Open Roads, Open Eyes, Open Minds

ARIZONA HIGHWAYS

ARIZONA HIGHWAYS is published monthly by the Arizona Highway Department. Address: ARIZONA HIGHWAYS, 2039 W. Lewis Ave., Phoenix, Arizona 85009. $6.00 per year in U.S. and possessions; $7.00 elsewhere; 75 cents each. Second Class Postage paid at Phoenix, Arizona, under Act of March 3, 1879. Copyrighted 1974, by the Arizona Highway Dept.

THIS ISSUE What Makes This Canyon Grand Sun City, Arizona A Unique and Successful Community Development COLOR CLASSICS 35mm COLOR SLIDES

THIS ISSUE 35mm slides in 2" mounts, 1 to 15 slides, 40¢ each, 16 to 49 slides, 35¢ each, 50 or more, 3 for $1.00. Allow three weeks for delivery. Address: ARIZONA HIGHWAYS, 2039 West Lewis Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85009.

FRONT COVER

Morning Camp on the Colorado, Grand Canyon. - DAVID MUENCH

INSIDE FRONT COVER

Golden morning from Hopi Point, South Rim. - JOSEF MUENCH We believe that suffering indignation is one of civilized man's shoddy virtues - such a useless form of martyrdom. We are blessed that the nature of our vocation and avocations afford us the opportunity to hit the road to open our eyes to expose our minds to the world and its people. We are involved in too many eye-opening, mind balancing experiences to suffer pains of indignation over matters too remote from our control.

Who can worry about the fools who decry "two and two ain't four any more" or "only them that has, get"? Not we who are deep in the Grand Canyon of the Colorado, witnessing the world's most convincing testimonial of cause and effect and perpetual change. There was nobody around when the Grand Canyon was born and scientists and computers will be dust before all the questions are answered concerning the world's most magnificent geological wonder attesting to the incomprehensible Power beyond man.

We were here when Sun City, Arizona was born from desert lands and cotton fields. It has succeeded because of a developer's integrity and represents one of man's finest achievements in establishing dignity to a life style formerly associated with indignation.

We get tired of hearing the cynics: "We don't know where we are going and heaven knows where it will all end." Heaven cares little for those who will not open their eyes. Early in May we attended the Western Heritage Awards Meetings at the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City. More than 700 guests, trustees and honorees gathered in tribute to those who in one way or another have contributed to documenting and preserving the glorious heritage of the American West. The names of John Wayne, Barbara Stanwyck, Walter Brennan, Gene Autry, and Joel McCrea embellished the program. The dramatic standing ovation acclaim was reserved for 101 year old Edward King Gaylord, who walked briskly to the microphone to acknowledge, in firm clear voice, the honor of being the first living person to be elected to the Hall of Fame of Great Westerners. The famed Oklahoma City newspaper publisher works at his desk five days a week and writes front page editorials.

Our itinerary included air travel to Washington, D.C. and a three day tour of American Historic Shrines in one of the world's most beautiful settings - Virginia's Blue Ridge country. At Culpepper we ate hot-dogs and pop at a Polled Hereford Cow Auction. The day we visited Monticello, home of Thomas Jefferson, we were amazed to learn that every day from 1000 to 1500 people pay an adult fee of $2.00 each for the guided tour through the 35 room mansion and grounds, designed by Jefferson and built from regional materials. In a little churchyard off a back country road near Charlottesville, millionaire plantation owners joined a group of black friends, neighbors and employees during funeral services for a departed friend, all joining in choruses of "Shall we gather at the river, the beautiful, the beautiful river. Shall we gather at the river, the beautiful city of love." On the flight back to Arizona a Kansas farmer told us he had the best season in 20 years with his hogs.

Meanwhile back in Phoenix, it was front page news that 45,000 attended a Billy Graham inspirational at Sun Devil Stadium. There were other headlines, of course, of indignities, chicaneries, hypocrisies, injustices and miseries, which make up the shadow side of life's composition. In five days we had made a round-trip across this continent a journey which only one hundred years ago would have taken from 100 to 200 days.

In a superlative sense, this may not be the best and greatest world we live in but there is more than enough good, true, real, safe, strong and right for the sun to shine upon. Be patient, be considerate, be understanding, and above all, be grateful.

Open your eyes, open your mind and let the sun shine in. - JOSEPH STACEY

FOLLOWING PANEL: Splendid panorama of the Grand Canyon

From Desert View, South Rim. Note the Colorado River one vertical mile below. - JOSEF MUENCH