The New Scottsdale's Museum of the West

    Scottsdale has long promoted itself as the “West’s Most Western Town” and with the opening of the new Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West the city finally has a premier location to exhibit and promote America’s western history, art and lifestyle.
    The new 43,000 square foot museum located in the downtown area of Old Scottsdale will tell the story of all 19 Western states through a rotating series of exhibits that will include western art, authentic artifacts, interactive cultural history experiences and a wide variety of multi-media presentations.  Since opening on January 15, 2015 this new museum is quickly fulfilling its goal to become the destination place where, according to museum director Michael Fox,  “Western history can be revealed, today’s region better understood, and tomorrow’s rich opportunities explored.”
    Visitors to the new museum will encounter interactive games and activities as well as strategically located multi-media presentations to engage the interest and to enhance the visiting experience of both children and adults. A state-of-the-arts, 135-seat multi-sensory/multimedia theater/auditorium will be home to special programs and professional performances unique to the Museum of the West.
    Visitors also will encounter the cozy Story Circle where they can join others to view a demonstration, enjoy a close-up performance, listen to a knowledgeable storyteller or simply interact with museum staff and other visitors.
    Current opening exhibits include the story of Lewis and Clark through the artwork of Charles Fritz, the bronze, Western statuary of John Coleman and the Western collection of authentic artifacts of A.P. Hays.  The museum’s beautiful, outdoor courtyard features an ever-changing display of Western sculpture.
    So for all those whose ‘heroes have always been cowboys” or for anyone who just enjoys discovering the Valley’s newest cultural offering, now is the time to get out, travel to Old Scottsdale and experience for yourself Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West.  You will be truly impressed by this most modern, museum experience.         

http://scottsdalemuseumwest.org/

Photo credit…

Pic #1 Courtesy of John Coleman
Pics #2, #3 & #4 – Scottsdale’s Museum of the West 

Big Weekend In The Verde Valley

       Living in the north Valley has many wonderful advantages one of which is how quickly we can make a short drive and be in the high-country of Arizona.  The ten communities of the Verde Valley with their unique histories, natural beauty and varied cultural/recreational offerings can all be reached with an easy 1½-hour drive.  And with the beginning of another season just days away, the Spring Heritage Pecan and Wine Festival in Camp Verde on March 28 & 29, 2015 kicks off both the town’s Sesquicentennial celebration and another year of family-fun festivals across the Verde Valley.
    The first Camp Verde Pecan & Wine Festival happened in 2001 and the annual celebration has grown in size and offerings.  Wine tasting areas will be offered by 12 of the Verde Valley’s finest wineries.  Pecans grown on local farms of the Verde Valley will be on sale among the many arts and craft vendors.
       While the Pecan & Wine Festival is happening in downtown Camp Verde, canoe and kayak racing will be occurring at the 3rd Annual Verde River Runoff races. This is a 10-mile race along a beautiful and remote part of the Verde River from White Bridge to Beasley Flats. There are multiple skill-categories for anyone wishing to enter and race.    
    In addition the Verde Valley Archaeology Fair will be going on featuring two-days of hands-on archaeological adventures designed for the whole family.   The highlight of this fair will be the display of the 135 pound nickel-iron Camp Verde Meteorite discovered in 1927 in a nearby 1000-year old pueblo.  This meteorite is a fragment of the same meteorite that created Meteor Crater near Winslow and has not been on public display since 1960.
    The vast majority of events for the Spring Pecan & Wine Festival are FREE.  The exceptions are a $12 charge for an adult wine tasting ticket and a race entry fee for the Verde Valley Runoff.
    Wow!  What a weekend of fun for the whole family!  So make plans now to get out and enjoy the many activities and beautiful weather always found in the nearby towns of the Verde Valley.

Camp Verde Pecan & Wine Festival- http://visitcampverde.com/spring-heritage-fest-information

Verde Valley Archeological Fair - http://verdevalleyarchaeology.org/Fair

Verde Valley Runoff- http://vrvno.org/events/verde-river-runoff/

That Big, White Pyramid

    That big, white pyramid of Papago Park, right next to the zoo’s big horned sheep exhibit and which new comers to Phoenix always ask, “What is that?” is one of Phoenix’s best known landmarks.
     Papago Park is a great place for springtime family outings and has a long history of serving the people of Arizona.  In 1879 the area served as an Indian reservation for the Maricopa and Pima tribes. In 1914 the beautiful desert area was proclaimed the Papago Saguaro National Monument.
     During World War II a German prisoner of war camp was located here, once holding over 400 prisoners. In 1959 it became the Phoenix city park we know today.
     Papago Park covers 1,200 acres and is home to the Phoenix Zoo, Desert Botanical Gardens, a fire museum, a municipal golf course, fishing lagoons, picnic ramadas and miles of hiking and bike trails near Hole-in-the Rock.  It is also home to that big, white pyramid, the tombstone of Arizona’s 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th governor, George W.P. Hunt. 
     George Wylie Paul Hunt would have been a hard sell for the image conscious political world of today.  With his walrus mustache, thick-rimmed glasses, totally bald head and always dressed in a white linen suit, he probably wouldn’t have made it far in today’s television world.
    When the telegraph clattered at  8:55 a.m. on February 14, 1912 confirming that Arizona was now the 48th state of the United States, it was George W.P. Hunt who led the Statehood Parade down Washington Street to the capital building. There he stood on the second floor balcony celebrating with his fellow citizens Arizona’s statehood.
     So next time family or friends are visiting one of the many wonderful attractions of Papago Park, follow that road by the lagoons, go up the hill by the big horned sheep exhibit and visit the final resting place of an Arizona legend, George W.P. Hunt.  It’s right at that big, white pyramid of Papago Park. 

