Steele Indian School Park
When the final graduating class of 19 Native
American students walked across the stage of Memorial Hall to receive their high
school diplomas in 1990, the school's 99-year history came to a close. A "Circle
of Life" pathway now encircles Memorial Hall and two other old school buildings.
As you walk past 28 interpretive columns, you can read about the students and how
they—and the school—changed over the years. Turn south from the Circle
on a footbridge across Garden Pond to see a sunken garden of desert flora. A larger
lake and grassy acres lie north of the Circle of Life with picnic tables, playground,
and basketball and volleyball courts. The park (602/495-0739) is also a fine place
for a stroll; turn north on 3rd Street from Indian School Road and continue to the
last parking lot.
Musical Instrument Museum
Here you not only see a huge collection of
music instruments from around the world, but get to hear and see them played in
short video programs at each exhibit. Wireless headphones included with admission
provide the audio, which plays automatically when you step up to an exhibit. Your
favorite performers might have an exhibit in the Artist Gallery. The Mechanical
Music Gallery is lots of fun, and staff may play one one of the instruments at scheduled
times. Best to go early as it's easy to spend most of the day exploring the many
music traditions. The museum (4725 E. Mayo Blvd. at N. Tatum Blvd., Phoenix, AZ
85050, 480/478-6000, www.themim.org; open Mon.–Sat.
9 a.m.–5 p.m. and Sun. 10 a.m.–5:00 p.m., to 9 p.m. on first Fri. of
the month; $18 adults, $14 teens 13–19, $10 kids 4–12) is located in
north Phoenix on the southwest corner of East Mayo Boulevard and North Tatum Boulevard,
just south of Arizona Loop 101. Check the website for upcoming concerts and
workshops. The beautiful facility includes an auditorium, café, and gift shop.
The Medical Museum
Exhibits in the Phoenix Baptist Hospital and Medical
Center (2000 W. Bethany Home Rd., 602/249-0212, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. daily, free) display
antique medical and pharmaceutical artifacts, including rare drug jars, doctors'
medical bags, and quack medicine items. Look for them in the lobby and on each floor
by the elevator. The hospital is at the northwest corner of Bethany Home Road and
19th Avenue.
Shemer Art Center
Housed in a historic residence surrounded by sculpture,
Shemer Art Center (5005 E. Camelback Rd., 602/262-4727,
http://www.shemerartcenter.org/, 10
a.m.-3 p.m. and 6:30-8:30 p.m., 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Wed.-Fri. Tues., donations
welcome) features works of Arizona artists and craftspeople. A new show comes about
once a month. Galleries close between shows, so it's best to call before coming
out. The center also hosts art classes for adults and children. Leaflets describe
the history and features of the Santa Fe Mission-style house and surrounding Arcadia
District. The Center is near Camelback Mountain at the southeast corner of E. Camelback
Road and Arcadia Drive (enter from Arcadia).
Plotkin Judaica Museum
This collection at Temple Beth Israel (10460
N. 56th St. at Shea Blvd., 480/951-0323, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Tues.-Fri., and Fri. after
evening services, $3) illustrates Jewish heritage and displays ancient artifacts
from the Holy Land.
Deer Valley Petroglyph Preserve
Prehistoric tribes chipped more than
1,500 petroglyphs into the rock at this site in the Hedgpeth Hills (I-17 Deer Valley
Road Exit 215B, then west 2.5 miles, keeping right at the signed fork to 3711 W.
Deer Valley Road , 623/582-8007, https://shesc.asu.edu/dvpp,
$7 adults, $4 seniors 62+ and students and military, $3 children 6-12). Scholars
believe that prehistoric tribes created the images over several periods between
about 5000 B.C. and A.D. 1400. Interpretive displays in the visitor center help
you gain an appreciation for the rock art from the perspectives of researchers,
Native Americans, physical scientists, and archaeologists. An easy quarter-mile
trail leads to viewpoints where you can see many of the petroglyphs in their natural
settings. (The three boulders at trail marker #2, however, come from another location.)
Bring or rent binoculars from the visitor center to get a better look at the rock
art. Signs along the wheelchair-accessible path identify local desert plants.
Kids can go on a scavenger hunt, make their own rock art, and practice drawing.
Special events include field trips, lectures, workshops, and children's programs.
The Glyph Shop sells attractive Southwestern gifts, jewelry, and books. The trail
and gift shop close half an hour earlier than the museum.
Pioneer Living History Village
Set among rocky desert foothills about
30 miles north of downtown Phoenix, this historical village (I-17 Pioneer Road Exit
225, 623/465-1052, www.pioneeraz.org, 9 a.m.-5
p.m. Wed.-Sun., except to 3 p.m. June-Sept., $7 adults, $6 seniors 60 and over,
$5 students, and $4 children 3-5) brings the territorial times back to life. You'll
see how residents lived from the mid-1800s to statehood in 1912. The nearly complete
little town has a school, church, sheriff's office, bank, blacksmith shop, carpenter
shop, opera house, ranch, cabins, and houses—including the John Sears house,
one of the first frame houses in Phoenix. Horses and other animals add life to the
farms. Many of the 26 or so authentic buildings have been brought here from other
sites; others have been reconstructed from old photos or plans.
