Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
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This destination provides not only beauty and serenity but also lessons from a history that was the opposite: bloody and violent. Fort Bowie is a National Historic Site near Willcox, Ariz., between the Dos Cabezes Mountains and the Chiricahuas. It's a fascinating place, and part of the charm is the fact that once you drive to the parking lot, you need to walk three miles to get to the site and back. This makes the visit an adventure. The hike is pretty easy, with under 200 feet elevation gain.... Full story
Every angler loves to get fishing gear as a gift, but if you're not a fisherman yourself, it can be difficult to pick out something useful and appropriate. A great gift for a bass angler is not necessarily a great gift for a trout fisherman or a crappie angler. So here are some ideas specific to what your angler loves to fish for. Bass Anglers Savage Gear won best of show for their 3D shrimp at ICAST this year, and they have other 3D lures as well. One thing that works particularly well for big... Full story
Editor's Note: All of us at Arizona Boating & Watersports/Western Outdoor Times congratulate our Outdoor Editor Margie Anderson on her third win of the Arizona Game & Fish Commission's award for Outdoor Writer of the Year. We are especially honored to have her on our editorial staff, along with Don McDowell (our Sportfishing editor) of Shake, Rattle, and Troll Radio who has received the Media of the Year award twice: in 2012 and 2014. It has been our honor also to receive the Media of the Year... Full story
Before you know it, the annual gift-giving season will be upon us. I don't know about you, but I like to start the shopping early to spread the cost over a couple of months. If you've got outdoor types on your list, here are a few ideas that are sure to make them happy. Weego Chargers Weego has a great gift package this season: It's a Weego Jump Starter Battery+ bundled with a Weego smartphone charger. The Weego is pocket sized and capable of starting 12V batteries in cars, boats, trucks, etc,... Full story
Arizona is a dynamic state with a wide array of climate zones, and conditions particularly in the northern part of the Grand Canyon State allow for a beautiful array of fall foliage colors from mid-September through mid-November. Drives along U.S. Highway 89 will take you through an elevation change of more than 4,000 feet in the relatively short distance of 80 miles and plunge you into a mountainous kaleidoscope of fall color that covers the entire autumnal spectrum. Here are a few sites that... Full story
I've been telling you about a lot of great hikes lately, and hiking is one of my favorite outdoor activities. Because I've been hiking and hunting for so many years, I've learned a thing or two about what to carry. Thing is, you want to be prepared because you could be miles from the car with no cell service, but you don't want to lug around a lot of extra weight. I am always the one with the backpack on our family adventures, and I sure don't want that thing heavier than it needs to be. So,... Full story
We have been taking our granddaughters on hiking vacations to Flagstaff every summer for the past twelve years or so. Recently, the oldest received a scholarship to NAU and while she was at orientation, she attended a lecture on things to do around Flagstaff. "Grandma, I've been to every one of them!" she reported. There are just so many things to do in and around Flagstaff that one vacation can't cover them all. As the granddaughters have grown, the things we do together in Flagstaff have... Full story
Riordan State Park - Memories In A Mansion - Built in 1904 for two Riordan families, Riordan Mansion is an impressive reminder of gracious living in a small, territorial logging town. The historic building is an Arizona treasure - a remarkable example of Arts and Crafts style architecture featuring a rustic exterior of log-slab siding, volcanic stone arches, and hand-split wooden shingles. The expansive home has 40 rooms, over 13,000 square-feet of living area, and servants' quarters. The... Full story
The wonderful thing about living in Arizona is that we have such a range of altitudes and ecosystems. When it's too cold up north, we can mess around in the desert, and when the desert is broiling, we can either keep cool at one of the desert reservoirs or head up to higher altitudes and enjoy cooler weather. We enjoyed an unseasonably cool and wonderful May, but now that June and July are here, the summer weather has fully set in. So here are my picks of the top ten ways to enjoy the summer out... Full story
In her article that features ten places to "Beat the Heat" during an Arizona summer, Margie Anderson notes that one of her favorites is Prescott and nearby Watson Lake. She says that although this lake has fewer trees -- and therefore less shade -- than the area's Lynx Lake, the boulders are spectacular. If only just to see them, Anderson recommends a trip to Watson Lake. Also, readers may want to add to their summer enjoyment by four-wheeling the Mingus Mountains or fishing, hiking, swimming... Full story
The area around Sierra Vista Arizona is diverse: everything from pine forests to desert and riparian areas. It makes for a great little vacation, and there is plenty to do down there. Last month I told you about a couple of things to do on the way down there from Phoenix or Tucson, plus Ramsey Canyon which is just south of Sierra Vista. After hiking Ramsey Canyon, you may be in the mood for a drive and perhaps another little uphill hike along the way. Coronado National Memorial The perfect... Full story
This is a gorgeous time of year to visit Saguaro National Park. There are two different parts to this park: the Tucson District west of Tucson, and the Rincon District which is just southeast of Tucson. The Rincon Mountain District of Saguaro National Park is easy to get to: Take the Old Spanish Trail from Tucson to the Rincon Visitor Center. There is a loop drive through the western part of the Rincon District that you should definitely investigate. You can ask for trail maps and information... Full story
