MILEPOSTS

Take Your Turkey on Vacation, Search for More Condors, Party with Pigs and Pumpkins ONE MAN'S PIECE OF PARADISE IN OLD YUMA

The terraced patio of Yuma's Garden Cafe offers a glimpse into a part of the town's early history that most people never dreamed existed.

Around the turn of the century, Yuma was known mostly for its sand dunes, heat, and the Territorial prison, home to some of the toughest Old West outlaws.

But a prominent local businessman named E.F. Sanguinetti managed to transform his little corner of that harsh place into the oasis that would become the Garden Cafe.

In his backyard, Sanguinetti planted a lush garden like one you might find at an Italian villa. And amid the purple bougainvillea, willowy bamboo, fragrant orange trees, and languorous palms, he installed aviaries to house his pet doves and cockatiels.

Today the Garden Cafe looks much as it did in Sanguinetti's time, right down to a new generation of birds filling the air with their song. To really appreciate the stark contrast Sanguinetti's oasis offered, stop by the cafe after a tour of the infamous prison, now a state park.

The Garden Cafe, 250 S. Madison Ave., is open daily except Monday, and serves breakfast and lunch. For more information, call (520) 783-1491. Sam Negri

TAKE A LOOP DRIVE

A 66-mile-long loop drive on a gravel road suitable for passenger cars leads to some of the most dramatic scenery in the Blue Range Primitive Area, a rugged wilderness that sprawls along the Arizona-New Mexico border in prime wildlife habitat.

Blue River Road (Forest Service Road 281) begins and ends near the tiny town of Alpine and follows its namesake river for miles. Drivers not distracted by the sweeping panoramas, craggy hills, and canyons might see elk, black bears, mountain lions, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, or javelinas. Those who want to linger a while can overnight in Alpine or set up tents in a Forest Service campground.

For directions, weather information, and road conditions, call the Alpine Ranger

THE OLD AND THE NEW

The Arizona State Museum, the oldest and largest anthropological museum in the Southwest, houses more than potshards. Displays such as the permanent interactive exhibit "Paths of Life," which explores the origins, histories, and modern lives of 10 Indian communities in the Southwest, keep the Tucson museum on the cutting edge.

The nationally recognized museum, located on the campus of The University of Arizona, holds hundreds of thousands of artifacts from the prehistoric Hohokam, Mogollon, and Anasazi cultures and more than 25,000 ethnographic objects documenting the lives of living native cultures from the American Southwest and northern Mexico.

Admission is free. For more information and museum hours, call (520) 621-6302.

HERE'S ANOTHER CHANCE TO SEE CONDORS

Those hoping to watch the endangered California condors in flight now have two locations to visit. Late last year, The Peregrine Fund released eight condors at a second Arizona location, Hurricane Cliffs, which is located 40 miles west of Fredonia. Six remain.

The reintroduction program began in late 1996 at the Vermilion Cliffs on BLM land. Three groups have been released there over the last several years, with 14 of the 20 birds still surviving.

"They're out there trying to figure it out on their own," said Jeff Humphrey, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service public outreach specialist. "These are actually exceptional results."

For information about recent condor sightings, call Arizona Department of Game and Fish Condor Project Coordinator Chris Parish, (520) 774-5045, ext. 235 or online at www.peregrine fund.org/vermil.html.

WALK ON THE WILD SIDE

Fall through winter offers prime bird-watching at the Hassayampa River Preserve, a wildlife-rich oasis that sprawls over 300 acres three miles east of Wickenburg. The preserve's forest of mesquite, cottonwood, and willow trees provides ideal habitat for some 227 bird species, including great blue herons, red-tailed hawks, and Gila woodpeckers.

Visitors can wander the preserve's easy riverside trails on their own, taking breaks at park-style benches located at prime vantage points, or join one of the guided walks (reservations required) offered the last Saturday of each month at 10 A.M.

The preserve's fall and winter hours are 8 A.M. to 5 P.M. Wednesday through Sunday. The Nature Conservancy requests a $5 donation. For more information, call (520) 684-2772.

REMEMBERING AUTHOR FRANK WATERS

Celebrating the Coyote recounts a woman's emotional journey out of the canyons of grief she spiraled into following the death of her gifted and spiritually powerful husband, author Frank Waters. (Called the "Grandfather of Southwestern Literature," Frank Waters was nominated five times for the Nobel Prize in literature.) In her book, Barbara Waters carries the reader through rich memories of her extraordinary marriage while beautifully portraying her solitary life and growing inner strength. This portrait painted in the shifting colors of personal healing also doubles as an illuminating and heartfelt companion to Frank Waters' final book, Of Time and Change.

Frank also authored Book of the Hopi, Masked Gods, The Man Who Killed the Deer, Mountain Dialogues, and 22 other books. His work often appeared in Arizona Highways magazine.

