MILEPOSTS/EVENTS

Enjoy a Farm Picnic, See Cowboy Art, Stay at a Birder's B&B, Celebrate Fall EVERYTHING'S DUCKY AT THE FARM

The Farm at South Mountain serves up a helping of history along with such temptations as fresh-baked scones in the morning, grilled turkey sandwiches for lunch, and irresistible pecan pie anytime. The Farm, an organic farm-restaurant, sits on a historic piece of ground at 6106 S. 32nd St., minutes from downtown Phoenix. In the 1920s, the land thereabouts was owned by Dwight Heard, a benefactor of The Heard Museum. Nearly a half century ago, Heard sold a parcel to a retired cattleman who planted the pecan trees that shelter the bucolic restaurant's picnic tables. Besides the opportunity to enjoy a country picnic without leaving the city, The Farm features other attractions, including visiting with the resident ducks, wandering around the vegetable and flower fields, browsing in The Herb Shop, and gourmet cooking classes. Visitors also can shop at The Garden Market for pickedthat-day vegetables, herbs, and flowers (Saturday, 9 A.M. to 2 P.M.). The Farm's open Tuesday through Sunday, 8 A.M. to 4 P.M. For more information, call (602) 276-6360.

TRAIL GUIDES AVAILABLE

Four State Trail Guides that cover more than 5,000 miles of trails for hikers, bikers, horse-back riders, and other outdoor recreationists are available from the Arizona State Parks Department for $8 to $12 each or $35 for the complete set. Each of the regional guides offers detailed information about urban, recreation, interpretive, cross-state, and historic routes. Maps and descriptions of trail systems include outdoor-recreation tips, best times to go, and additional information sources. To inquire, call Arizona State Parks, (602) 5424174.

RAMSEY CANYON INN BED & BREAKFAST

Not only are guests of the Ramsey Canyon Inn B&B treated to full gourmet breakfasts and homemade fruit pie and other desserts in the afternoon, they also can take advantage of after-closing hours at the adjacent Ramsey Canyon Preserve. The 280-acre preserve, a world-famous birding mecca, is located 80 miles southeast of Tucson and 15 minutes from Sierra Vista. It is open to visitors daily from 8 A.M. to 5 P.M., but extended evening hours are available to B&B guests. The inn, now operated by the Arizona Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, features six rooms, each with a private bath ($105 to $125 per couple per night). Accommodations also are available in two detached housekeeping apartments ($125 per couple per night; $135 for three or four guests). There's no meal service in the apartments. For more information and to obtain a brochure, write to 31 Ramsey Canyon Road, Hereford, AZ 85615; or call (520) 378-3010.

FOLLOWING THE SCENIC OLD WEST HIGHWAY

Arizona's 203-mile Old West Highway takes travelers through scenic country filled with history and legend. The road, which encompasses parts of U.S. Routes 60 and 70, stretches eastward from Apache Junc-tion to Lordsburg, New Mexico. Along the way, it passes ghost towns and Indian ruins and snakes through canyon country and peaceful flatlands extending as far as the imagination can see. For information about the route and its attractions, contact the Greater Globe-Miami Chamber of Commerce tollfree at (800) 804-5623, or (520) 425-4495.

FOUR-WHEELING FUN

If you'd like to explore Arizona's backcountry but don't have access to a four-wheel-drive vehicle —or would preferto be a passenger even if you do-check out Howard Nixon and his Casa Grande-based company, Western Excursions. Nixon and his drivers, who are all police officers and firefighters trained to handle medical emergencies, load folks into four-wheeldrive Suburbans and take them out into remote areas of the Superstition Mountains, Martinez Canyon, Box Canyon on the Gila River, and the Sawtooth Mountains. Besides the scenery and adventure, guests also are treated to a steak or chicken dinner cooked over an open fire. The company specializes in trips geared to seniors. For more information, contact Western Excursions, P.O. Box 11631, Casa Grande, AZ 852301631; (520) 421-9414. - Janet Farnsworth

DAVID MUENCH'S DESERTSCAPES

America's deserts lead a life of mystery that few of us ever discover. Hampered by stereotypes of parched desolation and heatsoaked emptiness, we miss the pure colors and rich textures of these bypassed wildernesses. Now we can savor their hidden beauty in David Muench's Eternal Desert ($39.95, 144 pages, hardcover). Muench's glowing color photographs reveal the sometimes surprisingly lush landscapes of the Southwest's own living deserts. An opening essay by Frank Waters and classic excerpts from John C. Van Dyke's The Desert combine for an enjoyable read, making this coffee table book more than just a visual excursion. To order: Call toll-free (800) 543-5432. If in the Phoenix area or outside the United States, call (602) 258-1000. Shipping and handling charges will vary, depending on your order's total. Special offer: When ordering, mention this code - AHΜΑ8SPAD and you'll receive a free laminated Arizona road map, 36 inches by 24 inches, as our gift ($4.50 value).

