By Ameema Ahmed | Photograph by John Burcham
Arizona Nabs 12 James Beard Nominations
When the James Beard Foundation announced its 2023 award semifinalists, several Arizona chefs and restaurants made the cut. Among them were:  Outstanding Chef, Silvana Salcida Esparza, Barrio Cafe,…
Photographs: Arizona Historical Society
Dam Shame
On a cloudless August morning, the Hassayampa River Preserve’s namesake waterway runs crystal clear along its sandy course while summer tanagers, warblers and indigo buntings chatter in the lush…
Photograph by Caitlin O'Hara
Where the Wind Lives
It felt longer than it was, the canyon. The way it curved and climbed and dropped again. The shadows. The light. The sky. Out of and under and through the present, into the past and back again. …
Photograph: Arizona Historical Society
An Ace in the Crowd
If you were to make a film about pioneering Arizona aviator Ruth Reinhold, the movie would open somewhere high over the Mogollon Rim south of Winslow. It’s March 1949, and Reinhold is behind the…
Photograph: Spragge Family Collection
Family History
Chiricahua National Monument is known for its rhyolite hoodoos, stone pillars carved by natural processes over thousands of years. But just northwest of the monument’s visitors center are two stone…
Photograph courtesy of Jeremy Rowe
A Trip Down Memory Lanes
Arizona's climate has made many outdoor sports popular over the state’s history. Some, such as baseball, are still popular; others, such as cricket and rugby, appeal primarily to niche audiences in…
Photograph by Bill Steen
Great Balls of Fire
Chiltepin peppers are tiny things. Almost cute. They’re invariably described as “pea-sized,” but they appear even smaller than that. Shining in the sun on a December afternoon and brightening their…
Photographs: Arizona Historical Society
Back at the Ranch
The Custer Trail Ranch in the Dakota badlands is where it all began. In 1879, that outfit was the first to use the term “dude ranch.” In Arizona, there’s no definitive answer on which came first, but…