Tag: Arizona

The Sedona Vortices

On By The View from a DrawbridgeIn Nature, Observation, Travel4 Comments

Sedona, Arizona is said to be a very spiritual place. Many go on very expensive retreats there. You can visit astrologists and fortune tellers, get your chakras realigned, commune with crystals, meditate, practice yoga, take a reiki tour, look for UFOs, be healed by a shaman, reawaken your spirit, and get an image of your aura. Apparently you can also meet with a Siberian Metashaman, and she’s handicap accessible.

But the most prevalent spiritual activity seems to be visiting the many Sedona “vortexes”. (Vortices is the plural of vortex, but these grammatical rules seem to fly out the window in Sedona, along with so many other things.) There is an entire industry that revolves (sorry) around these vortexes and their supposed ability to reengergize your very soul.

I must admit that I didn’t explore these vortices very thoroughly. I did stumble across one, though, in a patio of a gift shop/gallery called Son Silver West. We had been wandering amongst the delightfully cluttered displays for some time, and all of a sudden we came across a wrought iron bench with a sign hanging above it that said “vortex” with an arrow pointing straight down.

My first thought was, “you’d think the sign would be spinning if this were a vortex.” But I also thought it would feel good to sit down. And it did. I tried to keep an open mind. And I must admit I did get goose bumps, but I think this has more to do with my desire to believe than any type of actual proof.

Here’s the thing about Sedona. It seems that the vast majority of spiritual shop owners and guides and soothsayers and shaman and tarot card readers are of northern European descent. There are lots of blonde shamans out there, more than happy to enlighten you for the right price. And more power to you, I say, if that’s your thing. But I do struggle with all the cultural appropriation for profit.

If Sedona were really such a spiritual mecca, I think the Native Americans wouldn’t be so offended by this appropriation, and they’d in fact be out there trying to enlighten all of us themselves. But you see very little of that in Sedona. What you see, mostly, is a lot of money passing from one white hand to another.

But having said all that, I must admit that Sedona is a special place, not because of the spiritual accessories that it wears, but in spite of it. It is one of the most naturally beautiful places that I’ve been to in my life. The red rocks and the cozy canyons call to me. For that reason alone, I’d love to retire there. The food is also excellent and there is art everywhere you look, so I think it’s a lovely place to be.

I do enjoy being around whimsical and liberal people, too. I adore active imaginations. I try to take the gullibility factor with a grain of salt. I find nothing wrong with people seeking enlightenment. And if you’re planning to do that somewhere, you may as well do it in a gorgeous locale.

So, spiritual, smiritual. Sedona is still one of my favorite places on earth. For that reason, it will always seem magical to me.

Like this quirky little blog? Then you’ll love this book! http://amzn.to/2mlPVh5

Twin Arrows and Two Guns

On By The View from a DrawbridgeIn Nature, Observation, TravelLeave a comment

I’ve gotten my kicks on Route 66 more than once. And on a stretch of that magical highway that goes through Arizona, between Winslow and Flagstaff, lies two desolate, yet intriguing, ghost towns. One is called Twin Arrows, and the other is called Two Guns. The first time I passed these places, years ago, I thought, “There’s got to be a story behind this.” But I never got around to looking it up. But now I have a blog, in which I do all the looking up so that you don’t have to. So here goes.

Two Guns has a rather sad history. The Navajo murdered a group of Apaches that were hiding in a cave there. They smoked them out and shot them as they emerged. The 42 who did not emerge were asphyxiated. The place is called “death cave” to this day. Then a settler came along and built a store next to death cave.

Once the road that is now Route 66 was established, a restaurant and gas station were added. This was a good stopping place for tourists to gas up and eat. This place, which was also the best route across Canyon Diablo, had earning potential.

Enter a character named Harry “Two Guns” Miller. He leased some land and turned this place into a tourist trap. He added a zoo, tours of death cave, and sold the skulls of the Apaches therein as souvenirs. He also put in some fake ruins and a soda stand. He later shot his landlord, but was acquitted of the murder.

