Being an Army Veteran, one might think that a visit to Fort Bowie would be a fun outing. Once I investigated a bit deeper into the tragedy that unfolded here, "fun" isn't exactly the word I'd use. It's a somber place, a little hard to get to, but definitely worth exploring and contemplating the wrongs … Continue reading Fort Bowie and What Happened to the Apache
Why Visit? There's a very special piece of land in southern Arizona. It's a place where people have roamed for ten-thousand years. During the twentieth century famous movie stars hung out here. Although I can't tell you exactly what is so special about this place, it just feels special. Today, this area is a forty-five … Continue reading Welcome to the Wide Open Wild West
Blogging has taken last place lately behind teaching and working on a M.Ed. full-time. However, summer vacation is fast approaching, the weather is beautiful, and the world is calling. Travel will always be a non-negotiable for me, so no matter how busy I am, I will always make time, even if it's just for day-long … Continue reading Cochise Stronghold: The Last Great Apache Hideout
Sedona. Red-Rock Country, yoga, vortexes, recreation and wellness. It's one of the top travel destinations in Arizona. Like every other popular tourist spot, you have to take the good with the bad. Sedona and I have had a love-hate relationship since 2011. The scenery is amazing, the archaeology is cool, but... there are things that … Continue reading All the Reasons Why I Love and Hate Sedona
Getting There Just fifty miles south of Tucson in Santa Cruz county (near Nogales), there's an interesting place full of Arizona history and culture. I spent the day exploring Tubac and The Tumacacori mission. Something brings me back again and again to these places. Their history is forever intertwined and part of a greater story … Continue reading Exploring Forgotten History at Tubac and Tumacacori
Anyone who knows me knows that I love history and geology. Combine that with a scenic hike and that's my idea of a perfect day. When I heard that there's an abandoned mining town at the top of the Huachuca mountains, I was super excited. Not exploring it isn't an option. If that's not enough, … Continue reading Arizona Adventures: Hiking for History in the Huachucas
The Well The third time I stopped along the winding road to admire Montezuma Well was a little different. Funny story how these historic site came by the name "Montezuma," but we'll get to that later. For now lets take a journey together, through two ancient sacred sites between Flagstaff and Phoenix, Arizona. On previous … Continue reading A Trip to the Tranquil, Ancient Ruins at Montezuma Well
Fifty-Thousand Years Ago Back when the Colorado Plateau was a damp and grassy woodland, something spectacular happened. The only witnesses were lumbering mammoths and curious sloths. The aftermath of this spectacular event is still visible today.We call it Meteor Crater. Unlike other impact sites on earth, Meteor Crater is unique. The climate and conditions were just right … Continue reading My Visit to the Massive Meteor Crater
Home Sweet Home Seven months already? Is that how long we've been in Arizona? Time flies when you're having fun. Last year we thought we wanted to live like full-time nomads. So we downsized and went to Mexico for the summer. Even though that trip was absolutely awesome, something was missing. A home to come … Continue reading Nine Reasons Why You’ll Want to Move to Amazing Arizona
Sinagua, it means "without water." That's the name of the people that once lived in north-eastern Sedona, Arizona. About 900 years ago the Sinagua Indians lived in a thriving settlement high up in the Sedona red rocks. They left behind artifacts, cliff dwellings, petroglyphs, and pictographs. Getting to Palatki and its sister site Honanki certainly isn't … Continue reading Palatki Heritage Site: A Photo Essay
This is the first post in a series about National parks and monuments in the American Southwest. Moving to Arizona makes me realize that there's a whole world to explore right here in America. We recently visited Saguaro National Park in Tucson and discovered a few amazing facts about the unique species of cactus called … Continue reading 7 Things You Didn’t Know About Saguaro National Park
Have you ever been inside of a volcano? Did you know that you can explore the inside of a volcano in Arizona? As you may know from earlier posts, I'm a huge fan of national forests and state parks, but they're often underrated. Red Mountain Volcano is no exception. Completely underrated, blissfully empty, and surprisingly … Continue reading Exploring Arizona’s Red Mountain Volcano
