Dome City sprang up like any other boom town, one shanty at a time.

This was the last remaining “brush house” in Castle Dome. It had a roof made of mud, flour sacks, and saguaro or ocatillo branches. A miner could string up his hammock and have shade for himself and his animals until he built a house!

This town was built across three mine patents, the Floral Temple, Floral Temple Extention, and Castle Dome. At one point, in the late 1800’s, this area had about 3,000 residents and was larger than Yuma.

Mining here stopped in 1979 when the price of silver plummeted, and it cost more to mine the silver than it was worth.

Today, visitors exit the highway into the Yuma Proving Grounds. We were greeted by this sign from the U.S. Army, and subsequent signs warning of being in an IMPACT AREA. Quickly, the pavement turned into a gravel road. About 5 miles down this rather rough road, the proving grounds give way to land managed by the Bureau of Fish and Wildlife. At this point you can get out of your vehicle, but you can’t camp overnight or take pictures. About 2 1/2 miles passed this point, is Castle Dome. The not for profit that manages the site doesn’t own all of the property that the 300 mines were on. In fact, several years ago, Fish and Game announced that they were planning to demolish all of the structures on their land and allowed the not for profit 30 days to relocate all buildings and parifinalia related to the mines. As a result, the reconstructed town does not look as it did in the 1800’s. Though the buildings are original, their locations are not.

The town had everything one might need including a mercantile, 5 saloons, a hotel, a barber, dress shop, a bank, and even a school. Class was held on the porch of the teacher’s house!  See the long stack of papers next the chair in this dentist’s office?

Those were receipts collected during the time of prohibition. It was legal to sell alcohol during this time if it was for medicinal purposes, and those receipts were the dentist’s proof! After viewing all the buildings that had been relocated, visitors can tour a section of the town where the buildings still sit on their original foundations.

Informational markers attached to the fencing that separates government property from the property owned by the not for profit, indicate sites where relocated buildings once stood.

This section of the tour is dotted with mine shafts. All of them are fenced off, and many of them are labeled with antidotal information.

Castle Dome Ghost Town delivered far more than we were expecting. We ended our visit feeling that this place was just one infamous gunfight or bank robbery away from being another Tombstone.

Yuma Territorial Prison, AZ

Welcome to the Hell Hole of the West! Yuma Territorial Prison, so nicknamed for the skin-pealing summer temperatures or for the dreaded “dark cell” used to punish unruly inmates. Built in 1787, Yuma Territorial Prison housed over 3,069 prisoners in the thirty-three years before it was decommissioned. Many men and even 29 women were imprisoned here for crimes such as theft, murder, bank robbery, adultry, and polygamy.

Six men were stacked three deep in each 9X12 cell. These accommodations might seem primitive to us. However, this facility had more modern amenities than most homes in the city of Yuma, which made the citizen despise the prisoners even more. Inmates had access to electricity, forced ventilation, flush toilets, 2 bathtubs, 3 showers, on-site hospital, and a 2,000 book library!

So just what could a new inmate expect upon arrival?

The historical society did a wonderful job displaying high-interest pictures and information about this fascinating historical landmark. The perimeter of the room is draped with inmate banners like championship penets in a high school gym. Here are a few that stood out to me. The factual information displayed of each inmate was dizzying. I found the reading about C.E. Hobart particularly interesting. I think the juxtaposition of his crime and punishment related to his creative expression reinforces that old lesson, you can’t judge a book by its cover.

