Lucas....Grassroots Art Capital of Kansas

Lucas is a farming community of about 450 people in central Kansas and it is so very Americana! A brochure got our attention about this unique little town so we decided to visit. We weren't disappointed.....such a fun time. As we made our approach to Lucas we found a very unusual welcome sign....the largest souvenir plate in the world.

...billed as the "largest souvenir plate in the world"...welcomes one to the town of Lucas.

Our first visit was to Brant's Meat Market which has been operating in the same small store since 1922. We were waited on by Donald Brant, a 3rd generation family member, who owns and operates the store. He gave us samples of everything we wanted to taste. They make much of their own meat and use their own Czech recipe for their homemade bologna which is very tasty. When it came time to pay for our meat purchase we found he did not take credit cards but he said we could send him a check in the mail....and he was serious. Being I did not have my checkbook either, we scraped enough cash together to pay him but we both left that little market in awe of such a trusting congenial man. He was a pure delight!

Brant's Meat Market in operation since 1922 by the same family.

Donald Brant...3rd generation owner...said we could mail him a check as he didn't take credit cards.

Our next stop in Lucas was the "Garden of Eden"....a page right out of Americana. Samuel Dinsmoor, a retired teacher, Civil War Veteran, farmer and politician, began building the Garden of Eden and Cabin Home in 1907 at the age of 64. For 22 years he fashioned 113 tons of cement and many tons of limestone into a unique "log" cabin and its surrounding sculptures. He opened his home and conducted tours from 1907 until a few years before his death in 1932. It is owned and operated by a group formed to preserve it, listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has over 10,000 visitors annually.

Home is built of limestone logs, most of which run the cabin's length. This native "postrock" limestone traditionally was used for fence post due to lack of wood in the area.

Dinsmoor built this 40-ft tall limestone log mausoleum for himself and his first wife. He is laid to rest in his handmade, glass-topped concrete coffin.

Unfortunately for us, the Garden of Eden was still operating under winter hours and was only open on the weekends. But we were able to get photos of the outside exhibits known in the art world as outsider art and grassroots art. Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, the devil, an angel, and serpents are among the 150 sculptures.

Grassroots art is a term describing art made by people with no formal artistic training . . . (usually of retirement age) using ordinary materials in an extraordinary way . . . and frequently creating a whole artistic environment around themselves, effectively making themselves part of the artwork. Such work tends to be difficult to classify because it falls outside the sphere of fine art as well as that of traditional folk art in which skills and patterns may be passed from one generation to another. Lucas is home to the Grassroots Art Center which has Ed Root's Concrete Creations, and Herman Divers Pull Tab car and Motorcycle to name a few....

Quirky art throughout town........

.......a play on words...."Fork Art"

So if you find yourself in the middle of Kansas, stop and visit the neat little town of Lucas and all its quirky whimsical art.

Steamboat Arabia, Kansas City, Missouri

On September 5th, 1856 , a steamboat named “Arabia” struck a large walnut tree hidden just under the surface of the Missouri River. The steamboat sank. In 1987, David Hawley found the wreck site lying more than one-half mile from the river’s edge and buried 45 feet underground. And in 1988, Greg, along with David, their dad Bob, and two family friends , excavated the steamboat Arabia and brought it back to the surface. Arabia held 222 tons of freight, and the ship itself weighed over 222 tons. When full, it weighed about 444 tons.

Arabia had sunk on the Missouri River, just north of Kansas City, and as the corps of engineers and Mother Nature switched the river's direction, it ended up being buried in a farmer's field, rather than in the river. To raise the ship, they had to dig a huge hole and then continually pump water out as they removed things because the water was always coming back in. The low oxygen, no sunlight atmosphere did a fantastic job of preserving everything on the ship. The first thing the excavators found was in the upper spokes of the freshly exposed paddle wheel....it was an 1849 rubber shoe made by Goodyear.

