Phoenix, the capital of Arizona, is the starting point for several places of interest, the chief, perhaps, being the Roosevelt Dam.
This very picturesque and splendid dam is built in a narrow canyon about 80 miles from Phoenix; it holds in a fine natural basin a great wealth of water. The lake fills a valley 28 miles long, and in the hillsides surrounding the water there are remains of cliff and cave dwellings; here ancient and modern masonry meet. These dwellings are known as the “Tonto National Monument.”
For the traveller the most interesting feature in this region is the Apache Trail. An auto-stage leaves Phoenix daily for what is known as the Globe-Miami district, 120 miles away. The trail leads through the Salt River Valley, the Apache Gap (said to be the scene of a battle between the 7th Cavalry and the Apaches in 1886), to No Man’s Land, and Summit, altitude 3,470 feet. On the descent are unusual panoramic views of castellated cliffs and deep mountain gorges, with the usual magic desert colouring.
The trail leads past the Roosevelt Dam and lake with fine views all the way to Globe, the home of the Old Dominion Copper Co., and Miami, of the Inspiration Copper Co., both mining towns.
Tucson is a close rival of Phoenix. This old town still has some of the charm of ancient Mexico. A few miles from Tucson there is one of the finest and best preserved old missions of the Southwest, San Xavier. The outside has been considerably restored and, unfortunately, whitewashed, all but the central portion, which happily is in the original brownish colour. The interior decorations, very ornate, are the originals. The crudely carved wooden lions at the sides of the altar rails date undoubtedly from the founding, supposed to have been 1692.
About nine miles east of Phoenix and 12 miles from the Apache Trail, a small area has been made a national monument on account of its splendid examples of characteristic desert flora. Here are to be seen striking specimens of the giant cactus, Saguaro, which attains a height of 30 to 35 feet and is of a beautiful cylindrical form. Not only this, but many other interesting species of cacti and yucca grow here.
Thirty cliff dwellings cling to the sides of the picturesque Walnut Canyon, eight miles from Flagstaff, Arizona. They are excellently preserved. The largest contains eight rooms. This canyon possesses unusual beauty because of the thickets of locust which fringe the trail down from the ruins. Some of the ruins are only accessible by ladder. Because of its nearness to Flagstaff this group of dwellings is easily visited.
“Montezuma Castle, a remarkable relic of a prehistoric race, is the principal feature of a well-preserved group of cliff dwellings in the northeastern part of Yavapai County, Arizona. Its position and size give it the appearance of an ancient castle. The structure is about 50 feet high by 60 feet wide, built in the form of a crescent. It is five stories high, with walls of masonry and adobe, plastered inside with mud.”
This is one of the most remarkable prehistoric ruins in the country. It is about 70 miles from Tucson, perhaps nearer the border town of Sonora. “A building of large size, evidently this was an important centre of population. The builders were probably Pima Indians. Whatever its origin, the community was already in ruins when the Spaniards found it.”
The first report we have of it is in 1539. The whole is now roofed over for protection.
It is earnestly requested of all travellers, old and young alike, that they shall do their part toward preserving unimpaired the beauty of the spots that they visit, and that instead of disfiguring the landscape by scattering the débris of their lunch-baskets, together with torn papers and broken boxes, all along their route, they shall conscientiously avail themselves of the trash-cans everywhere liberally provided for their use.
The names of a few reference books are herewith appended in order that the traveller who is especially interested in any particular line may be enabled to find some extra information along that line if he so wish.
Doubtless there are countless other books to be had on any of these subjects, but I have tried to name one which will be of service in looking up birds, trees, flowers, pottery, blankets, glaciers, Indian basketry, cliff dwellings, etc., etc.