Celebrating the Coyote (320 pages; $16, paperback; $20, cloth) is available at your favorite bookstore or direct from MacMurray & Beck, 1490 Lafayette Street, Suite 108, Denver, CO 80218; toll-free (800) 774-3777. - Richard G. Stahl

SAIL WITH YOUR TURKEY

For a Thanksgiving you'll never forget, savor your bird on a boat plying the blue waters of Lake Powell. “Bird on a Boat,” a special Thanksgiving package deal, features a fully prepared Thanksgiving dinner (waiting to be warmed up) on a plush 59-foot houseboat.

The Admiral Class houseboats are appointed with a living room, four staterooms with double beds, two bathrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, a canopied top deck, CD sound system, television, and VCR.

For four days you can explore the second-largest manmade lake in America and its 1,960 miles of canyon-lined shore. Lake Powell in November offers great fishing and a less crowded waterscape than in the busy summer months.

The weekend getaway begins Thursday, November 25 at 8 A.M., after a lesson on piloting the yacht-style houseboat, with a return on Sunday, November 29 at 2 P.M. For more information, including cost, or to make reservations, call Lake Powell Resorts and Marinas toll-free at (800) 528-6154.

EVENTS Pumpkin and Chili Party

September 30 and October 1-2, 7-9, 14-16, 21-23, 28-30; Queen Creek One of the most unusual activities at this Schepf Farms event has to be “Hillbilly Bob's Pig Races,” not-too-serious contests in which 15 rare breeds of pigs race for Oreo cookies. Other diversions include a twoacre corn maze, live bluegrass and country music, melodrama theater, carousel rides, trickor-treating on Candy Lane, a spooky train ride, and scarecrow-making. The chili dinner comes complete with sarsaparilla and cornbread.

Admission to Schnepf Farms is $5; call for other charges and hours. Information: (480) 987-3333.

Folk Music Festival

October 2-3; Prescott “This festival is a kindred gathering of folk musicians from all over Arizona,” said Warren Miller, curator of education at the Sharlot Hall Museum.

More than 150 entertainers will perform during the 21st Annual Folk Music Festival, including instrumentalists, vocalists, and dancers. The museum, occupying a whole city block filled with historical buildings and exhibits, provides a distinctive background for the celebration. A Saturday evening dance, held off the museum grounds at the Prescott Activity Center, concludes the weekend's activities.

Admission to the festival is free; it's $4 for the dance. Hours for the activities at the museum are 10 A.M. to 5 P.M. both days and 7:30 to 11 P.M. for the dance. Information: (520) 4453122.

Fort Verde Days

October 8-10; Camp Verde The celebration of this historic town's past begins with a parade in which the Camp Verde Calvary, dressed in period costumes, escort the winner of the Colonel's Daughter contest, a young lady who has demonstrated her poise and horseback ability, down Main Street. The procession begins at 10 A.M. on Saturday, highlighting a weekend of 1800sstyle entertainment. Other activities include a carnival, a quilt and art show, and an outdoor dance to the tunes of country and western groups

Photo Workshops WANTED: PHOTOGRAPHERS, WRITERS, AND HIKERS

In the year 2000, celebrate the 75th anniversary of Arizona Highways by taking one of the Friends of Arizona Highways' popular photography workshops or backpacking adventures. Raft the incomparable Colorado River through the Grand Canyon; photograph fall at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, or spring in the Sonoran Desert; descend into the near-darkness of the slot canyons; or four-wheel it through Monument Valley and Canyon de Chelly. Special new workshops will combine photography with travel writing, and renowned Arizona Highways photographers David Muench, Jack Dykinga, and Gary Ladd will lead workshops to their favorite scenic locations.

For more information about next year's trips and a complete schedule, 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 Photo Workshop dates though November, 1999:

on Friday and Saturday night from 7 to 11 P.M.

Admission is free. Activities run from 8 A.M. to 5 P.M. Information: (520) 567-0535.

Indian Summer Round-up

October 9-10; Springerville Indian tribes from across the United States will compete in a national powwow to the beat of Zoti drums at the Second Annual Indian Summer Round-up and Native American Pow-Wow. Festivities at the Round Valley Dome also include arts and crafts, kids' activities, and food booths featuring Indian specialties such as fry bread.

Admission is $3 to $5. Activities run from 9 A.M. to 4 P.M. Saturday, and 9 A.M. to 2 P.M. Sunday. Information: (520) 333-2123.

Art-O-Mobilia

October 23; Surprise Start your engines and join Arizona Highways contributing photographer Gary Johnson for a roadside adventure at the West Valley Art Museum, just west of Phoenix. Autos from antique to unique will be displayed along with local artists' work depicting autos and roadside culture. The event also includes live entertainment, “roadside food,” kids' activities, lectures, and artist demonstrations.

Admission is $2, adults; free, under 12. Activities run from 10 A.M. to 4 P.M. Information: (623) 972-0635.