MILEPOSTS

Ride the Rails by Starlight, Shop for Antiques, Explore 'Living' Limestone Caverns RIDING THE NIGHT TRAIN

No guarantees, but a starlight train tour along the Verde River just might turn up red foxes, mule deer, javelinas, bobcats, or other nocturnal wildlife. Maybe even a great horned owl.

The Verde Canyon Railroad's starlight rides coincide with the full moon, which casts a ghostly glow across the cottonwoods, willows, and cliffs along the meandering path of the river.

The four-hour starlight excursions depart the station in Clarkdale on July 24, 31, August 28, September 25, and October 23 between 5 and 6 P.M.

The remarkable view of the sun setting against the backdrop of towering red rock pinnacles sets the romantic atmosphere of the adventure. Two hours after its departure, the train rumbles into Perkinsville, before switching engines and returning to Clarkdale.

For more information and required reservations, call toll-free (800) 293-RAIL.

THE SELLING OF KOKOPELLI

Many books have been written about Kokopelli, the Southwestern rock-art character who is simultaneously everywhere and unexplained. But even as the authors of these books attempt to cut through the confusion about the ancient figure, they ignore the most modern development in his history: the American consumers' obsession with him.

In his new book Cuckoo for Kokopelli, author Dave Walker presents a respectful analysis of who Kokopelli really is. But that's just one aspect of this book. As readers flip through it, the 40 color photographs make the fun — and the ridiculousness — of American consumerism hard to deny.

Petroglyphs, Hopi jewelry, and kachina dolls give way to a tattoo, a Zippo lighter, a doormat, a golf ball, wine glasses, and a street sign. All featuring Kokopelli.

Who is he? He's a trader. A trickster.

A fertility figure. Or an insect. Or an alien. A living spirit of nature, an intermediary between man and heaven.

And he's got cash registers ringing everywhere.

Cuckoo for Kokopelli (64 pages; $7.95) is available at your favorite bookstore or directly from Northland Publishing, P.O. Box 1389, Flagstaff, AZ 860021389; toll-free (800) 346-3257.

HIKING THROUGH HISTORY

Fort Bowie, a southern Arizona military outpost established to battle the Apaches, today makes a great hiking destination. The easy 1.5-mile stroll that winds its way to the National Historic Site is a journey through the past.

First stop, the old Butterfield Stage Station, through a canyon where Cochise and his band tried to ambush a cavalry unit, then Apache Springs, the only reliable water hole in the area.

Next you come to the site of the first fort, then the adobe remains of the second fort.

The 12-mile gravel road to the trailhead for the hike leaves Interstate 10 at the town of Bowie. The site is open daily from 8 A.M. to 5 P.M. Admission is free. For more information and handicapped-access directions, call the National Park Service at (520) 847-2500.

BUYING A PIECE OF THE PAST

Vintage glassware sits on kitchen shelves, quilts warm an old bed, and an assortment of classics adorn the bookshelves in Orchard Antiques, just one in a string of a dozen or so antique stores sprinkled along State Route 260 as it runs between Show Low and Springerville.

The stores carry everything from vintage clothing and antique glassware to books, quilts, collectibles, estate jewelry, and furniture.

The area also includes museums, historical sites, gourmet restaurants, 180 miles of loop hiking trails, and plenty of overnight accommodations.

For more information and locations of the antique shops, call the Pinetop-Lakeside Chamber of Commerce at (520) 3674290.

FLOATING LUNA LAKE

Anglers and bird-watchers alike can enjoy a cool respite on the banks of Luna Lake, located five miles east of Alpine in eastern Arizona. Set in the White Mountains at 8,064 feet, 75-acre Luna Lake is home to a variety of ducks, herons, water birds, and even a pair of bald eagles, which have nested on the shores of the lake for the past several summers. Anglers pull trout out of the lake in all seasons, including winter, when hardy ice fishermen show up.

The lake's amenities include a boat launch, boat rentals, a small bait shop, and general store. Campgrounds are open from mid-May to mid-September. For more information, call the Alpine Ranger District, (520) 339-4384.

YOUNG-AREA FISHING

For prime outdoor recreational opportunities, including trout fishing, hiking, camping, and wildlife watching, don't overlook the numerous creeks and campgrounds near Young, 60 miles southeast of Payson.

The hamlet, itself, offers a laid-back atmosphere flavored with the area's history. In the late 1800s, the sheep-herding Tewksbury clan waged a long bloody feud with the cattleraising Grahams. The trouble started with the murder of a Navajo sheepherder, continued for five years, and resulted in at least 30 deaths.

For more recreation information, call the Pleasant Valley Ranger District at (520) 4624300.

NEW STATE PARK TAKING RESERVATIONS

Kartchner Caverns State Park isn't scheduled to open until November, 1999, but it's not too early to start thinking about making reservations. To preserve this natural wonder, the number of visitors allowed into the world-renowned caverns in southeastern Arizona will be limited. Kartchner Caverns State Park encompasses an underground wonderland of colorful limestone columns, shields, stalactites, and stalagmites, including "birdsnest" needle quartz, the longestmeasured soda straw in the United States, and a 58-foot "Kubla Khan" column. Kartchner Caverns State Park, located 10 miles south of Benson, will include five miles of hiking trails and a handicapped-accessible loop trail, a 63-space campground, a picnic area, and on-site interpretive programs. The 23,000square-foot "Discovery Center" will display interactive exhibits featuring cave exploration, types of cave features, and the cave-tour experience. For fees and other information and to make reservations, call (602) 542-4174.

