Natural Surroundings
The “Blow Hole” of Wupatki National Monument
WUPTAKI NATIONAL MONUMENT -- Absorbed as they are by the magnificence of the scenery surrounding them, most people who visit these ancient ruins walk ...Navajo Legend of Monument Valley
Geologists like to say this vast land of dramatic salmon hued sandstone spires was once buried 3,000 feet beneath ancient seas. Over the next ...Weaver’s Needle and the Deadly Gold of the Superstitions
Since 1870, when stories about the Lost Dutchman Mine in the Superstition Mountains became a standard item in Arizona folklore, some 40 people have ...Roosevelt Dam Key to Valley Population Boom
Paula, an Arizona Oddities reader, recently inquired about the history and creation of Roosevelt Dam. While that's quite a long story with several sides, ...Kofa Mountains Weren’t Always the “Kofa Mountains”
Q: What happened to the SH Mountains? I can’t find them on any maps anymore. A: Nothing happened to them. It’s not like they disappeared ...Why Don’t Palm Trees Blow Down in the Wind?
Q: Why don’t palm trees blow down in strong wind as often as other trees do? A: I thought this was going to be an ...Arizona Geography Trivia: Can You Pass?
Test your knowledge of Arizona Geography with this short quiz, originally published in Marshall Trimble’s Official Arizona Trivia. Don’t scroll down too quickly. The ...The Hoo-Doos of the Chiricahua Monument
The Chiricahua National Monument in southeastern Arizona is one of my favorite places because of the spectacular rocks. Officially, they're the result of the ...Why Do People Paint Citrus Tree Trunks White?
Q: Why do people paint the trunks of their citrus trees white? A: HA! At last, a question we actually knew the answer to without ...Elephant Feet in Northern Arizona?
Every now and then, as I search across Arizona for things of an unusual nature, something pops up as a complete surprise, something I'd ...
Why Does Downtown Phoenix Seem to Have Two Downtowns?
The Tucson Artifacts are the Southwest’s Greatest Hoax