Yuma Territorial Prison is a fascinating place. After walking through what’s left of the grounds (the rail road demolished 1/3 of the facility before it became a protected site in the name of “progress”) and standing inside a cell, I couldn’t fathom spending the night there let alone 20 years. I only shared with you a fraction of the history on display. I encourage you to add this place to your list of Arizona landmarks to visit.

http://www.yumaprison.org

220 Prison Hill Rd, Yuma, AZ 85364

 

Painted Rock Petroglyph Site

Painted Rocks Petroglyph Site
We will absolutely be the first to admit that we have become weather pansies. Living full-time in our RV has allowed us the luxury of following favorable weather. Thus, we have become cold weather weaklings. Now that we’re clear on that point, you might show us just a touch of sympathy when I tell you that we recently left Tucson because it was going to be too cold. I know, I know. Like our family, friends, and most of the nation, who this season, has endured winter storm after winter storm, you are likely shaking your head with disgust. Long story short, we hooked up the airstream and hit the road toward Yuma, AZ and warmer temperatures.

Waiting to leave after Mike got off of work, we drove for two hours and stopped at Painted Rock Petroglyph Site to dry camp for the night. It was a gorgeous spot off of interstate 8, exit 102 near Gila Bend, AZ. Because the campground is nearly 11 miles off the interstate, it is silent and peaceful. Though primitive, the sites were well maintained only cost $8 to overnight, and include a fire ring and picnic table. We arrived just in time to watch the sun sink behind the mountains and streak the sky like a pink, purple, and blue watercolor painting.

The next morning, we walked the few feet over to the Painted Rocks Petroglyph Site.
Petroglyphs differ from hieroglyphs in that their meaning cannot be directly translated. Today, visitors to this site can view the more than 3,800 designs on 428 boulders.

Archeologists use several techniques to estimate how long ago native peoples began etching symbols into these rocks. Along with examining the archeological history of nearby villages, some were as close as two miles away, they also tested the patina on the boulders themselves. The natives discovered that when they scratched away the dark outer surface on these boulders, a much lighter surface was revealed allowing for carvings to be visible. Over time, an oxidizing process known as desert varnish has helped to preserve these ancient markings. It has also provided a measurable path for scientists to date the symbols.
As we followed the circular path leading around the small site, we couldn’t help but contemplate the past life of the area on which we walked.

Over 1,000 years ago the landscape along the Gila River would have been a lush environment with many farming communities and animals such as deer, rabbit, mountain sheep, antelope, and rodents. Archeologists and anthropologists suggest that the many native people passed by this area on their way to other communities. They would leave symbolic messages to the Gods and possibly for each other. See if you can locate some of the grid-shaped carvings. Archeologists believe that those may have been maps of the farmland of the area, depicting who owned what plot. Visiting ancient sites like this one is one of my favorite things to do. Life on the road has allowed us the opportunity to visit remote sites like this one that we otherwise would not have gone out of our way to investigate. The more we learn about ancient Native American cultures, the more I find myself awestruck by their understanding of the delicate nature of human existence on this planet. A simple but disciplined practice of only using what they needed and treating the planet with respect. Oh, how our disposable, wasteful, selfish, modern culture desperately needs to take some serious notes from their lessons.

www.blm.gov/visit/painted-rock-Petroglyph-site

www.archeologysouthwest.org

Coffee! Don Juan Coffee Plantation Monteverde, Costa Rica

Meet Don Juan! In the 1930’s he was one of a few pioneering farmers to begin growing coffee on Monteverde (green mountain). His son now runs the company, but our guide said, “Don Juan loves to greet all of his visitors. Be warned! He loves to give hugs and have his picture taken.” Of course we did both!

Though the tour was memorable, our ride up the mountain to the plantation was both nauseating and spectacular! At the base of the mountain, where the “good road” turned to gravel, our driver stopped to put the shuttle in 4 wheel drive. The guide turned to us and said with a smile, “We only have ten miles to go. But, the road is so bad it will take an hour or so to get there.” Other than being in that shuttle with us, only video would allow you to share in the experience. However, I didn’t shoot any because I was trying to keep my head from bashing against the window. I also feared losing hold of my camera, which would turn it into a deadly projectile flying about the shuttle’s cabin.

