Mileposts/Events

MILEPOSTS Pleasant Cruising

One of the best ways to enjoy the calm blue waters of Lake Pleasant and the surrounding cactus-studded Sonoran Desert is on a cruise aboard the luxurious Desert Princess.

The 90-foot yacht sails out of Pleasant Harbor Marina on Lake Pleasant, about 30 miles northwest of Phoenix.

Pleasant Harbor Cruises offers sight-seeing cruises ($18) on Friday afternoons, lunch cruises ($39.95) on Saturday and Sunday, and dinner cruises ($49.95), Friday through Sunday. To inquire or make reservations, call (602) 2307600.

Stamp of Approval

All that most folks care about when it comes to stamps is that the price not go up again. But for philatelists, there is much more to the tiny collectibles than how much they cost and they're the ones who will be fascinated by a Tucson museum devoted to postal history, publications, and much more. Exhibits at the Postal History Foundation, 920 N. First Ave., include the entire turn-of-the-century Naco post office, which was dismantled and reconstructed inside the museum in 1978. Also displayed are postal memorabilia, photographs of old post offices, and photocopies of government documents.

The museum, (520) 6236652, is open weekdays, 8 A.M. to 2 P.M.; admission is free.

Braking for Coffee in Payson

Folks who stop in at the tiny Pony Espresso Coffee Bar and Gift Gallery on State Route 87 across from the Swiss Village Lodge in Payson may happen upon some locals playing checkers at one of the few tables. For sure they'll find all kinds of specialty coffees, iced drinks, and other tempting refreshments, along with a small display of gifts, including such off-beat items as the "Bug Connection" ($12), a gussiedup wood and screen contraption which was irresistible even to those not fond of providing housing for creepy critters. The place has got printed menus, but it's more fun to make your selection from the items listed on one of the inside doors.

Museum Adventure Trips

Each June through August, the Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff offers its Summer Adventure trips for adults, hikes and van tours that combine the attractions of the Colorado Plateau with educational programs on the area's geology, natural history, and native cultures. For a free brochure with details about the trips, and to ask about special outings for youngsters, contact the museum at Route 4, Box 720, Flagstaff, AZ 86001; (520) 774-5211.

Patagonia's Prize Park

In the rolling grasslands of the southern part of the state at an elevation of 3,750 feet, Patagonia Lake State Park attracts visitors year-round with most of them showing up spring through fall.

The park offers plenty of recreation, including swimming, boating, picnicking, fishing (largemouth bass, crappie, sunfish, bluegills, catfish; rainbows in winter), and camping. The 265-acre reservoir has a marina with a boat ramp, rentals (canoes, paddleboats, rowboats), and gas.

It's located 12 miles northeast of Nogales via State Route 82; watch for the turnoff sign. To ask about restrictions on jetskiing, other activities, amenities, hours, and fees, call (520) 287-6965.

Wagner's Ring Cycle

Opera lovers from throughout the country and the world will converge on Flagstaff's Ardrey Auditorium this month when Arizona Opera presents Richard Wagner's monumental Der Ring des Nibelungen. Only four other opera companies in the United States (The Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, and Seattle Opera) have performed the daunting 16-hour work. Not only does the opera put great demands on performers' voices, its staging is challenging to say the least. The opera encompasses three worlds: the underground caverns of the dwarves, the lofty heavens of the gods, and the mortal world of humans. And all is ended with an apocalyptic conflagration, and the universe is destroyed.

The Ring will be presented in four parts over the weeklong festival, with two "cycles," June 3 to 8 and June 10 to 15. To inquire, contact Arizona Opera, (602) 266-7464.

Forever Young

Nobody who visits Young is just passing by; the tiny community below the Mogollon Rim in north-central Arizona is too remote. You have to be going there. And, especially for history buffs, there's reason enough to make the trip over a stretch of unpaved road to what's been called one of the state's "last cow towns." Nestled in Pleasant Valley, the site of some of the bloodiest fighting in the Graham-Tewksbury range war of the late 1880s, Young's a pastoral spot with a population of folks who like living away from it all.

Ask at the local Forest Service office for directions to nearby battle sites, wander through the town cemetery where members of the Graham faction found their final rewards and don't miss the Antler Cafe, a local watering hole with a decor that can best be described as "rustic eclectic." For camping, fishing, and other information, call the Pleasant Valley Ranger District Office, (520) 462-3311.

St. Michael's Remains

St. Michael's Mission what's left of it is worth a side trip for those traveling in the Sacaton area on the Gila River Indian Reservation, just south of Phoenix. Nobody's sure of the exact date the church was built, but it was probably in the 1920s when several other small missions were established on the reservation by the Franciscans. Only the mission's bell tower remains standing, keeping lonely watch over the surrounding flatlands.

The church was razed in the 1950s, and a new one went up a couple of miles away. But the tower was spared under the assumption that old age and the elements would finish it off. Maybe, but not yet. It's still there, deteriorating but erect.

