800 years ago people created villages in the cliffs above Theodore Roosevelt Lake…

A funky little mining town along state highway 60, easy to ignore as you drive into the beautiful Superstition Mountains and Tonto National Forest. But it’s worth a stop, particularly for the Boyce Thompson Arboretum…

The town overall seems frozen in time, a freeze-frame from the 1880s; horses and mules walk the dusty streets; buildings remain as they were then; people dress in western clothing…

Cutting through the rugged Superstition Mountains from the towns of Apache Junction and Tortilla Flat to Roosevelt Lake, Arizona's Route 88 -- a.k.a the Apache Trail Highway -- is a gorgeous ride with endless spots of oohs and ahhs. Unfortunately, it is also one of the worst, most treacherous roads I've driven in all the United States. It winds its way around cliffside after cliffside on a pothole-infested, one-lane road that somehow is declared suitable for two lanes. And those two lanes are filled with large pickups pulling boats to the various recreational spots in the area. But if you survive, it's hard to mind a slow ride through unspoiled southwestern desert wilderness. If you're going, the best vehicle to take is a small car with good shocks. (And air conditioning!)

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.  

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. 

In March 2016 I had a quick trip to Sedona, Arizona, to take pics for Visit Sedona. One evening for dinner we stopped at the Enchantment Resort, just outside of town in a secluded valley. Isolated in the best way, you feel like you have your own little Sedona world.

In March 2016 I had a quick trip to Sedona, Arizona, to take pics for Visit Sedona. Below are general images of the gorgeous, red-rocked mountains surrounding the city.

In March 2016 I had a quick trip to Sedona, Arizona, to take pics for Visit Sedona. I stopped for lunch at the L'Auberge resort, a little oasis of calm right in the middle of town. Their Cress restaurant is a lovely, relaxing spot along Oak Creek with ducks, squirrels, and amazingly for the desert location, a lot of trees. Definitely I would return here on my next trip through Sedona.   

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.