I turned in my photos today to my publisher for my upcoming travel guide book. With your help, I chose for my tenth photo suggestion the Prescott trail shot. It was taken at Lynx Lake. I wrote about it earlier in the year.

If you went up there today, you’d have to dress warmly. It’s cold enough, in fact, that one news report I read mentioned the city may get snow in time for Christmas.

Can you imagine this trail lined with snow? Wouldn’t that make an even better cover shot?

(Photo used with permission by Jackie Dishner.)

Post from: The Phoenix Traveler

Of the three photos I’ve copied below, which would you think represents an Arizona backroads guidebook? Keep in mind that I’m writing about places you won’t see in Arizona, unless you get on some back roads to get there.

If you’ll help me pick this final choice, I’ll put your name in a drawing to win a free bottle of aromatherapy pillow spray from The Westin Kierland Resort. The lavender scent comes in a little blue bottle with a copper satin pouch.

To respond, post your comment as follows (photos are in a-b-c order):

a) Aravaipa Canyon Trail

b) Prescott Lake Trail

c) Young Windmill 

Thanks for your help.

(Photos used with permission by Jackie Dishner.)

Post from: The Phoenix Traveler

I wanted to talk to Bitler about her travels during the research of her book, because if there was ever a time to think about escape, it’s now. I met up with Bitler at a recent art fair, where I purchased her book, and she agreed to e-mail me with a few suggestions on where you might want to take your next Arizona escape.

Rather than run the whole series of questions I asked, along with her answers, here are the highlights.

In bullet format, you can quickly scan them for ideas:

• Her favorite place: Kitt Peak National Observatory.
• A place she loves: Grand Canyon.
• The place where she’d love to return: Canyon de Chelly.
• Her favorite Arizona activity: Horseback or trail ride at one of

Arizona’s dude ranches.

• Two things she finally get around to doing because of the book: See fireworks over Lake Havasu and the Civil War re-enactments at Picacho Peak.
• Three places she writes about in her book that she thinks you shouldn’t miss: Gallery in the Sun (the late Ted DeGrazia’s art studio/gallery in Tucson); Cochise Stronghold (pictured above); and the Olive Mill and Schnepf Farms in Queen Creek
• Trips she’d like to take now because of what she learned during her research: Take a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon; and spend a week on a houseboat at Lake Powell.
• If you want to experience the diversity Arizona offers, she suggests an “escape” to the White Mountains.

To learn more from other Arizona authors who specialize in travel, click on the names below:

_Christine Bailey.

_Michael Engelhard.

_Sam Lowe.

If you’ve visited any of the above named places and would like to share your experiences, good or bad, please post a comment.

(Photo of Cochise Stronghold used with permission by the Cochise County Tourism Council.)

Post from: The Phoenix Traveler

Don’t recognize the sign? It sort of looks like a McDonald’s, you say?

It really IS a McDonald’s franchise restaurant. But this one’s in Sedona, where zoning laws called for the restaurant to agree to construct teal arches, as opposed to its trademark yellow. The sign also sits lower to the ground, so it’s not a public eyesore.

To see this one for yourself, here are the driving directions:

From Phoenix, take I-17 to the SR 179 exit (Exit 298), turn LEFT, take another LEFT onto SR 89A. Before you turn onto 89A, you may see a billboard advertising the unique sign. I’ve missed it every single time. If you miss it, too, just watch for the restaurant. It’ll be on your right.

It’s definitely a photo opportunity waiting to happen.

(Photo used with permission by Jackie Dishner.)

Post from: The Phoenix Traveler

This river runner, rock climber and wilderness guide, who came to America from Germany to study cultural anthropology in Fairbanks, Alaska, has been writing about his adventures long enough to attract the attention of editors at internationally-known magazines, including Outside, Utne Reader, Backpacker, and of course Arizona Highways.

I was happy to discover that, like me, this author of several non-fiction books related to his adventures, Arizona’s included, is a fan of former Arizonan Ron Carlson, whose descriptive prose in his novels and short stories also reads like poetry to me. When I learned that, I became an instant fan of Engelhard’s.

