TAKING THE OFF-RAMP

taking the off-ramp Prescott's Statehood Tree

Valentine's Day a legal holiday? You bet it is-at least in Arizona. Not because it's Valentine's Day, but because on February 14, 1912, Arizona was admitted to the union as the 48th state, affectionately called the Baby State for several years.

The Statehood Tree was planted February 14, 1912, by Judge Doan, Territorial Chief Justice for Arizona Territory, at the end of his term. On a cold, blustery

A Remote Retreat

Finding the Desert Reflections Day Spa and Nature Retreat can be half the fun. After winding through miles of the cactus-lush Saguaro National Park west of Tucson, visitors hit a flat desert highway for a few more miles until they turn and bump along for what seems an eternity on a "Where am I?" dirt road. Finally, a small turquoise sign welcomes entry into a day of relaxation in a setting that looks like a Hollywood backdrop.

This minispa, which caters to no more than four guests at a time, sits in the middle of 10 acres of pristine saguaro landscape with mountains carving the sky to the east. A day here includes yoga, a massage and relaxing in the pool, hot tub and sauna-steam. Guests enjoy lunch and also have the opportunity to explore the land on a self-guided nature trail.

"They tend to linger," says owner Diane Montgomery of her guests. Considering the view, the peace and quiet - and the bumpy drive back - it's a wonder she can get them to leave at all. The Desert Reflections Day Spa is open September through May. Information: (520) 682-8530.

morning, approximately 100 citizens attended the tree-planting ceremony. Sadly, the oak tree lived only a short time and was soon replaced with a pine tree. Today the replacement Statehood Tree stands about 75 feet tall and proud among the elms and oak trees on the northeast corner of Prescott's Courthouse Plaza.

A bronze plaque on a large granite boulder in front of the tree says: "Arizona Statehood Tree planted February 14, 1912. The monument presented to the people of Arizona by Cub Scouts of Prescott 1960."

Buckey O'Neill, Mr. Sensitive?

He was nicknamed for his gambling habits, but William "Buckey" O'Neill was a stand-up guy, full of the adventurous tenacity and gumption that makes a real Westerner.

He came to Arizona from St. Louis in 1879 to work as a typesetter for The Phoenix Herald and later as a reporter for The Tombstone Epitaph. After moving to Prescott, he became a probate judge, then mayor.

O'Neill enjoyed a good game of faro and tended to bet against the house, or "buck the tiger," thus his nickname. As Yavapai County Sheriff, he led the sensational manhunt that captured the men responsible for the 1889 Canyon Diablo train robbery.

When he died in Cuba, at 38, bravely fighting with Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders, he might've been Arizona's most famous man.

But Buckey wasn't your ordinary frontier celebrity. He stood only 5 feet 9 inches, loved poetry and the classics and wrote short stories for prestigious magazines.

When murderer Dennis Dilda was hung in Prescott in 1886, Sheriff O'Neill, an official witness to the event, passed out. Newspapers reported he had to be revived with "the application of mild restoratives," and friends never let him hear the end of it.

A beautiful statue of a Rough Rider-a figure some believe is modeled on O'Neill - stands in Prescott's Courthouse Plaza. Maybe the plaque accompanying it should say: "Buckey O'Neill: populist hero, sensitive guy."

THIS MONTH IN ARIZONA 1872

George Buck and Miss Matilda Murray become the first Anglo couple to be married in Phoenix.

1893

The Federal postal department ment begins installation of neighborhood postboxes.

1901

A new State Capitol building is dedicated by Gov. Murphy on a donated 10-acre lot at the west end of Washington Street in Phoenix. The Capitol cost $130,000 to build.

1903

Salt River Valley Water Users' Association forms to manage the Valley's irrigation water.

1907

Tucson Justice Court rules that cattlemen and miners may lawfully wear their guns for two hours after arriving in town.

1908

The Carnegie Free Library, donated by Andrew Carnegie, opens in Phoenix.

1919

Congress passes an act to establish Grand Canyon National Park.

