Wild West Land Blog

I caught Jurassic Park on some obscure cable TV channel last night and then stumbled across this great story about the discovery of a ‘Dinosaur Dance Floor’ in the far north of Arizona.

“During the Jurassic period, large stretches of the American west were a desert, so the presence of more than 1,000 tracks of a variety of creatures has led geologists to conclude the site was an oasis.”

Apparently it was only erosion caused by strong winds in the area that uncovered this three-quarter acre site in the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument and eventually the dinosaur footprints will be blown away.

Vermilion Cliffs became a national monument on 9 November 9 2000 and covers a whopping 294,000 acres. The remote area, in extreme northern Coconino County on the border with the state of Utah, has been described as ‘The Land Before Time‘.

It’s amazing to think that in such a desolate region, human settlement actually dates back 12,000 years and that there are hundreds of Native American pueblos spread across the land plus the largest number of petroglyph ‘rock art’ sites in any protected area in the US.

As it’s maintained by the BLM - not the more glitzy guidebook and gift shop led National Park Service - it’s suggested that this is a place for people to explore by themselves. The 3 main sites are Buckskin Gulch, Lees Ferry and Coyote Buttes, home of ‘The Wave’, a small ravine between eroded sandstone domes only recently made famous.

As only 20 people a day are allowed to visit many of these sights I’d suggest you take a virtual tour instead.

Stanley Stewart in the Times must have rolled into Tombstone on Sunday for the 127th anniversary shoot-out but is so tired of election fever he compares the Earp vs. Clanton gunfight with a Republican vs. Democrat brawl!

A good read for those wanting to try a little dude ranching as he moseys on down to the Price Canyon Ranch for some riding in the canyons:

After three days of riding across God’s own country, and an evening of Jesse’s fiddle, I had deserted. I didn’t care who was up and who was down. The poll figures meant nothing to me. I was a free man again.

Another story in the same paper though made me think it might be worth setting up a dude ranch of sorts in the UK, especially now it seems many horse owners in the UK are struggling to keep their own fed and stabled:

Horses, seen as luxury accessories of the wealthy, are the latest victims of the credit crunch, with a growing number being abandoned because their owners cannot afford feed and livery bills

Today, according to this BBC News story, marks the 140th anniversary of the last major earthquake to strike the Hayward Fault, one of the many fault lines which criss-cross the San Francisco Bay Area.

The Hayward Fault, which runs directly through Oakland to the east of downtown San Francisco, is described on the USGS website as a “tectonic time bomb, due anytime for another magnitude 6.8 to 7.0 earthquake.”

The 1868 quake was described at the time as the “great San Francisco earthquake” until the magnitude 7.8 shock on 18 April 1906. You can read a report of the damage on the U.S. Geological Survey website.

Only 12,00 people lived in Oakland at the time, in mainly wooden buildings, but the possible consequences today are enormous and so many parties have come together to form the 1868 Hayward Earthquake Alliance to commemorate the 140th anniversary of the 1868 ‘big one’ and to raise public awareness of another imminent quake.

These historical photos show the destruction caused by the quake to old wooden structures. Joking aside in the title of this post, spare a thought for those living in the area now. Budding geologists and seismologists should take a trip and check out the sites courtesy of this handy field guide to one of North America’s most dangerous earthquake faults, including a 96 page PDF field trip planner.

A few things worth a look on a quiet Sunday:

A short bike ride with Ewan McGregor in the Times is a good insight into the motorbike adventurer/actor as he sets off with journalist Jon Swain:

…the short trip I proposed we should make risked, I feared, being seen by the 37-year-old Scottish-born actor as dull and artificial. The plan was to ride into the Santa Monica mountains behind LA, then wind down onto the Pacific Coast Highway for a bit – one of the best riding roads in the US. To reach it we would ride the Topanga Canyon loop, with its steep side roads, which I was told were a blast to explore by motorbike…

Meanwhile historian Simon Schama describes how he fell in love with America at 19 whilst listening to the blues in a Washington piano bar in 1964: “In the red-lit shadows, I took pulls at my Lucky Strike, put my mouth to the open-necked beer bottle and fancied that with each drag I was closer to becoming the Hoochie Coochie Man myself”

Finally the Telegraph has my picture of the week showing Cholla the painting horse at work on his latest masterpiece at home on the ranch in Reno, Nevada. Cholla’s paintings are being exhibited in Italy for the next few weeks - you can find out more at his website or watch him in action in the video below:

Mention the city of Amarillo, Texas and most Brits will probably make a mental leap back to Red Nose Day 2005 and the sight of Lancashire lad Peter Kay parading through BBC Television Centre in West London, dressed in a rather garish purple suit miming along to the words of Tony Christie’s classic (Is This The Way To) Amarillo.

