Scottsdale, Az

Before going to Scottsdale, I spent a couple days prior going to some of my favorite places in Chandler, like Teakwoods Tavern for a reminder of how great their wings are. Located on 5965 West Ray Road, Suite 20 in Chandler, Arizona. This place is great! When I lived in Chandler, I used to go to Teakwoods regularly for wing night.

The menu has all kinds of things to try and they always have a full list of special items that changes every night. Grab a hand full of peanuts and shell them and toss them on the floor. Be careful, because the beer flows cold and a night can be lost sitting at the bar. It is a nice neighborhood bar. But I would call ahead because while I was there, they said they may be closing or relocate. Their number is (480) 961-0945. I really hope it is still operating. I wanted to add this because it was one of my favorite bars.

Next, it was off to Phoenix and the bar in Rustler's Rooste which has an awesome view of the city of Phoenix from atop the hill it sits on;

Rustler’s Rooste was established in 1971. Legend has it that the original site, that sits on top of a butte in the foothills of South Mountain, was a hideout for cattle rustlers. Currently, it is Arizona’s Legendary Cowboy Steakhouse. It is located 15 minutes from downtown Phoenix and Tempe, 20 minutes from Scottsdale and 10 minutes from the Sky Harbor International airport.
Rustler’s Rooste is a 2-story building with the lounge on the top level. There is an indoor waterfall and patrons can take the slide into the dining room. Don't worry, for those people who would rather walk downstairs there is a staircase.
Rustler’s Rooste serves up some of the best steaks I have ever had, ribs, chicken seafood. Appetizers are different and delicious. including rattlesnake! Our desserts will tempt you. There is a nice bar serving anything you want and my bartender while I was there was great!
Rustler’s Rooste has live country western music 7 nights a week. There is even a General Store where you can buy t-shirts and other souvenirs. Valet parking is offered at no charge.

Rustler's Rooste is open 365 days a year. Banquet spaces are available for large groups. Also in the offering, you can choose from scenic patios and vistas under the stars, they also have a Crystal Barn with a stage and dance floor, and the indoor Branding Iron Room. The amazing thing is that the Rooste can handle groups from 30 up to 1500. Check with them because the are a lot of different theme parties to choose from.

Next, I went to Tempe to visit Doc and Eddy's. Let me just tell you a little something about this place. It may not be one of the historic places on my list but it is a fun sports bar

Doc and Eddy’s in Tempe Arizona, is located on the northeast corner of Rural and Baseline Roads and is situated behind the Bank of America. I really enjoyed this bar back in the early 1990’s and I am glad it is still there today. It is one of the best sports bars to catch a ball game thanks to the enormous amount of televisions and big screens throughout the bar. This bar offers something for everyone, no matter what you are interested in or your age. It’s a neighborhood sports bar which caters to college students and professional people to retirees. When I arrived at Doc and Eddy’s, it was about 11 am. The bar was filled with a number of retirees having an early lunch, a few beers and telling stories which I am certain were some pretty tall tales. I felt right at home. Doc and Eddy’s is a busy place later on in the day, so I am glad I got there early enough to get pictures of this very friendly sports bar.

There are a lot of activities going on here at Doc & Eddy’s. Besides the sports on the televisions and a big selection of music on the jukebox, there is a lot going on. If you are into playing pool, there are a ton of pool tables behind the bar. Doc and Eddy’s have 12 pool tables to play on with ten of them being 9 foot regulation tables. Pool leagues and tournaments are held here all week.

There are many video games as well as a slot car electric racetrack and air hockey. The Slotcar track is awesome. Go to http://www.racelinkusa.com/ to learn more details about how you can participate in Slotcar racing as well as a link to Doc & Eddy’s which gives the race schedule with times and practices. The link also gives great information on how to purchase the tracks, Slotcars and accessories along with the rules and regulations of Slotcar racing. This would be a blast if you are interested in racing.

One of the newest areas of the bar I had not seen since I left Arizona is the Arizona Room. This room is great for parties and is decorated in the total Arizona sports fashion. Pennants and pictures of all Arizona teams and stadiums cover the walls as well as a Sports Illustrated cover with Pat Tillman and the flag of Arizona above it. It is a nice tribute to the Arizona Cardinal/war hero who was killed in Afghanistan while defending his country. The room has a large screen television so everyone can enjoy the game.

