Roosevelt Dam Lake VS Lake Pleasant Lake (Phoenix, Globe: rent, motel)

[amjay]

We are planning an outing for the weekend, which one is better?
For picnic, etc and lodging?

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by amjay

We are planning an outing for the weekend, which one is better?
For picnic, etc and lodging?

Pleasant is much closer to Phoenix and therefore to all the amenities. There is no lodging there though unless you have an RV or are planning to camp. They have very nice developed campsites. Roosevelt has a resort pretty close to it.

If I could, let me suggest an alternative - Apache Lake. There is a motel there along with a restaurant. The drive is gorgeous and unforgettable - closer than Roosevelt but farther than Pleasant.

Apache Lake Motel & Lodging

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Originally Posted by ponderosa

pleasant is much closer to phoenix and therefore to all the amenities. There is no lodging there though unless you have an rv or are planning to camp. They have very nice developed campsites. Roosevelt has a resort pretty close to it.

If i could, let me suggest an alternative - apache lake. There is a motel there along with a restaurant. The drive is gorgeous and unforgettable - closer than roosevelt but farther than pleasant.

apache lake motel & lodging

+1.

[maverick974]

+ 2
Apache Lake is STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL.
Be careful of the restaurant though. It is hit and miss. Sometimes great food but I've had the worst meal I've every had there as well. Mostly good though.
This time of year, if you pay for one night, they give you the 2nd night free.

[observer53]

Never been to Apache Lake.... must put it on the road trip list!!

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by maverick974

+ 2
Apache Lake is STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL.
Be careful of the restaurant though. It is hit and miss. Sometimes great food but I've had the worst meal I've every had there as well. Mostly good though.
This time of year, if you pay for one night, they give you the 2nd night free.

The restaurant is just a greasy spoon. But I have been ordering the Ortega Burger there for 40 years - though it has been some time since I have been over that way. Gotta get back. It has always been one of my favorite places in the state.

[imartin26]

Yeah taking the Apache Trail (think that is what it is called) is a really nice drive but is a dirt road a short time after Tortilla Flats. I use to drive that road as a kid in my Mustang hauling a$$ with my friends and would have a blast, my old Mustang would probably not have agreed that it was a fun with all of the wash boards it had to drive over. Of coarse you could always take the longer drive through Globe to Roosevelt and then down to Apache from there. I have camped and fished Apache and it was a nice and quiet everytime I went there.

[amjay]

Thanks for all the inputs and the tip for free night stay this time of the year.
We have been to canyon lake twice and apache lake once, just for the day, loved it, plan was to go as far as Roosevelt dam but the dirt road and my pregnancy made my mom think otherwise. So stopped at Apache lake and had so much fun with the whole family. Heard some good things about the other two lake so thought of taking a weekend trip.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by amjay

Thanks for all the inputs and the tip for free night stay this time of the year.
We have been to canyon lake twice and apache lake once, just for the day, loved it, plan was to go as far as Roosevelt dam but the dirt road and my pregnancy made my mom think otherwise. So stopped at Apache lake and had so much fun with the whole family. Heard some good things about the other two lake so thought of taking a weekend trip.

Lake Pleasant will be a madhouse this weekend. All of the campsites including shore camping are gone already. That place gets crazy on holidays. Roosevelt will be very busy too, probably, but it is further out and bigger.

[maverick974]

Originally Posted by observer53

Never been to Apache Lake.... must put it on the road trip list!!

You should go. It's a beautiful lake. The motel is small and older but they are clean and have gorgeous views of the lake from your balcony. You should rent a pontoon boat and take a ride around the lake. It's well worth it and be sure to take a camera.

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

The restaurant is just a greasy spoon. But I have been ordering the Ortega Burger there for 40 years - though it has been some time since I have been over that way. Gotta get back. It has always been one of my favorite places in the state.

Yeah, but it's a good greasy spoon. The few bad meals I had was one day in November of 2011. I had fished all day and it was about 30 minutes to closing. There wasn't a soul in the place and the cook had already gone home. I'm sure my stuff was shoved in a microwave for about 8 minutes tooooooooo long before I got it. That was the only food available so I didn't complain much at the time but it sure was hard to get that down. It was horrible.
Other times when it was fairly busy, the food was fine.

Originally Posted by imartin26

Yeah taking the Apache Trail (think that is what it is called) is a really nice drive but is a dirt road a short time after Tortilla Flats. I use to drive that road as a kid in my Mustang hauling a$$ with my friends and would have a blast, my old Mustang would probably not have agreed that it was a fun with all of the wash boards it had to drive over. Of coarse you could always take the longer drive through Globe to Roosevelt and then down to Apache from there. I have camped and fished Apache and it was a nice and quiet everytime I went there.

Even with going the back way, you still have about 10 miles of dirt road so you aren't saving anything except you won't have to go down Fish Creek Hill. Fish Creek Hill is beautiful I'll admit but that's the toughest part of the journey. In my case, I'm pulling a boat (going down, I should say being pushed by a boat) so it's kind of hairy if you aren't careful.

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

Lake Pleasant will be a madhouse this weekend. All of the campsites including shore camping are gone already. That place gets crazy on holidays. Roosevelt will be very busy too, probably, but it is further out and bigger.

MUCH bigger.....