Mileposts/Events

MILEPOSTS Bull-watching

A 10-foot-high, 14-foot-long bucking bull may not stop traffic in Pres-cott, but it sure gets second looks from motorists and pedestrians. The 4,000pound stainless steel sculpture, by Prescott artist Natalie Krol, can be seen on Whipple Street just east of Willow Creek Road at Four Points. The Silver Tornado, Krol's 23rd public art work, honors Prescott as the home of "The World's Oldest Rodeo."

Exploring the Superstitions

Some folks "don't want to risk driving the Apache Trail, and most visitors don't have a fourwheel-drive vehicle to explore the backcountry on their own. That's what we're here for," says Jodi Akers, owner of Apache Trail Tours at Goldfield Ghost Town, east of Mesa.

Akers has been showing vis-itors around the land of the fabled Lost Dutchman Gold Mine and the Apache Trail for three years. In addition to off-road jeep tours, Akers also of-fers hiking treks, "Steak-Outs," and "Apache Campfire" out-ings. For more information, call (602) 982-7661.

Tracking Birds and Ma Nature

Buenos Aires Na-tional Wildlife Refuge, in southern Arizona near the Mexi-can border, offers a variety of guided tours from November through April. On the first Sat-urday of each month, take a free tour along the boardwalk in Arivaca Cien-aga, where you can see some 30 species of birds, including vermilion flycatchers and Vir-ginia rails. On the second Saturday, try a leisurely nature walk in Brown Canyon and en-joy its sycamores and live oaks. There you may see animals not found elsewhere on the refuge. The cost is $3. The third Satur-day features a free driving tour of the grasslands to look for pronghorns and wintering birds. On the fourth Saturday, there'll be a guided all-day hike in Brown Canyon. The cost is $3. For times, res-ervations, and details on the refuge's other offerings, tele-phone (520) 823-4251.

Good News at Roosevelt Lake

Thanks to major improvements at Theodore Roosevelt Dam, there are a bunch of added recreational amenities for visitors to Roosevelt Lake, about 80 miles east of Phoenix. The largest of the four Salt River lakes, Roosevelt attracts water-fun lovers in warmer months and fishermen - after bass, crappie, catfish, and sunfish year-round. The added amenities include: a new visitors center, the country's largest all-solar-powered campground (Cholla), approximately 1,000 individual campsites, a group campground and boating site (Grapevine) which will accommodate 2,000 people, several fish-cleaning stations, and new watercraft launch ramps. Still to come: a marina resort. To inquire about Roosevelt Lake facilities, call (602) 225-5200 or (520) 467-3200.

Visiting the Heart of Stone

A new book, Stone Canyons of the Colorado Plateau, is a journey into time, into a place of unbelievable spectacles and mystical landforms: the Red Rock Country of the high desert.

The book's author, Charles Bowden, says of it: "You are going into the heart of stone, a place that will break your heart. No one will ever know what to do with it. And then the day will dawn when increasing numbers of people realize that nothing, nothing at all, is precisely what should be done with it."

Here, captured in some of the most eye-delighting color photography by Jack Dykinga, that master of the 4x5 field camera who brought you The Sonoran Desert, is the essence of a land that matters because it has never mattered. Perhaps, as Bowden writes, it exists to remind us of our insignificance.

What Bowden arrests in the history of the region, Dykinga seizes in its landscape: here are grotesqueries birthed by the elements of wind and rain, heat and frost, where once dinosaurs ambled on their slow march to extinction. Here, too, are explosions of light and color that Impressionists would have died for and enough otherworldly beauty to stop the breath: wave-patterned riverbed, striated rock, and erosional nightmares of petrified sandstone.Together words and pictures evoke a remarkable place with a human history as dramatic as its natural history and its pre-sent solitude.

The book costs $45 plus shipping and handling. To order telephone Arizona High-ways, toll-free (800) 543-5432; in the Phoenix area or outside the U.S., (602) 258-1000. — Richard G. Stahl

Try Klondyke for Quiet

Now and John Leupke liked the little town of Klon-dyke and hated to see it change so they bought it.

The "town" isn't that much to take care of, of course, be-cause its restaurant, gift shop, post office, and general store occupy the same building, one of two in Klon-dyke. And the Leupkes own the other one, the Horsehead Lodge, as well.

When I'm seeking solitude, Klondyke is ideal: it's well off the beaten path, sitting below the Santa Teresa Mountains in the southeastern part of the state, and the Leupkes' lodge has room for no more than eight guests. But for those who like their peace and quiet spiced with a little activity, the Leupkes can provide updated information needed for wild-life and plant identification outings, tours of archaeologi-cal and historical sites, and photo junkets. For informa-tion, call (520) 828-3359. — Sam Lowe

Touring Wine Country

For a free brochure with in-formation about Arizona's Wine Country, contact the Ari-zona Wine Commission, 1688 W. Adams, Phoenix, AZ 85007; (602) 542-0877.

The brochure offers histories of the vineyards as well as loca-tor maps, lists their varietals,and gives vineyard hours andtour possibilities.