I sat down at the bar and ordered a burger and also a Four Peaks Kilt Lifter ale. One thing to note here is that Doc and Eddy’s is one of the first bars in the area to serve Kilt Lifter. Another nice touch is that they have an 8 hour happy hour starting at 11 am and going on until 7 pm. But that’s OK if you can’t make it in during those times because they then start great drink specials after 10 pm! Doc and Eddy’s also have karaoke and music on the patio. A poker tournament is held during the week and another great thing about Doc & Eddy’s is that you can experience all of this with no cover charge!

One other cool thing to note is their patio. The patio seats at least 15 wooden tables that surround 2 olive trees with more seating at tables in the area. For the summertime when temperatures can get over 110 degrees, there is a misting system around the patio which lowers the temperature 20+ degrees.

Without a doubt, this is one of the best sports bars and one of my favorites. With great food, the best burgers and cold drinks you can’t miss with Doc & Eddy’s! My bartender was very nice and attentive and really, all of the people working here went out of their way to make sure I had everything I needed and the freedom to show what a truly great sports bar Doc & Eddy’s is!

Now! It was time to check out Scottsdale. There were two places there I really wanted to visit; the Rusty Spur Saloon and Papago Brewing.

So I went to the Rusty Spur first.

Located at 7245 E. Main St., near the corner of Brown and Main Streets in Old Town Scottsdale, The Rusty Spur is a jewel there in town. After talking with Susan Anderson, owner and a wonderful person to speak with, this is what I learned: A registered historic landmark, the Rusty Spur Saloon was built in 1921 where for more than a decade it housed the Farmer’s State Bank of Scottsdale, the first bank in Scottsdale from 1921 until 1933 when it closed on March 2nd for a "bank holiday" called by Governor B. B. Moeur. The bank never reopened. The old bank vault is still there, but now serves as a liquor cabinet and beer cooler. Prior to 1951 the building housed the first office of the Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce and then a real-estate office. In 1951 it was renovated and opened as the Rusty Spur Cafe. In 1958 the cafe attained a liquor license and was Renamed the "Rusty Spur Saloon". As of today it is the oldest saloon in Scottsdale, where cowboys ‘watered’ their horses with buckets of beer. Over the years, the saloon has been patronized by Western greats such as John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, and Ernest Borgnine, and recently by Keifer Sutherland, Jack Nicholson, Jennifer Aniston, Vince Vaughn, Dierks Bentley an John Rich (Big & Rich) and players from the San Francisco Giants.
The Rusty Spur is world famous and known for their hospitality, great burgers and live entertainment seven days and seven nights weekly.

The Rusty Spur Saloon is the destination of choice for the Hashknife Pony Express riders. After completing the 200 mile relay ride over the grueling, mountainous trail from Holbrook to Scottsdale, the Hashknife Pony Express riders proceed to the Scottsdale Post Office located at the corner of Brown and Osborn streets to deliver the specially postmarked mail. The Riders then form up and ride north on Brown to Main St. where they dismount and tie up at the Rusty Spur Saloon for the ‘end of the trail’ celebration. The camaraderie at the celebration of another successful ride continues for hours. This opportunity to meet with real pony express riders who carry on a tradition started in the 1860's American west is an invaluable part of the history of our country, state, and town.

The Scottsdale Jaycees took over the annual Sunshine Festival in 1953 and renamed it the Parada Del Sol (Spanish for "walk in the sun"). The Parada Del Sol has since become world famous as the world’s longest horse drawn parade. Rodeo events were added to the Parada Del Sol celebration in 1956.

Almost every inch in this unique saloon is decorated with Western memorabilia, a collection of license plates, and thousands of dollar bills hanging from the ceiling (the money, given by patrons who wish to leave their mark, is donated every two years to a local children's charity). This charity I found out is a worthwhile one. The money goes to Arizona Action For Foster Children. The Spur also sponsors a motorcycle bike run every year which has been an annual event for the last 6 or so years with 50-75 riders, all for charity.

My visit there could only be described as awesome! My bartender was very nice and she made sure that I had everything I needed.

All information above courtesy of http://www.rustyspursaloon.com/ All pictures were taken by me.

Finally, I made it to Papago Brewing. Located in the Papago Plaza on the southwest corner of McDowell and Scottsdale Road in Scottsdale. From the outside, it looks as if it is just a small bar.

