IN THE DESERT — Anyone who has ever wandered into an Arizona desert has undoubtedly encountered the rather plentiful, but inconspicuous, plant known as the creosote bush. They’re not much to look at — spindly shrubs that stand anywhere from three to six feet tall and measure about two to 10 feet across. The stems carry small resinous leaves and, in the spring, they bear little yellow flowers. But that undistinguished exterior conceals a long-living plant…
Once a month, we’re bringing you a scrumptious and “doable” recipe with a southwestern flare. This one was originally published in Clay Thompson’s Enormously Big Official Valley 101 Cookbook. Do you have a recipe you’d like to share? We just might feature that too. Submit to info@arizonaoddities.com.
10 Eggs, 1/2 cup Flour, 1 teaspoon Baking Powder…
TEMPE — Japanese spider crabs are most often found off the coasts of Japan and Taiwan, in ocean waters as deep at 2,000 feet or as shallow as 160 feet. But not all of them live in those areas. Two members of the species are currently residing in a tank of water less than 10 feet deep smack in the middle of the Sonoran Desert.
PRESCOTT VALLEY — If you’re not a stickler for the real thing, and if your budget doesn’t allow an extended trip to see the real thing, there’s a miniature facsimile of Mount Rushmore waiting to be viewed at the Freedom Station here. It’s not nearly as big as the real thing in the Black Hills of South Dakota, but there’s no admission fee and, for the same price, visitors also get to look at replicas of King Kong climbing the Empire State Building, the Eiffel Tower and the Golden Gate Bridge, all in less-than-actual sizes.
About 14 miles north of Flagstaff in the Coconino Forest, a network of caverns and lava-encased passages lie just below the feet of hikers, hunters and other recreation seekers.
This relatively small slit, hidden amongst boulders, will take you there. Just large enough to accommodate a grown a man, this doorway leads to a mile-long lave tube.