To reach St. Michael's, take State Route 287 east of Sacaton and turn north at Hashani Kehk Road. To inquire, call (520) 562-3716. — Sam Lowe

Chiles, Spice, and Everything Nice

The huge red chile sign in front of the Santa Cruz Chili & Spice Company really isn't necessary: we could smell the store's spicy wares from the road. By the time we walked inside the store, we'd started to salivate and our eyes were beginning to tear.

Inside the family-owned shop, on Interstate 19 at Tumacacori, a few miles north of the Mexican border, we wandered the aisles filled with boxes, bags, jars, and cans of everything from salsas, chili pastes and powders to spices, peppers, barbecue sauce, and such finds as jalapeño mustard and mesquite liquid smoke. A small gift shop on the premises caught our attention (it's never too soon to think Christmas) as did the store's Western museum. Worth a stop — even if all you do is inhale the aromas. — Ron Butler

EVENTS Old West Celebration and Bucket of Blood Races

June 1; Holbrook Things have calmed down some in what was one of the most raucous cow towns in the Old West, but folks there still know how to kick up their heels. This annual bow to a storied past promises a pancake breakfast and barbecue, arts and crafts, kids' games, a horse-drawn vehicle show, and the namesake Bucket of Blood Races (a reference to gambler Frank Wattron's notorious saloon), actually a comparatively tame 10K and two-mile foot race, plus a 20-mile bicycle race from the Petrified Forest to Holbrook. Admission is free. Information: toll-free (800) 524-2459 or (520) 524-6558.

Things have calmed down some in what was one of the most raucous cow towns in the Old West, but folks there still know how to kick up their heels. This annual bow to a storied past promises a pancake breakfast and barbecue, arts and crafts, kids' games, a horse-drawn vehicle show, and the namesake Bucket of Blood Races (a reference to gambler Frank Wattron's notorious saloon), actually a comparatively tame 10K and two-mile foot race, plus a 20-mile bicycle race from the Petrified Forest to Holbrook. Admission is free. Information: toll-free (800) 524-2459 or (520) 524-6558.

Sweet Onion Festival

June 2; Rock Springs The folks around this community at the foot of the Bradshaw Mountains and New River Foothills know their onions, especially the big sweet-tasting Vidalia varieties local gardeners have been raising since a resident brought back some seeds from Hawaii a few years ago. This yearly celebra-tion of the lachrymal bulbs promises a zesty competition for the biggest and best onion, an onion recipe cookbook, plus live music, arts and crafts, a play area for kids, and more. The fun takes place at the Rock Springs Patio. Free admission. Information: (602) 465-9256.

The folks around this community at the foot of the Bradshaw Mountains and New River Foothills know their onions, especially the big sweet-tasting Vidalia varieties local gardeners have been raising since a resident brought back some seeds from Hawaii a few years ago. This yearly celebra-tion of the lachrymal bulbs promises a zesty competition for the biggest and best onion, an onion recipe cookbook, plus live music, arts and crafts, a play area for kids, and more. The fun takes place at the Rock Springs Patio. Free admission. Information: (602) 465-9256.

Gallery of Fine Prints: Grand Canyon Waters

The spectacular Gary Ladd image of the Little Colorado River cascading over travertine dams on its way to the Grand Canyon (see pages 28 and 29) is this month's color print offered for sale through the Arizona Highways Gallery of Fine Prints.

These handcrafted color prints are produced for Arizona Highways by EverColor DyePrint's custom lab, using the latest in digital technology.

To order the print, call toll-free nationwide at (800) 543-5432. In the Phoenix area or outside the U.S., call (602) 258-1000. The sizes and prices of the Grand Canyon Waters print are:

#A99CW16: Approximately 14" by 17" $175

#A99CW26: Approximately 16" by 20" $225 Approximately #A99CW36: Approximately 20" by 24" $275

Prescott Valley Days

June 6-9; Prescott Valley A hot-air balloon fest, parade, talent show, carnival, live entertainment, and food booths are the lures at this annual celebration. Free admission. Information: (520) 772-8857.

Astronomy Festival

June 7-8; Sedona Scenic Red Rock State Park is the site of this event, which features stargazing, workshops, astro-photography, a "giant astro platform," and - hopefully - a new solar telescope. There will be a park admission fee. Information: (520) 634-7332 or 282-6907.

Territorial Days

June 8-9; Prescott The mile-high town's Courthouse Plaza is the picturesque and nostalgic setting for this yearly event, which features the Southwest Artists Association & Mountain Artists Guild exhibit, arts and crafts, and live entertainment, including folk dancing. Admission is free. Information: toll free (800) 266-7534 or (520) 445-2000.

June 29-August 11; Flagstaff

Indian Arts Festival

June 29-August 11; Flagstaff Traditional and contemporary works by Native American artists highlight the 1996 Festival of Native American Arts at the Coconino Center for the Arts. The exhibit itself opens June 28, 7 Р.М., and runs Tuesday through Sunday, 10 A.M. to 5 P.M. An added bonus at the annual juried invitational show is an outdoor market on July 6 and 7. Free admission to the public. Information: (520) 779-6921.