But once inside, it was amazing! As you walk in, you are greeted by the giant monk. To the right is an area to play darts.

Walking further in, looking down the long building, the bar is to the right which has 30 wonderful beers on tap and to the left is a refrigerater which holds over 500 beers.

I wasn't able to meet with the owner Ron Kloth, he wasn't in town at the time but I was able to receive emails from him and this is the information I was able to obtain. "Papago Brewing Company started in 2001 and was founded by three homebrewers. At the time great beer was not readily available so we opened up our place with the idea of catering to the beer purists and not to the Coor's light crowd. We were successful from day one. We began having three of our own beers brewed up at a local microbrewery and over time because of their success have expanded our own beer line up over time, doing things that other local breweries weren't doing, such as making a wheatwine, or a double IPA or a Belgian Quad and have always let our homebrew background lead what we make. We are about to have one beer made in Belgium for us, we are awaiting label approval now but it should be available in the USA by late January. If you have a favorite place that carries Belgian beers ask them to get Oud Zuipers, imported by Global Beer. I know a big distributor in Indiana is going to carry it for sure."

I will be definately looking for his beer here in Ohio. I sampled so many of his beers amd was so impressed, I just wanted to open a cot and live in the bar for at least a week! If you are in Scottsdale, don't leave without checking this fine brew pub first.

Apache Trail, Arizona

On a very hot day September 8th, 2007 I decided I would take a drive to Tortilla Flat. My friend had brought me there once before and I knew that I wanted to photograph the Superstition Saloon for this book. I had lived in Apache Junction while in the Air Force and had been to Canyon Lake a number of times but had never made it any further than the lake. Stopping along the way and taking pictures of the landscape in this area was fulfilling. I really love this area and have always been amazed by the desert. Driving past the Superstition Mountains made me think about how many prospectors ventured up there looking for gold and never making it back home.

Canyon Lake is a beautiful lake nestled in the Salt River Canyon which completely surrounds it. I have spent a whole day on the lake with my friend Bryan and had taken my son when he was younger. There is a nice restaurant there with a patio overlooking the lake and there is even a steamboat called the Dolly Steamboat at Canyon Lake. The steamboat takes you on a 90 minute tour or “nature cruise” all around Canyon Lake. So as much as I wanted to stick around the lake and take a lot of pictures, my plan was to get to Tortilla Flat before a big lunch crowd would make getting some shots inside the Superstition Saloon impossible. Now, I had lived in Arizona for a long time but when my bartender asked me if I was going to take in a drive of the Apache Trail, I didn’t know what to say. I had no plans to, never had done it before and had a lot of time after photographing the saloon and decided why not? She told me that the paved road would end soon and I asked if it was wise for me to drive the trail in my little Mitsubishi Eclipse? She told me it would be no problem. I thanked her and headed out on a pretty incredible adventure. I really had no idea what I was in for or what was ahead of me but I was willing.
The Apache Trail officially begins in Apache Junction, right at the intersection of State Highway 88 and State Highway 60. Highway 88 veers left and you continue past the Superstition Mountains. What I didn’t realize was from this point I was about 45 miles from the end of Apache Trail. Once you get to Tortilla Flat, there is about 5 more miles of a 2 lane paved road. Once that ends, you are on an unpaved, one-lane road for the next 30+ miles. If you take the Apache Trail make sure you bring plenty of water and have a good vehicle because cell phone service is nonexistent. I wasn’t prepared but except for the beautiful scenery, it was pretty uneventful and relaxing. I truly believe this is one of the most scenic drives I have ever taken.

About 10 miles into the drive, you should come across Apache Gap where you have a great view of Four Peaks. Four Peaks stands at 7,000 feet and is the highest of the mountain ranges in the area. From there, you’ll start a small descent around the canyon road to Canyon Lake. When you get to the lake, there are about 5 more miles before you get to Tortilla Flat. Within 5 more miles outside of Tortilla Flat is when the road ends and the adventure begins. At this point, I drive slow and stopped often to take pictures of the spectacular views of the Apache Trail. The whole drive can take anywhere from 4-5 hours from Canyon Lake to Roosevelt, the end of Apache Trail.

