One day, about mid-afternoon, while in an airplane flying some 35,000 feet above the surface of the Earth, I was fortunate enough to get a window seat well back of the wing. About halfway through the journey, I looked down, and there was Greenland. It was a spectacular image, an abstract of …
On those chilly, wintry days when weather reports from cold country reach the Valley of the Sun and cause painful memories of time spent back there, only a very few will sigh and yearn for subzero temperatures, knee-deep snow and the snarling winds that claw their way through parkas, storm c…
With the possible exception of Stone Mountain in Georgia, I have been to, looked at and examined all the major items on the “Things to See Before I Go to that Big Resort Up in the Sky” list I compiled before reaching my current age, which is somewhere between senior-dom and elder-hood. So no…
Merry Christmas to your friends and my friends and people with no friends. To those who debate, create, grate, orate, and illustrate. To banjo plunkers and donut dunkers. And math test flunkers. To those who are nervous and those in the service. To professors, hairdressers, confessors and as…
Among Arizona’s historical accounts are various individuals from bygone days who contributed, in one way or another, to the state’s lore and legend. Some are easily recalled, like Senator Barry Goldwater, Rex Allen and Billy the Kid. But others have faded into the dusty pages of time, once w…
It happens every year around this time – scary things keep popping up in my mind, and my thoughts turn to places and things that give credence to these mental manipulations.
Sometimes, when bearing all the burdens of life becomes overwhelming, I drive north and seek refuge among the pines. People with scientific knowledge give them such names as pinus ponderosa var.scopulorum and pinus strobiformis, but underneath loads of linguistic luggage, they are pine trees.
Way back in my family ancestry, there is a definite connection to Ireland. My father’s grandfather emigrated from that country’s County Clare to Canada, and his son married a French woman and moved to North Dakota, where both my father and I were born. Even though there’s not much Irish in m…
In recent columns, we have discussed great works of art created by humans using hammers, chisels, metals and foundries. This time, we shall look at sculptures carved into the earth by Mother Nature, using wind, water and time. The Southwest abounds in such creations caused by volcanic erupti…
There was a time when trading posts sprung up across the Southwest like tumbleweeds. Some were legitimate, but most of the others were fly-by-night outfits that underpaid the Native Americans for their wares, then jacked up the prices for tourists. Or, they bought cheap non-native wares and …
A recent column that I read briefly mentioned a sculpture rising on the front lawn of the Yavapai County Courthouse in Prescott. It has been standing on that same spot for over a century, and therein lies a tale.
Now that world travel can somewhat resume to its former state, many will make plans to visit Greece, and rightfully so. The ancient ruins at Athens, Delphi and Olympia are impressive, awe-inspiring, and everything I had expected from reading about them as far back as grade school – which was…
Recently, while partially confined due to current circumstances, we retrieved an old Scrabble game that had been hidden away in a closet for years, and now we play at least three times a week. Lyn, my wife, wins more than half the time, a factor I consider puzzling because I have spent decad…
One question frequently aimed my way by out-of-towners is, “What do you have to do to get a statue of yourself cast and placed in a prominent place across Arizona?”
The morning fog lifted near Indian School Road and toyed briefly with the sun for a moment. Then it drifted back down onto the glistening pavement. I thought of poet Carl Sandburg.
Around this time of year, it’s not unusual to reflect upon Christmas memories. When that happens to me, a specific one always surfaces. It happened many years ago – maybe even longer ago than that.
Like most youngsters matriculating in distant places, one of my childhood dreams was growing up and living in a castle. Only half of it came true – I grew up. On the other hand, I have visited several castles around the world. And the good news is that some of them are near my present home. …
The Grand Canyon is the grandest canyon. It is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World and deserves every accolade heaped upon its magnificence. While it is undoubtedly Arizona’s premier attraction, there are other canyons across the state worth exploration by those who take the time t…
Although particularly noted for its vastness (the canyons), wide-open spaces (the deserts) and big stuff (saguaro cacti), Arizona also offers a few items of a smaller scale that are worth noting. Some are off the beaten path; others are right out there in plain sight.
The Valley of the Sun is one of the fastest-growing areas in the nation, and when newcomers arrive they inevitably begin exploring their surroundings and often ask “what is that thing?” Here are some answers to those inquiries.