PAM'S EXPANSION PAYS OFF

For those who wondered what all the fuss was about when the Phoenix Art Museum doubled in size, the answer arrives this month: “Splendors of Ancient Egypt,” the kind of exhibit the expanded museum can now accommodate.

The exhibition, scheduled for October 4 through March 28, 1999, is the largest collection of ancient Egyptian treasures to tour the U.S., and it will not be shown anywhere else in the Southwest.

The 225-piece collection encompasses exhibits from the famed collections of the Roemer-Pelizaeus Museum in Hildesheim, Germany. Highlights include the 4,500-year-old one-half-ton tomb statue of Hem-iunu, an alabaster head of the Pharaoh Chephren, and artifacts from Ramesses II, as well as an 18foot-long papyrus scroll of the “Book of the Dead,” mummy cases, wall carvings, ceramics, and jewelry made of gold, lapis lazuli, and turquoise.

Tickets cost $10 with $3 for an audiotape and are available through Dillard's Box Office, (602) 503-5555, and the museum, (602) 257-1880.

EVENTS Air Affaire

October 2-3; Page An air show with exciting aviation maneuvers, military static displays, demonstrations by the Navy Leapfrog Parachute team, hot air balloons, jets, and helicopters will highlight this 12th annual event. Fly-ins are welcome. The gates will open for the Friday, October 2 evening show at 4 P.M.; for the Saturday, October 3 day show, at 9 A.M. While you're in Page, don't miss the chance to visit LakePowell and Glen Canyon Dam, with its impressive visitor center and overlook. Event Information: (520) 645-9373.

Fall Festival

October 10-11; Patagonia Celebrate fall in Patagonia's lovely town park where more than 100 juried artists and craftsmen will display their wares. Plus enjoy great food and musical entertainment including bluegrass, Western, folk, Latin, jazz, mariachi, and rock n' roll. They'll have stuff for the kids, too, including stagecoach and pony rides. Stay for the barbecue and other Western events on Saturday night; all other events happen both days, 10 A.M. to 5 P.M. Admission is free. While you are in the area, spend some time at nearby Patagonia Lake State Park, which offers camping, fishing, swimming, boating, and the chance to picnic in the lee of Mount Wrightson and the Santa Rita Mountains. Information: (520) 394-0060, or toll-free (888) 794-0060.

Butterfield Overland Stage Days

October 10-11; Benson Grab your letters and go to Lions Park to get your special Butterfield Overland Mail stamp and see your parcels packed off Old West-style. There'll also be food, old-fashioned games, dancing, arts and crafts, stage rides, trolley tours, a vintage car show, parade, chili cook-off, and much more. Sunday morning a preacher will ride into the park on horseback with his prayer

Workshops FRIENDS 1999 PHOTO WORKSHOPS ANNOUNCED

The Friends of Arizona Highways Photo Workshops, featuring personalized professional picture-taking instruction and carefully selected scenic locations, take participants throughout the state. The fine photographers who contribute their photos to the magazine lead the workshops, which vary in length from two to seven days and can be combined back-to-back to create longer photo vacations.

Next year's workshops will take participants past sculptured sandstone formations into the Grand Canyon, across Indian country where volcanic monoliths and gnomelike hoodoos hoard ancient petroglyphs, into the pristine Sonoran Desert where giant saguaros stand against the rocky face of the Superstition Mountains, and to the visual treasures hidden in the ghost towns and ruins of Arizona's diverse palette.

For more information, write the Friends of Arizona Highways, P.O. Box 6106, Phoenix, AZ 85005-6106; or call (602) 271-5904.

Here are Photo Workshop dates through May, 1999: Jan. 23-27 Yuma River/Birds and Sand Dunes. Feb. 13-27 Lake Powell in the Winter. Feb. 19-23 Monument Valley/Canyon de Chelly. Mar. 20-25 Sonoran Desert Delight. Apr. 10-15 Chiricahua Mountains. Apr. 17-22 Bird Photography in Southern Arizona. Apr. 19-23 Southern Arizona Photo Sampler. May 01-04 Horse Drive. May 16-19 Slot Canyons. May 21-27 Grand Canyon River Rafting. May 29-June 1 Slot Canyons.

To book and deliver a service just like the good ol' days. Information: (520) 586-2842.

London Bridge Squares

October 23-24; Lake Havasu City Rounds and Squares, it's time once again to dance under the world-famous London Bridge. Workshops and dancing in Lake Havasu City also are part of the fun, so don't miss your chance to participate or just watch the merriment. Entry fees range from $9.25 to $35 (preregistration prices). Watching's free. Refreshments will be available. Information: (520) 453-8412.

Cowboy Artists Exhibit

October 23-November 22; Phoenix The 33rd Annual Cowboy Artists of America exhibit at the Phoenix Art Museum will feature the works of 27 active CAA members as well as several distinguished emeritus members. All the works were created specially for this exhibition and include sculpture, oils, water solubles, and drawings. The exhibit is open to the public and included in the museum admission price, $2 to $6; Thursdays, free. For exhibition information, call (602) 257-1222; sale information, (602) 252-8382.