Mileposts/Calendar

Mileposts

AJO B & B APPLAUDED The Mine Manager's House Inn, built in 1919 on the highest hill in Ajo for a mine executive's family, was voted one of the Top Fifty B&Bs and Inns in America in a survey by The Inn Times newspaper. Once a center of society in the old copper-mining town, the renovated house features individually decorated rooms with private baths, a hot tub, a library, and a patio. Ajo, whose attractions include a downtown plaza with Spanish Mission-style buildings and the Mine Lookout Visitors Center, is near Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Preserve and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. For information about the Mine Manager's House Inn, telephone (602) 3876505. When space is available, everyone is welcome. The station is open yearround, but the best months for visits are mid-March through May and September through October. For information, contact Director, Southwestern Research Station, Portal, AZ 85632; (602) 558-2396.

VISIT A RESEARCH POST Amateur naturalists and birders looking for an outdoor experience with an added dimension should check out the Southwestern Research Station near Portal in the southeastern corner of the state. Owned and operated by the American Museum of Natural History, the station is located in the Chiricahua Mountains near five life zones (with an amazing diversity of plant and animal life) and provides research facilities for scientists and students from around the world.

CALENDAR

Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair and Market; March 7-8; Phoenix When dozens of tribes from around the country - including the Apache, Hopi, Navajo, Choctaw, and Cherokee rendezvous at the prestigious Heard Museum to celebrate Native American culture, visitors can expect to see a superb display of arts and crafts, including pottery, beadwork, jewelry, basketry, and weavings. They also will have the opportunity to try native foods, enjoy a juried art show, and watch a spectacular intertribal hoop-dancing competition. Admission is $2 to $4. Information: 252-8840.

Phoenix Jaycees Rodeo of Rodeos; March 11-15; Phoenix This year's doin's actually kick off March 7 with the big parade up Central Avenue, but for buckin' broncos, barrel racin', and other Wild West mayhem, mosey out to Veterans Memorial Coliseum for an afternoon or evening rodeo performance featuring top cowboys from around the country. Information: 263-8671.

Battle of Picacho Pass Reenactment; March 14-15; Picacho Each year the Picacho Peak State Park, 40 miles north of Tucson, stages a reenactment of the Battle of Picacho Pass. The biggest confrontation in Arizona between Confederate and Union soldiers, the battle was part of a bid by the Confederacy to gain access to a California seaport. Other battles will be staged, and

Old Town Tempe Spring Festival; March 27-29; Tempe

This annual outdoor fair attracts huge crowds with its handcrafted goods, taste-tempting edibles, and continuous entertainment. And, after you've had your face painted, filled up on goodies, and spent your last dollar on one-of-a-kind artistic creations, you can wander around Old Town enjoying the picturesque restored buildings. Free admission. Information: 967-4877.

there will be additional entertainment. Admission is $3 per vehicle with up to eight people. Camping is available. Information: 466-3183.

Page/Lake Powell Air Affaire; March 27-29; Page A full-fledged air show featuring hot-air balloons, team parachute jumping, vintage aircraft displays, and aerial aerobatics this high-flying show includes one of the best contests we've heard of: "Bribing the Judges." Best bribe (according to the bribeees) wins an undisclosed prize. Information: 645-9373.

Parker Enduro Classic; March 2829; Parker In this "granddaddy of power-boat marathons," the world's fastest inboards, outboards, and jetboats slice through the Colorado River at speeds in the neighborhood of 125 miles an hour. Sprints and two-hour races lead up to the big marathon on Sunday. The boating action takes place in La Paz County Park, but the Parker area has other attractions you won't want to miss, such as Parker Dam, which offers tours (free) on weekdays, and the Colorado River Indian Tribal Museum (also open weekdays), a treasure trove of Navajo, Mohave, Hopi, and Chemehuevi, artifacts. Information: 669-2174.

Welcome Back Buzzards; March 31; Superior You're throwing a buzzard bash, and the guests of honor stop off somewhere you think they're gonna call and say they'll be a little late? Despite such potential problems, the Boyce Thompson Southwestern Arboretum invites birders and other outdoor enthusiasts to show up -by 7:00 A.M. - to welcome home its flock of 30 to 50 turkey vultures after a winter spent down south. Critter curator Carol Crosswhite will share fascinating facts about the birds (they have an average six-foot wingspan and can see and smell carrion a mile away) while visitors observe their preening, grooming, and swooping through the euca-lyptus groves. Then every-body has cake. Bring binoculars; there's a shaded picnic area. Admission is $1.50 to $3. Information: 689-2723.