SOUTHWEST ROAD TRIP, Part 1, Arizona: Guest Post by Susan Kean

Hotel Monte Vista, Flagstaff, AZ, where we stayed.

My friend Susan Kean and her partner George love to travel and recently did a driving trip from Southern California to Arizona, New Mexico and the Four Corners area of Colorado and Utah. I thank her for sharing her report and wonderful photos with The Intrepid Tourist. Her post will appear in three parts.

Approaching Sedona, Arizona.

The first stop on our adventure of exploring Arizona and New Mexico was Flagstaff. I was expecting a large town like Phoenix! What an interesting place! We stayed one night in a funky hotel, the Hotel Monte Vista. 

Museum inside the old railway station in Flagstaff.

After going to the Visitor’s Center in the old Railway Station and paying our respects to Route 66 we spent a couple of hours at the Museum of Northern Arizona before continuing to the View Hotel in the NavajoTribal Park in Monument Valley. 

Northern Arizona Museum in Flagstaff. Pottery found in adobe dwellings.

View Hotel, Navajo Tribal Park in Monument Valley.

What a glorious place! I’m so glad we chose to stay two nights. 

Buttes. The butte farthest to the left is called the elephant.

We had time to wrap ourselves in the glorious desert scenery and feeling of the presence of an Almighty creator. We are trying to learn as much as possible about our country’s native peoples. 

Buttes.

The sun literally popped up over the horizon.

Part 2 will post next week.

WARM SPRINGS FISH HATCHERY, Geyserville, CA: Giving Young Salmon and Steelhead Trout a Head Start

Young steelhead trout at Warm Spring Fish Hatchery.

On a sunny day in late December, I went with my family on a day trip from Oakland to visit the Warm Springs Hatchery, about a ninety-minute drive north of the Bay Area, near Healdsburg. 

Vineyards in Dry Creek Valley.

After leaving the 101 Freeway we made our way along the Dry Creek Valley road past acres of vineyards and small farms until we came to the sign for the Lake Sonoma State Park and Visitor Center.

Visitor Center, Warm Springs Fish Hatchery, also known as the Don Claussen Fish Hatchery.

Every year in late fall, steelhead trout and Coho Salmon begin to arrive at the Warm Springs Fish Hatchery, located below the Sonoma Lake dam in the foothills near Geyserville, California. There the fish are counted and measured and sorted. Some are kept for spawning at the hatchery--the fertilized eggs incubated until they hatch and then raised until the young fish are big enough to release.

Life-size cloth models of steelhead trout at the Visitor Center.

We had arranged to meet docent Linda Clapp at the Visitor Center for a personal tour of the hatchery. (The Visitor Center is open every day and the grounds open to the public. You don’t need an appointment.) Linda, had been the park ranger in charge of education for many years, is now retired, and continues to work at the hatchery as a volunteer. She was a fount of information.

Sonoma Lake Dam. The earthen dam was built in 1983 by the Army Corps of Engineers to control flooding of the Dry Creek Valley.

After a brief introduction, Linda took us to an overlook at the base of the Sonoma Lake dam. At the bottom of the dam water rushes out into Dry Creek and eventually reaches the Pacific Ocean. Young steelhead trout and Coho Salmon raised at the hatchery are released in the creek. They follow the creek to the ocean, spend several years at sea, and then return to mate and lay eggs. (They use their sense of smell to find their way home.)

Fish returning to spawn are guided toward a tunnel on the left side of the dam that leads to a fish ladder and channel into the hatchery. We looked over the railing above the fish ladder hoping to see some leaping fish, but didn’t spot any. At the top of the fish ladder is a quiet pond where the fish can rest before continuing to the hatchery. 

Sorting fish in the spawning area.

Fish returning to the hatchery are kept in holding pens before the daily counting. We had timed our visit so that we could watch (from above) hatchery workers processing the fish--identifying each fish by its species, sex, age, and size. At the same time a small sample was taken from each fish for genetic monitoring. While one worker handled the fish, another recorded the data.

Steelhead trout being transferred to a truck for release.

Coho Salmon.

Our next stop was outside, to view the long tanks holding thousands of young fish from the previous year’s spawning. After hatching, the fish stay at the hatchery for about a year before being transferred to the wild. Growing about a half an inch a month, they are about six inches long when they are released. Fencing around the raceways prevents birds and other natural predators from helping themselves to the fish. We spotted egrets, green herons and other birds in the park around the hatchery.

