Tag: rock formations
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 either disappeared or been found dead in and around the suspected location of the mine. The stories about the fabulously wealthy cache of gold supposedly hidden in the mountains are many ...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 Turkey Creek volcanic eruption that occurred more than 27 million years ago, but I look at the formations and think of cartoon characters (one looks like a giant mouse) and crinkly ...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 never heard about even though I thought I'd seen 'em all. Several of them did that to me recently as I wandered across the northern part of the state, and they ...Ghost Stories and Mysteries of Coal Mine Canyon
Coal Mine Canyon is one of Arizona's lesser-known treasures because it's easy to miss. And, perhaps, because of the ghosts. There are no signs pointing to the canyon; the only markers are a windmill and watering tank on the side of the road southeast of Tuba City. But those who find it will be entranced by ...The Famous Faces of Canyon de Chelly?
There are many colorful rock formations spread across Arizona, and some of the more spectacular are located in Canyon deChelly on the Navajo Reservation at Chinle. The most prominent is Spider Rock, a towering sandstone obelisk that rises almost 900 feet above the floor of the canyon. Others aren't quite as spectacular, but they're nearly ...The Painted Rocks at Chloride
CHLORIDE - Up around here, the painted rocks are known simply as "the Mural." Roy Purcell, the artist, called the work “The Journey” and says it was the result of a deep personal introspection. Either way, the decorated boulders have withstood the elements, bureaucracy and the multitude of tourists who travel a crooked mile to ...Sixty-Ton Frog Greets Drivers Along Highway 89
Just about a half mile north of downtown Congress, the old frog squats in the desert sun on a hillside along Highway 89. It still looks pretty good, considering that it has been in that same spot for more than 80 years. Of course, there are certain features that set this particular amphibian apart. ...
Why Does Downtown Phoenix Seem to Have Two Downtowns?
The Tucson Artifacts are the Southwest’s Greatest Hoax