Sam And Saundra's Second Time Around - Part 18

Sam And Saundra’s Second Time Around – Part 18

Arizona

11/1/10-3/1/11  Yuma Mini-Adventures – Castle Dome and Ghost Town.

Sam and I took two days to get to Castle Dome.  It is actually much closer than Imperial Dam, but we accidentally took the road to Dome Valley on our first attempt and ended up going through and around the Foothills, totally missing the distinctive Castle Dome.  We did get to go for a ride and return home without Brutus getting too dusty.  Dome Valley is filled with fields of growing crops.  Strange in itself – it is winter.

Road To Castle Dome

Our second attempt was successful and we reached the ghost town called Castle Dome.  It is now privately owned and consists of a much - reconstructed town, with memorabilia from the 1800’s through the 1950’s.  Going in I thought it would be a little boring.  I was wrong, again.  The buildings, actual mine entrances, machinery for mining and maintenance, church, clothing, kitchen and other utensils, vehicles, mine cars, guns, and on and on, were cool.  Sam says he really likes this Ghost Town as a museum and would recommend it to everyone. We were able to walk about on our own, look at, get close to and touch many items. One of the last buildings that we entered encouraged us to sign the names of anyone that had served in a war on one of the walls or ceiling- as a tribute.  I signed my dad’s name on a wall.  I was a tad emotional. Silly me.  

Honoring By Remembering

On the other side of the road, we continued our exploration in a larger area where many original mine shafts were very visible. The mines were basically straight down. At the main museum we had seen old machinery that got men in and out of these holes.  At the height of the era, there were over 300 mines being worked. Silver and gold was the main treasures of choice.   During World War II, lead became the precious sought. Lead was so needed in the war effort that Japan at one time planned to bomb the area. After craning our necks and double daring each other to try and climb down one of them, we decided to leave before we forgot to act our age. We then drove up past the Ghost Town, getting closer and closer to the Castle Dome itself.  We stopped short of hitting the dome, since we saw sparkly rocks and our psyches required that we get out and roam the skirts of the foothills. So many colorful rocks that would look fabulous in our rock garden back in Oregon.  Greens, blues, purples, mica-flecked and soooo pretty.  Sam picked up more than I did.  Another successful mini-adventure.

Castle Dome - The Town