Mileposts/Events

MILEPOSTS Hike to Fall Color • Camp Out with a View Hear Jazz on the Rocks • Go to a Navajo Fair VIEW CAMPING WITH A PLUS

Mitten View Campground. The name tells campers they'll have a picture-perfect view of The Mittens, one of the most recognizable of the sandstone formations in Monument Valley, a sandstone wonderland made famous in Hollywood Westerns.

But there's more: The 99unit campground also offers celestial performances that can only be described as breathtaking. Way out here away from city lights, sunsets and sunrises empty nature's color palette, and in between the black sky fills with stars, countless millions of them, creating a stunning light show.

Mitten View Campground is open year-round and offers safe water, waste disposal, showers, and rest rooms. For more information, contact Navajo Tribal Parks, P.O. Box 308, Window Rock, AZ 86515; (520) 871-6645.Y

MOUNTAIN VIEWS AND LOST GOLD

If you're driving between Phoenix and Payson on State Route 87, watch for Milepost 202 and the Desert Vista rest stop, where you can not only relax and savor the scenery but also take a hike and dream about lost riches.

Interpretive signs describe the plant life along the short trail, and there's a fine view of Four Peaks in the Mazatzals to the east. To the southeast, you can see the tall spire called Weavers Needle, which - legend says-casts its shadow on the entrance to the fabled Lost Dutchman Mine.

A WINDOW ON APACHE CULTURE

Apache violins, beadwork, carved dolls, and the works of Native American artists such as Phillip Titla, Chuck Preston, and Douglas D. Miles are some of the attractions at the San Carlos Apache Cultural Center, located on U.S. 70 about 20 miles east of Globe at Milepost 272.

The center tells about the life and history of the Apaches from their perspective, using a variety of displays, demonstrations, and exhibits, including a life-size diorama of the Changing Woman Ceremony. There's also a gift shop.

Center hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. Admission is $1 to $3; free, under age 12. For more information, contact the Greater Globe-Miami Chamber of Commerce toll-free at (800) 804-5623; or call the center at (520) 4752894.

COME ON INN

Much like the old mining town itself, The Inn at Jerome offers a peek into the past.

The inn, which clings to Cleopatra Hill and dates to 1899, has been restored to the style of its Victorian heyday with each of its eight antique-filled guest rooms boasting its own vintage personality. The Lariat and Lace Room, for example, features a step-up four-poster bed and cowboy memorabilia; the Little Daisy (named for Jerome's famous mine) has three windows offering picture views of the Verde Valley all the way to the mountain peaks of Flagstaff; and the Spooks, Ghosts and Goblins Room promises what else? a haunting overnight stay. For more information, contact them at 309 Main St., P.O. Box 901, Jerome, AZ 86331; toll-free (800) 6345094.

TWO-BIT TOUR PAYS OFF BIG IN FALL COLOR

A refundable 25-cent deposit gets visitors a trail guide to a little-known hike at the Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff. Foliage along the trail is especially impressive in early to mid-October when the aspens, cotton-woods, and willows turn golden, and the Gambel oaks are suffused with orange. The easy-going half-mile trail wanders through lush trees, over plank bridges, andaround immense blocks of basalt. Signs explain how Indians used the area's plants as food and medicine and for natural dyes. They also offer some fun for the kids, who might wonder, for example, about those tiny twigs on the ground, nibbled bare of bark (they're leftovers from a squirrel's lunch).

Hikes are available during museum hours: daily except major holidays, 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. If you want to tour the museum, admission is $2 to $5. For more information, call (520) 774-5213. - Priscilla Whitaker

A NATURE PRESERVE TIMES TWO

The Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve, a riparian oasis that follows a 1.5-mile stretch of Sonoita Creek in southern Arizona and attracts 30,000 visitors a year, has doubled in size. For nature lovers, this means twice as many opportunities to explore the wonders of the area, including 275 species of birds and nature trails that wander beneath the canopies of giant cottonwood trees.

