Arizona Renaissance Festival

The Arizona Renaissance Festival is located in the town of Apache Junction, which is roughly an hour drive from east side Greater Phoenix locations.  Here are a few fun facts:

• this is the 22nd year for the festival, and is one of the largest events of its kind in the nation.
• there are nearly 2,000 costumed characters, 12 stages with non-stop entertainment, and a 4,500-seat arena to watch armored knights joust.
• this 30 acre festival includes over 200 rustic shops, studios and galleries filled with unique arts, crafts, plus kitchens, pubs, games, and people-powered rides.
• the festival is open Saturdays, Sundays, and Presidents Day, February 6th thru March 28th.
• each day’s events begin with a 9:45 pre-opening gate performance, a 10:00 cannon shot, and ends with a faire-thee-well medley at 6:00.

I was taken by surprise with the long line of cars to get into this event, the massive parking lot full of cars, and the immensity of this place.  You could easily spend an entire day here, and perhaps not see everything there is to see.

Overall, we had a wonderful time, enjoyed the spectacle of it all, and in particular I enjoyed seeing some of the small children all dressed up, wandering around with wide-eyed glee.   In some ways, it felt like a 16th century European Disneyland.

If you are looking for something totally different, and would enjoy a little raucous revelry, then the Arizona Renaissance Festival just might be your ticket.  The only caution I would through out to parents is that some of the offerings in this event are clearly PG-13.

Here are a few of my photographs from the event:

Tortilla Flats definitely falls into the “fun” category.

Tortilla Flats is a historic stagecoach stop that is seemingly out in the middle of nowhere, with a total population of 6 people.  However, it sits on the Apache Trail which makes it a wonderful place to stop for breakfast on your way across the Apache Trail, or a nice 1/2 trip out of the city of Phoenix.

When you walk into Tortilla Flats, you will immediately notice the walls papered with $1 bills, and you can belly up to the bar on real leather saddles while you enjoy your cackleberries (hen’s eggs) for breakfast, or perhaps a monstrous Bull Rider burger for lunch.

In either case, you will greatly enjoy your visit to Tortilla Flats, and the paved scenic road approaching this famous eatery will produce a great many oohs and aahs.

Tortilla Flats

While visiting the Phoenix area, if you have time for a day trip, and love to see incredible panoramas, then in my humble opinion, you simply must take a drive on the world famous Apache Trail Scenic Drive.

To help you enjoy your drive on the Apache Trail, I have prepared for you a custom Google Map, complete with turn by turn instructions, and helpful tips.  Depending on how often you stop to gawk at the scenery, you should plan on 7-10 hours to complete this trip.

A great portion of this trip is driving through the Arizona back country, so you should plan to bring along water and snacks.  You should also plan to have great stretches where you will have no cell phone service.

Here are a few tips:

• Plan to leave around 8:00 a.m. with the idea that you will have a late breakfast at Tortilla Flats.  Tortilla Flats was a stagecoach stop in 1904, and today is a wonderful place to have breakfast/lunch.  Depending on your speed, and how often you stop to enjoy the scenery, you will probably arrive at Tortilla Flats around 10:30ish, if you are leaving from the East side of town.
• After breakfast, you will head east from Tortilla flats into the vast wilderness of the Tonto National Forest, climb upon dirt roads for the first time, and work your way across the 40 +/- miles of the Apache Trail.
• At the end of the trail, you will be rewarded with views of the Roosevelt Dam, and the Roosevelt Bridge.
• From the Roosevelt Bridge, you will once again drive on paved roads, and make your way back to Phoenix as you drive through the historic mining towns of Globe and Miami.

I have provided quite a few more tips in my interactive custom Google Map.  Enjoy your trip, and drive safely.

When you get back from your trip, come back, leave me a comment, and tell me about your trip!  I would love to read a little of your adventures.