Once we made it to the top, our tour actually covered three crops that are grown here; coffee, cocoa, and sugar cane. Cocoa and sugar cane are for another day’s blog post. Today, coffee! We learned far more about the history and production of coffee than either of us anticipated. If you crave all that information, I strongly recommend snagging a plane to Costa Rica for your own tour and tasting. I’m going to pass along some interesting facts and pictures. Which, to be honest, won’t taste nearly as fabulous!

Government regulation allows only arabica coffee to be grown here. It is considered a higher quality coffee than its competitor, robusta. If we had arrived a little later in the season, all the fruit on those branches would be red, ripe, and ready to hand harvest. That’s right, I said hand picked! These coffee plants are rather delicate.

Notice the human height coffee plants loaded with green fruit close to the path. Sugar cane can be seen at the far end of the path and shade trees above.

In fact, other crops like sugar cane are grown in close proximity to act as a windbreaker. While other plants, like banana and avocado trees help shade the coffee plants so their leaves don’t burn. Squeezing the ripe fruit will easily produce the ready to harvest coffee bean inside. Hold on though! That bean is nowhere near ready to grind for your coffee. Separating the bean from the skin is the only part of the process that is done by machine.

From there, the beans need a good drying out. Here you can see the beans on a concrete floor going through the drying process, which can take as long as 4 weeks. Workers rake wooden tools across the surface to turn the beans so they don’t mold. Now, the bean is ready to shed its papery skin. We can begin to recognize that coffee bean we are so familiar with. From here, this plantation bags and ages it’s beans for 2 years! Some growers age for as many as 8 years! If you take a look back at the photo of the beans drying you’ll see a few bags of beans on a pallet. Any guesses as to what this contraption does? It’s a roaster! The drum was turned by hand to ensure even roasting.

This roasting chart shows just how narrow the margin of error is among roasts. And yes, there is such a thing as green coffee!

Now for the fun part, the grind and the drink! This is when we received some devastating news. We have been brewing our coffee the wrong way! If you want to receive all the benefits coffee has to offer, the grounds need to steep in the water for a few minutes. Yes, we realize that that means your drip coffee maker isn’t doing you any favors. If you’re like us and use a percolator, the news is just as bad. You should never boil your coffee. So what’s a coffee lover to do? Use a French press! The Costa Rican’s use a similar method. They put coffee grounds in a kettle, heat water to just below boiling in a separate container, and then pour the hot water right into the grounds. They allow it to steep for a few minutes. This allows all the healthy stuff in coffee to leach out of the grounds and into the water. Next, the slurry is poured through a cotton filter into a serving kettle.

This poster shows the entire coffee production process from adult plant to your cup. At this plantation, that process takes 6 years!

Costa Rica’s Manuel Antonio National Park

 

At just a hair over six square miles in size, this national park might be the smallest in Costa Rica, but it’s a heavyweight in biodiversity. To protect the parl, the government limits the number of visitors to 600 per day on weekdays and 800 on weekends and holidays. Those lucky enough to enter have the opportunity to witness the parks 109 types of mammals, 184 species of birds, and 364 species of plants. Our phenomenal guide, Michael, informed us before entering, “Many plants in this park are dangerous and very poisonous. It will be best if you do NOT touch any of them. Be watchful to not brush up against any of the plants. Ok? Let’s go!”

This iguana was resting on the embankment along our path.

Only steps down the path our eagle-eyed guide spotted two insect bats peering down at us from a branch suspended over the trail. Then, a crab just over the railing on the rainforest floor. Next, a lizard and then a red-eyed frog were tough to spot.  Since the frog is nocturnal, it’s eyes were closed. That, along with the white spots on its back to mimic the leaf it was clinging to made it difficult to see. A raibbow grasshopper was our guide’s most impressive find because it was only about an inch long. This isn’t my photo. Sadly, mine was blurred. 

Our most anticipated and favorite sighting of the trek had to be the three-toed sloth! Our guide told us that they feed on a steady diet of psychotropic coca leaves. No wonder they are so mellow! 

 

In the canopy right next to the sloth was a group of howler monkeys. Our guide allowed us to put Mike’s phone to the lens on his spotting scope to capture this video of a baby and it’s mother!