This collection emphasizes historical accuracy, setting it apart from "Wild
West towns" based more on Hollywood fiction than on fact. The community celebrates
Statehood Day on the weekend nearest its—and the state's—birthday
of February 14. A Bluegrass Festival plays in February. The Gunfighters' Rendezvous
brings blazing action in late March or early April. Check the website or call to
find out the times of special events, such as cowboy shows, historical reenactments,
and melodramas. Pioneer Restaurant (623/465-1821) serves up American food with a
choice of indoor or patio seating weekends for breakfast and Wed.-Mon. for lunch
and dinner. The magnificent bar has a colorful history.
Agua Fria National Monument
Like many desert rivers, the Agua Fria
largely flows underground, popping up here and there along its course. Cottonwoods
and willows add splashes of green. Herds of pronghorn roam the grasslands. Prehistoric
pueblo ruins perch atop mesas and near the riverbanks. The monument protects 71,100
acres of the river area just to the east of I-17, about 60 miles north of downtown
Phoenix. I-17 Badger Springs Exit 256 provides easy access—head one mile southeast
from the exit on a dirt road to the parking area, then follow a trail one mile down
Badger Spring Wash to the river. Shallow pools and water-sculpted rocks lie in a
picturesque little canyon here; look for petroglyphs near the confluence. Most other
hiking is cross-country.
Of the many prehistoric sites,
Pueblo la Plata atop Perry Mesa is one of the largest with 80-120 rooms, dating
from about 1200-1450. With a high-clearance vehicle and dry roads, head east 8.5
miles on unpaved Bloody Basin Road from I-17 Exit 259, then turn north 1.5 miles.
The monument lacks facilities. Leave-no-trace camping is permitted except within
200 feet of water. The Bureau of Land Management's Phoenix Field Office (21605
N. 7th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85027, 623/580-5500, www.az.blm.gov)
looks after the area.
Bloody Basin Road
Drivers with high-clearance vehicles can leave the
crowds behind on this 60-mile scenic back road through the Tonto National Forest,
connecting I-17 Bloody Basin Exit 259 with Carefree and Cave Creek north of Scottsdale.
You'll enjoy views of the Mazatzals, rugged high-desert hill country, and wooded
canyons. You can stop by two prehistoric pueblo sites on the way, Pueblo la Plata
(see Agua Fria National Monument above) and Sears-Kay Ruin (see Sights North of
Scottsdale). Allow about five hours plus stops and side trips.
In Bloody Basin,
23 miles from I-17, a very bumpy side road goes southeast 12 miles to the Verde
River, where hikers can stroll across Sheep Bridge into the Mazatzal Wilderness.
Primitive camping is possible almost anywhere in Tonto National Forest, or you can
stop at Seven Springs, CCC, or Cave Creek campgrounds near the south end of the
drive.
Arcosanti
This unique experiment of visionary Italian architect Paolo
Soleri slowly rises in the high-desert country 65 miles north of Phoenix. The public
is welcome to visit this project, the first of its kind. A visitor center (HC 74,
Box 4136, Mayer, AZ 86333, 928/632-7135, www.arcosanti.org,
9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily except major holidays, visitor center is free) has a model of
Arcosanti, architectural exhibits, and books by and about Soleri. The famous Cosanti
bronze and clay windbells sold here make attractive gifts and help finance the project.
To see the rest of the site you'll need to sign up for a guided tour, which
lasts 50 minutes and departs on the hour, with the first at 10 a.m. and the last
at 4 p.m., $8 adults, free for 17 and under. From I-17 Cordes Junction Exit 262,
follow signs 2.5 miles on an unpaved road.
A former student
of Frank Lloyd Wright, Soleri envisions three-dimensional cities that will foster
community spirit—now lost in many urban areas. Instead of today's sprawling
urban areas, Soleri suggests that cities grow vertically, leaving surrounding land
in its natural state. Instead of long commutes, residents will take an elevator
and short walks between home, work, and shopping; the time saved can then be devoted
to enjoying life and socializing with neighbors. Soleri calls his revolutionary
concepts "arcology," a joining of architecture and ecology. His strangely
shaped buildings at Arcosanti make efficient use of the sun's energy. The south-facing
apses, for example, allow winter sunlight to enter for warmth, yet they shade the
interior during summer.
Construction began in 1970 and progresses
slowly as funds come in. The current population of 70-85 can rise considerably during
summer when the number of workshoppers increases. Soleri typically spends three
days of a week here and the rest at Cosanti, the facility he designed in Scottsdale.
Currently in the first of three phases, Arcosanti will house about 5,000 people
upon completion, yet it will take up only five percent as much land as a conventional
town. Greenhouses will provide both food and heating, while using only a fraction
of the water normally needed for agriculture.
A cafe
and bakery serve snacks and meals. The Visitors Trail leads across
a small canyon to a viewpoint of the project. Arcosanti staff regularly schedule
concerts, usually preceded by dinner and often followed by a light and sound show
projected onto the mesa across the canyon. Seminars and workshops allow interested
people to participate in construction.
Guest rooms (928/632-6217) cost
$20 s, $25 d ($30 with private bath), and $75 for the Sky Suite, which has two bedrooms
and a kitchen. You'll need to make reservations and arrive between 9 a.m. and
5 p.m.
Near the interchange you'll find Cordes Junction
Motel & RV Park (928/632-5186, $35 s, $41 d rooms, $22 RV w/hookups) along
with a small diner that serves breakfast and lunch.