The museum itself is simply amazing. So many artifacts! It's like walking back through time and into the mid-1800s. The care and effort put forth for preservation is extremely inspiring. The museum is in continuous growth as they finish the long process of preservation and add new artifacts and displays. They still have a "boatload", no pun intended, of artifacts to prepare for display. The stories about how they preserved the various artifacts are very enjoyable. You get to see part of the lab and even smell some of the perfume they found.

....huge display of the china ware recovered.

There are dresses, shirts, shoes and an array of clothing that look like you could wear them tomorrow. There are displays of eye glasses; ink wells; food bottles; medicines; spoons; bells; china; wrenches; guns; pocket knives; trading beads; jewelry; nails; and on and on......all perfectly preserved.

Display of buttons, perfume, jewelry, bottles, coins nestled amongst old beads....

Perfumes and writing pens from France.....

...cases and cases of well-preserved items were found and a sampling of all is displayed

....beautiful artifacts and well displayed....

Porcelain buttons on the left and trading beads on the right....

The Arabia is one of Kansas City's "treasures" and we were highly impressed with this museum. This is a story about every day guys that had a dream of digging up a sunken boat and then they had the forethought to document every step of their recovery so that now we can see their story and their findings. Their video presentations, their personal storytelling and the huge amount of well-preserved artifacts shows how determined they were in the rescue of the Arabia and then sharing it with the public. Reading about history is nothing like seeing it.

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, AZ

Have you ever had a place that you could go back to time and time again and enjoy it just as much? Well that is the way we feel about the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. Being we often spend our winters in Tucson we have visited the Museum many times. It is a world-renowned zoo, natural history museum and botanical garden, all in one place! If we have guests, this is one of the first places we take them.

Even before you arrive at the Desert Museum you have an added treat ....coming from Tucson be sure and drive through Gates Pass as it is absolutely an awesome drive. It is a twisty turning drive through the Sonoran desert hills with beautiful scenery, thousands of saguaros and plenty of overlooks for photo ops... so don't forget your camera.

View coming through Gates Pass looking out over Sonora Desert.

The Desert Museum features animals and plants native to Arizona and the Sonora Desert and it is a wonderful educational experience. If you take the time to study the plants and animals while there, you walk away with a good understanding and appreciation of living in the desert......it is truly remarkable. ASDM is well organized, signage is great, and overall a very well designed place....so much so that even the view from ASDM overlooking the desert is absolutely breathtaking....

The docent (volunteers) at ASDM are some of the most knowledgeable about their subjects we have ever encountered. Make sure you take advantage of a guided tour with one of them and also stopping at the various displays they man throughout the park as you will marvel at what they know and how interesting they make it.

They have live bird shows twice a day...one of our favorites is the Harrier Hawk presentation. They demonstrate how the Harrier Hawks live as a family, how they search for prey, and other interesting facts.....all the time the hawks are swooping overhead and landing on the saguaros. It is truly a fun event. (for best viewing and fun get down in front by the bird handler).

Another bird show we saw was the owl presentation.

Another view of this beautiful creature.....a barn owl.

We also love the cactus garden as all the plants are nicely labeled, attractive in their presentation and every time we have visited we are always fortunate to find several in bloom.

Beginning of a bloom on a Century plant

Another favorite for us is the hummingbird aviary. These little hummers are plentiful and very busy in their aviary. We saw several sitting on their nests when we visited.

Little hummer patiently sitting on her nest...care must be taken not to disturb while nesting.

One of many photos we took of the hummingbirds.

We did eat at the Ironwood Terrace on the museum grounds. Food is a little pricey but not out of line in comparison to other such places. I had a turkey wrap (quite big) and my husband had a hamburger and all was quite good. There is everything from a quick snack bar to fine dining so there is plenty of variety if you want to eat while visiting. The lighting in the eatery was quite unique as the photo below shows.

One of a variety of "bug lighting"

A word of warning before you start your day.....if your visit is in the summer go very early when it is cooler as it gets stifling hot by midday and the animals go into hiding. Protect yourself with sunscreen, hats with brims, sunglasses and plenty of water (they do let you bring in your own water). There's very little shade and a lot of walking is involved so I would definitely visit in the winter if at all possible.