During his time at Two Guns, Miller, who liked to dress up as an Apache, complete with braids, was robbed of nearly everything in the trading post, bitten by a Gila monster, and mauled, twice, by mountain lions. Then the trading post burned down, and the widow of his dead landlord, Louise Cundiff, won a lawsuit to prove her ownership of the land. That’s when Miller finally gave up and left.

Cundiff and her new husband didn’t have much luck in Two Guns either. Route 66 was rerouted to the other side of the canyon, so they had to move the entire town with it so as not to lose the tourist trade. Still, Two Guns kind of fizzled out in the 1950’s and stayed that way until it was revitalized in 1960 by a guy who put in a new restaurant, gift shop, gas station and zoo.

But Interstate 40 was on its way, and that tended to kill just about everything on Route 66. Even though Two Guns had its own exit ramp, it finally became a ghost town when a huge inferno burned everything to the ground in 1971. You can still visit the cave and check out the sad ruins of this strange town.

To add to its odd history, in 2011, Russell Crowe purchased it to film a Westworld remake, but it seems that nothing has been done with it since.

Twin Arrows stands on the site of the Canyon Padre Trading Post, named after the nearby gorge, but that trading post did not really attract tourists until it was renamed Twin Arrows Trading Post, simply because a place called Two Guns was nearby. Eventually a gas station, diner and gift shop was added, and then two 25-foot arrows, made out of telephone poles, were placed by the highway.

Twin Arrows was also slowly killed by Interstate 40. It was finally abandoned in 1995. The area is owned by the Hopi tribe, and is on the Navajo and Hopi reservations. The Twin Arrows Navajo Gaming Casino opened just north of there in 2013, but the only thing left of the original town are a few gas pumps and a stove from the old diner.

The huge arrows were steadily decaying, so they were restored by the Hopi tribe and some Route 66 enthusiasts. Whether they symbolize warrior spirit or entrepreneurial spirit is up to individual interpretation. I just love that they’re out there, as I’m a public art lover.

So there you have it. Everything you wanted to know about Two Guns and Twin Arrows but were afraid to ask. If I ever pass that way again, I may just have to stop and explore. That would be a lot more fulfilling than just wondering.

Sources for this post:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twin_Arrows,_Arizona

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Guns,_Arizona

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/two-guns

https://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/115

The ultimate form of recycling: Buy my book, read it, and then donate it to your local public library or your neighborhood little free library! http://amzn.to/2mlPVh5

Sedona Back to Vegas

On By The View from a DrawbridgeIn Art, Observation, Travel1 Comment

Leaving Sedona on day 6 of my trip was the hardest thing I’ve done in a long time. And I’ve recently had a root canal. No joke.

I longed to stay in this town, explore each of its shops and enjoy all of its restaurants. I wanted to hike its trails. Mostly, though, I just wanted to sit and take in the view. I would like to let Sedona wash over me like a cool blast of air conditioning on a hot day.

There’s just never enough time, is there?

I did make the time to visit the Church of the Red Rocks, thinking it was the iconic, must-see church in Sedona, but I was wrong (and besides, it was closed due to the pandemic). The must-see church is the very unique Chapel of the Holy Cross. I didn’t realize that until I was already out of town. But I’ll take any excuse to go back.

I did stop in and visit Son Silver West. I was drawn in by its unique metal sculptures, Western-themed art and vintage signs. It’s one of those eclectic stores that you can visit every day and encounter something new. I’ll include a few pictures below so you can get the idea, but this store definitely deserves a post all its own.

On the way back to Vegas, I tried to see Hoover Dam again. Not only was it closed, but also there were a number of grim-faced men, dressed in black, who were more than happy to make sure you got the message and turned around. No explanation given. I’m pretty sure they would have wrestled me to the ground if I had tried to get past them. Later I discovered that the president was visiting Vegas, so it probably had something to do with that. I was disappointed, but I’m sure I’ll be in the area again someday. I did enjoy seeing Lake Mead.