EVENTS Old Pueblo LapidaryGem and Mineral Show

November 1-3; Tucson Exquisite gems and minerals highlight this 24th annual show, along with handcrafted jewelry, demonstrations by top Southwest artists, and displays of tools and supplies. There will be a “free rock table” for young-sters and a raffle for a fire agate set in 14K gold. Admission is $3. Information: (520) 323-9154.

Mineral and Gem Show

November 9-10; Sierra Vista The 22nd Annual Mineral and Gem Show held in this southern Arizona town next to historic Fort Hua-chuca (with its museum and old cemetery) is dubbed “A Rock Rustler’s Dream.” The event features gems, semi-precious stones, minerals, jewelry, lapidary supplies and equipment, books, and displays including one from Bisbee Copper that organizers say will be worth the trip to get there all by itself. Also scheduled are field trips such as one to nearby St. David (the site of Holy Trinity Monastery) to search for selenite crystals, lectures, and demonstrations of cutting and polishing stones. Admission is free. Information: (520) 459-1415.

Fiddlers Jamborina

November 22-23;Lake Havasu City Music lovers will gather at Sandpoint Marina and Monument Valley, Canyon de Chelly, andthe beautiful slot canyonswill highlight the northernArizona locations for the 1997 PhotoWorkshops conducted by Arizona Highwaysphotographers.Since 1988 more than a thousandpersons have attended these out-in-the-fieldworkshops to learn the photo secrets of someof the greatest landscape photographers inthe world.For a brochure fully describing the 1997workshops, sponsored by the Friends ofArizona Highways, write to the Friends at

Find Out How to Take Great Scenic Photos from Top Photographers Photo Workshops

P.O. Box 6106, Phoenix, AZ 85005-6106; or call them at (602) 271-5904.Here are the workshop schedules andlocations through June, 1997:Feb. 2 to 6: Monument Valley and Canyonde Chelly.February 16 to 20: Lake PowellHouseboating.March 23 to 26: Sonoran Desert.April 15 to 19: A Photo Sampler Workshopwith stops at the Grand Canyon, MonumentValley, Canyon de Chelly, and Lake Powell.April 29 to May 3: Slot canyons.May 28 to 31: Slot canyons.June 11 to 14: Slot canyons.

RV Park for two days of old-time fiddling and bluegrass,as well as performances bysquare dancers and cloggersanda big Western barbecue.A water-recreationists’ mecca,Lake Havasu City boasts atransplanted London bridge(a span “stolen from nurseryrhymes”) and the English Village of shops and boutiques.Jamborina admission is freeon Friday evening; $10, includ-ing the barbecue, on Saturday.Special weekend packages areavailable. Information: (520)855-0549.

Dart the TurkeyContest

November 23;Chandler For 25 cents, con-testants take aimat a dart-board tar-get, with winnerstoting home Tur-key Day's main course.Other family-style activities areplanned to round out this annual holiday competition. Ad-mission is free. Information:(602) 786-2727.

Thanksgiving Fiesta

November 24; Benson Within Bundy's 600 acresnear Benson is the onlycattle ranch we know of with abookstore and valet parking. Her Singing Wind Bookshopis open every day, but the spe-cial parking is available only atthe annual fiesta the Sundaybefore Thanksgiving (1 to 5P.M.), when folks come to meetnearly a dozen authors, whoare more than glad to auto-graph their books. The venera-ble Lawrence Clark Powell, atreasure trove of informationabout the Southwest, is a reg-ular participant. Other writ-ers expected this year includeJoe Hayes, Boyd Finch,Patricia Martin, and LeoBanks. The Sirocco WindQuartet and Friends ofDean Martinez willprovide music, andyou'll find plentyof food (be sure totry Winn's home-made cookies). Admis-sion and refreshments arefree. The ranch is aboutfive minutes off Inter-state 10. Take Exit 304and go 24 miles north toSinging Wind Road. Turn rightand follow the road through agreen gate, then it's just half amile to the ranch house. Infor-mation: (520) 586-2425.

Historic Home Tour

November 30-December 1;Bisbee The rugged old copper-mining town in southern Ari-zona's Mule Mountains openssome of its historic privatehomes during this annual ex-travaganza of hospitality. Therewill be an admission charged.Be sure to allow time to exploreBisbee's other attractions, in-cluding Brewery Gulch, the Vic-torian-style Copper QueenHotel, the Copper Queen Mine,and the Lavender Pit Mine. In-formation: (520) 432-5421.

Fiesta de Tumacacori

November 30-December 1;Tumacacori The graceful and poignant ruins of Father Kino's Tuma-cacori Mission are the back-drop for this cultural heritagecelebration featuring a Mari-achi Mass (Sunday) with Yaquiand Tohono O'odham danc-ing. Traditional arts and craftsand foods and live entertain-ment also are offered. Thewell-preserved mission wasestablished in 1691 and aban-doned in 1848, a casualty of re-lentless Apache raids. Be sureto explore the visitors center,with its museum, historical vid-eo, and gift shop. Fiesta admis-sion is free. Information: (520)398-2341.