9 month old steelhead trout in aquarium at Visitor Center.

At the end of our tour we explored the excellent Visitor Center, filled with displays about the fish and their part of the natural environment.

View of Lake Sonoma.

Our final excursion was a one mile drive up the road to the Sonoma Lake overlook where we got a spectacular view of the lake and surrounding hills. We’ll have to go back another day to try out the various hiking trails.

On our way home to Oakland we stopped for lunch at the Dry Creek General Store where we got delicious freshly made sandwiches, which we ate at a picnic table outside. Above us dozens of hummingbirds flocked around feeders, sipping the sweet juice. It was the perfect ending to an enjoyable and educational day.

A PERSONAL GUIDE TO TUCSON, ARIZONA, Part 2: Guest Post by Paul Justison

 

Goddess of Agave, painted by Rock "Cyfi" Martinez, 2017, Tucson, AZ 

With many thanks to my friend Paul Justison for his excellent guide to the city of Tucson, posted here in two parts--Part 1, last week and Part 2, this week. Paul is the author of the well received novel Lost and Found in the 60s (Unsolicited Press, 2022.)

What to see — Science and technology 

During the cold war, Tucson was a one of the main launching pads for nuclear attacks on the Soviet Union. Davis-Monthan Air base was adjacent to the city and housed nuclear armed B-52 bombers. It was also surrounded by 18 silos that held nuclear armed missiles. They are all decommissioned now. One of them is now a museum, and even I, an antiwar peacenik, found the tour fascinating. Home | Titan Missile Museum It’s about 30 minutes south of town. And since you’ve gone that far, you might consider two places about 25 minutes further south. Tumacácori is the site of a precontact Native American trading center. The Jesuits and Franciscans built missions there, and the fairly intact remains of the Franciscan mission are the core of the Tumacácori National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service) . The buildings are rather austere and together with the exhibits give you a good impression of what precontact and mission life was like. Nearby is Tubac, a little town filled with arts and crafts shops and one fun Mexican restaurant — Elvira’s Restaurant Tubac, Arizona Reservations are advised.

About ten minutes southeast of town in the Pima Air and Space Museum Home — Pima Air & Space . It houses 400 or so historic aircraft outdoors and in hangars. If you’re into planes, this should be on your list.

On the University of Arizona campus is the Flandrau Planetarium Home | Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium . The shows in the planetarium are fun and educational. Before you go, read on the site above about parking.

The SunLink Streetcar and Neighborhoods/Shopping/Nightlife –

Bahti Indian Arts Tucson — Bahti Indian Arts is one of the best shops in the nation for native American arts and crafts. It’s in the Barrio Historico which is itself worth a walk or a drive around. Barrio Historico Tucson Is One Of Arizona’s Oldest Neighborhoods

Tucson has a free modern streetcar that runs through most of the interesting areas in the center of the town — Sun Link Streetcar — Sun Tran One end is near the Banner University Medical Center at the corner of Helen and Warren, and about a 10 block walk from the Arizona Inn. From there it runs along the northern and western sides of the U of A — and very near the photography museum and the Flandrau planetarium. It then heads along the commercially hip area — Fourth Avenue, where there’s a nice bookstore — Antigone Books , along with many shops and restaurants. Next it goes downtown, the center for Tucson’s nightlife. Last, it ends at the Mercado San Agustin — What’s Here — Mercado District

A few words about nightlife and restaurants –

As I mentioned in the introduction, UNESCO has declared Tucson a “City of Gastronomy.” If you’re a Reddit user, go to r/Tucson and search for restaurant types, or simply start your own thread with a question. You will likely get many helpful responses. Also, the Tucson Weekly: The Best of Tucson, News, and Everything That Matters is a great resource for the ever-changing nightlife scene.

Photo Credit — Goddess of Agave — When In Your State

Paul has previously published A Personal Guide to Tucson, Arizona, on the web at Medium.

A PERSONAL GUIDE TO TUCSON, AZ, Part 1: Guest post by Paul Justison

Goddess of Agave, painted by Rock "Cyfi" Martinez, 2017, Tucson, AZ 

With many thanks to my friend Paul Justison for his excellent guide to the city of Tucson, posted here in two parts--Part 1, this week and Part 2, next week. Paul is the author of the novel Lost and Found in the 60s (Unsolicited Press, 2022.)