I also crossed over Peacock Wash and Rattlesnake Wash, and mused about people’s need for such things. I mean, save your money and wash your rattlesnake at home, I say. Then I crossed over Frees Wash. Okay, maybe I would let someone else do it in that case. 😊

I picked up some food at an In-n-Out Burger. I’d never eaten at one before. It was pretty good for fast food. I’d recommend them, but I learned that they tend to sneak religious quotes into their packaging. There’s nothing I hate more than being proselytized, especially by a for profit company.

Entering Vegas by day is a completely different vibe. It’s every bit as overwhelming and crowded, but it doesn’t have the excitement factor without all the lights piercing the darkness. But I was excited nonetheless, because that night I was scheduled to go zoom-lining at Slotzilla on Fremont Street! Zoom-lining is a lot like ziplining, except you’re flying through the air like superman. I had been wanting to do this for ages.

Just for you, dear reader, I had my adventure recorded on a Go Pro. What do you think? Would you do it? I wasn’t nervous until they strapped me down and opened the doors and I got my first look at what 110 feet in the air was going to be like. (My apologies for the “Oh, F***” that you hear me utter at the beginning. I think I had a valid excuse. And no, I do not have a mullet. They required that you put on a glasses strap, and I stupidly didn’t pull my hair over the top of it.)

But I have to say, what a rush! Zooming 5 blocks, beneath a lighted, psychedelic canopy, and above the massive crowd as they took pictures and cheered, was amazing. I’d do it again and again if given the chance!

The downside, of course, was that I had to walk the 5 blocks back, through that massive crowd of people. Most wore masks, but the whole social distancing concept was impossible. People were rubbing shoulders with me whether I wanted to or not. It felt like the most dangerous thing I’ve ever done, and I started wondering if this little caper was worth my life, and berated myself for being so stupid. I wanted to boil myself in bleach.

But during that walk, I’m fairly certain that I locked eyes with Chaz Bono. He looked right at me, and then quickly looked away when he saw recognition. I didn’t bother him. He clearly did not want to be bothered.

I stopped at a store and picked up a frozen pizza, and when I got back to the room I changed clothes, showered, and practically washed my hands raw. I don’t think Vegas will be on my radar again until there’s a reliable vaccine. But I have to say, zoom-lining is AWESOME!!!

Enjoy our random pictures of my day!

There are a lot more tales to tell about this trip, but I’ll try not to post them daily, so as not to put off those who aren’t interested in travel blogs. So brace yourself for a good month of every other day adventures! I’ll try to link them together, so that you can start at the beginning if you find yourself in the middle and want to read the whole saga. Here’s a link to the first post in the series. And here’s a link to my next day’s adventure!

I’m proud to say that my book is available in paperback, kindle, and deluxe color edition! http://amzn.to/2mlPVh5

From Beauty to Beauty: Sedona and the Grand Canyon

On By The View from a DrawbridgeIn Art, Emotions, Nature, Observation, Travel4 Comments

I woke up on Day 5 of our road trip thinking, “I can’t believe this is my life!”

For the first time, I’m in a relationship where both of us are making the kind of money that allows for amazing vacations. I mean, this isn’t a champagne lifestyle by any means, but it’s so nice to go somewhere beautiful, and stay someplace beautiful, and not have that dull pit of anxiety gnawing at my gut, wondering how I’ll make up for this splurge without starving myself to death for the next several months. What a weight off. What a gift! How did I get this lucky?

I couldn’t wait to get out and see Sedona in broad daylight, and by the light of day, didn’t disappoint. And as if the natural beauty of the place weren’t enough, it’s also an extremely artsy town. I was bowled over by the many galleries and the sheer creativity of it all. I would have had to have spent hundreds of dollars to develop all these photographs back in the day. Hooray for digital!

It was hard leaving this magical place, even if I knew I’d be back that same night. It felt like there was this tearing inside me. I’m hooked.

