MILEPOSTS/EVENTS

mileposts Join a Powwow, Tour a Missile Silo, Take a Sleigh to Dinner, Get a State Parks Pass FOR THE BIRDS

Personalized tours in southeastern Arizona's bird-watching mecca are the speciality of High Lonesome EcoTours of Sierra Vista. The oneto 10day treks for one to four persons include four-wheel-drive transportation, food, and the bird-identifying help of expert guides. Longer group tours also are available. To inquire, call (520) 458-9446.

MUNCHING MUTTON AT MONUMENT VALLEY

Anew restaurant in Monument Valley features traditional Navajo fare such as mutton stew and fry bread as well as sandwiches and other entrees. Haskeneini Restaurant,

Friends' Meeting

The annual meeting of the Friends of Arizona Highways Magazine Foundation will be held at 3 P.M., Monday, February 9 at the magazine, 2039 W. Lewis Ave., Phoenix, Arizona.

The Friends are volunteers who assist the magazine by conducting Photo Workshops and tours. Subscribers interested in becoming active with the Friends are invited to attend. For additional information, telephone (602) 271-5904.

which boasts a panoramic view of the famed sandstone spires, sits next to Monument Valley's Visitors Center.

RIDE THE RAILS IN LUXURY

Grand Canyon Railway, which takes passengers from Williams to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, added two cars that are sure to be a hit on the two-hour-plus rides. The “Coconino” offers comfy reclining chairs that allow passengers to face each other, and a dome and upper observation area provide excellent viewing. The “Chief” features first-class seating and an outdoor observation platform. On both cars, passengers may partake of a continental breakfast, afternoon munchies, and champagne. Tickets range from $19.50 to $114. To inquire or make reservations, call toll-free (800) 843-8724 or (520) 7731977.

SLEIGH BELLS RING

“Dashing through the snow” some five miles and 100 years from Flagstaff takes on new meaning when horsedrawn sleighs from the Hitchin' Post Stables carry hot chocolate-sipping passengers into the frosty air for a dinner ride to an 1880s' cook camp. The sleigh glides along on runners if there's white stuff on the ground; on wheels if there isn't. Even before noses get chilled, the sleigh arrives at the camp where steak (or chicken or veggie) dinners await in warm tents, and cowboys tune up for a singalong. Then with smiles and full tummies, everyone bundles up for the return trip with sleigh bells jingling through the moonlit night.

Dinner rides are $40 per person; daytime rides without a meal are $15. For information and reservations, call the stables at (520) 774-1719. — Priscilla Whitaker

TOMBSTONE AFICIONADOS TAKE NOTE

The history of a man, a community, and early-day prospecting has been enriched by the discovery of Edward Schieffelin's memories. The founder of Tombstone, Schieffelin, lets it all hang out in this century-old document, Destination Tombstone, recounting his adventures in the West, the beginning of the mining boom in Arizona Territory, and how he unearthed his own “Tombstone.” Schieffelin graphically documented the hazards and fears of the lonely prospector and the struggle to survive in a hostile environment. Included are his flight to avoid marauding Indians and running the rapids of the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon.

Check your favorite bookstore for the $14.95, 134-page book, or contact the publisher, Royal Spectrum Publishing, Inc., 2562 E. Evergreen, Mesa, AZ 85213; (602) 969-1591. — Richard G. Stahl

TOUR THE ART WORLD

If art, architecture, and food top your list of things-tosee-and-do, check out Painted Desert Productions, a Scottsdale company that offers tours to statewide galleries, artists' studios, museums, and homes designed by notable architects. Set and custom tours are available. For information, call (602) 991-1442 or fax (602) 9910243.

PASS THE ACORN STEW

It may be that the only restaurant in Arizona where you can order acorn stew — a favorite Apache meal — is the restaurant in the Apache Gold Casino on the San Carlos Apache Reservation, some 110 miles northeast of Phoenix.

Historically, the Apaches were a nomadic people who lived by hunting wild game and gathering wild nuts and grains. Acorn stew is a remnant of that tradition. Nowadays Apaches drive long distances — to Oracle and the Sierra Vista area, for example — to gather acorns for this delicacy.