I spent my formative years in Tucson and go back often, because it’s special in many ways. Tucson sits in a high Sonoran Desert valley surrounded by mountains. The Catalinas to the north will command your attention. Many cultures have thrived here — Yaqui, Tohono O’odham, Spanish, Mexican, and after the USA bought the area from Mexico in 1848 — Anglo-Americans. Politically it tends to be left of center. When the Arizona legislature passed a bill that discriminated against Mexican Americans, the local — Pima County — sheriff refused to implement it. And today Tucson honors the Native American and Mexican food traditions for which it was recognized by UNESCO as a “City of Gastronomy.”

When to Go

It can get hot. Dry heat, but really hot — high 90s to low 100s. October through April is best with rarely cold and usually cool to mild temperatures, though early October and late April can still be quite warm. There’s still plenty to do and see in the summer, and hotels will be far less expensive. Just be prepared for serious heat.

Where to Stay

Tucson has accommodations in all types and price ranges, from luxury dude ranches, health and golf resorts to budget motels and B&Bs. I have one favorite and almost always stay there — the Arizona Inn — A Historic Boutique Hotel Retreat in Tucson | Arizona Inn . Linda Ronstadt, who grew up in Tucson, called it her favorite hotel in the world 5 Places to Visit in Tucson, Arizona, With Singer Linda Ronstadt — The New York Times . To me, the Inn is an oasis of beauty, calm, and exceptional food.

What to see — Natural environment

Undoubtedly the best place to learn about the plants and animals of the Sonoran Desert is The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum — Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, AZ — Zoo, Botanical Garden and Art Gallery . It’s an aquarium, botanical garden, natural history museum, and zoo all rolled into one fascinating experience. The roughly 10-mile drive west from downtown will take you through foothills sprinkled with houses, over Gates Pass and down into a sahuaro cactus-filled valley. You will always remember your visit.

There are three great places to hike or wander around the desert. First, Sabino Canyon is about 10 miles northeast of the center of town. What makes this canyon so popular is both the almost always flowing waterfalls and the marvelous collection of massive boulders deposited throughout the canyon by an 1888 earthquake. It’s a popular place to visit, so you’ll have to park and take a shuttle to the hiking trails or just ride the shuttle to and from the lot. Coronado National Forest — Sabino Canyon Recreation Area

Second and third are the two Sahuaro National Park sites, one east and one west of town — Saguaro National Park (U.S. National Park Service) . Both have many hiking trails to get you into the desert and up onto viewing platforms. Unlike Sabino though, there will rarely be flowing water.

Lastly, in mid-town, you’ll find the Tucson Botanical Garden. If you can’t make it to the Desert Museum, this is a reasonable alternative for learning about desert plants, and it has a fun butterfly exhibit to walk through. Tucson Botanical Gardens — Your Urban Oasis in the heart of Tucson

What to see — Art

One of my favorite small museums in the world is the Center for Creative Photography — About CCP | Center for Creative Photography It houses the archives of Ansel Adams and many other renowned photographers. Of interest to casual photographers and art lovers are the exhibitions they regularly host. I’ve seen exhibitions of Linda McCartney and Louis Carlos Bernal here. Well worth your time and it’s free, though check their calendar for sometimes they are between exhibits.

About a ¼ of a mile away on foot is the Arizona State Museum, which has a fine collection of Native American basketry, jewelry and pottery. Unfortunately, it’s closed for renovations until late 2026. Their website has much of the collection online and updates on the renovations. Home | Arizona State Museum

There are so many spectacular murals all over town that there are websites devoted to cataloguing them. Here are a few of those. The Tucson Murals Project ; 100+ murals in Tucson, plus a map | tucson life | tucson.com ; Tucson Murals If you’re interest in the murals. Peruse one or more of the above and then go on a mural hunting tour. If you’re short on time, I have two suggestions. My absolute favorite mural is the All Souls Procession by Susan Kay Johnson. It actually has an entry in the Library of Congress — Colorful Tucson, Arizona, is a city replete with murals, including several of gigantic proportions. Here, a portion of the All Souls Procession mural by local artist Susan Kay Johnson — original digital file | Library of Congress It takes up the entire block of 9th Avenue between University and 4th Street. And while you’re there, walk or drive slowly around the neighborhood. For it’s one of many quirky Tucson neighborhoods.