But we were going to another glorious place: the Grand Canyon. But first we stopped at an overlook where about two dozen Native Americans were selling their art. We got two Christmas ornaments. One has a hummingbird on it, and is a powerful symbol, we were told by the artist, of luck and love. Another looks like the traditional native pottery of the area, and has fine lines through it which are made by horsehair in the firing process.

I was excited to press on, because I knew it would be DH’s first time seeing the Grand Canyon. There’s nothing quite like seeing someone take in the grandeur of this canyon for the very first time. I’ve seen it 3 times previously, but never from the south rim.

I’ve seen people cry the moment they’ve taken in this view. DH didn’t cry. I think he was semi-prepared because he has flown by the Grand Canyon a time or two. But as he said, being up in a plane doesn’t give you the full three-dimensional experience. Pictures also don’t do it justice. You just have to be there. It enters you. It surrounds you. It makes you feel small and yet protected, somehow. At peace. Like you’re breathing deeply for the very first time.

While we were there, we also visited Hopi House, which made me realize something that I had suspected for about an hour. I HAVE been to the South Rim. My very first visit to the canyon, decades ago, was to the South Rim. I just didn’t realize it because that time I flew in to the tiny local airport. It was a life-changing experience. I blogged about it here. So here I’ve been, walking around in the world as someone who has seen both rims of the Grand Canyon, and I didn’t even realize it. How funny.

Hopi House, at the Grand Canyon village, is a delightful place, full of Native American art that I can only gaze upon with longing. These artists deserve the prices they’re asking for their work, but it’s unfortunately a luxury that I can’t justify in my mind. But it was wonderful taking in such talent.

The visitors centers themselves are closed due to the pandemic, but the gift shops are open, and it’s there that I was able to obtain a stamp for my National Parks Passport. Yay!

The day was full of too much perfection, if that’s possible. As we headed back to Sedona, our ears popping from periodic elevation changes anywhere from 4000 to 7000 feet above sea level, I reflected on my hummingbird-like luck. This was, no doubt about it, the most beautiful day of my life.

Back to the reality of mere mortals, we started to cast about for a place to eat dinner, and that hummingbird-like luck must have kicked in again, because after we rejected several Yelp suggestions, we happened upon Sedona’s Hideaway House, an Italian restaurant with spectacular views, charming decor, and food that looks like works of art. If you ever have the great good fortune of spending time in Sedona, you have to check this place out.

After going back to our room and finally tucking into bed, my last thought before drifting off was exactly the same as my first thought of the day. I can’t believe this is my life. That’s when the happy tears came to my eyes that I hadn’t shed at the Grand Canyon.

Here are some wholly inadequate photos from our glorious day. Enjoy!

There are a lot more tales to tell about this trip, but I’ll try not to post them daily, so as not to put off those who aren’t interested in travel blogs. So brace yourself for a good month of every other day adventures! I’ll try to link them together, so that you can start at the beginning if you find yourself in the middle and want to read the whole saga. Here’s a link to the first post in the series. And here’s a link to the day after this one.

An attitude of gratitude is what you need to get along. Read my book! http://amzn.to/2mlPVh5

Vegas to Sedona

On By The View from a DrawbridgeIn Nature, Observation, Travel2 Comments

On Day 4 of our Great Western Ramble, we woke up in Vegas, and since one of the best things about this town is its food (in my opinion), we decided that our one eat out meal of the day would be breakfast. Walking through the casino, everything seemed very subdued compared to the night before. I suspect we were the only people in the entire town who weren’t hung over. But subdued is good. This introvert likes subdued.

We went to the Lux Café, and the breakfasts were so huge we had enough to box up for lunch, too. I have to say, they sure know how to make hash browns. Just the right amount of crunch. I was in fried food heaven. In truth, we made very healthy choices for the most part on this trip. But this was Vegas. You’re supposed to walk on the wild side there. So we got our hash brown on, and I have no regrets. I’m such a rebel.

