This past year, I’ve been working on a travel guide that’s taken me all over Arizona. I’ve shot the typical landscapes you might expect to see in Arizona: saguaros, desert mountain views, red rock cliffs, dry river beds. But I’ve also seen some pretty quirky images, things you won’t see if you don’t hop on a back road or two…most of which aren’t even paved, and are often closed during the winter. Not to worry. You can plan ahead for a springtime outing.

Here’s a few snapshots of what I’ve seen and a few tips on how you can get there yourself:

STICK ‘EM UP

I spotted this bike on a post and the rooster on a wall at Aravaipa Farms. That’s a country inn near Winkelman, Ariz., located next to the Aravaipa Wilderness Preserve. Although I thought the bike may have attached itself to the post following a serious flood from Aravaipa Creek a few years back, that wasn’t the case. The owner said it was placed there just for fun. The rooster is actually embedded in a casita wall.

IF YOU GO:  From Phoenix, take US 60 east toward Superior. Before you reach Miami-Globe, turn right at SR 177 to Winkelman. I suggest you visit the Web site before leaving home, as the owner has pretty lengthy instructions that steer you the rest of the way in. You’ll be driving an unpaved road shortly after you reach Winkelman. But for the food alone, it’ll be worth the trip. Plan to stay overnight and pack proper clothing for water hikes. 

SPROUTING BODY PARTS

This face and foot I spotted at two Page Springs wineries. But I don’t want to tell you where exactly. I’d rather you go and find them yourself. They’re both odd sites to see amongst the vineyards and elegant setting of a wine tasting, so they kind of can’t be missed.

I posted about the wine tour a few weeks ago. But you can take this route on your own as well. The drive takes you beside the lush Oak Creek, with Cottonwood trees to shade the way.

IF YOU GO: Hop on Interstate 17 and follow the road to Sedona. Before you reach Sedona from SR 89A, you’ll want to turn right onto Page Springs Road. Then drive the loop around to the wineries closest to the fish hatchery.

If you see anything odd out there, come back and post a comment.

(Photos courtesy of Jackie Dishner.)

Post from: The Phoenix Traveler

Owned and operated by Jef and Shurlin Rawls, this family-friendly comedy theater is home to the Jester’Z comedy troupe–a really fun and lively bunch of comedians, ages 18 to mid-40s, who really put on a good show for their audiences every weekend. It’s fun, interactive, and entertaining.

Jef, who teaches the acting classes, along with some of his talented performers, trained with, among many others, instructors at the Second City conservatory in Los Angeles, and is a working actor himself. Not only that, but he’s a really good guy, and you gotta support a man who cares about the impact he’s making. No cuss words allowed in his theater, for one thing. Plus, they sell Snickers bars–a fan favorite, of mine, that is. If you’re looking for something to do with the family, a first date, the 50th anniversary, give the Jester’Z a try:

WHEN: Fridays & Saturdays, 8 p.m. & 10 p.m.

WHERE: Inside Papago Plaza, 7117 E. McDowell Rd., Scottsdale.

COST: $12, all shows.

RESERVATIONS: 480-423-0120.

All shows run 90 minutes, without intermission. Candy, popcorn, soda and water can be purchased at the snack bar prior to show time. The theater is a smoke-free establishment and does not serve alcohol. But, hey, that means there’s no drink minimum!

(Above graphic provided by Theater 168.)

Post from: The Phoenix Traveler

It’s a pretty common day trip for folks who fly in to Phoenix and want to stay a few extra days. They often decide to go to Sedona to see the red rocks. They want to find a vortex and see what all the fuss is about. Go ahead. Just Google Sedona, and you’ll see what I mean. These photos illustrate a bit of what you’ll see when you get there.

The top two photos were taken while on a yoga hike to the top of Cathedral Rock. The photo on the left is the park at Red Rock Crossing. From the gazebo in the background, you can probably tell a lot of weddings take place there. The photo on the right was taken by my boyfriend on a guided imagery hike we took with Dennis Andres (pictured with me), also known as Mr. Sedona. He’s the author of several books, including What is a Vortex? and Sedona’s Top 10 Hikes. He’d be a great guide to hire if you want to really see what Sedona’s like from the inside out.

Visit the Sedona Chamber of Commerce for more information.

(Photos used with permission by Jackie Dishner.)