At the end of the trail was a magnificent beach. Actually, two beaches sit here back to back. We spent about an hour on the Playa Manuel Antonio Beach (left) before heading back to the shuttle.

The area has many white faced monkeys and large iguana. We even watched one of those ornery monkeys snatch a lady’s backpack and take off! She chased him down and got it back. 

We finished the day at a local restaurant, where we dined with our tour group. We got acquainted with a family who had made the two hour drive up from Columbia. What a fantastic day! Tomorrow…. we tour a coffe plantation, a sugar cane plantation, a chocolate plantation, and hike elevated walkways in the Cloud Forest! 

Walnut Canyon National Monument

 

 

Yesterday, we huddled around a backyard campfire in Southern Illinois wrapped in layers and sipping coffee while chatting with Mike’s parents Ron and Hazel. We are visiting family for an early ThanksChristmas get together before heading back to the Tucson area for the winter. Having skipped only one winter for sunny Tucson, we’ve discovered that we are now watered down versions of once seasoned midwestern winter survivalists. Shivering by that fire, thinking that cold weather is ridiculous, I tried to warm up by taking a mental mosey along some of the warmer paths we have experienced so far. That’s when I realized that I never shared one of our favorite treks,  Walnut Island Trail, with you! (Hover over pictures to see captions)

 

This national monument was definitely a gem and not far from our camping spot near the Grand Canyon. The friendly staff at the visitors center let us know that there are 240 steps along the trail down into the canyon. “You can choose to take them down,” grinned a park service employee, “but you are required to climb them back out!”

Once in the 600 feet deep canyon, the narrow trail moves along a U-shaped bend in Walnut Creek. This large bend wraps around a steep, rocky piece of ground on three sides creating an “island”.

Along the trail visitors can get close to and read about the native adobe dwellings that line the canyon walls. Water carved hallows into the canyon walls in such a way that the natives could build side walls and fronts to their homes, while the canyon provided a roof and floor. It is truly an ancient apartment complex!

 

This illustration shows how airflow holes were built into the homes to vent fire smoke out of the dwelling.

remnants of front and side walls.

The black splotch on the wall is from a cooking fire.

Though the front wall of this dwelling is gone, the foundation can still be seen. The side walls are nearly all in tact.

It is theorized that a volcanic eruption forced many natives from their homes sending them to the shelter of this canyon. Wondering along the trail it didn’t require much imagination to see natives traversing the many ladders that would have connected one layer of the canyon to another, or women and children foraging through the abundant vegetation along the ledge to gather supplies for survival. The breeze would have carried smoke from cooking fires and chatter from a collection of languages discussing the days affairs as it twisted and curled its way up and out of the canyon. I know it’s cliché, but Walnut Canyon’s Island Trail truly is like taking a step back in time.

These images are a view across the canyon. Visitors are not allowed over there, however, that area is lined with dwellings too.

Kayaking Eco Tour & Dolphins!

So this post is going to be pretty short because the pictures and videos are way more worth your time than me talking about the experience! We took a guided eco tour of the salt marsh with Charleston Outdoor Adventures. If you are ever in the area, and looking for an outdoor adventure, I highly recommend this company. Unlike other kayaking tours in the area they own their own land and have a private boat launch. Our guide, Nick, was very friendly and super informative.

We launched from Folly Beach on a morning tour as the tide was going down. Maybe that was why, when I was getting in my kayak, I somehow scooped up a shrimp on the top of my foot, which was then deposited into my boat. Laugh at me if you must, but I’ve never seen a shrimp uncooked and had to ask what it was. No worries… I picked the little guy up and tossed him safely back into the water. Nick informed us that this was the perfect time to see dolphins because as the water level went down, the channel narrowed, and the fish consolidated. This made for an easier meal! Man did we see dolphins! I’ll show you those in a second, first, let me tell you about the red and white fishing boat in the picture above. That shrimping boat was destroyed in a hurricane and carried up onto land. The S.C. Department of Conservation makes sure that all hazardous materials are removed from boats such as that one and allows them to stay put. It then becomes part of the salt marsh ecosystem. We saw many smaller boats sunken in the waterways before our tour and we’re puzzled about why they were allowed to be left. Pretty amazing!