After that we packed up and headed out. Just outside of Vegas is Lake Mead, and of course Hoover Dam. But somehow we missed the turn off for the dam. (Damn.) But we knew we were coming back through this area in a few days, so we figured we’d catch it then.

We left Nevada and drove through the tiny town of Twin Arrows, Arizona, which is right next door (relatively speaking) to Two Guns, Arizona, both on Route 66. I thought that there had to be a story there. In fact, there is. But it’s enough of a story to rate a post of its own, so watch this space.

We also took a side trip to Meteor Crater. I’ve been to this impressive hole in the ground before, and knew my husband would be fascinated by it. He was. (I love being married to a fellow nerd. It’s the best.) Meteor Crater, too, merits its own blog post, so bear with me. There’s just so much to say about this trip!

From there we headed to our final destination of the evening: Sedona, Arizona. We decided to take the scenic route through Oak Creek Canyon to get there. Between that canyon and Sedona itself, something really serious happened to me.

I fell in love with the most gorgeous place I’ve ever seen in this entire country. The switchbacks, the lush greenery interspersed with the red and white striped cliffs and rock formations left me speechless. I mean, my heart hurt from all the beauty.

Sedona is now my heart place. I’d love to retire there, but suspect it will be just out of reach. But I guarantee you that I’ll be going back. Many times. I just felt like I was home.

We checked into our wonderful condo, and headed out to Whole Foods to pick up something easy for dinner. We were going around a corner, and as if it was the most natural thing in the world, this javelina trotted casually across the road. In the crosswalk! How polite. Javelinas can be really aggressive, but you could practically hear this one humming to itself. “Dooo do dooo… I’m walkin’ here…” It was amazing. Sorry, I was too stunned to even think about a photograph.

It was also hot. My husband loves hot. After 40 years in Florida, I’m kind of over it. Okay, so maybe I’d need two retirement homes. Sedona from October to May, and elsewhere from June to September. A girl can dream.

We enjoyed our dinner, and then I went to another beautiful place. The condo had a double wide bathtub. I was in heaven, within heaven. I floated in the cool water, again feeling guilty for wasting water in a desert, but I also remember thinking that there is no place on earth I’d rather be, and no one on earth I’d rather be sharing it with.

Life is good. Enjoy our photos from the day!

There are a lot more tales to tell about this trip, but I’ll try not to post them daily, so as not to put off those who aren’t interested in travel blogs. So brace yourself for a good month of every other day adventures! I’ll try to link them together, so that you can start at the beginning if you find yourself in the middle and want to read the whole saga. Here’s a link to the first post in the series. And here’s a link to the next day’s adventure!

The ultimate form of recycling: Buy my book, read it, and then donate it to your local public library or your neighborhood little free library! http://amzn.to/2mlPVh5

I’m on the Side of Roxy Rex

On By The View from a DrawbridgeIn Activism, Nature, Observation, Politics6 Comments

Roxy Rex resides right down the street from someone I love very much. She (Roxy, not my loved one) stands next to the McDonald’s at the intersection of Tanque Verde and Grant Road in Tucson. She’s been there since 1994, and many residents look upon her as a beloved icon of the neighborhood.

In the interest of full disclosure, I’ve only been to Tucson once, but I instantly fell in love with the place. We probably drove right past Roxy a time or two. I can’t remember. I do know she’d fit right in with this quirky, artistic, amazing town.

Roxy is a T-Rex statue that actually has a rather interesting resume. She was in the Jurassic Park movie. I think that’s pretty awesome. I wish she could give autographs.

But apparently some people aren’t quite as enamored of her as I am. Believe it or not, there’s a Facebook group called “Christians Against Dinosaurs”, and they recently decided to focus on Roxy, who isn’t doing anyone any harm, as far as I can tell.

Believe it or not, CAD has more than 29,000 followers. Their basic tenet is that dinosaurs never existed. This makes me weep for our education system. If you visit their about section, the first thing you’ll notice is that they are extremely defensive. Every single FAQ response ends with the phrase, “maybe this isn’t the right group for you.” Ya think?

