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If you like what you see in this magazine every month, check out Arizona Highways Television, an Emmy Award-winning program hosted by former news anchor Robin Sewell. Now in its fifth season, the show does with audio and video what we do with ink and paper — it showcases the people, places and things of the Grand Canyon State, from the spectacular landscapes and colorful history to the fascinating culture and endless adventure. And that’s just the beginning.
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A couple of months ago, I had an opportunity to work with some journalism students on the Hopi Nation. The kids, the culture, the surrounding landscape ... it was an incredible experience. The experience of a lifetime. Then, about a week later, I was at the other end of the state, in Nogales, where I had an opportunity to spend some time with 94-year-old Paul Bond, the legendary boot maker who’s done custom work for everyone from John Wayne to Ralph Lauren. It was an incredible experience. The experience of a lifetime.
As editor of Arizona Highways, I have the privilege of meeting all kinds of fascinating people. I also get to explore the state’s magnificent backcountry. I’m out there a lot, which inspires people to ask: “What’s your favorite place in Arizona?”
It’s impossible to answer that question — there’s no way to narrow it down to just one. When I’m in the Bear Wallow Wilderness, that’s my favorite place. When I’m in Ramsey Canyon, that’s my favorite place. And later this month, when I’m up on the North Rim, the Grand Canyon Lodge will be my favorite place. That is, until I ride my mountain bike out to Timp Point, which is featured in this month’s Scenic Drive, and pitch my tent at DeMotte Campground, which is featured in this month’s cover story.
The campground, which sits amid a spectacular meadow on the Kaibab Plateau, is one of 50 people, places and things in our second-annual “Best of Arizona” issue. We’ve named DeMotte the “Best Place to Go Where Seldom Is Heard a Discouraging Word.” Bear Wallow is on the list, too, and so are Ramsey Canyon, Coal Mine Canyon and Bass Canyon. There’s more than canyons, though. Best of AZ is a mix of things that fall into one of seven categories: lodging, dining, adventure, history & culture, photography, nature and family getaways.
Boyce Thompson Arboretum (“Best Way to Have a G’day, Mate”) is one of our favorite family getaways. There’s a long list of reasons to visit this unique state park, but we like it because of its Australian Desert, which, as the name suggests, is an area bursting with plants from Down Under, including “Mr. Big.” The name is appropriate. Mr. Big is a massive red gum eucalyptus tree that was planted in 1926 and is now more than 140 feet tall. In fact, Mr. Big is so big that he sits atop the registry of big trees as the largest red gum eucalyptus in the United States.” The tree is the high point of the Australian Desert, and a focal point in this month’s portfolio.
The theme of the portfolio — “big trees” — was inspired by an enormous cottonwood that grows at the east entrance of Aravaipa Canyon. After seeing it, I thought for sure it had to be the biggest of its kind in Arizona. It’s not. There’s an even bigger cottonwood down in Patagonia. That tree made the opening spread of the portfolio. When you look at it, look closely. There’s a woman standing at the base of the tree. It’ll give you some idea of just how big that tree really is.
Equally impressive is an alligator juniper in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests, along with an Arizona sycamore in Ramsey Canyon, which isn’t just a giant, but an ancient giant that dates back to 1760. That’s not as old as the bristlecone pines on Humphreys Peak, but it’s a lot older than the oldest schools in Arizona. And some of those are pretty old. What’s left of them, anyway.
Like a lot of historic buildings, many of the old schools in our state have been bulldozed or left in disrepair. Not all of them, however. Some, like the Curley School in Ajo and the old Jerome High School, are being preserved and repurposed as public art spaces. As Jackie Dishner writes in Old Schools, “Where wooden desks with empty inkwells once lined creaky-floored classrooms lit up by 8-foot-tall windows, you now see paint-splattered easels, recycled art supplies and creative types painting, designing, writing, producing — creating art in some form or another.”
Our story focuses on a handful of projects around Arizona, and they’re impressive. They’re good for communities, they’re good for artists and they’re good for historic preservation. Although the thought of going back to school can be a little unnerving, I hope you’ll reward these efforts and check them out. You may not have the experience of a lifetime, but if it’s even half as interesting as a school visit on the Hopi Nation, you’ll be glad you went.
— Robert Stieve, Editor
rstieve@arizonahighways.com