We saw at least eight dolphins on our three hour tour. Most of them were in pairs. The first video is how we saw most of them, at a bit of a distance… but still very cool! In the second video, two dolphins surfaced right by our kayaks! The first one literally popped up at the nose of my boat! I was so shocked that I got video of my lap! I edited that out for your health😜. However, the second dolphin in that pair surfaced right on the other side of Mike, and I captured it!

We kayaked among flocks of egrets and low flying pelicans, laughed at dancing fiddler crabs, caught glimpses of a few shy sea turtles, and of course saw dolphins! What a fabulous experience!

Boone Hall Plantation Mount Pleasant, SC

I know we visited this place to see a plantation home. However, I soon realized that the house was the least impressive feature of Boone Hall Plantation. Established in 1681 by Major John Boone and his wife Elizabeth, this acreage has bared whiteness to some amazing American history. It saw the founding of the Carolina Colony, The Revolutionary War, the birth of America, and The Civil War.

It was interesting to learn that the original house on the property was not the one visitors tour today. Historians believe that the first house on the property was a small cabin, which burned down.

The next house was the two story home pictured above. Through the years the plantation was willed to family members and sold to strangers. The two-story house stood for about 200 years! In 1935 Thomas and Alexandra Stone purchased the property sight unseen. Needless to say, they were a bit disappointed upon their first visit. Having grand visions of the antebellum plantation houses they had read and heard about, this property didn’t meet their expectations. What to do? Dismantle the house of course and reuse what they could to construct the plantation house they had been dreaming about. That house is the one visitors tour today. 

The Cotton Gin is undergoing restoration.

Early in the establishment of the plantation John Boone created a brickyard. The brickyard was later improved upon and enlarged by new owners, the Horlbeck brothers. The brickyard is an interesting part of the plantation because, like many plantations, slaves were the production force for the brickyard. Here, slaves produced the very bricks used to build structures on the plantation. The smokehouse, The cotton gin, and their quarters. The nine brick cabins on Slave Street are original structures dating from between 1790-1810.

Now, each cabin is a part of the Black History in America exhibit. Visitors touring the cabins can learn about the history and experiences of black Americans(many of them locals) from enslavement to present day.

Apologizes for the water drops. It rained while we were there and the cabin roof leaked onto the display case.

Historical records show that after being freed, former slaves continued to work on the property and live in these cabins until the 1940’s.

This is what remains of the brickyard.

At its height, the brickyard produced 4 million bricks a year! Those bricks weren’t just used on the plantation. They were used to build the nearby city of Charleston and the site where the Civil War began, Ft Sumter. When touring the fort, the rangers point out the importance of preserving and protecting the site. Many of the handmade bricks still contain the fingerprints of their enslaved creators.

Old Salem, NC Established Before Our Country Was Born

Call us nerdy, but when we hear that just a ten minute car ride away awaits an historical town dating back to the 1760’s, we get rather excited! Old Salem, NC would make any history buff giddy. It was established in 1766 by a group from the Protestant Church called Moravians. They migrated to North America from what is now the Czech Republic. Three fourths of the town is original, so it’s no wonder we spent seven hours there before thinking to check the time! Not only is the history there well preserved, its well presented. An All-In-Pass costs $27 and allows you access to more than eighteen buildings. In each building you’ll find craftsmen and women dressed in period clothing performing the duties of the time period. These interpreters are a wealth of knowledge, and greet each visitor warmly. Old Salem was so fascinating and geared towards adults and children alike that I encourage you to visit it for yourself. We learned more in those seven hours than you want me to write, so I’ll share what we found most interesting.

