Motel 6 Phoenix Mesa - Main St

Take the tube

by PeterVancouver

A great inexpensive way to spend between 2 and 5 hours on a hot day in Mesa, is to gently float slowly down Salt River on an inner tube.
Salt River Recreation can be found near the junction of Bush Hwy & Usery Pass Road approx 30 min north of Mesa

Saguaro Lake - boating, cruise at marina

by jumpingnorman

We were at the Tonto National Forest in Mesa and it was awesome we found this wonderfully unqique lake where you coukld rent a boat! It was already late afternoon and so we could only rent the boat for an hour since I think they closed at 6PM (August 2009), and so we got a 24 foot pontoon boat for just about $90 per hour + gas/tax....It was fun! You can rent boats up to 30 minutes before closing.

The lake is so nice because of the wonderful hills around it which are dotted by Saguaro cati...and it is a long strecth of lake - we were not even able to go around all of it because it is so long and curvy. We parked the boat in about three areas where we dipped into the warm waters ---(personally though I am scared of dark green lakes but I had fun though)

For those who do not want to get their own boats, there is a cruise I think which is called Desert Bell but it had just 2 cruises on that day at 1030 and 1230 - you can call Dsert Bell excursions at 480-984-2425 for proper times.

There were lots of people jetskiing and people can also fish for bluegill, walleye, bass, catfish and crappie.

And after all the activity, they do have a restaurant available with lots of misters to counteract the Arizona heat!

Open times:
May through labor Day 8AM to 6PM
Labor Day through November 8 AM to 5PM
December through Feb 9AM to 4 PM
March through April 8AM - 5PM

Royal Air Force in Mesa Arizona 1941- 1945

by PeterVancouver

"Falcon field"

During the period from 1941 - 1945 Falcon Field Mesa was the home for the British Training Flight School for the RAF. During those four years about 2000 cadets passed through the school most earning their wings and a number went on to fly either as fighter or bomber pilots over France or Germany.

My Father Basil C Carter attended BFTS Mesa on course 20 from Feb - August 1944 and afetr gaining his wings, returned to the UK to then be retrained on Horser Gliders

There is an excellent book published in the US entitled "The RAF in Arizona Falcon Field 1941-1945" written by Jim Dawson (ISBN 0-9719127-1-8) US$38.50

A number of pilots went on to become famous one of which from Course 16 was E Brian Trubshaw chief test pilot for the Concorde.

There is not a great deal now days to mark the fact that the RAF was there, other than a hanger remaining,plus the cadets swimming pool, and a plaque in the cadets lounge remembering those who died during training at Falconfield

"Falcon field Mesa in th early 1940's"

Original Control tower in the background beyond the pool

"Falcon field"

Some acknowledgement that the RAF was at Falcon field is on

http://www.mesaaz.gov/falcon_field/history.aspx