In the bigger picture, the increased acreage impacts significantly on efforts of the Arizona Chapter of The Nature Conservancy by connecting the preserve to Coronado National Forest land in the Santa Rita Mountains, securing a wildlife corridor between the Santa Ritas and Sonoita Creek, and helping to protect groundwater sources. Self-guided walks are available in the original preserve, but access to the new section is by guided walks only. There is a new visitors center with interpretive murals. For more information, call (520) 3942400.

EVENTS West's Best Rodeo

September 12-13; Winslow Friday evening and Saturday matinee and evening shows highlight this open rodeo with all the usual cowboy vs. critter attractions plus the lure of the area itself. Winslow, one of the "grand old railroad towns" of the West, is the jumping-off point for some of the best sight-seeing around: the Hopi and Navajo reservations sprawl to the north, the Mogollon Rim country beckons to the south, and just a few miles to the west, is Meteor Crater, a 570-foot-deep message sent from outer space some 22,000 years ago. Rodeo admission is $2 to $4. Information: (520) 289-2434.

Navajo County Fair

September 17-20; Holbrook In addition to a carnival, live entertainment, a 4-H competition, and arts and crafts booths, this annual fair offers two rodeos, one the Little Buckaroo Rodeo especially for knee-high cowboys and cowgirls. Be sure to take a look around Holbrook, keeping in mind that this onetime wild and woolly town is where a sheriff once got into big trouble with the president of the United States over some less-than-dignified printed invitations to a neck-stretching. Fair admission is $1 to $3. Information: (520) 524-6407.

National Indian Days

September 19-21; Parker A mecca for retirees and water-recreationists, this town along the Colorado River attracts even more attention with its annual events, including this one featuring Native American powwows, parades, traditional Indian foods, and arts and crafts. Admission is $3. If you have time, check out the scenic charms of the 11-milelong "Parker Strip," which begins a couple miles north of town and extends to Parker Dam. Event information: (520) 669-1335.

Fall Festival

September 26-28; Pinetop-Lakeside The name Pinetop-Lakeside pretty much describes the countryside hereabouts, a year-round recreation mecca dotted with pine trees and pretty lakes. But this 23rd annual event's just one more inducement to make the trip from less verdant surroundings. The largest outdoor event in the area, says the local chamber, the festival features a parade, car show, antique show, 10-K race, arts and crafts shows, chorale musical performances, and a kiddie play area. Admission is free. Information: (520) 367-4290.

Jazz on the Rocks

September 27; Sedona Lean back in your lawn chair or spread out on your blanket and listen to the sweet sounds of jazz at this internationally known festival held outdoors among the red rock formations that Sedona is known for. This year's lineup includes Terrence Blanchard, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Fattburger. Festival tickets are $40. After feeding your soul through your ears, give your eyes a treat by checking out the stunning vistas along Oak Creek, and check with the local chamber on area attractions, such as Red Rock State Park. Festival information: (520) 282-1985.

Photo Workshops PHOTOGRAPHING SUNRISES AND SUNSETS

As a fine brush is to a painter, sunrise and sunset are to the outdoor photographer. Using golden dawns and rosy dusks to their best advantage will be among the photography techniques examined in two fall Photo Sampler Workshops sponsored by the Friends of Arizona Highways. Northern Arizona, including the Grand Canyon and Lake Powell, will be the focus of the October 27-31 workshop; southern Arizona, including Mission San Xavier del Bac and Bisbee, will be featured in the November 11-15 workshop.

For information on these tours and a complete schedule, contact the Friends at 2039 W. Lewis Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85009; (602) 271-5904.

Here are the Photo Workshop dates through November.

Old-time Fiddlers Contest

September 27-28; Payson Zane Grey country's the setting for the 27th Annual State Championship Old-time Fiddlers Contest. The hallmark of this tunefest is its dedication to preserving old-time fiddle music no contemporary allowed. Organizers say some of the best fiddlers around will render toe-tapping tunes, including country and bluegrass music. There'll also be cowboy poets and storytellers, children's music workshops, and crafts. Stand by at high noon each day because that's when they do the 21-fiddle salute, and don't miss the gospel fiddle music, Sunday at 10 A.M. Admission is $2 to $3. Information: toll-free (800) 672-9766.