Roper Lake State Park

We left KOFA, stopped in Quartzite to take on water and dump. Unfortunately the dump at the RV Pitstop didn’t have a working dump so we continued on — interstate 10 through Phoenix then 60 to East to Globe and south. Phoenix is just as big and spread out as reported. Seven lanes of traffic moving at 70- miles per hour — reminded me of Toronto. Before Z Phoenix and after is desert, To the west the desert floor was covered with yellow flowers. To the east the desert is a light green. Not sure if it is grass or wildflowers coming up as we did not stop.

Route 60 cuts through the Superstition Mountsins. An engineering marvel. With all the cuts and bridges. Interesting to see the changing colors of the rocks — red-brown spires, followed by golden boulders, then almost silvery gray. After the mountains we drove through the Gila River Valley with views f the mountains on either sides. We began to see vast fields prepared for planting as well as some green ones — perhaps spinach?

Globe. was a much larger town than we expected. Several mines, lots of Mexican style restaurants, and the usual fast-food joints. The historic section was full of restored hundred old buildings. At Globe, 60 turned north and we took 70 and 191 to Safford.

Roper Lake State Park is a relatively small park on the shore of Roper Lake, a reservoir on the Gila River. Our campsite, #31, is right across from a path that leads to the beach — actually on an island reached by a bridge. With all the picnic tables and awnings, it must be a lovely place in the warmer months. Today the only swimmers were a couple of coots.

-- Janet (text) and David (photos)