Currently living in Alaska, where he works as a wilderness guide, Engelhard says he’ll be relocating (He’s lived here before.) to the Colorado Plateau — Flagstaff, specifically — next spring. When he returns, I hope to travel with him on one of his wilderness trips. You’ll know why if you just take a look at a few of his books or read his essays. This is a guy who appreciates the wilderness like not many can.

Besides, I like what he had to say about why he’s coming back to Arizona:

“The reason is simple: I just can’t get the canyon country out of my system. The redrock desert of southern Utah and northern Arizona has shaped me like no other place.

Years ago, I set out to explore 120 canyons within a year  (He actually hiked more!); a journal I kept grew in scope and morphed into my first book (Where the Rain Children Sleep). Arizona — its fauna, flora, geology, history, and mix of cultures — has been a wellspring of inspiration ever since.”

One of his favorite gems:

“The Grand Canyon is probably my favorite place in the state, which may not come as a surprise. More than the views from its rims, its many side canyons draw me in and wait with never-ending surprises: bighorn sheep, ancient rock art panels, pristine plunge pools, rare butterflies and reptiles, and above everything, the many colors of silence — a glimpse of eternity.”

He says the Grand Canyon is actually his favorite haunt in the world:

“Regardless of how many times I run its rapids, camp on its boulder-fringed beaches, or explore its convoluted passages, one lifetime is not enough to experience all its riches.”

And my favorite story of his involves a visit inside the canyon:

“A memory that will stay with me forever features a white pelican bobbing in an eddy below a rapid. Pelicans are not native to the canyon, and this one must have blown off course during its migration and touched down on the life-giving waters.”

If you want to read more or share Engelhard’s appreciation of Arizona’s natural beauty with others, visit www.michaelengelhard.com.

(Headshot and photo covers used with permission by Michael Engelhard.)

Post from: The Phoenix Traveler

Between now and January 1, 2009, get your “Seasons” Greetings by the glassful with these three holiday cocktail specials. At $16 each, they’re sure to warm you up as the weather cools down.

For those of you who won’t be in town or get to the resort in time, here are the recipes to try at home:

“Sonoran” Eggnog

• 1 1/2 oz. Don Julio Tequila
• 1 oz. melted Mexican Chocolate
• Eggnog

Mix all ingredients, serve warm.  Garnish with a chocolate cigar and serve in a martini glass.

“Sweet S’more”

• 1 1/2 oz Monte Cristo-12 year aged rum
• Fresh Hot Chocolate Mix

Prepare hot chocolate, add rum.  Garnish with a graham cracker crust rim and a homemade marshmallow.

 
Troon Bourbon Cider

• 6 oz. Hot Apple Cider
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 1/2 oz Basil Hayden Bourbon
• 1 cinnamon stick (as garnish)

Mix all together, and serve warm.

(Photo and recipes used with permission by the Four Seasons Resort, Scottsdale.)

Post from: The Phoenix Traveler

I’m not talking Bisbee or Tombstone. I’m talking about the real ghost towns, the ones where no one, or practically no one, lives anymore. There was once a brochure called “Arizona Ghost Towns” available through some state visitor centers that listed about 30 different historic ghost and mining towns throughout Arizona, but here’s a list of three in Cochise County:

_Fairbank, located in the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area south of Benson, just off State Route (SR) 82, was once a mill town and still includes faint evidence from its days as a stagecoach stop and railroad hub for people traveling to Tombstone. Fairbank was the closest stop to Tombstone and once had three railroads passing through. If you go, you’ll see the newly restored schoolhouse (a Bureau of Land Management project) with a museum and gift shop, a few other building remains, and a graveyard.

_Just a few r esidents keep the post office open in Dos Cabezas, a Spanish word meaning two heads. Located on SR 186, 15 miles southeast of Willcox (home of the legendary singing cowboy Rex Allen), it was once an active supply center for the surrounding silver and gold mines and cattle ranches. Today you’ll see only the stage coach station, circa 1885, the post office, and crumbling adobe buildings.

