Echoes of the Southwest

Picture is from:  http://www.educatinghumanity.com/2013/05/all-time-ufo-hotspots-from-around-the-world.html Arizona has had millions of UFO sightings all over the state for decades.  While researching some of the areas where most of the reports were witnessed, I came across these old stories from the 1940’s to the 1960’s.  I found them interesting and decided to share them with you. On July 7, 1947, a Phoenix man , simply called Rhodes, was walking in his yard and heading to his garage when all of a sudden he heard the roar of a jet.  It sounded like it was traveling towards him, but when the 30 year old gazed to the sky a few seconds later; he noticed a gray disc hovering over the horizon in the northeast section of the city.  He described it as being “elliptical in shape, 20 to 30 feet in diameter, and appeared about 5,000 feet in the air.  The disc seemed to have a cockpit and a tail.”  He noticed thingamajig had swirled towards Earth to a...

Picture is from:  http://www.pickeringwx.com/ The minuscule settlement of Tubac in southern Arizona was established in 1752 and the initial European settlement in Arizona.  The town is situated in the Santa Cruz River Valley and contains a 250 year old Spanish past with Juan Bautista de Anza has its first Presidio.  Father Kino followed him and was the one who engineered the numerous missions built adjacent to the river.  One of the best well-kept structures, Mission de Tumacacori, is a short distance away. Today when you visit Tubac, you will find several things to do to keep you busy.  It has 80 galleries and shops with amazing sculptures, paintings, clothes, Arizona items, and much, much more.  You have lots of choices of restaurants from casual burgers and BBQ to chic dining.  The town has several places for you to stay from B&B’s to fine hotels.  Some of the other activities that a found around Tubac are hiking, off-roading, mou...

Petroglyphs have been found on rocks and boulders all over the southwest. A petroglyph is an ancient drawing carved by primordial man. They are pictogram and logogram images done by wearing down or chafing impressions in solid rock. Some say they are astronomical markers, maps, or some type of symbolic communication telling stories of life many centuries ago. This ancient rock art is one way to study how the pre-Columbian civilizations may have once lived and where they mysteriously disappeared to. These rock carvings can be found all over Arizona as well as other places.  I have seen some of the writings and pictures and am fascinated by what the symbols possibly mean.  I am sure they tell fascinating stories of how life was like for the ancient Native American people and the unusual things they encountered.  Here are just some of the Arizona sites: Painted Rock Petroglyph Site Painted Rock Petroglyph Site is one of the many sites found in Arizona an...

Whenever I take road trips with my friends, we always look for abandoned sites to photograph.  Sometimes we will spot the structures along the highway and turn around to see if we can get near it.  We may have a particular place as a planned stop.  We also check for "No Trespassing" signs or possible signs of people squatting there.  If all is well, we will shoot every inch of the building, its surroundings, and the inside if it is possible to enter.  I look for every different angle to get that perfect shot.  Although Phoenix and its surrounding cities have plenty of abandoned places, I find the smaller towns are my favorites.  Here are some of the best places I found to urban explore in Arizona. SUPERIOR MIAMI GLOBE GILA BEND CASA GRANDE WINKELMAN HAYDEN WHITTMAN MORRISTOWN Abandoned Places: Abandoned Memories (Desert Edition) contains photographs and ps...

I have been lucky to visit some of the Native American ruins around the state of Arizona.  I am constantly amazed on how the remnants of these communities have stood the test of time for thousands of centuries.  The Hohokam, Salado, Sinagua, and other ancient tribes build these places from the materials found in the areas where they lived.  They used trees, sandstone, clay, cobblestones, and sand to inforce their massive walls.  These places are worth a visit and make you feel like you have walked back in time. BESH-BA-GOWAH ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK The Besh-Ba-Gowah Archaeological Park is located on the outskirts of Globe, Arizona, and only a mile and a quarter from its historic downtown. It is an old pueblo ruin and is approximately 700 years old. This remarkable site’s skeletal remains are well preserved for all who visit and want to take a walk back in time.  The history of this place takes us as far back as the 13 th century when many Native Am...

I have been to several creepy but gorgeous cemeteries around Arizona.  There are so many old west cemeteries in such disarray with hardly a headstone visible anywhere.  There are others in much better shape and are well maintained.  Whether they are being taken care of or not, they are still fantastic places to photograph especially if the sun is going down.  When I photograph an interesting grave or headstone, I look for what is around it and how the light shines on the image.  I pick the right angle and shoot.  Depending how the light shines on the grave/headstone, you can end up with an eerie yet stunning photo. OLD CONGRESS CEMETERY Located northeast of Wickenburg on AZ Hwy 93 and then north on SR 89 is the diminutive town of Congress.  All that remains of the town are some old buildings and the Old Congress Cemetery. To get to the cemetery, you have to take a dirt road off the main highway. It takes you a couple of miles before yo...