Post from: The Phoenix Traveler

You may have seen this book, or maybe not. But Sam Lowe, the author of Arizona Curiosities (now in it’s second edition), happens to be a funny guy with a lot of quirky stories to tell, including one about the time he interviewed a couple at a nudist colony in Tonopah. And, yes, they were unclothed. Well…he was, after all, in search of the “bare facts,” as quoted from his book.

Not only is Sam funny, but the guy’s also got guts.

Guess that’s why Marshall Trimble, the state’s official historian, recommended Lowe to the publisher, Globe Pequot, as the guy to write this book. The author, a former full-time newspaper columnist for the Arizona Republic and the now defunct Phoenix Gazette, writes regularly for Arizona Highways and Highroads, AAA Arizona’s travel magazine, among other publications. He’s also just completed his third book in the “Curiosities” series, only this one’s about New Mexico. It’ll be out in September.

I had the opportunity to meet the author for lunch this week at Café Carumba in Scottsdale. We chatted about our mutual work as Phoenix-based travel writers and then he answered a few questions for me about his book:

Q: First, tell me a little bit about what you did to find the curiosities.

A: I drove 12,000 miles across Arizona. I went to every town in the state, except for Young (He’s since been there, too.), and it took me eight months. Because of my column for the newspaper, “On the Lowe Road,” I pretty much knew what was there already. I was just following up, to make sure it was still there.

Q: During your eight months on the road for the first book, what was the most surprising thing you learned about Arizona?

A: The most surprising thing for me was at The Thing. I was really surprised at that. I don’t know what I was expecting, but I didn’t expect to see what I saw. It’s just a mummy. (I recommend that you read his book to find out more about what he calls a “billboard marketing success” story.)

Another surprising thing I discovered was near Hillside (in northwest Arizona, between Congress and Baghdad). There’s this really big rock painted to look like a skull. It’s huge, probably 25 tons, and very well done. It’s been there 100 years and was painted by railroad workers. I expected it to be kitschy.

Q: Is there one location where curiosities abound?

A: I think that would be in southeastern Arizona. There’s the monastery in Florence. There’s Tombstone. It has a rosebush–a Lady Banks Rose–that was planted in the late 1800s. It’s still growing and is (maybe?) 10,000 square feet wide. And Bisbee itself is weird. In Douglas, there’s one square block where you’ll find a church on every corner, different denominations. There’s the lady with the bookstore in her home near Benson, and then there’s Gammon’s Gulch.

Q: Where do you go to find out this information?

A: In the small towns, go to the Chamber of Commerce or the local bar. Anyone there knows where to find the curiosities, though it’s not usually curious to them. You have to ask a lot of questions.

Q: What are some of the more unusual things you’ve found in Phoenix?

A: At the Mineral & Mining Museum they have an exhibit of rocks that looks like food…steak and mashed potatoes. And if you go to McDonald Drive and 40th Street, there’s a house with an unusual rock garden. And then there’s the big plywood cut-outs at Cotton Lane off the Interstate 10 in Goodyear (One is a giant baby cut-out. She’s playing with toy tractors in a plowed field.) You can only see those when you’re traveling west on the interstate. 

Q: The entries are short, easy to read and humorous. It seems like this book would be a great book to read in the bathroom.

A: It is a definite bathroom reader, although I find that my legs always fall asleep when I read on the loo.

Tip to Sam: Don’t try to read all 300 pages in one sitting.

Before the interview ended, I couldn’t help but ask the author for his top-five pick of curious attractions statewide. In no particular order, they are:

1. The big frog rock in Congress.
2. The tiki head in Kingman on Route 66; it looks like something off of Easter Island.
3. The 30-foot-tall concrete kachina figure in the Tonto Hills subdivision northeast of Carefree.
4. The lizards on the retaining walls running up and down Highway 101 (Pima Freeway) in Scottsdale.
5. The Artichokes at Scottsdale Community College; it’s the name for the school’s mascot.

If you don’t get a chance to see any of Sam’s picks, at least consider looking for his book. Not only is it good bathroom reading, but it’s a good guide to what you’ll surely find when in Arizona–the unusual, the odd, and especially the curious.

(For the photos of the book, I wish to thank my boyfriend for loaning me his copy, and Sam’s photo above was printed with his permission. Thanks, Sam. See you on the road.)

Post from: The Phoenix Traveler