_Indians mined turquoise here at Gleeson, about 15 miles east of Tombstone, long before the Spaniards arrived in the 1500s. The town was named after a miner named John Gleeson who came in the 1880s to prospect. Its rich ground gave us not only turquoise but also copper, lead and zinc. Via an unpaved road, you’ll find ruins of the jail, school, bank, local residences, and a cemetery. Most of the buried names you’ll see are Asian.

TIP: If you go to Gleeson, watch out for abandoned mine shafts. And plan on taking a side trip to nearby Rattlesnake Crafts in Elfrida. You’ll see what appears to be a junk yard, but inside the old trailer, the owners sell items (cowboy hat bands, for example) made out the skin of rattlesnakes they’ve caught. To get there, drive to the south end of town and turn left onto Gleeson Road. After 13 miles, look for the Rattlesnake Crafts sign and turn right onto N. Double U Ranch Road for another two miles. Call before you go: 520-642-9207

You can learn more about the towns and map your route online.

(Photos of ghost towns used with permission by Cochise County Tourism Council.)

Post from: The Phoenix Traveler

1)  Buy local. The blog post referred to produce, but you can extend that further to buy local produce as well as purchase gifts, services and other products sold right here in the Valley of the Sun by small business owners who live here. Look for the red symbol you see pictured above, or find out what and where through the Local First of Arizona Web site. There are more than 700 members to serve you Valleywide, including the upscale Fifth Avenue Merchants Association in Scottsdale, the eclectic retail shop, Bunky Boutique, in downtown Phoenix, and the Farmers’ Markets where you will find locally grown, farm fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh flowers, and homemade jellies and jams.

2)  Hire local guides. No need to hire a national company if you want to sight-see in Arizona. Phoenix is home to many qualified, experienced insiders who can take you on day trips, half-day trips, or customize a trip to suit your needs. The Arizona Guides Association is a good place to start your search. You can also ask your hotel concierge to recommend a guide company. Or contact a local community college to find out about study tours. Pima Community College in Tucson offers several hikes, day tours and other special outings for less than the cost of a private guide. You can also locate a hiking club for upcoming trips or the Maricopa Audubon Society for field trip information.

3)  Use public transportation. If your family, friends or other relatives plan to extend their holiday visit, I suggest you all try out our new light rail system. It opens at the end of this month with free rides for all on December 27 and 28 . I said it before, and I’ll say it again: I can’t wait!

Not only will following these tips help cut the carbon footprint in Phoenix, but it’ll also go a long way towards keeping our small businesses open and our residents employed.

Cheers to you from The Phoenix Traveler!

(Above logo courtesy of Local First of Arizona.)

Post from: The Phoenix Traveler

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

It’s all lit up in Prescott for the holidays. The Yavapai County Courthouse (pictured above), Whiskey Row behind it, the gift shops, boutiques and restaurants downtown–they all take part in the holiday festivities that have helped turn this former territorial town into Arizona’s official “Christmas City.”

With a heritage dating back to Victorian times and earlier, they know how to do Christmas here. Phoenicians drive the 90 miles north to see what’s been billed as the world’s largest Gingerbread Village. This year, more than 100 gingerbread structures decorate the lobby of the Prescott Resort now through December 28. The resort is open 24 hours a day.

You have until December 30 to drive through Fain Park and see the mile-long lighted and animated holiday display. We’re talking thousands and thousands of lights.

And this weekend (December 6), Santa arrives. A festive parade welcomes him on a tour around Courthouse Plaza, followed by a lighting ceremony. Afterward, the Governor’s Mansion at the Sharlot Hall Museum hosts an open house with Charles Dickens-era carolers and hot apple cider.

For more information about upcoming holiday events in Arizona’s Christmas City, visit the Prescott Chamber of Commerce or call 800-266-7534.

(Photo courtesy of Prescott Chamber of Commerce.)

Post from: The Phoenix Traveler