Reading Tracy L. Barnett’s travel article in the Houston Chronicle it’s obvious that Amarillo, in the Texas Panhandle, should be better known as a destination for fans of the Old West. After her visit to the World Champion Chuck Wagon Roundup - could this take place anywhere else but Texas - she rolls out an amazing list of cowboy-related tourist attractions including:

• the Texas Panhandle Plains Museum
• the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame and Museum
• Palo Duro Canyon, site of a major battle of the Red River War
• and the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame (although this is actually further south in Fort Worth)

When I drove this way in 1999 my favourite stopping point had to be Cadillac Ranch, just off I-40. This wonderful outdoor sculpture was constructed in 1974 and features 10 buried Cadillacs dating from 1949 to 1963 that represent the “Golden Age” of American autos. It’s the brainchild of helium millionaire Stanley Marsh 3 and well worth visiting with a can of paint to add your own signature (if only for a week or two).

If you fancy a trip to Texas to take in any of the sights mentioned I’d highly recommend George Miller’s recent book This is the Way to Amarillo: A Musical Odyssey Across the USA. It’s a great read for music fans and travellers alike.

Having started this post with Peter Kay though it seems only right to include the video so you can sing along to the song whilst making plans to visit ‘the real Texas’.

Tony Christie/Peter Kay: (Is This The Way To) Amarillo:

I’ve spent a day or so collating a list of the Top 10 tourist attractions to visit whilst touring Arizona in January next year. The list isn’t by any means final and is subject to revisions (mine) and suggestions from anyone on the interweb with first hand knowledge and strong opinions. It’s just (for now) the list of 10 things I’d really like to go and see:

1. Kartchner Caverns State Park, Arizona
This stunning limestone cave was only discovered in 1974 and finally opened to the public in 1988. From the photos on the State Park website it looks like a promising place to swot up on stalactites and stalagmites - one up, one down?

2. Tombstone, “The Town Too Tough to Die”

This historic Wild West town doesn’t need an introduction being the location of probably the most infamous gunfight in history (the OK Corral, 24 seconds and 30 shots) and home to the legendary Doc Holliday, Wyatt Earp and of course the Boothill Graveyard.

I’ve heard it’s a bit of a tacky tourist trap with too many themed attractions for the even the most dedicated cowboy fan to take in but I quite fancy the idea of touring Tombstone on a stagecoach.

3. Take the Grand Canyon Railway from Williams to Grand Canyon National Park

The last time I visited the Grand Canyon in 1991 I slept under canvas in a campsite located directly under the flightpath of the tourist helicopters. 18 years on and this time round I’d like to arrive in style so the vintage train looks perfect.

4. Pima Air & Space Museum, Tucson

Do you remember Berlin’s “Take My Breath Away”, that 80’s classic hit from the Top Gun movie soundtrack? Well I do and I’d really like to see a plane ‘graveyard’, even if it’s not the one from the video. So a trip round the AMARG Aircraft Boneyard Tour is one reason to visit this Tucson museum. The other would be to see the Air Force One used by Presidents Kennedy and Johnson.

See the planes from above now on Google Maps

5. Go see a ghost town

Arizona is full of original ghost towns from the mining and railroad era. Jerome is probably the best known and loved and looks like a great spot to visit and take in the scenery.

Some others to consider: Bumble Bee, Cleator, Congress, Copper Creek, Crown King, Fort Misery, Gillette

Flickr - The World / Places / United States / Arizona /Jerome

6. Montezuma’s Castle National Monument

A national monument since 1906 and one of the best preserved cliff dwellings in North America. Take the virtual tour now to see the handiwork of the Sinaguan Indians who built it. You haven’t been able to climb up and go inside since 1951!

7. Arcosanti Project

“In 1970, the Cosanti Foundation began building Arcosanti, an experimental town in the high desert of Arizona, 70 miles north of metropolitan Phoenix. When complete, Arcosanti will house 5000 people, demonstrating ways to improve urban conditions and lessen our destructive impact on the earth.”

Sounds cool to me.

8. Biosphere 2

Whilst we’re on the subject of odd Arizona ‘towns’ how can I give the ultimate tribute to 70’s sci-fi cult classic ‘Silent Running’ a miss? Biosphere 2 was designed and built in the 80s as a sealed replica of the earth’s environment, a way of testing living conditions for missions into deep-space. Imagine TV’s Big Brother magnified 100 times and you get the idea. You can read about the missions on Wikipedia.

Note - I think there’s an ‘odd buildings’ theme to this list judging by the next couple of entries:

9. Taliesin West, Scottsdale, Arizona

Taliesin West, was architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s winter home and school in the desert from 1937 until his death in 1959. I love Wright’s work, particularly the Prairie Houses and the Price Tower. I drove straight past Fallingwater in 1994 on a frantic mission to reach Florida for Thanksgiving so I want to take the time to visit this desert masterpiece.

10. Mystery Castle, Phoenix, AZ

What a great tale - perhaps not for those involved - but just the name should demand a visit for kids who love Scooby Doo. Plus it’s A Phoenix Point Of Pride.

“Mystery Castle was built in the 1930s by Boyce Luther Gulley. After learning he had tuberculosis, Gulley moved from Seattle, Washington to the Phoenix area and began building the house from found or inexpensive materials. Boyce Gulley died in 1945, and Mary Lou and her mother were notified by attorney that they had inherited the property. Shortly after, the mother and daughter moved in.”

What do you think? Have I missed some obvious Arizona highlights out? Are there more places to add to make a Top 20 or even a Top 50 list? Where would you go with a week to take in the best bits of The Grand Canyon State?