There was a time when the railroad depot was an exciting spot to visit. They were places where locomotives filled the air with steam and loud belching sounds, while strangers peered from the windows of passenger cars. They also had a lot of ambiance. The sound of the telegraph key, clicking …
Between palm trees and a patch of bare land on the north shore of Hawaii’s most populous island, Oahu, stands a giant wooden carving of the head of a Native American. The carving is the final giant head in a collection of massive sculptures created by Hungarian-born artist Peter Wolf Toth.
As travel restrictions gradually loosen and life resumes to some degree of normalcy, many thoughts will once again turn toward travel and far-off places, like Greece. My wife Lyn and I went there, and the journey was quite enlightening. Expecting to find solitude, I envisioned running barefo…
Arizona’s Native American ruins are among the most picturesque in the country. Over the years, hundreds of thousands have visited their sites, staring in awe at what these builders were able to construct, and left wondering what happened to those who once lived there. Among them are my three…
During a travel writing career that has covered more than 40 years, I have been borne from one destination to another by motor vehicles, sailboats, cruise ships, the backs of large animals, tour buses, jet planes and other forms of transportation.
Winter is here, and that means one thing: Out-of-state friends asking questions about unusual items and edifices that have taken up permanent residence in the Valley. And I, having taken up permanent residence in the Valley more than a half-century ago, am ready with the answers.
Over the years, I have collected many enjoyable Christmas memories. One of my favorites is the day when I – dressed as a holiday elf – met Nicole, an 8-year-old homeless girl.
During a trip to Washington, D.C., I had the opportunity to tour the National Mall. It is a magnificent tribute to America’s greatness, from the towering Washington Monument at one end to the powerful and compassionate likeness of Abraham Lincoln at the other.
When I first started playing golf quite a few years ago, the game was more often the butt of jokes rather than the prestigious sports competition it is today, with its million-dollar payoffs and extended television coverage.
Arizona has an ample supply of ghost stories, enough to raise the hairs of novice campers listening to spooky tales while roasting hot dogs over an open fire.
The Orpheus Male Chorus of Phoenix is gearing up for its 93rd consecutive year. The chorus started in 1929 and is the oldest musical performing group in Arizona. I sang with the Orpheus off and on for 33 years and made several international tours with them. A concert on one of those trips st…
There are times, due to a lack of foresight and clear thinking, when a seemingly good plan becomes a bad idea. As an example, I cite my recent endeavor for visiting all five of Utah’s national parks. Utah is close by, so it seemed like a logical adventure. Then, while checking my map, I obse…
Northeastern Arizona is separated from the Hawaiian Islands by more than 3,000 miles, a vast body of water, climate, humidity, and many geologic, geographic and cultural differences. But they have one thing in common: The Curse of the Rocks. Whether the curse is real or not is the stuff that…
This month’s story examines big things. More precisely, the biggest landmarks found in Arizona.
Whenever my journeys led me to a state capital, my first destination was usually the state capitol.
Every time I daydream while driving west along Apache Boulevard in Tempe, then turn north on Mill Avenue, I get a weird sensation that my sweet tooth needs attention. It’s nothing serious, just a fleeting thought that a big slice of cake would fulfill this imagined need.
More than a century ago, Arizona was peppered with small towns where people toiled to carve out a hardscrabble living from a rich but unyielding land. Most were mining towns. They were never large population centers, but they had names and post offices, saloons and churches, mercantile and g…
If they ever make a film about making movies in Arizona, Arcadia will have a brief cameo appearance.
Although I had to use them frequently during my days as a travel writer, airports are not very high on my list of favorite places. But I have learned to tolerate them because…well, if you’re going to fly, you’re going to wait. And, sometimes, wait and wait and wait. I guess it’s all part of …
All of my early Christmas celebrations were spent on the frigid plains of North Dakota, where the festivities commonly involved long underwear, stocking caps with ear flaps, woolen shirts, the scent of freshly cut pine trees, the fragrance of warm apple cider, school kids with squeaky voices…
August 14 came and went relatively unnoticed for the most part, but it was a special day for a specific group of heroes. These are the Navajo Code Talkers, who played a major role in winning decisive battles during World War II. Although they were instrumental in the victories, their feats w…
When welcoming first-time, out-of-state visitors into my Arcadia home, I’m always ready for one almost-sure-to-be-asked question:
There are times when what initially appears to be an inconsiderate act turns out to be a gesture of kindness. One such circumstance occurred recently during a visit to Devils Tower, a spectacular landmark in the wilds of northern Wyoming.