That famous pyramid is actually a tombstone.

 

View from Hunt's tomb

Hole-In-The-Rock of Papago Park

An Arizona Connection To The Movie "Selma"

     One of the most moving scenes in the movie, Selma, which is now playing in movie theaters across the Valley is of the tragic event that occurred on September 15, 1963 at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, AL.  At 10:22 am a case of dynamite hidden by four members of the United Klan of America exploded under a stairwell resulting in the deaths of four young, African American girls ages 11 – 14 who were attending Sunday school.
    The death of these four innocent children was a turning point in American’s public opinion concerning the 1960s Civil Rights Movement led by the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  The response to this tragedy rippled across America including the Tempe home of artist John Henry Waddell, who in 1963 was an art professor at Arizona State University.
    John Waddell’s favorite art form is sculpture.  The death of the four young girls in Birmingham motivated him to create a monument to their memory. He entitled his finished sculpture “That Which Might Have Been, Birmingham, 1963”.      Waddell’s sculpture depicts the four girls, as they might have been if they were to have grown to adulthood.  They were sculptured as nudes since putting clothing on them would have dated the statues to a particular period of time and not a representation of the ongoing struggle for human rights.
    “The total group stands as a prayer of atonement and symbolizes the unfulfilled maturity of the four Black girls…” wrote Waddell, and “implies nobility, hope and perseverance.”
    The four sculptured girls each strike a different poise.  The figure which faces north is the youngest and “reflects hope and optimism”.  In her upraised hand is inscribed the word “prayer”.
    The south facing figure is “in the act of turning away or toward” a world that cut short her life.  The east-facing figure symbolizes motherhood and her children that will never be born.  The west-facing figure contemplating death and acceptance of “all that is and will come.’
    Two sets of the sculpture “What Might Have Been, Birmingham, 1963” were casts and lucky for us, both sets can be visited in the Valley.  The first cast can be seen in the Memorial Garden of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Paradise Valley.  The second casting can be seen in the internal patio of the George Washington Carver High School Museum and Cultural Center near downtown Phoenix.
    John Waddell and his wife live and still work in their home studio near Sedona.  He has been a key part of Arizona’s art world for nearly 60 years.  His bronze sculptures of female nudes in motion are on display in 14 public venues across Phoenix including the Phoenix Civic Plaza, the Phoenix Art Museum and the Herberger Theater. Additional works can be found in Napa Valley, New York City, San Diego, as well as the Sedona Cultural Center.   The movie, Selma, created an ideal time to get out and discover for yourself Arizona’s connection to this award winning movie and the artistry of John Henry Waddell. 

“That Which Might Have Been, Birmingham, 1963” @ the Unitarian Universalist Church
Address:  4027 E. Lincoln Drive, Paradise Valley, AZ

“That Which Might Have Been, Birmingham, 1963” @ George Washington Carver High School Museum & Cultural Center
Address:  415 E. Grant Street, Phoenix

"That Which Might Have Been" - George Washington
Carver Museum & Cultural Center

Pinnacle Peak Park

    In the northeast part of the Valley of the Sun stands a 4.1 billion year old pre-Cambrian, granite monolith, rising some 600 feet above the desert floor.  Pinnacle Peak is the name of this famous landmark.
    For centuries Pinnacle Peak has stood as a directional beacon for those who traveled across the harsh, Sonoran Desert landscape.  The Hohokam once established a village nearby whose purpose it was to provide salt for all their villages of the Valley.  Passengers in the 1880s, riding the ol’ concord stage from Prescott and Fort McDowell, gazed up at the boulder, covered summit as their “cradle on wheels” bounced by heading down the desert trail to the small farming community of Phoenix.
    As the Valley began to grow in the late 1960s, new homes began to move toward the ancient peak for the first time.  Concerned citizens started planning to preserve this special Valley landmark for all people.  Their efforts became a reality when Pinnacle Peak Park opened on April 20, 2002.
    A 3.5 roundtrip one-way hiking trail is the main attraction to this 150 acre desert park.  Interpretive signs are posted along the way to educate park visitors to the many Sonoran Desert plants found along the trail.  Rock climbing is allowed in three specific areas of the part, each having a different level of climbing difficulty. Grandview and Owls Rest lookouts provide resting areas for hikers with views that can only be described as spectacular!
Pinnacle Peak Park is located at 26802 North 102nd  Way in north Scottsdale some 17 miles from Anthem.  The GPS Coordinates of the park is N33 43.695 W111 51,611.  For information about the Pinnacle Peak Park visit their web site at http://pinnaclepeaklocal.com/hike.htm.