I had a beautiful day, although the temps were at 108 degrees, I felt good. The scenery gets you right down to your soul. There had been some clouds due to the monsoon season (this area only gets an average of 2 weeks of rain a year) and because of it, I got some great shots. I was by myself but it really didn’t matter, I had plenty of scenery to keep me company.
At about 10 miles outside of Tortilla Flat, I came across a new rest stop with some walking trails to view out over the canyon. From there, the drive onward became very exciting as I drove down the canyon dropping around 1,500 feet within 3 miles! Apache Lake is about 6 miles from this point and it is awesome! I had never been to Apache Lake and after seeing this beautiful body of water in the middle of the desert made me wish I had. It was amazing to say the least and the next time I go, I think I will do something I am not too fond of and camp! It was a relaxing stop and a very busy area. You would be amazed at the size of the trucks carrying huge boats to put in the lake and how they make it around these canyon roads. I was having a hard enough time with the Mitsubishi!

At this point you are about 18 miles from Roosevelt Dam.

Right here I was very close to Roosevelt Dam and almost to the end of the Apache Trail. After traveling 35 miles in a matter of 4 hours, I felt that there couldn’t be anything more spectacular than what I had just seen. But I was wrong. Coming up on Roosevelt Dam was cool. The Dam is massive since it supplies water to the lakes and if you research what it took to build the dam, it is impressive. What was great about this was the man-made lake, Roosevelt Lake. It’s funny because you don’t expect to see this much water in the desert. Beautiful views and it just looked like a great place to go and jet ski, picnic and just have a great time. If you have any time at all and you are visiting the Phoenix area, I urge you to take the time to drive Apache Trail. You won’t be disappointed especially if you have never had a chance to experience the desert. I am glad I listened to the bartender at Superstition Saloon because she was right on about this trip!


Shots of Roosevelt Dam.
Standing on Roosevelt Dam looking out over Roosevelt Lake.

Tortilla Flat and the Apache Trail

I was planning on talking about Crazy Ed's Satisfied Frog and Black Canyon Brewing Company located in Cave Creek. As I was about to finish up, I looked at their web page to see if there was anything new to report and yes there is. Crazy Ed's is closed and are moving to a new location in Cave Creek. It didn't make sense to do a story right now on Crazy Ed's until I can talk to the owner and revisit the new location. To read more, check out their web page at:

http://www.satisfiedfrog.com/

So, my next trip was to visit a place in Tortilla Flat called Superstition Saloon. I had been there a couple years earlier when my son' and daughter-in-law went on a boating trip on Canyon Lake with the Hippie. After tubing and swimming, the Hippie asked us if we wanted to grab some lunch at Dollar Bill's? Now, I have lived in Arizona most of my life and I had never heard of Dollar Bill's. So I said sure. We pulled the boat out of the water and drove a little further up Route 88 and came upon this little tiny town called Tortilla Flat. We are walking toward the Superstition Saloon when I ask Brian where Dollar Bill’s was. He pointed at the Superstition Saloon and said, “That’s it.” I said, “It says Superstition Saloon, where is Dollar Bill’s?” We walk into the Superstition Saloon and the first thing I noticed was that the walls inside the saloon were covered with dollar bills. All the money is signed by the patrons who left them or sent them. There is currency hanging on the walls from all over the world.

Going back to the Superstition Saloon a little more than two years later, nothing much has changed. The dollar bills were still all over the walls and the beer was still cold. I had a Rattlesnake beer and talked with the bartender. She urged me to continue driving east on Route 88 and drive the Apache Trail. She told me that I would get some awesome pictures of the desert. I had a great opportunity when I got back home to talk with Lois Sanders. She is Tortilla Flats’ historian and has written a book and articles about the history of Tortilla Flat and the Saloon. We had a very nice conversation about how the saloon came to be and how this town seems to come back after both a major flood and fire.

Ms. Sanders explained the dollar bills on the wall for me. It all started years ago when prospectors, ranchers and other who worked on the Salt River Dams would pin their card with a dollar bill to the wall behind the bar. That started the tradition which is very much alive today. There was a fire in 1987 that destroyed the saloon as well as all of the dollar bills which hung on the wall. It was rebuilt by 1988 and when people around the world had heard of the fire, many sent a bill to post on the walls. Leaving the bills on the walls makes people feel like they are a part of the nostalgia of the saloon and as you can see have successfully filled these walls with dollar bills. The saloon has no idea how much money is upon these walls but do know that there is currency from 67 countries. None of the bills are removed. If you visit and would like to have a dollar bill and business card pinned to the wall, just let the waiter or waitress know. They will put it up for you. Because of space, they need to use a ladder now because the bills have covered almost every square inch of the place.