Bragging Rights

In a December 1, 1881, inventory, the Arizona Weekly Star in Tucson reported the town had all the trappings of civilization. Two banks served the population of 12,000, along with four churches for the faithful and five schools for the teachable. The town had one firealarm bell and seven secret societies that remained unnamed. And, stated the paper with journalistic candor, Tucson also had "the handsomest children in America."

Trains, Cars and Meat Loaf

Whether you crave a look at the remnants of U.S. Route 66, salivate over model railroads and railroad memorabilia or hunger for hearty omelettes, the two Crown Railroad Cafes in Flagstaff will fill you up. The original restaurant sits on old Route 66, and the newer offspring fits into a shopping center on the west side of town, near Northern Arizona University. While you try to decide which of 66 (get it?) varieties of omelette to order, watch the Lehman-GrossBahn 1:22.5-scale trains zip

Gadding About at the Gadsden

An Italian marble staircase. Two-story-high columns topped with gold leaf. A Tiffany stained-glass mural. New York? Rome? How about Douglas, Arizona? A morning's drive from Tucson takes visitors through Benson, Tombstone, Bisbee and to the corner of G Avenue and 11th Street in Douglas just in time for lunch at the Gadsden Hotel. You may choose the El Conquistador Dining Room (be sure to ask for the tortilla soup), the Saddle and Spur Lounge or the Cattleman's Coffee Shop. After lunch, it's time to amble into the ornate lobby, pick up The Daily Dispatch and settle into deep leather armchairs beneath stainedglass skylights. Once a destination of dignitaries and celebrities, the lobby tenaciously retains itsaround a track above your head. By the time you've perused the photographs of trains, the train signs, the timetables and other "Oh-look-at-thats" adorning the walls, you'll understand why the restaurants' owners describe these places as "serious railroad nostalgia." If you get past the indoor sightseeing, you'll notice some good home cookin' on the menu for three meals a day. Meat loaf. Liver and onions. Hot roast beef sandwich with mashed potatoes and gravy. Food to keep the trains on schedule and motorists truckin' down 66. Crown Railroad Cafe West: 2700 S. Woodlands Village Blvd.; (928) 774-6775. Crown Railroad Cafe East: 3300 E. Route 66; (928) 522-9237.

around a track above your head. By the time you've perused the photographs of trains, the train signs, the timetables and other "Oh-look-at-thats" adorning the walls, you'll understand why the restaurants' owners describe these places as "serious railroad nostalgia." If you get past the indoor sightseeing, you'll notice some good home cookin' on the menu for three meals a day. Meat loaf. Liver and onions. Hot roast beef sandwich with mashed potatoes and gravy. Food to keep the trains on schedule and motorists truckin' down 66. Crown Railroad Cafe West: 2700 S. Woodlands Village Blvd.; (928) 774-6775. Crown Railroad Cafe East: 3300 E. Route 66; (928) 522-9237.

Original elegance within a funky border town atmosphere. Sometimes called "The Last of the Grand Hotels," the Gadsden was designed by H.C. Trost in 1907 during the height of the coppermining era. It burned in 1928, but was rebuilt a year later - and was advertised as "fire proof." All three dining areas welcome the public every day. Information: (520) 364-4481.

Did Butch Cassidy Hide Out in Globe?

William Phillips, a slender man in his 30s, arrived in Globe in 1908 and worked on ranches and constructing houses. He stayed until late summer of 1910, along with his asthmatic wife, Gertrude, drew no attention to himself and then moved on. But the quiet man might have been living under an alias. Possible real name: Butch Cassidy, the outlaw made famous in the 1969 motion picture Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Cassidy's Wild Bunch gang kept busy robbing trains and banks in Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Nevada and New Mexico from 1896 until 1901, when he and Sundance fled to South America. The two were supposedly killed in a shoot-out in Bolivia in 1908, but Cassidy researchers cannot prove Butch and Sundance actually died there. Two facts are certain: Phillips claimed to his dying day he was Butch Cassidy, and did live in Globe, as family photographs from the area prove.

"I have no doubt whatsoever that Phillips was Cassidy," says Larry Pointer, author of the 1977 book In Search of Butch Cassidy. But Wild Bunch expert Jim Dullenty of Montana says photos of the two men don't support the theory. "We know for certain either Cassidy or his imposter was in Globe," says Dullenty. If it were Cassidy, some of Globe's old homes might've been built by one of the West's most notorious outlaws.

