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.

A jewel of a small town....Ashland WI.

If you would like to take a fascinating walk through a small town's history, you should definitely visit Ashland, Wisconsin, and do the mural walk in the downtown business district. What started out as a "one-only" mural to celebrate the state sesquicentennial celebration has resulted in an entirely different purpose. The mural was so popular that the mural artists, Sue Martinsen and Kelly Meredith, were commissioned to do more and it blossomed into more than 11 murals over 12 years. It has turned Ashland into the Mural Capital of Wisconsin and the mission now is to promote art, history, and tourism to the area. The 8 block main street business district, where the majority of the murals are located, is listed on the National Register for Historic places. The murals display the history of Ashland i.e., founders of Ashland, lumberjack industry, WWII veterans of the town, area lighthouses, early storefront establishments, 1940's waitresses, 1950 icons, and the iron ore docks to name a few.

Aspah Whittlesey Mural depicts the founder of Ashland and other early settlers in front of the Ashland State Bank as it existed in 1892.

The Storefront Mural depicts 13 retail, banking, and entertainment establishments from Ashland's past.

This mural depicts 3 lighthouses located within the Apostle Islands and their lighthouse keepers

The icing on the cake is that there has never been a problem with graffiti on the murals and the artists feel safe in just leaving their painting gear when they leave the various sites. It is always there and untouched when they return. Perhaps the murals are treated with respect because the community as a whole feels such a strong a sense of pride in them.

We stayed in Kreher Park, which is right in Ashland, located on Lake Superior and is an RV only campsite. We had a beautiful site right on the water and had awesome sunsets. It is a lovely park with very reasonable rates.

Our campsite @Kreher RV Park in Ashland WI

The Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center is a don't miss stop, 2.5 miles west of Ashland off Highway 2. Interactive exhibits, multi-media theater, museum, gift shop, and 5-story observation tower. And while in the area, don't miss the Apostle Islands which is another story in itself....

....Lucky rainy day....

Due to bad weather and travel conditions, it was by happenstance that we stopped at Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park in the U.P. of Michigan. Dedicated as a state park in 1945 to protect the last extensive tract of old-growth hardwood and hemlock forest remaining in theMidwest, it is the Midwest's largest wilderness area. Located on the western edge of the U.P, the park contains nearly 60,000 acres of virgin forest on the shores of Lake Superior. Eastern hemlock (some over 600 yrs old), sugar maple and yellow birch dominate the 35,000 acres of old-growth forest in the park.

The "Porkies”, as they are fondly referred to by the locals, stopped growing a long time ago and millions of years of erosion have worn them down. The highest point in the park is only 1300 feet above lake level. But the area is by no means flat....the Porcupine Mountains themselves arise abruptly from Lake Superior to form a 12 mile long escarpment which parallels the lakeshore for a distance of 1.5 miles and at 2 billion years old, the mountains are a section of one of the oldest mountain chains in the world.

On the landward side of the escarpment is Lake of the Clouds, which is one of the spectacular views to be found from high peaks in the area and is one of Michigan's premier scenic locations. On a clear day, you can see more than 25 miles to the west.

But even though the mountains have eroded over millions of years, the end result are a number of beautiful waterfalls that were formed. The largest and easiest to visit are the waterfalls on the Presque Isle River on the western edge of the park. Manabezho Falls is the most impressive of these…..many of the waterfalls were named from the language of the Ojibwa Indians. This is the largest waterfall in the park and so it is named Manabehzo after the powerful spirit God of the Ojibwa.

Manabezho Falls

There is a beautiful boardwalk that follows the river and some of the falls and makes for great photo-ops. Nawadaha Falls is another waterfall.......in the spring of the year the river swells with rain and melting snow and peak flow reaches 12,000 gallons every second. The excellent water quality of the Presque Isle River makes it choice habitat for many species of fish such as brook and rainbow trout which are found year round. We stayed in the campground near the park entrance and our campsite was right on Lake Superior. It was one of the most enjoyable camp sites we have ever had.

View of Lake Superior from our living room window.....

Pipestone, MN.

Last fall, while "making time" heading to South Dakota from Wisconsin, we were approaching the town of Pipestone, MN. and we discovered there was a National Monument in the town. Being we are great fans of our wonderful National Park System we decided to check it out. Not only did we find a Nat'l Monument but also a really unique little town. The town contains 20 historic buildings built in the time period of 1880-1900 and all are made of the beautiful Sioux quartzite. The Pipestone County Courthouse (below) is a wonderful example of the beauty of the stone. The courthouse itself is basically a 100 x 75 foot rectangle, with a 110 foot renaissance dome topped by a bronze figure of "Justice," which gazes north over the city. The tower features four clock faces, permanently set at different times.

The Pipestone National Monument is a "must see". For countless generations, American Indians have quarried the red pipestone found at this site. These grounds are sacred to many people because the pipestone quarried here is carved into pipes used for prayer. Many believe that the pipe's smoke carries one's prayer to the Great Spirit. Indians used many pipes but those made from redstone were the most esteemed. Today only Native Americans are allowed to quarry the redstone and visitors are encouraged to watch live demonstrations of pipes and crafts being carved. Also do not forget to take the walk through the coteau prairie back to a great view of Winnewissa Falls.....a very enjoyable and easy walk.

......a surprise discovery in our journey across Minnesota....

....the sumac was ablaze on our walk in the prairie lands back to the waterfalls.

.....Winnewissa Falls.....

Besides the wonderful architecture and Pipestone Nat'l Mon.. the town has a lot to offer from Native American History to the latest in wind technology with over 1000 wind turbines located in southwest corner of Minnesota.