Two of the most monumentally spectacular murals are in sight of each other, but they are separated by one of the geometrically weirdest intersections, so take care in getting to them. The official address of the Goddess of Agave is 440 N. 7th Avenue which is Benjamin Plumbing Supply. Put that address in your GPS and park in their lot, but please not in one of the close in customer spots unless you are also looking for plumbing parts. Benjamin Supply also has a description of the mural on their website — Benjamin Supply — Tucson-AZ — but ignore the 6th street address. There’s no access to parking from that address. From that lot you can also see another spectacular mural — Epic Ride. Here’s the story behind that mural and two others These are Joe Pagac’s favorite murals he’s created in Tucson | tucson life | tucson.com

Photo Credit — Goddess of Agave — When In Your State

Paul has previously published A Personal Guide to Tucson, Arizona, on the web at Medium.

REMEMBERING WILL ROGERS’ STABLES – Lost in the Palisades Fire, Los Angeles, CA, Guest Post by Caroline Hatton

Will Rogers' Stables and Horses, circa 1930s, Los Angeles, CA.

My friend Caroline Hatton, a children’s writer and frequent contributor to this blog, took these photos in the 2010s, during the many years when she spent time at the park with horses, for joy and fitness.

“A man that don’t love a horse, there is something the matter with him.”—Will Rogers, cowboy, humorist, movie star and commentator of the 1920s and 1930s. He had a ranch near Los Angeles. After he died, his widow Betty donated it to the State of California to be enjoyed as a public park and as a memorial to him. It became Will Rogers State Historic Park.

In a recent post  on this blog Caroline Arnold described how the devastating 2025 Palisades Fire in Los Angeles, California, destroyed buildings in the park, including the house and stables. As she wrote, “They remain only in pictures and in our memories.”

Will Rogers' Stables, 2013, lost in 2025.

Here are some pictures and memories of Will Rogers’ stables. They looked to me mostly like in the historic photo (at the top of this blog post), which was displayed inside the stables’ central rotunda.

When I first came to the park in the late 1900s, horses lived in the stables, so those were not open to visitors. Later on, the use of the stables ended in order to preserve the building and it was opened to the general public.

For years, I went to the park to read, write, hike, carry a full pack up the trails to train for summer backpack trips in the Sierra Nevada, and best of all, to spend happy times horseback riding in lessons or on trails, and volunteering to help children with special needs benefit from Therapeutic Horseback Riding under the guidance of specially-certified instructor Tami Leevan. I often walked through the stables and paused the passage of time to listen for echoes from the past.

Just outside the stables.

The above sign, in front of the stables, survived the fire. It marks the graves of two of Will Rogers’ favorite horses, Bootlegger and Soapsuds.

Posted in the stables.

Corridor inside the stables.

View of rotunda in the stables.

Will Rogers.

Four large doors (on the rotunda front and back, and at the ends of the left and right wings) gave access to 24 stalls and two restrooms, each with a flush toilet and a bathroom-type sink.

View from inside the rotunda, 2014.

Arena, stables, pasture, 2014.

Visitors on a guided trail ride, 2018.

Far from being a lifeless place haunted by the ghosts of horses and the humans who loved them, the equestrian facility was kept vibrant by passionate users. Westside Riding School, the concessionaire operating the business inside the state park from 2006 to 2021, offered riding lessons and trail rides. In the above photos, a young student rides a well-loved lesson horse, bareback; a teen student competes at the annual school show; and one-time visitors enjoy a guided trail ride to Inspiration Point and back. A different concessionaire was in business until the 2025 fire. Equestrian visitors were welcome to bring their own horses to the park for day-use of the riding and roping arenas, and trail to Inspiration Point.

Westside Riding School. 10th Anniversary photo (by B. Hatton), posed like the historic photo.

On the 10^th anniversary of Westside Riding School, owner Dorte Lindegaard Wolf (7th from the right in the above color photo) led students (including me, the author of this post, 5th from the left) and friends to pose with school horses, like in the historic photo.

Polo practice.

Events at the park included polo matches, with practice sessions in the few days before.