Pinnacle Peak

Visitor Center

Wildlife Zoo & Aquarium

       Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium is celebrating another beautiful Arizona spring in the same way that Mother Nature has always marked the return of spring – with the birth of many young animals.       Wildlife Zoo & Aquarium is located on some 95-acres in Litchfield Park, AZ.  It is the fulfillment of Mickey Ollson’s dream that began in the mid-1960 when he started raising exotic birds on his small ranch some 27 miles from downtown Phoenix.  By the mid-1970s Mickey’s interest in conservation of wildlife and wild places of the world’s exotic animals had become a passion and he began to trade some of his exotic birds for exotic mammals. 
    Loveable llamas, deer and wallabies became the first members of his new mammal collection.  When he was offered a small herd of camel and zebra, he realized his ranch was just too small and purchased the first 50-acre plot that is a part of the current zoo.  As he continued to work with exotic animals, his collection grew and grew until he saw his dreams become a reality with the September 1984 opening of the Wildlife World Zoo.
    Today, Mickey Ollson’s Wildlife Zoo & Aquarium lovingly displays over 2,600 animals that represent more than 400 different species.  Nearly 400,000 visitors, including over 75,000 school children, follow the well-designed trails to the many wildlife exhibits.  
    Visitors can also choose to jump aboard the Africa Safari Train or get a “bird’s eye” view of the zoo by taking the treetop Skyride or travel through the park on the Log Flume Ride which brags of having the longest acrylic tunnel in Arizona with a 3-story final water drop.
    In 2008 the first phase of The Wildlife World Zoo’s public aquarium opened.  Aquatic building A, B and C are now complete with Building D scheduled to open in the fall of 2012. 
    Upon completion, this oasis in the Sonoran Desert will feature more than 60 indoor exhibits spread over 33,000 square feet and contain over 135,000 gallons of water.  When combined with the aquarium’s numerous outdoor exhibits, the complex will be home to over 400 species of aquatic birds, reptiles, mammals and fish.  With the recent opening of the new Dillon’s Restaurant, you can dine in front of the aquarium windows as a shark swims by eyeing your delicious KC style barbecue meal.
    Mickey Ollson’s dream has become a very special reality for anyone who loves and enjoys the wonderful variety of the world’s wildlife.   

All photos belong to the Wildlife Zoo & Aquarium...

 

McDowell Mountain Regional Park

     It is time to enjoy the wonderful weather found across the Valley of Sun during the winter months.  The Maricopa County Parks system is a great place to spend some time in and with nature.  Our favorite of all the county parks is McDowell Mountain Regional Park.  Let us encourage that you visit - you will love being in the beautiful Sonoran Desert park!

        McDowell Mountain Regional Park just might be the crown jewel of the grand regional park system of Maricopa County.  Located on the eastern slopes of the McDowell Mountains in the lower Verde River basin, this desert park is a wonderful place to spend a spring day for hikers, mountain bikers, horseback riders, picnickers and even campers.
    McDowell Mountain Regional Park encompasses 21,099-acres of virgin Sonoran Desert vegetation with wide desert washes and a terrain of small hills and rugged ridges.  Visitors are treated to spectacular views of the Verde River Valley and the many surrounding mountain ranges including Four Peaks and the majestic Superstition Mountains.  Watching a full moon rise over the Superstition Mountains and the Verde River Valley from the park’s picnic area is one great and memorable Arizona experiences.
    McDowell Mountain Park has over 50 miles of multi-use trails.  The trails range in length from the .5 miles Hilltop Trail to the 15.3-mile Pemberton Trail.  For people new to the park, the 3.1-mile North Trail is an ideal trail to first travel to get to know and experience the park’s environment.
    For mountain bike enthusiasts, McDowell Mountain Park is home to 3 loops of competitive tracks totaling 15 miles in length.  The tracks are a mountain biker’s dream with swooping turns, steep inclines, technical descents and rugged, desert terrain.  Difficulty of the three loops is rated from expert to intermediate to average beginner.
    Picnicking is a popular activity at McDowell Mountain Park especially during the springtime in  Arizona.  A family and group camping area as well as RV accommodations are all a part of the outdoor experience that can be enjoyed in the park.  Camping fees do apply; check the park’s website for details.  For horse lovers, a wonderful horse staging area is available for those who want to explo
re the park while sitting in a saddle.
    Springtime also brings out the local rattlesnakes, so keep a sharp eye out for those desert critters that sometime like to sun on the trails. Restrooms and running water are available at the trailheads but be sure to plan to carry plenty of water with you as you get out and discover for yourself this wonderful Maricopa County Park.

Four Peaks

Great picnic areas

Weavers Needle in the Superstition Mountains 

Hiking Trails

Camping available

Children playground

Campgrounds

Restrooms