Talk about the mother of all conspiracies! Apparently these misguided people believe that someone has been scattering fake bones and fossils all around the planet, and they’ve been popping up at random since 1676. Hundreds of people have dug them up, so they all must be co-conspirators. These bones and fossils are now residing in museums throughout the world, duping thousands upon thousands upon thousands of scientists, all of whom, apparently, are less capable of determining if a bone is a bone than these CAD members are. So, wow, they’re in on it, too! What would be these hoaxers’ agendas? Seriously?

Since the world is such a wonderful place right now, these CADs have nothing better to do than pick on Roxy. They started calling the McDonalds, insisting that she be taken down. Fortunately, the managers and their patrons are having none of that.

Check out this article from KVOA news. In it, there’s a video of a guy saying, I swear to God, “I would be willing to bet, without even looking, that homicide stats have risen since the dinosaur has been there… addiction rates, unemployment, all types of negative energies.”

I am really struggling to be diplomatic here. So I’ll just point out that this group does not show Christianity in its best light. I just hope some fanatic fool doesn’t vandalize Roxy. I’m fairly certain that Jesus wouldn’t advocate that.

Like this quirky little blog? Then you’ll love this book! http://amzn.to/2mlPVh5

A Flashback on an Adventure

On By The View from a DrawbridgeIn Nature, Observation, TravelLeave a comment

Okay, so I’m still sick as a dog. If anyone knows how to do a complete sinus transplant, a cough amputation, or an inner-ear reorganization, call me. In the mean time, I don’t want to break a streak of posting something every single day since December 1, 2012. So consider this Throwback Thursday. Okay. It’s not Thursday. I know. Flashback Friday. Whatever.

I encourage you to check out one of my personal favorite posts, entitled A Real Cliffhanger. It’s about my encounter with a very unique man, and an even more unique dog. I hope they are both still out there in Arizona, living the lives they were meant to live. I think the world would be slightly off-kilter if they weren’t.

If you don’t feel like clicking on that link to read about my adventure, then you could always just buy my book. That particular post is included therein.

Anyway, have a great day! I’m going back to bed. Not that I ever actually left…

 

 

The Creepy Concept of Covenant Marriage

On By The View from a DrawbridgeIn Activism, Emotions, Feminism, Observation, Politics2 Comments

Recently, I came across a disturbing little factoid. In 1997, the state of Louisiana passed Covenant Marriage into law. Arkansas and Arizona later jumped on the bandwagon. Thank goodness no other states have taken the bait.

These policies, if you opt into them, make marriage more difficult to get into, and a lot more difficult to get out of. For starters, according to Wikipedia, you have to attend premarital counseling sessions, which “emphasize the nature, purposes, and responsibilities of marriage”, and you must sign a statement saying that the marriage is for life.

While I think premarital counseling is a great idea, I wonder who exactly is conducting these sessions. And I really would have a problem with having someone other than me and my spouse dictate what the nature, purpose and responsibilities of our marriage are to be. Marriage is what you make it. No two are alike.

And as for signing one’s life away, if you aren’t confident that the other person is going to try for a lifelong commitment unless they put it in writing, then you might want to reexamine how much you trust this person in the first place. Trust is the bedrock of any relationship. If you don’t have that, you’re building a castle on sand.

This is starting to sound like the equivalent of a homeowners’ association for relationships. I chafe at rules and regulations. I’ll pass.

Even worse are the restrictions placed on getting out of the marriage. In a covenant marriage, you are waiving your rights to a no-fault divorce. Before you can even consider divorce, you have to first go to counseling. You must also be able to prove that your spouse has committed adultery, a felony, is a drug addict or a sexual predator, or that you’ve been living apart for at least a year (perhaps two, depending on the state.)

First of all, why bother with counseling if your spouse is involved in such heinous acts? Those things, as far as I’m concerned, are deal breakers.