This was my happy place for many years. Some of my absolute best horse memories are from there. The time a kind horse named Doc carried me bareback at a gentle gallop, up the trail to Inspiration Point. How years of helping children with special needs gave me an idea for a children’s story, which got published in a magazine. The friendships and connections with humans and horses. No wildfire can erase the memories of the countless people who found happiness at the park.

FOR MORE INFO

 Read Caroline Arnold’s 2020 post about Will Rogers State Historic Park. 

MARY CASSATT AT WORK, Legion of Honor Art Museum, San Francisco, CA

A Kiss for Baby Ann, No. 3, 1897, pastel by Mary Cassatt. Legion of Honor Art Museum, San Francisco, CA.

Mary Cassatt, known for her sensitive paintings of women and children, was both the only American artist and only woman artist to exhibit with the Impressionists. In a stunning exhibit at the Legion of Honor Art Museum in San Francisco, the breadth of her work is displayed—drawings, prints, oil paintings and lustrous pastels. 

Woman in a Black Hat and Raspberry Pink Costume (detail), pastel, ca. 1905.

In December, when I was in the Bay Area, I went to the exhibit with my family. Although I was familiar with some of the paintings from my art history classes in college and from visits to other museums, I had never had the opportunity to see so many pieces up close and to appreciate Mary Cassatt’s work over the span of her lifetime (1844-1926).

Under the Lamp, aquatint and soft ground etching, 1883.

Before entering the galleries, we prepared ourselves by watching an excellent video playing in a room just inside the ticket area. (Timed tickets are required to see the exhibit.) In the video we learned about Mary Cassatt’s background as the daughter of a wealthy Philadelphia family. Like many young women of the time, she attended to art school. But unlike other young women who went on to become matrons of society, Mary Cassatt was determined to become a successful professional artist. She moved to Paris and pursued her career there. She never married.

At the Loge, 1878.

In the video, selected pieces of art were discussed by experts. We learned, for instance, to look carefully at the painting of the woman at the opera to see the gentlemen in the opposite box just as intently looking at her!

Portrait of Mrs. Robert S. Cassatt, the Artist's Mother, ca 1885. 

We also learned about Mary Cassatt’s relationships with her family, who initially disapproved of her art career. Later they joined her in France. Her mother and sister appear in some of her paintings.  Mary Cassatt also used paid models for her work.

Clarissa, Turned Right with her Hand to her Ear, 1890-1893, Pastel.

Detail.

While much of Mary Cassatt’s work is in oil paint, many of her most vibrant portraits are drawn with pastels. The advantage of pastels is that the color is pure pigment, not diluted with oil or another medium. A close-up look at her pastels reveals the freedom and looseness of the strokes and shimmer of the overlapping color. In contrast, the faces of her figures are more carefully modeled.

Prints, dry point and color aquatint.

I had not previously appreciated Mary Cassatt’s skill as a printmaker. In the exhibit we see examples of dry point engravings as well as aquatint prints. Cassatt believed that printmaking was the ultimate instructor in drawing. She said, "That is what teaches one to draw."

Family Group Reading (detail), 1898.

Many of the Impressionists focused on outdoor scenes in their paintings and worked in "plein air". While most of Mary Cassatt's art depicts of interior scenes, in some cases, as in Family Group Reading, she places her figures in an outdoor setting.

On a Balcony, 1878-79.

The most impressive thing about Mary Cassatt’s depictions of people is the expressions on the faces. She manages to capture their inner feelings and interpersonal connections. In Mother About to Wash a Sleepy Child, we sense the tenderness between mother and baby.

Mother About to Wash her Sleepy Child, 1880.

On the day of our visit, after viewing Mary Cassatt at Work, we ate a tasty lunch in the museum cafe, and then explored the permanent collection in the main floor galleries, ending in the room with paintings by Mary Cassatt's comrades in art--Monet, Manet, Renoir, Cezanne, Pissarro, Degas. Mary Cassatt at Work is an enlightening exhibit.  I gained a new appreciation of her as an innovator. I saw a talented woman who was determined to forge a career at a time when women were not encouraged to do so. If you don't get to see the Mary Cassatt exhibit at the Legion of Honor before it closes January 26, 2025, there are many other museums where you can see her work.

The Long Gloves, 1886. Pastel.