Crown Saguaro...this rare deformity occurs in about 1 in 50,000 plants. This one is found at entrance to the museum.

As I said earlier it is a combination zoo, botanical garden and natural history museum so there is something for every one, young and old, plenty to keep you busy all day and if you enjoy learning this is truly a great place for that experience.

The Way of the Cross and the Garden of Gethsemane…sculptures by Felix Lucero

A little known, but must see attraction in Yarnell, AZ., is the Catholic Shrine of Saint Joseph of the Mountains. We were the "accidental tourist" discovering this special place on our drive to Prescott.

The life-sized pieces are set among an oak tree-shaded area amidst the boulders. Visitors can take a trail through the stations of the cross to see the statues or meditate in its beautiful park - like setting. A word of caution to the physically disabled or the elderly...there are many steps involved on the trail and one is at a higher altitude here so some breathing difficulty could be experienced.

One of the many sculptures at the Shrine of Saint Joseph

In 1939 the Catholic Action League of Arizona commissioned Felix Lucero, a Native American from Colorado to create theStations of the Cross, in the Weaver Mountains, about a half-mile west of Yarnell. The Stations of the Cross in Yarnell is impressive and in a beautiful setting. This hillside shrine has a chapel, the Way of the Cross, replicas of the Garden of Gethsemane and the Last Supper.

....a magnificent view from the hillside of the Shrine.

The history of Felix Lucero is quite interesting.

As Felix Lucero lay dying on a World War I battlefield, he reportedly proposed a deal with the Virgin Mary: let me live, and I'll spend the rest of my life creating Christian art. Mary agreed, Felix survived, and he returned to America.

Several years later, Lucero finally started to make good on his promise. He drifted into Arizona during the Depression and he finally settled in Tucson in 1938. His home in Tucson was a plywood and cardboard shelter built under the Congress Street Bridge. He was homeless, just living a few feet from where the park holding his sculptures in Tucson now stands. He began sculpting Christian statues, molded from damp sand, reinforced with debris recovered from the Santa Cruz riverbed, covered with plaster. The amazing thing was that this young man had no formal training in art, but despite this lack of formal training, his figures have a majesty and realism that people can immediately relate to and feel some of the deep bond that Lucero felt with God.

Felix Lucero was a truly a starving artist.

Joseph , Mary and infant Jesus in Garden of Gethsemane, Tucson, AZ.

Lucero's technique was not devised for longevity, and all the pieces are damaged or in distress. The skin of crucified Jesus is flaking, and the noses and fingers of Jesus and several of his Last Supper meal-mates have been smashed.

The statues acquired the name Garden of Gethsemane and suffered "the ravages of time, floods, and many acts of vandalism," according to a plaque at the site. "Heartbreak and pain walked with the artist during his sacred efforts."

The Lord's Supper at Garden of Gethsemane, Tucson, Az.

Felix Lucero died in 1951, but his sculptures have survived, thanks to sweat and cash from the residents of Tucson. The statues have been moved several times to save them, and frequently repaired after vandalism (in one incident, a total decapitation at the Last Supper). They now stand in a roadside park shaded by palm, pepper, and mesquite trees -- close to where Lucero lived under the bridge. The sculptures in Yarnell are in much better condition as Lucero sculpted all of the work out of reinforced concrete.

Sadly, when we visited the Garden of Gethsemane there were a couple of homeless people wandering about the garden with their meager bags of possessions nearby...but then again, Lucero was homeless when he did these sculptures.

Yarnell is located on the Highway 89, Scenic Route to Prescott, Arizona. The garden of Gethsemane is at 602 W. Congress in downtown Tucson.

This entry was posted in Art, Religious and tagged Congress Street Bridge, Felix Lucero, Gethsemane,Jesus, Last Supper, Mary (mother of Jesus), Stations of the Cross, Tucson Arizona, Weaver Mountainsby Linda Meilink. Bookmark the permalink.