THE END
A Study of Pueblo Pottery, F. H. Cushing
A Thousand Mile Walk to the Gulf, John Muir
A Tramp Across the Continent, Chas. F. Lummis
Arizona Nights, Stewart Edward White
Arizona and New Mexico, H. H. Bancroft
Beyond the Rockies, C. A. Stoddard
Birds of California, Wheelock
Birds of the Rockies, L. S. Keyser
California and the Southwest, F. W. Martin
California Desert Trails, Joseph, S. Chase
California Missions and Landmarks, Mrs. A. S. C. Forbes
California Tourist’s Guide, Wells Drury
California Wild Flowers, Theodore Payne
Designs on Prehistoric Pottery, J. W. Fewkes
Fifteen Thousand Miles by Stage, C. A. Strahorn
Flora of Middle Western California, Jepson
Flora of the Rocky Mountains and Adjacent Plains, P. A. Rydberg
Flora of the West Coast, C. V. Piper
Forest Trees of the Pacific Slope, G. B. Sudworth
Glaciers of Mount Rainier, I. C. Russell
Glaciers of North America, I. C. Russell
Highways and Byways of the Rocky Mts., C. Johnson
In and About the Grand Canyon of Arizona, G. W. James
In and Out of the Old Missions, G. W. James
In the Heart of the Sierras, J. M. Hutchings
In the Land of the Cliff Dweller and Indians of To-day, T. M. Prudden
Indian Basketry, G. W. James
Indians of the Painted Desert, G. W. James
Indians of the Yosemite Valley, Galen Clark
Indians of To-day, G. B. Grinnell
Journal of a Trip Through the Western Country, Theo. Winthrop
Land of the Cliff Dwellers, F. S. Chapin
Land of Poco Tiempo, C. F. Lummis
Land of To-morrow (Alaska)
Land of Enchantment from Pike’s Peak to the Pacific, Lillian Whiting
Mountains of California, John Muir
Mountaineering and Exploration in the Selkirks, Howard Palmer
My First Summer in the Sierras, John Muir
Native Races, H. H. Bancroft
Navajo and His Blankets, U. S. Hollister
Navajo Weavers, Washington Matthews
Nevada, Colorado, and Wyoming, H. H. Bancroft
Official Manual of Motor Car Camping, A. L. Westgard
On the Great American Plateau, T. M. Prudden
Our National Parks, John Muir
Rambles Overland, A. Gunnison
Rocky Mountain Flowers, Clements & Clements
Romance of the Colorado River, Dillenbaugh
Romantic California, E. C. Peixotto
Silent Places (Alaska), S. Ed. White
Some Strange Corners of Our Country, Chas. F. Lummis
Spell of the Rockies, E. A. Mills
Steep Trails, John Muir
Summer Tour of Southern California, S. W. Long
Tales of a Pathfinder, A. L., Westgard
Ten Thousand Miles with a Dog Sled, Hudson Stuck, D.D.
The Adventures of a Nature Guide, Enos A. Mills
The Arapaho Sun Dance, G. A. Dorsey
The Book of National Parks, Robert Sterling Yard
The Conquest of Mt. McKinley, Belmore Browne
The Cliff Dwellers of the Mesa Verde, Nordenskiold
The Desert, John C. Van Dyke
The Grand Canyon of The Colorado, John C. Van Dyke
The Ice Age in North America, G. F. Wright
The Land of Little Rain, Mary Austin
The Mountain That Was God, John H. Williams
The Mountains of Oregon, W. G. Steel
The Seven Wonders of the New World, J. K. Peck
The Snake Dance of the Moqui, J. G. Bourke
The Spell of the Yukon, Robert W. Service
The Winning of the Far West, McElroy
The Yellowstone National Park Historical and Descriptive, Chittenden
The Yosemite Valley, The Discovery of, L. H. Bunnell
Trees of California, Jepson
Trees of the Northern United States, A. C. Apgar
Two Great Canyons, C. C. Cole
Western Bird Guide, Margaret Armstrong
Western Wild Flowers, Margaret Armstrong
With Canoe and Saddle, Theo. Winthrop
Wonders of the Colorado Desert, G. W. James
Wonders of the Yellowstone, J. Richardson
Zuni Folk Tales, Frank Harvey Cushing
THE COUNTRY LIFE PRESS
GARDEN CITY, N. Y.