The Raven's Way Back to Nature

Have you ever wanted to shrug off the complicated conveniences of modern living? Vince Pinto and the staff of Raven's Way Traditional School in southeastern Arizona can help.

Founded by Pinto in 1994, Raven's Way teaches primitive living skills - from firebuilding and Stone Age tool-production to aboriginal art and sensory awareness.

Pinto's credentials include a bachelor's degree in wildlife biology and a master's in environmental studies, plus 11 years of experience teaching primitive living skills. Students may schedule seminars by the hour ($10 to $25) or log in an entire day ($50 to $100). The wild edible-usable plants course rates as Raven's Way's most popular. Pinto enjoys the hands-on approach. "Just like we're all different, the plants are all different. Identification is one way [of learning], but I'll take mesquite and have them eat some mesquite pods and talk about medicinal uses of the leaves."

The school also sponsors trips - some including modern conveniences; others exclude tools of today. Many excursions focus on the "sky islands" areas, especially the Chiricahua Mountains. However, Pinto says he'll take people wherever they want to go as long as he's comfortable going there. How long the fun lasts depends on the client. Trip prices range from $100 to $130 a day.

The skills taught at Raven's Way aim not only to make a person self-sufficient, but also to re-establish the bond with nature that people have lost somewhere among blacktop-covered streets and looming skyscrapers.

Information: (520) 403-5085; www.hollowtop.com/ravensway.htm.

Friday Night, a Legion of Fish

For a taste of real small-town ambience, check out the Friday night fish fry at the American Legion in Flagstaff. At Mark Moore Post No. 3 on Humphreys Street (the road to the Grand Canyon), Bob Reyes, Legion manager, works his magic back in the kitchen. He dips breaded cod into sizzling grease and fries it to perfection, then serves it with luscious hush puppies (for the untutored, that's a hunk of cornmeal seasoned with green onions and also fried) and gentle vinegar coleslaw. The thick, rich seafood chowder is worth a taste, too. Should you need to wash all that down, there's a variety of cold drinks available.Inside the basalt building, the decor is strictly 1950s-brown Formica tables, gold vinyl chairs, a television in every corner, a pair of pool tables and banners strung on the walls.

You'll meet some regulars there-working men, couples and big families who've lived in town all their lives.

Reyes says the fish fry's proceeds go for good causes, such as food boxes, coats for kids and the American Legion Girls and Boys State programs, which educate youth about our system of government. Dinner is served from 5 to 8 P.M. every Friday night. Portions are generous and the price is right. Information: (928) 773-0084.

Apache History on Exhibit

The San Carlos Apache Cultural Center in Peridot offers a spiritual, cultural and historical view of the Apache people, strictly from the tribe's perspective. Exhibits interpret the lives and ceremonies of the San Carlos people through words and artifacts, displaying grinding stones, arrowheads, clay pottery, cradleboards, bows and arrows and a saddlebag, which center director Herb Stevens calls "Apache Samsonite."

The subjugation of the nine bands that make up the Apache tribe is depicted without romance, including the practice of paying a bounty on scalps. "A lot of people still don't know the Apache side of things," said Stevens.

The center's gift shop sells beadwork, Apache violins, woventwine burden baskets and wood carvings of mountain spirit dancers.

Tour groups of 10 or more can call ahead to arrange for special performances of Apache dancers and for traditional Apache meals, such as acorn dumpling stew and donkey bread, cooked over an open fire outside.

The center is located on U.S. Route 70, about 20 miles east of Globe. Information: (928) 475-2894.

Question of the Month

How did Arizona miss having oceanfront property?

In 1921, Phoenix contractor Edward Brown made a splash when he claimed he had a concession from Mexico giving him access to a 3-milewide strip of land stretching for 90 miles along the lower Colorado River.

He planned to build Arizona's first harbor there.

The port would have been accessible by extending the U.S.owned railroad that ran along the levy south of Yuma to the Mexican border.

Brown and his lawyer were last reported headed for Mexico City, where, presumably, his dream fell apart, leaving Arizona forever landlocked.

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