Pizza, an Organ, and a Casa Grande

Before leaving Mesa, AZ, 8 of us had dinner at Organ Stop Pizza, home of the largest Wurlitzer theatre organ in the world.


The organ boasts nearly 6,000 pipes, and they are powered by 4 huge turbine blowers. The place is packed every day in the snowbird season, and we had trouble finding seats.


These cats entertained us while we waited for our pizza. The pizza was so good I forgot to take a picture of it.


But I did get a shot of dessert!


From Mesa, I moved down to Coolidge, where a dozen WINs are having a small gathering at the Elks lodge. They have rusty stuff at the entrance! I like it already.


The lodge owns the vacant lot next door, and we settled in.


A few miles away is Casa Grande National Monument. The name, of course, comes from the highlight of the site, the Great House, built in the early 1300s.


Originally 35-feet tall, it is protected by a gigantic cover, and surrounded by remnants of other buildings.


It was built without the use of forms, using 3000 tons of Caliche Mud, made by mixing water with caliche, a concrete-like substance found a few feet under the ground.


One of their biggest problems in the preservation of the ruins is this little ground squirrel and his buddies.


Inside the Visitors Center are lots of items recovered nearby, including this gigantic pot.


Another fantastic sunset. I know this looks a lot like the one on my header - that was taken in Florence Junction, not too far from here.

Next - searching for poppies!