On a recent morning when the rest of the country was preparing to watch the big football game, I was heading east toward Globe in search of ruins. I had made reservations for the Upper Cliff Dwelling tour at Tonto National Monument. A two-hour drive leads to the park, about 25 miles outside of Globe (though GPS thought it was 17 miles). The ranger and other tourgoers were nice enough to wait for ... Read more
Going underground at Kartchner Caverns State Park
In November 1974, two University of Arizona students discovered an enormous cave in the Whetstone Mountains of southern Arizona. In order to protect it, Gary Tenen and Randy Tufts embarked on a 13-year mission to turn it into a park. This involved keeping its existence a secret. They also needed the cooperation of the Kartchners, owners of the land that is home to their monumental discovery. An ... Read more