While on a recent road trip along Arizona's Route 66, Roger and I stopped at the Hackberry General Store. Originally known as the Northside Grocery. The store is filled with relics of memorable eras and remains a popular destination for "Mother Road" travelers. Hackberry is an unincorporated community   in Mohave County , Arizona . It is located on State Route 66  (former U.S. Route 66 ), 28 miles northeast of Kingman . As of the 2020 census , Hackberry had a population of 10

January 2025 Roger and I recently returned from a short road trip to Tombstone, Arizona. We experienced this unique town's history in this part of southern Arizona. Although we've been to Tombstone before, revisiting and learning more about its history was enjoyable and entertaining.   Tombstone is located in Cochise County and holds a special place in the archives of American history. It was founded in 1879 by prospector Ed Schieffelin. Tombstone was initially part of Pima C

August 2023 Roadtrip After reading an article about Pioneertown in California, Roger and I were interested in exploring this community on our way to Palm Desert from Tehachapi, California. Pioneertown is a small community of approximately 420 people in the Yucca Valley of San Bernadino County. The town was founded in 1946 as a movie set for Western films. Pioneertown has a unique old-western charm and is known for its rustic buildings and live music events. As a working movie

Roger and I traveled from Ely, Nevada, to Sparks, Nevada, last August (2023) on a road trip to California to see family and friends. We decided to take U.S. Route 50, nicknamed "The Loneliest Road in America". It was an excellent choice for us. We traveled through a few historic towns along the way. I took this photo from our windshield as we were traveling "The Loneliest Road in America ." Eureka, located in the southern part of Eureka County along "The Loneliest Road in Ame

During our road trip through Nevada last month (August 2023), Cathedral Gorge State Park was one of our favorite stops—the park in Lincoln County, southern Nevada, is truly a hidden gem. The landscape is stunning, and it feels like walking around another planet. We learned from the visitor information that most of the area used to be covered by a freshwater lake. The beautiful colors of the canyons are remnants of that lakebed. As the water began draining, erosion exposed se

Roger and I took an 18-day road trip in August 2023. We traveled from Oro Valley, Arizona through southern Nevada to California to visit family, and friends, and take in a few sights along the way! I'll be sharing a few of our stops separately on my blog. One of our stops along the way was Boulder City, located in Clark County , southeastern Nevada . The city overlooks Lake Mead , which is impounded by the Hoover Dam . Boulder City lies above the Black and Boulder canyons o

Roger and I both enjoy visiting "off the beaten path" ghost towns and historic sites. After an enjoyable road trip to the Santa Fe area of New Mexico that included Abiquiu and Taos, we caught sight of a ghost town named Chloride on our way to our hotel in Truth or Consequence. Chloride, New Mexico is a tiny ghost town located just beyond Gila National Forest and an hour's drive from Truth or Consequences. It was a scenic drive into Chloride off I-25 that we both enjoyed. Howe

Taos Pueblo is more than I could have imagined. The history, culture, daily tasks, and families living here are truly inspiring. I highly recommend visiting. Taos Pueblo Taos Pueblo is approximately 73 miles north of Santa Fe. It is the only living Native American community designated both a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and a National Historic Landmark. The multi-storied adobe buildings have been continuously inhabited for over 1000 years. Taos Pueblo, like many ancient dwe

While visiting Santa Fe, Roger and I took a day trip to Abiquiu in northern New Mexico. The drive up and the countryside in this area are just beautiful. Our first stop in Abiquiu was the Abiquiu Inn and the Georgia O'Keeffe Welcome Center. All on the same property. The Flower of the West: Georgia O'Keeffe American Painter 1887- 1986 "Fill a space in a beautiful way" ~ Georgia O'Keeffe Georgia O'Keeffe (1887-1986) was one of the foundational figures of American modernism an

Roger and I arrived at Santa Fe's Historic District on July 10th. We went to the visitor's center for information about the sights we were most interested in seeing. We were welcomed and given a map of the downtown area, AND lucky for us, the legislature wasn't in session, so we could park right where we were and walk to the historic district. We spent most of our time on East De Vargas Street, Alameda Street, and the Old Santa Fe Trail. We barely put a dent in everything to

