"The Wickedest Town in the West"

    The good people of Jerome will be putting on the town's 50th Historic Home Tour shortly.  If you have never been to Jerome, or have not returned for some time, this will be a perfect event to rediscover for yourself the place once known as the "Wickedest Town in the West."
    Here is a press release from our friend Donna Chesler with all the details.  Hope you can make your way to Jerome for this wonderful event.


50th Annual Jerome Historic Home and Building Tour
May 16-17th, 2014
9:00AM-3:00PM for last ticket sales
928.634-2900 Jerome Chamber of Commerce
$20 adults/$10 Children/Not handicapped accessible.
The longest running home tour in Arizona boasts never before seen Historic and Significant homes in this Guided Tour through the mile high town’s back streets.

The Jerome Chamber of Commerce has begun planning the most talked about event of the year, The Jerome Historic Home and Building Tour, celebrating its 50th year.
Guests will have the comfort and the shelter of Spook Hall and enjoy entertainment and seats while waiting for the shuttle to begin this wonderful tour. Watch for more details in the weeks to come as the lineup of homes unfolds. Five homes are selected with 2 more to come. The Rosie Salas House was built in 1898 and has had a first class renovation using many local artisans to create a truly lovely home with huge views. The Paul Nonnast Home is in itself a work of art created by the late Jerome Artist who died in 2005. A student of Paolo Soleri and Arcosanti, Paul designed and lived in a unique studio and then built a main home on the mile high cliff of Jerome. For the first time, the public will get a glimpse of the incredible design of this talented artist. George and Lori Riley are completing a major exterior renovation of their 1990’s home that is perched above 89A. They have added terracing with rock walls, decks and a new studio to make this a remarkable stop on the tour. Stories from the old days in Jerome are abundant for this home as many locals have a long history with the property. The 1914 home of local furniture designer Tim McClellan is on the tour. Situated on the main road into town, this well built cottage is loaded with charm as well as furniture from Tim’s Western Heritage Furniture located right across the street. The Robinson home is a Victorian charmer with a turret that affords a view of the Jerome town from a very unique perspective.

Tickets will be sold online as well as the day of the event. It is most crowded in the morning so it is recommended to come in early afternoon for the least amount of waiting. Vans transport guests to each location where you can stay as long as you like. Get on the next van and proceed with the tour. It will take 2-4 hours to complete the tour depending on how long you spend at each stop. For more information, call The Jerome Chamber at 928.634.2900.

For more information about this press release, contact Donna Chesler at 928.301.3004 or cheslerphoto@mindspring.com

Here are a few examples as to what you will see...

Photo by Michael Thompson

The Rileys used only rocks found on their property to make this incredible wall.

The house is famous for a large hole on the property that was filled by dumping numerous cars and a boat in it to fill it up!

Photo by Michael Thompson

This Cottage built in 1914 will be on the tour It is owned by celebrity furniture designer Tim McClellan who recently was featured on Ellen’s Design Challenge.

Photo by Donna Chesler

The Robinson Victorian Home has one of the most interesting views of the mile high town from the charming cupola. Guests will be able to see this during the Home Tour so bring your camera!

Photo of The Rosie Salas House by Michael Thompson.

Caving Arizona

    The beauty of Arizona’s landscapes has long been documented and photographed.  Yet, underneath the vast deserts and majestic mountains of Arizona is a whole world of caves, many of which are just waiting for you to get out and discover. 
    Arizona is truly a treasure of speleological wonders. Speleologists, scientists who study caves, estimate that over 4000 caves lie beneath the ground of Arizona with some 1,600 Arizona caves already having been discovered, verified and documented.
    These scientists define a cave as any opening within the ground that allows for human entrance and that extends at least 50 feet in any direction.  If the opening is less than 50 feet, it is classified as a shelter.  These same scientists also speculate that over 95% of all of Arizona’s underground caverns have no opening to the surface.
    Luckily we don’t have to be skilled in spelunking to enjoy the underground beauty of a few of Arizona’s most spectacular caves.  Here are a few that are open and easily accessible to the public.

In Southern Arizona

Kartchner Caverns State Park is truly the crown jewel of Arizona caves.  These underground, “living” caverns have been protected as an Arizona State Park since 1988 and were first opened for public tours in 1999.  Located near Benson, Arizona, well-trained park docents offer a variety of tours that vary during the year because of a colony of bats that still use the Big Room as a nursery.  Reservations are highly recommended/Park & Tour fees apply - http://www.explorethecaverns.com/


Colossal Cave Mountain Park features a dry, limestone cave located just to the east of Tucson.  This privately owned cave was first opened for tours in 1917.  It extends into the mountain some 600 feet from the cave entrance and descends some 40 feet below the ground.  There are 363 steps in this vast cave so it is not an ideal experience for anyone who has difficulty climbing stairs.  Entry fee - http://www.colossalcave.com/welcome.html

Coronado Cave is located in the Coronado National Monument south of Sierra Vista.  Park Rangers lead daily tours to this large, limestone cave found at the base of Montezuma Peak.  Tour requires a 1-mile roundtrip hike and ability to scale down and up a 30-foot rocky slope.   This is a more rugged cave adventure than either Kartchner Caverns or Colossal Cave.  National Park entry fee - http://www.nps.gov/coro/planyourvisit/coronado-cave.htm
  

In Northern Arizona 

Grand Canyon Caverns is the largest dry cave in the United States.  Located on Historic Route 66 west of Seligman, this Arizona cave is friendly to all visitors as an elevator slowly lowers visitors some 200 feet below the surface.  Long, paved walkways with handrails allow for visitors to spend as much time as they wish exploring the cave geological features.  Entry fee applies - http://gccaverns.com/

Lava River Cave is the most remote and undeveloped of these highlighted caves.  This 700,000-year-old lava tube is found in the Coconino National Forest northwest of Flagstaff.  There have been no “man-made” improvements to this ¾ mile long cave so be sure to wear sturdy shoes and have more than one source of light.  The cave was first discovered by lumberjacks in 1915 and provides visitors with a rugged caving experience.  No Entry fee - http://www.city-data.com/articles/Lava-River-Cave-Flagstaff-Arizona.html

    The Arizona Cave Protection Act safeguards all of Arizona’s caves.  Any damaging or defacing of the cave can result in a severe fine.  Spelunking in undeveloped natural caves can be dangerous so be sure to wear proper protective clothing and follow all caving safety and etiquette guidelines. 
    Anyone wishing to learn the proper ways of spelunking in Arizona wilderness can learn the rules and the techniques from the Central Arizona Grotto Club - http://centralarizonagrotto.webstarts.com/

   Caving Tips & Etiquette from the National Speleological Society - http://caves.org/safety/

1.    Never go alone into a cave.  Always stay with your group.
2.    Plan ahead for an emergency.  Be sure to have multiple sources of light.
3.    Bring the right gear; wear the right clothing.
4.    Tell someone where your caving group have gone and when you plan to return home.
5.    Stick to the pre-established routes in the cave.  Caves are slippery; wear good caving shoes.
6.     Wear protective head gear.
7.      Leave the cave as you found it.  Don’t litter, disturb the cave formations or any wildlife.  Don’t cause any damage to the cave.

Visitor Center -Colossal Cave

Colossal Cave

Some of the steps of Colossal Cave

Visitor Center Grand Canyon Caverns

Ceiling of Lava River Cave near Flagstaff

Another ceiling picture

Dick in the very dark Lave River Cave

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