And you notice there’s no provision for your husband punching you in the face and not being prosecuted for it, nor is there an option if your wife suddenly joins a cult. Your only recourse in those situations would be a long painful separation, and there’s no guarantee that the nut job in question would agree to being apart.

Life is messy. It can go south in many ways that are outside the bounds of these few legislative dicta. No one should have the right to define what you deem to be unsupportable.

Is it just me, or is it creepy and strange that these three super red states, full to the brim with conservatives who claim to want less government, not more, are all for these highly regulated covenant marriages? But then, this legislates religion and “family values”, and restricts the freedom of women even further, so yeah, I guess it makes sense.

Fortunately, these three states have not made covenant marriage mandatory, and less than 1 percent of the couples getting married each year in these places opt in to this foolishness. But still, it seems like a disturbing, backward trend, and it gives me the willies.

I love holding my husband’s hand, but I wouldn’t want to be handcuffed to it.

Business people handcuffed together

An attitude of gratitude is what you need to get along. Read my book! http://amzn.to/2mlPVh5

A Senseless Monument to Ego

On By The View from a DrawbridgeIn Activism, Nature, Observation, Politics2 Comments

Even as you read this, bulldozers are plowing a trench through some of our most precious landscape. Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is theoretically federally protected, but it’s the federal government that is doing the plowing.

Why? For Trump’s border wall. Because he wants to get re-elected, he’s trying to score political points. Never mind that this is a designated International Biosphere Reserve that is recognized by UNESCO. Forget that it will go right through one of the oldest inhabited places in North America, and the ancestral home of the Tohono O’odham nation, which has existed on both sides of the border since at least 1450.

According to this article, this 30 foot wall will impede the migration patterns and habitats of mountain lions, javelinas, the endangered pronghorn, and countless numbers of bird species. And talk about draining the swamp. This will impede Arizona’s last free flowing river, and as aquifers are drained to make the concrete, it will decimate the habitats for the endangered Quitobaquito pupfish and Sonoyta turtle. It will also cause light pollution with its continual spotlights, in a place where you could always see millions of stars in the night sky.

Trump has waived countless laws to make this travesty happen, including the Endangered Species Act and the Clean Air Act. He claims this is a national emergency. Pfft. This area sees about 5 percent as much human migration as the Rio Grande Valley in Texas does. This catastrophic monument to Trump’s ego is poorly thought out, a taxpayer drain, and an environmental disaster, all for an emergency of his own construction.

I’m so angry right now.

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

Read any good books lately? Try mine! http://amzn.to/2mlPVh5

 

Impressions of Tucson, Arizona

On By The View from a DrawbridgeIn Observation, Travel2 Comments

Recently I got to spend five days in Tucson, Arizona. I’ve written about the food, the desert, Biosphere 2 and Kartchner Caverns, but it occurs to me that I haven’t really written much about the city itself.

After hearing so many horror stories about this red state, I was really kind of braced not to like this city, but from what I can tell from a lazy Google search, Tucson runs about 50/50 in its politics. I only saw one Joe Arpaio for Senate sign. (That still made me sick, but he did wind up losing in the primary, so yay for AZ!)

My first impression of the city was extremely favorable. Any city with an abundance of public art, in my opinion, is one in which the local government really cares about making the place livable. And there is art everywhere in Tucson. Even the overpasses are decorative. Where else can you say you’ve walked through a rattlesnake?

Rattlesnake

And I really loved this sculpture of a horse and its colt. Made in flat layers, at some angles it completely disappears.

 

And of course, I have a weakness for Kokopelli, and you see him absolutely everywhere. Even in the airport.

kokopeli

And then there’s the funky historic Fourth Avenue district, with its eclectic shops and restaurants and murals. I absolutely love the vibe there.

 

Between that and the fact that there’s hardly any traffic (compared to Seattle), and the amazing landscape that takes your breath away at every turn, I’d be tempted to move to this place.

Except for the blistering heat. Yeah. You can’t forget the heat.

Dry heat

Read any good books lately? Try mine! http://amzn.to/2mlPVh5