AZ Jeep Tours - Lake Pleasant and Castle Hot Springs

This weekend I went on a half day ride up to Lake Pleasant and beyond. The occasion was due to my brother-in-law writing an article for AZ Jeep Tours. The tour company is owned and operated by Fred Amator. We were given the choice of several tours that he gives, it should be obvious which one we took, otherwise the title here would be a bit different. The trip started with us traveling up Litchfield Road and over to the 303 loop. Along the way we made a quick stop next to our local rose fields. It was here that I jumped out to snap off a few shots.

After some history and information about Goodyear and the west valley, we finally arrived at Lake Pleasant. It wasn't my first time at the lake, but it was a different area that we were at. While stretching out our legs and grabbing a snack, I took a couple of shots overlooking the marina. At this point, we were given two choices for our other destination. We opted for Castle Hot Springs.

Explaining the hot springs is a challenge. Its a good 20 minute drive from the last spot; 20 minutes to the middle of no where. Winding around turns in the lower Bradshaws, we finally came face to face with quite a strange view. Amidst barren desert is what could only be described as an oasis. A large green field, almost completely surrounded by palms and other trees greets you as well as the large yellow building which made up the once popular resort. Being privately owned, and warned by Fred not to enter, I was only able to take pictures from the fence surrounding the property. It was hard no to want to run closer in for better views, but parts of the Arizona desert still hold up to the old west tradition so I chose to remain on the right side of the fence. It is a shame that such a beautiful place is sheltered away and not shared as it once was. Hopefully one day, the resort could be reopened.