If you're looking for a great day trip from Phoenix, I've got a great idea for you - the Pinal Mountain Recreation Area. We have driven past the little brown sign for it in Globe dozens of times, and we finally decided to go check it out. I'm really glad we did, because it's a beautiful place. There are campgrounds and plenty to see up there, and the Forest Service site says the campgrounds are good for trailers up to 20 feet. We actually had a bit of a time finding it, even though we took the t... Full story
A few months ago I wrote about some hikes near Safford in the Pinaleno Mountains, and the hiking and fishing available at Roper Lake and Dankworth Pond. The Safford area has a lot to offer, and it's a great place to visit this time of year because the weather is gorgeous and it's the perfect time to hike or just camp somewhere beautiful. Beautiful Scenery If you take Highway 70 east from Safford for ten miles or so, you will come to Highway 191. Follow 191 to milepost 160, four miles south of... Full story
Margie Anderson recently snapped this photo of a deer poised above beautiful Bartlett Lake. He symbolizes to us the many opportunities to learn more about wildlife and outdoor activities at the two expos that traditionally begin the New Year: the International Sportsmen's Expo and Arizona Boat Show, Feb. 19-22 at the University of Phoenix Stadium and the Arizona Game & Fish Department's Outdoor Expo, March 28-29 at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility. Although wildlife per se is not its feature, ano... Full story
One of our favorite things to do is take day drives in Arizona. Recently we decided to head east for a change, since every road we take off the highway going north seems to be closed to shooting. We wanted to do a little target practice, so we headed down Highway 60 toward Superior. At first we tried Mineral Mountain Road which goes south off 60 just a few miles past Florence Junction, but that road also had "No Shooting" signs. This time, for State Trust Land. According to my map, it changes to... Full story
When exploring the beauty of the Superstitions, even if you don't have a 4WD vehicle, you can get off the main highway and see a lot of things that you would never notice otherwise. If you take the Queen Valley turn-off and stay on 357 without turning north onto 172, you will be on a very good gravel road that makes a sort of triangle to the north before rejoining US 60. Since gravel roads slow you down, you have a chance to notice a lot more. These are some of the bird photos that were taken... Full story
Even if you don't have a 4WD vehicle, you can get off the main highway and see a lot of things that you would never notice otherwise. If you take the Queen Valley turn-off and stay on 357 without turning north onto 172, you will be on a very good gravel road that makes a sort of triangle to the north before rejoining US 60. Since gravel roads slow you down, you have a chance to notice a lot more. All the bird photos were taken on 357.... Full story
Although we love our annual summer hiking trip to Flagstaff, snow is not my thing. Fortunately, there are a lot of great hikes in and around Phoenix, and since the winter is such a great time to be outside in the desert, we do a lot of hiking close to home. Even if it's just a quick trip to Thunderbird Paseo Park to walk the dog, hiking in Phoenix is awesome this time of year. Thunderbird Paseo Thunderbird Paseo is in Glendale, and it is a long (around four miles) narrow park that is actually a... Full story
Even native Arizonans tend to overlook the southern bass lakes when they get the urge to bass fish. The biggest lakes are in the central part of the state and along the Colorado River, and those areas are also quicker and easier to get to for a majority of the population. For those who live closer to the border, and for those willing to take the time to get there, four smaller more peaceful lakes beckon. Although you could do a drive-by of all four in a single day, each of them is different... Full story
You may wonder why you would even need a CCW permit in Arizona, since we have Constitutional Carry. CCW stands for Concealed Carry or Carrying a Concealed Weapon. What's the difference between Constitutional Carry and having a CCW? Well, in Arizona you are allowed to carry a concealed weapon without a permit. However, there are many more restrictions when you do not have a permit. There are all kinds of laws about how close to a school you can be, whether you can enter a bar or a restaurant... Full story
Cabo San Lucas, Cancun, and Acapulco need no introduction as Mexican destinations as they are well-known and traveled by foreigners. The slice of paradise south of the border called San Carlos in the State of Sonora is slightly off the beaten tourism path compared to those aforementioned. Once you find it, you will understand why San Carlos has taken the road less traveled and catered to foreigners as part-time or full-time residents rather than going after the "weekend warrior" crowd.... Full story
Just a bit north of Springerville is an amazingly cool place that you may never even have heard of. It's the Wenima Wildlife Area and it consists of 357 acres of habitat along the Little Colorado River. We visited in late September and the days were still a bit warm, but cloud cover and rain cooled things off considerably. There are two great, easy hikes at Wenima, both of which are very kid-friendly. The day we were there, we met only one other group of hikers during the entire morning. It was... Full story
We all know Bartlett Lake for its fantastic boating, watersports, fishing, and camping. In fact, there is a story in this issue's "Land Cruising" section that highlights some of those activities - as well as the lake's beauty and hospitality. For some outdoor enthusiasts, though, the appeal of Bartlett Lake and area is the wildlife. Just recently, Margie Anderson visited the lake and sent photos of a sampling of some of the animals that call Bartlett Lake Home. PS / Watch for the opening of... Full story
Editor's Note: We were so sorry to hear of the Sept. 11 fire above Bartlett Lake Marina but join the Church family in emphasizing that the lower facilities are all open and waiting for you. Also, on your way in, please take note of the new restaurant that will soon welcome guests to a beautiful dining experience. I've been visiting Bartlett Lake since before the road was paved all the way in. Back then, we'd go out at night many times during the summer because the night fishing at Bartlett was... Full story