Acorn stew is much like any other stew except that instead of using something like beef bouillon for a base, the Apaches grind acorns into a flour, dissolve that in water (some make it into a paste), and add it to a stockpot with vegetables and beef. The result is a filling meal with a woodsy, outdoor flavor. Apache acquaintances told me the stew they make at home is "more robust" than what I had at the casino restaurant, but give it a try the next time you're at San Carlos you can always jazz it up with pepper if you like stronger flavors. Sam Negri

STARRING OUR STATE BALLADEER

Dolan Ellis, who for three decades has been Arizona's Official State Balladeer, is the artist-in-residence at the recently opened Arizona Folklore Preserve just below Sierra Vista in Ramsey Canyon (it's within walking distance of The Nature Conservancy's hummingbird preserve). Ellis, one of the founders of the 1960s' New Christy Minstrels, treats audiences to his Arizona ballads, 12-string guitar playing, cowboy poetry, frontier tales, and talks on Arizona history. The folklore center's small theater and bookstore are open only on weekends, and reservations are a must. Admission is free, but donations are accepted. For more information and reservations, write or call the center at 44 Ramsey Canyon Road, Hereford, AZ 85615; (520) 378-6165.

Limited Annual Arizona State Park Permits, good for family day-use at all 25 state parks (except Colorado River Parks on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and state holidays), cost $35 and offer a year's worth of hiking, picnicking, camping, fishing, horseback riding, stargazing, and interpretive environmental programs. A $65 Unlimited Annual Permit is good for day-use at any park at any time. The permits can be obtained from any state park, or mail a check and self-addressed legal-size stamped envelope to Arizona State Parks, 1300 W. Washington, Phoenix, AZ 85007; (602) 542-4174.

A YEAR'S WORTH OF OUTDOOR FUN EVENTS Indian Powwow

January 2-4; Tucson This year's Indian America New Year's Competition Pow Wow & Indian Craft Market at Rillito Raceway Park features traditional dances, Indian village tours, storytelling, crafts booths, and authentic Native American foods. Even getting to the site is planned to please: Horse-drawn shuttles pick up folks at the parking lot for an old-fashioned ride to all the fun. Bring your folding chair and "plenty of film!" Admission is $7 per day, per person; free, age six and under. Information: (520) 622-4900.

Indian Ruin Tour

January 3; Tucson Archaeology buffs can join a two-hour guided tour of an ancient ruin on the outskirts of Tucson in an undeveloped desert setting. The Hohokam Sabino Canyon ruin dates from A.D. 1000-1350. The tour, offered by Old Pueblo Archaeology Center, involves walking about three-fourths of a mile on mostly flat terrain. Participants also will view artifacts excavated from the ruin and hear an archaeological interpretation of life in the canyon 800 years ago. Reservations are required. Admission is $10, adults; $2, children; free, under age six. Information: (520) 798-1201.

Fiddlers Jamboree

January 9-11; Casa Grande Fiddle music is just one of the attractions of the 12th Desert

LAKE POWELL IN WINTER HIGHLIGHTS FRIENDS' TRIP

A specially arranged convoy of powerboats and houseboats will await amateur photo enthusiasts who join the Friends of Arizona Highways to ply the waters of magnificent Lake Powell from February 16-20. A popular water-recreation mecca in summer, Lake Powell becomes an exotic world of quiet in winter, just waiting for Photo Workshop participants to explore at their leisure. Scheduled stops on the tour include Padre Bay, Pool Canyon, and Rainbow Bridge, the largest natural rock span in the world.

For a complete schedule of trips, write the Friends of Arizona Highways at P.O. Box 6106, Phoenix, AZ 85005-6106; or call (602) 271-5904.

Here are the Photo Workshop dates for February through August:

Photo Workshops

Valley Musicians Fiddlers Jamboree, Old Country Store Arts and Crafts, and Car Show. As the name suggests, there will be lots more than a toetapping tunefest going on. There also will be an arts and crafts bazaar and food booths. In addition, you can see the Budweiser Clydesdales, 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. each day; and a car show will take place Saturday, noon to 4 P.M. RV camping is available. Admission is $1. Information: (520) 723-5242.

Missile Museum Open House

January 10; Sahuarita This 6 to 8 P.M. open house will allow visitors to see areas of the Titan II Missile Museum not normally open to the public, including the lower level of the deactivated (in 1982) silo where you can walk out under the missile. You'll also see the crew's quarters and the control center. The museum is 20 miles southeast of Tucson; take the Duval Mine Road (Exit No. 69) off Interstate 10, then head west for about three-quarters of a mile. Open house admission is $5 per person. Information: (520) 625-7736.

Information, including dates, fees, and activities, is subject to change; telephone to confirm before planning to attend events. For a free Arizona travel kit and a calendar of events, telephone the Arizona Office of Tourism toll-free at (888) 520-3444.