All matters of daily life were regulated by the church. A church council to be specific. This tavern was also owned and operated under church authority. The Moravians knew “strangers” would come to their town to trade, so they wanted to keep an eye on them. Here, they could find room and board, drink, and play games. The church hoped that the strangers would stay here until their business with the town was finished so that their immoral ways wouldn’t influence the citizens.

When George Washington visited Salem this is where he stayed. Though the Moravians kept meticulous documentation about their town, the exact room he slept in was not noted. This was the tavern kitchen. One thing I found fascinating about this room was that nearly all of the contents were made by Moravian craftspeople. They were excellent potters, wood workers, masons, silversmiths, tailors and seamstresses.

By far, the most interesting thing we learned was that the Moravians consulted a bowl call “The Lot” to help them make important descisions. The bowl contained three pieces of rolled up paper. A piece that said YES, a piece that said NO, and a blank piece. They would ask their important question in the presence of the Lot, then choose a piece of paper. The answer received was believed to be the decision of God and not questioned. This struck us as odd because all other aspects of the Moravian culture were very practical and logical. Why would they leave such important decisions up to chance? Also, wouldn’t the decision of God be steady? I could ask the same question of the Lot thirty times and get differing answers.This was the first African church in town. Though the Moravians believed that all were equal upon death, they had a differing opinion during life. The African population outgrew this space and a new church was built off the back corner of the log church. This plot of land where the new church was constructed was a graveyard for Africans and “strangers”. If you came to the town you were considered a stranger because you were not Moravian. If you were a stranger and died in Salem this is where you would be buried. All grave markers were a single stone flat to the ground. All people received the same grave marker to signify their belief that we are all the same in death.

The Single Brothers House is pictured above. If you were an unmarried, Moravian male, as young as fourteen, this is where you lived. Males were allowed to use the space to create and sell the creations of their craft. It operated like an early American mini mall! The church kept close tabs on their flock to keep them on that straight and narrow. No person was ever alone. They lived communally, work communally, and worshiped communally. Yes, the women too had a Single Sisters House that functioned much the same way as the Single Brothers. Some Moravians lives their entire adult life in communal housing because marriage decisions were up to the Lot. It was told that one particular man asked the Lot twelve times to get married and was told NO each time. By the time he was told yes, he was so old that the woman he proposed to said No!

Living/Kitchen Remodel Before & After

 

Could such a small space feel any cozier? Of course! By removing the HUGE dinette we gained quit a bit of space but also lost storage. I decided on a bench to increase seating and the oversized drawer to make up for lost storage. Here too, we switched out the oiled brass hardware and fixtures for brushed nickel, which helped modernize the space. The biggest wow though is the floor! Call us crazy, but we really liked the light wood cabinets and didn’t want to paint them. Once we ripped out the original vinyl flooring the cabinets looked more blond than yellow. Bonus! I’m typically not an indescisive person when choosing colors or textures to decorate. However, I had a difficult time choosing between two floor colors.

The one you see, which has several colors and a bit of movement, and a safer choice. I trusted my gut, and tried to put my worries aside about it being too dark. We are super happy with our choice. It’s a vinyl product called Smartcore. It is supposed to be impervious to moisture. So, no matter if we are in North Carolina in July or Arizona for the winter, the floor shouldn’t expand or contract.

Check out the white box in the corner with the cat hiding cubby on top. I had an idea to combine part of Hazel’s cat tower with a box underneath to put her litter box in order to save floor space. I shared my idea with Mike’s Dad, Ron and he made it for me! I finished up the space with a touch of misty blue paint and some accessories from Home Goods. LOVE that place! I have to say that we would not have been able to complete all of these projects without Mike’s parents Ron and Hazel. We pretty much took over their two-car garage. Especially when we were doing the floor, because the couch and bed had to be removed. Our animals, Esther and Hazel also had a safe place to stay while our tiny house was in disarray. Thank you guys so much! We love you!