In 1904, Tortilla Flat was nothing more than a stage stop from the valley to Roosevelt Dam being built at the time and was a stop for freight haulers, which is when most historians believe it got its start. It is called “The friendliest little town in Arizona.” It has a population of 6, and that is its current population. That’s it folks only 6 people, making it Arizona’s smallest official “community” that not only has a U.S. Post Office but is also considered a voter’s precinct. There is so much history about this tiny little town and I urge you, if you are interested to pick up Lois Sanders’ book and read more about the extensive history on the web. From 1904 and beyond, Tortilla Flat was a stop for construction workers and freight haulers making there way up to the Roosevelt Dam construction site. There is a one lane dirt road that leads to Roosevelt Dam still today.

There are a couple of theories of how Tortilla Flat got its’ name. One is that Mr. John Cline, a Tonto Basin pioneer in a conversation with Postmaster Russell Perkins, was traveling with some people from Phoenix for some supplies when a flash flood stranded them in that flat area of the desert. According to Mr. Cline, they ran out of food and were left with only flour. The men made tortillas with the flour for food to which Mr. Cline named the flat Tortilla Flat. Now although that sounds like a good story, another version according to Connie Phelps who co-owned Tortilla Flat from 1948-1950 had a conversation with Mr. Cline when Mr. Cline was 95 years old. In that conversation, he explained to her what had actually transpired and would lead him to the name Tortilla Flat. Mr. Cline and his cowboys led the cattle into Phoenix and sold them. They decided to celebrate and drank too much. When they got back to the flat, they realized that they had not purchased any supplies while celebrating their sale of cattle and had only flour to use. This is what led Mr. Cline to name the flat Tortilla Flat. It is a great little stop on the way to Apache Lake and Roosevelt Lake if you decide to take the Apache Trail. More on the Apache Trail in the next entry.

Arizona Pt. 2

Before I get too far ahead of myself, before I went out and hit the bars and breweries in Arizona, the Hippie and I took a drive to one of the Hippies favorite spots. West Clear Creek in the Coconino National Forest. He told me that the hike down the canyon was a difficult hike but I thought I would be up for the experience. We got up early on a hot Arizona day September 2, 2007, loaded up a cooler with a lunch Desiree packed for us and went to the store to buy some ice and Gatorade. It was approximately a 2 hour drive northeast from where the Hippie lives so on the drive up we had a chance to catch up. When we arrived at the area where West Clear Creek was, The Hippie and I got a little turned around on the directions and it took us a couple hours to find it. No problem, the area was beautiful.

We finally arrived at West Clear Creek, ate our lunch and packed a few Gatorades in a backpack. I took my camera and we set off for the hike down the mountain. Right away I was skeptical. I wasn't in the best shape and my knee was killing me but we started down the mountain anyway. To read more about West Clear Creek, check out this link, http://www.americansouthwest.net/arizona/west_clear_creek/canyon.html
It is rated a very difficult hike and I made it about half-way down the side of the mountain when I told the Hippie that I could probably make it down there, but it would take a helicopter to bring me out! My knee was screaming! So, I gave the Hippie my camera and he took some really great pictures of the creek when he got to the bottom. I stayed put and sat on a small stool on the edge of a small cliff, waiting for him while a storm loomed heavy overhead. If you have never heard thunder while in a canyon, it is loud and erie! Here are some of the pictures the Hippie took of West Clear Creek.

The Hippie (Bryan Dunn). Thanks for the great shots!

After leaving West Clear Creek, we decided to visit Montezuma Castle in Camp Verde, AZ. It was only 20 miles away and we figured it would be worth it. It was cooler there than in Phoenix so we headed off for Camp Verde. Another historic and awesome site to see when visiting Arizona! I won't elaborate on the castle, everything you would want to know can be found here at http://www.americansouthwest.net/arizona/montezuma_castle/national_monument.html
Here are some of the pictures I took while we were there.

On our way back to Phoenix, I saw a sign for Cave Creek, AZ and remembered that there was a micro brewery there called Crazy Ed's Satisfied Frog and Black Mountain Brewery. I planned on going there September 6th. This book is designed to tie in both the bars and taverns as well as the area they are in. More on Crazy Ed's and others in the next update.