NAVIGATE THE NATIONAL PARKS

Before heading to any of Arizona's national parks, travelers might want to take a look at the corresponding National Park Digital Guide on CDROM by Maptech. The electronic guidebooks for Grand Canyon National Park, Petrified Forest National Park, and Saguaro National Park lead you through the parks' activities, attractions, camping, and other services, even some things outside the parks such as restaurants and lodging. Official park maps and several scales of USGS topographic maps help travelers plot trails, measure distance, and print customized maps to take on hikes. Each map is geo-referenced and can be used in conjunction with a GPS unit. The National Park Digital Guide is available for all 54 national parks, and can be purchased individually for $29.50 or in regional sets for $69.50. Call toll-free (800) 627-7236.YJuly 31, August 1, 7-8; Willcox Apple Annie's Orchard may be known for its bountiful crops of apples, but the farm also produces an impressive harvest of peaches. This festival opens each day with an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast complete with fresh peach topping and sizzling sausage links. The gift shop on the orchard grounds will offer free samples of peach products such as peach salsa, peach preserves, and peach butter. Lunch during the festival features an apple-smoked hamburger or ostrichburger, a beverage, chips, and cowboy beans. The pancake breakfast costs $3.95 for adults and $1.95 for children; lunch is $4.95 for adults and $3 for children. There is an additional fee of $2 for the ostrichburgers. Admission and parking are free. Information: toll-free (800) 840-2084.

EVENTS Peach Mania Festival Photo Workshops NAVAJO FAIR, CANYON DE CHELLY HIGHLIGHT PHOTO WORKSHOP TOURS

Next month the Friends of Arizona Highways will offer participants the choice of photographing either the vibrant present or the ghostly past of Native Americans. "Spirits of the Navajo," September 10 to 14, will focus on the colorful Navajo Nation Fair. Hundreds of traditionally dressed powwow dancers and heart-stopping action at the All-Indian Rodeo will keep participants' shutters clicking alongside Navajo photographer LeRoy DeJolie. "Footprints of the Anasazi," led by Jerry Sieve from September 23 to 29, will explore dramatically different sites abandoned long ago by the ancient ones. Cliffside caves, sunken kivas, and massive pueblos highlight this tour of Canyon de Chelly, Mesa Verde, and Chaco Canyon. For more information about these trips and a complete schedule of Photo Workshops, contact the Friends of Arizona Highways, P.O. Box 6106, Phoenix, AZ 85005-6106; (602) 271-5904 or toll-free (888) 790-7042. Here are other Photo Workshop dates through November: Oct. 03-08: The High Plateaus 1: Zion, Bryce, and the North Rim. Oct. 07-11: Oct. 09-14: Autumn Images of Lake Powell. The High Plateaus 2: Lake Powell, Grand Canyon, and Sedona. Oct. 31-Nov. 04: Secrets of Navajo Land.

Eagar Daze

August 6-7; Eagar Beat the heat in the cool country of eastern Arizona at the 14th annual Eagar Daze celebration. An ice-cream social, a mud-mania event for kids, and a logging competition highlight the family-oriented fun. On Saturday a pancake breakfast starts the actionpacked day ($3 for adults and $2 for children). A triathlon, a horseshoe-throwing competition, and a watermelon-eating contest also are planned, along with an old-fashioned street dance. Admission is free. The free ice-cream social begins at 6 P.M. on Friday night. Saturday's events begin at 7 A.M. Information: (520) 333-1639.

Flagstaff SummerFest

August 6-8; Flagstaff Shaded by the pines in Coconino County Park at Fort Tuthill, this juried fine arts festival features the works of more than 200 artists from across the country. Continuous live musical entertainment, an array of foods, and hands-on activities for children complete the family-geared festivities.

Admission is $5, adults; free, under 12. Call for hours and directions. Information: (480) 968-5353; or toll-free (888) ART-FEST.

DeGrazia Retrospective

August 21-November 7; Prescott One hundred pieces of Ted DeGrazia's work, on loan from the DeGrazia Foundation in Tucson, will be displayed at the Phippen Museum. Along with DeGrazia's well-known paintings of the Southwest, his jewelry and Christmas ornaments will fill the museum's main gallery. The retrospective opens with a collection of 17 films featuring the life and work of the famed Arizona artist.

John Reyes, director of the DeGrazia Gallery in Tucson, will lead a walking tour of the exhibit on Saturday, August 21. Admission is $3, adults; $2, senior; $1, students; free, under 12. Information: (520) 7781385.

Birding Festival

August 18-21; Sierra Vista Bird-watchers from all over will converge on Sierra Vista for four days of wildlife watching, workshops, educational exhibits, lectures, and field trips led by experienced naturalists. The Southwest Wings Birding Festival will be held at the Windmere Hotel. A $5 donation is requested for admittance; fees for workshops and field trips vary. Information: (520) 378-0233; or toll-free (800) 946-4777.