Roger and I recently returned from a short road trip to New Mexico. We experienced the incredibly beautiful countryside in both northern and southern New Mexico as well as the history of our country in this part of the southwest. Some of the areas we’ve experienced before and yet it was wonderful to revisit and learn more about the history, art, and culture in these areas. I’ll be writing briefly sharing our experience in the Santa Fe, Abiquiu, Taos, and Chloride areas. There

Roger and I recently took an enjoyable road trip to southern Nevada. We stopped at Valley of Fire State Park for the day along the way. We drove through the park and stopped to take a hike that was a little over a mile. I'm sharing some information and photos we took of our day. Valley of Fire State Park is Nevada’s oldest and largest state park and is located six miles from Lake Mead and 55 miles northeast of Las Vegas. The park was dedicated in 1935. The park gets its name

Roger and I had the pleasure of visiting another hidden gem in northern Tucson today, Tohono Chul Park, where history, nature, art, and culture connect! Tohono Chul Park is known as a unique botanical garden and has been open for more than 25 years, bringing together nature, art, and culture. The park's gardens were designed to attract hummingbirds and butterflies. While strolling through the gardens, you may also see birds , lizards, and jackrabbits. We were told by a vol

Roger and I recently spent the day on an Arizona ghost town adventure in southeastern Arizona. Along the way, we passed through the area of Texas Canyon. Texas Canyon is a valley in Cochise County, Arizona , about 20 miles east of Benson on Interstate 10 . The canyon lies between the Little Dragoon Mountains to the north and the Dragoon Mountains to the south and is known for its giant granite boulders. Below are photos we took at the Texas Canyon Rest Area: Our first sto

Roger and I enjoy exploring the sites along Route 66. We especially enjoy ghost towns and outdoor museums. On a recent roadtrip to visit family in California we came upon a "near" ghost town, Goffs, California located near Needles, Califoria. Goffs, a tiny railroad town, might well have disappeared if it weren't for the efforts of the Mojave Desert Heritage & Cultural Association. This dedicated organization has established a museum for cultural artifacts of the Mojave Desert

Roger and I enjoy stopping in the town of Tehachapi when we travel from Arizona to California to see our family and friends. We took the time this trip to see some of the histories in this small, quaint railroad town. Tehachapi's early history at a glance | Lifestyle | tehachapinews.com Tehachapi is a city incorporated in 1909 in Kern County, California. The city sits in the Tehachapi Mountains between the cities of Bakersfield and Mojave. Tehachapi is at an elevation of 3,97

I read an article about Tucson artist Ted DeGrazia a while ago. His story intrigued Roger and me, so we went to see the DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun this beautiful October morning. Here I am sharing a little information and a few pictures I took around the grounds while we were there. Great history, art, and exploring! DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun is a 10-acre art gallery in the north Tucson foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains. On the National Register of Historic Places,

Sabino Canyon is an incredible canyon is located in the Santa Catalina Mountains and the Coronado National Forest. Sabino Canyon is a popular recreation area for residents of the Tucson area and visitors, providing a place to walk, hike or ride. Wildlife in the canyon includes deer, javelina, skunks, tortoises, rattlesnakes, bobcats, and mountain lions. On a recent trip to Sabino Canyon with two friends, we rode the Sabino Canyon Crawler on a 45-minute tour. The crawler st

Tubac is a small community in Southern Arizona established in 1751 as a Spanish Presidio. It is located between the Tumacacori and Santa Rita Mountain ranges and is known as the place where art and history meet. On Roger and my recent visit to Tubac, we found an incredible array of premium galleries, unique shopping, fine art, and dining. Below are a few pictures giving a sample of the fantastic shopping and art. It was a beautiful day, and we had an excellent lunch at Tubac

Guide to Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum | TucsonTopia Roger and I visited the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum this week on our Thursday "date day". We had a nice day exploring and had a great lunch at the Ironwood Terraces grill. I'm sharing a few photos below that we took while we were there. The Desert Museum sits on 98 acres of pristine desert landscape. The primarily outdoor museum showcases the diverse flora and wildlife of the Sonoran Desert region featuring over 55,000 p