TravelMorgan Stone Gretherarizona, grand canyon, travel

Around the Grand Canyon, Arizona

TravelMorgan Stone Gretherarizona, grand canyon, travel
Around the Grand Canyon, Arizona

In August 2014, I traveled through central and northwest Arizona. 

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Tonto National Monument, Arizona

In March 2016 I had a quick trip to Sedona, Arizona, to take pics for Visit Sedona. After Sedona, I swung by the Tonto National Monument above Lake Roosevelt. It's a stunning site, where 800 years ago people created villages into the cliffsides. You can still tour one of the dwelling spaces at the top of a trail that winds through gorgeous cacti and wildflowers. 

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Tonto National Monument, Arizona
TravelMorgan Stone Gretherarizona, Pinal Mountains, mountains, desert, tonto national forest, route 60, travel

Arizona Route 60 between Superior and Miami

This winter before some shoots in Sedona, I traveled up the Arizona Route 60 highway through the Pinal mountains between Superior and Miami (pronounced "My Amma"). With the altitude the desert there in the Tonto National Forest can get more moisture than the valleys and so it bursts full of life. It is a rugged, rocky area, home I'm told to some of the world's largest tin and copper deposits. 

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Arizona Route 60 between Superior and Miami
TravelMorgan Stone GretherPinal Mountains, Miami Arizona, arizona, cats, art, mural, graffiti, travel

The Painted Cats of Miami, Arizona

Miami (pronounced "My Amma"), Arizona, sits nestled at the edge of the Pinal Mountains and beneath a massive copper mine. It's a quiet, dusty town, so small you could blink and miss it. But those are some of the best towns around, and I found if you pull off the main road, Route 60 (see my previous blog post on this drive), there is a charming strip of antique stores along with a couple bars and a couple restaurants. Quiet, dusty, small, but with some flair. You will find, if you take the time to stop, that the town is covered in public art. Of particular delight to me were the countless cat paintings found on street corners, shop fronts, nooks and crannies.  

TravelMorgan Stone GretherPinal Mountains, Miami Arizona, arizona, cats, art, mural, graffiti, travel
The Painted Cats of Miami, Arizona