It wasn't until February 1978 that Tenen and Tufts told the property owners, James and Lois Kartchner, about their amazing discovery. During the four years of secret exploration, the discover-ers realized that the cave's extraordinary variety of colors and formations must be preserved. The cave's existence became public knowledge in 1988 when its purchase was approved […]
Once known as the Wickedest Town in the West, Jerome sits near the top of Cleopatra Hill between Prescott and Flagstaff. Founded in 1877, Jerome grew from a tent settlement to a robust mining community—the fourth largest city in Arizona, with a population that peaked around 15,000 in the 1920’s. Jerome’s economy—completely dependent upon the mining […]
Join us for an incredible springtime ride on the seventy-six-mile Desert to Tall Pines Scenic Byway, following Highway 288 from Globe to the tiny town of Young, Arizona. This area, known by cowboys as “the high lonesome,” was made famous by the Pleasant Valley War of the 1880’s—an Arizona sheep war between two feuding families—the cattle-herding […]
The Verde Canyon Railroad offers us a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the beauty of Verde Canyon from the comfort of a fully restored, slow-rolling vintage FP7 locomotive—one of only 10 remaining in North America. This four-hour excursion takes us on a 20-mile journey through 100 years of history. We’ll view ancient Sinagua Indian ruins in towering […]
We’re off to explore Arizona’s Forest Road 300—The Old Rim Road. Our journey kicks off in Payson, where we’ll enjoy some fantastic Mexican food, on self, at El Rancho Mexican Restaurant—a great favorite, not only with the locals but also with Ari-zona Highways who named El Rancho one of the top 25 restaurants in the state. […]
With the first hint of summer, we’re ready to travel the Sky Island Scenic Byway—Mount Lemmon Highway to the town of Summer-Haven, Arizona! This breathtaking 25-mile paved road takes us along one of Arizona’s most scenic byways, and winds us up a trail that ascends 9,157 feet through the rugged Santa Catalina Mountains into a much […]
The Organ Pipe Cactus is common in Mexico, but very rare in the United States. They cannot tolerate cold weather and will be found on the south-facing hills in Organ Pipe National Monument. The monument was created to preserve a representative area of the beautiful and unspoiled Sonoran Desert. We’ll travel the 21-mile—mostly gravel—Ajo Mountain Drive. […]