Queen Creek Olive Mill, Queen Creek, AZ.

Today was a day away from the ordinary....we visited an olive mill! When I think of olives I think of Spain, Portugal ...the Mediterranean area. But the Queen Creek Olive Mill is a family owned company right in Queen Creek, AZ., south of Phoenix. This area was chosen for the combination of long sunny days and cool desert nights which is ideal for growing conditions. Olive trees our highly drought resistant and can even tolerate frost, however, not for a long period of time.

Arizona's only working olive mill and farm.

At Queen Creek Mill, they grow and press olives to produce a hand-crafted, pesticide free extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). This is the oil that is the most beneficial for preventing heart disease and enhancing health with its antioxidant properties. We took the 30-minute/$5 tour and had a trainee guide who did a great job in educating us in the history of their mill and the process of making EVOO.

Our "trainee " tour guide who did an excellent job...olive tree behind her.

The mill has over 800 trees and the groves contain over 16 different varieties of olives. In a few weeks the trees will start to bud and the growing season will begin. Harvest season is in the fall. A tarp is placed under the tree and a special type rake is used to pull the olives off the tree. If you happen to visit in the harvest season you can actually see the production of the oil.

Olives harvested in their green ripe stage will yield oil that has a grassy, bitter and peppery taste and a long shelf life. The olives that are purple, and thus riper, have a buttery and fruitier profile but does not keep well at all. So the Master Blender must determine when and what to harvest to produce the style of oil they want. It is a very short window of 2-3 weeks to capture and create their distinctive oil....that is why there are so many different kinds of olive oil each with their own unique flavor and stability. Queen Creek prefers a blend of 60% purple and 40% green to produce their distinctive flavor.

Olive oil is manufactured after crushing and pressing the fruit of olive. The oil is then graded according to quality and its best graded is the Extra Virgin Olive oil. It has the best flavor, odor and maximum acidity among all kinds of olive oils. EVOO is considered purer than Fine Virgin Oil and used for salads, stews, soups and other dishes. It is supposed to add a richness and subtle flavor to food that ordinary, semi-fine or pure olive oil does not give.

The mill has a gourmet market where you can buy all their products plus many "local" food products and crafts. There is a huge variety of EVOO cooking oils, tapenades, stuffed olives, and dipping oils, to name a few. Samples are available to taste everything so you will definitely know what you are buying. And you can also eat at del Piero, their Mediterranean bistro, with a wonderful selection of gourmet sandwiches, made-from-scratch salads and soups, freshly baked bread, gelato, fresh-baked cakes....need I say more?

The mill's lush garden , organic grown, with the produce being used in the bistro.

Products of the Queen Creek Olive Mill can be purchased online at their website..

Queencreekolivemill.com

Granite Dells, Prescott, AZ.

If you are ever in the Prescott area the don't miss the Granite Dells. Estimated at being 1.4 billion years old, the dells consist of exposed bedrock and large boulders of granite that have eroded into an unusual lumpy, rippled appearance. Weathering along joints produced the rounded boulders and other unusual rock formations that characterize the Granite Dells.

...the granite rocks and formations are very similar to those found in Joshua Tree National Park

This process is called spheroidal weathering, and is common in granitic terrains. Watson Lake and Willow Lake are small man-made reservoirs lying within these rock formations. Located north of Prescott, the granite rocks and canyons are very similar to that found in Joshua Tree NP. The juxtaposition of giant granite boulders and a small lake in the middle of the high desert is just incredible. Massive boulders of ancient rockhave weathered into delicately balanced forms and fanciful shapes and are reflected in the surface of Watson Lake.

Massive boulders of ancient rock have weathered into delicately balanced forms and fanciful shapes and are reflected in the surface of Watson Lake.

There are numerous hiking & biking trails, rock climbing routes and incredible photo opportunities.....combine these with boating, kayaking and fishing in the two lakes and it makes for a very popular outdoor recreation area for this region.

It’s an incredibly beautiful picturesque spot.