Echoes of the Southwest

The Lodge in Scottsdale is a wonderful place to have lunch and dinner. Sharon and I decided to share a Sasquatch burger as you can see why by the picture. That sucker was huge! This was the first stop on our two day road trip. The Lodge 4422 W. 75th Street Scottsdale, AZ 85251 (480) 945-0828 http://www.scottsdalelodge.com Outside Patio Sasquatch burger with sweet potato fries. Me and Sharon with Mr. and Mrs. Sasquatch

Hiding in the Superstition Mountains and located about 35 miles southeast of Phoenix, is Arizona’s mysterious Lost Dutchman gold mine.  For more than a century, this wonder has been attracting those who believe in the stories of riches and are looking for the mine. Many have met with tragedy having their lives claimed by the barren desert.   The Dutchman himself was actually a German miner named Jacob Waltz.  Born in Germany in 1808, he set out for America in 1839 looking to strike it rich.  In 1848 he became a US citizen while in Mississippi.  After not having much luck there, he decided to head west to California.  He ended up in the Bradshaw Mountains, a mountain range in the Sonoran Desert in central Arizona, and was determined to find gold.  In 1968, having made a homestead claim of 160 acres near the Salt River, Waltz would mine the nearby Superstition Mountains.  For about 20 years he would h...

It was the 1920’s and 30’s when a small town in Arizona, or rather mining camp, had around a thousand residents living among the dusty lands. Hidden in a canyon on Dripping Springs Mountains near Globe/Miami was a town called Christmas. It was another mining town formed around claims of silver and copper. It was much smaller than the surrounding towns, and never gained the popularity those urban areas enjoyed. Today, Christmas is barely a blimp on the radar. The town is completely abandoned with empty homes and rusty headstone crosses that are scarcely visible from all the dense weeds, cacti, and sagebrush surrounding the area. The mines are all but quiet with all the machines and the workers long sense gone. Their spirits still wander around the tiny town they once called home. If there is any sign that Christmas once existed, Sharon and I will try and find it on our next road trip.

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“Claustrophobia is the fear of having no escape, and being closed in. It is typically classified as an anxiety disorder and often results in panic attack. One study indicates that anywhere from 5-7% of the world population is affected by severe claustrophobia, but only a small percentage of these people receive some kind of treatment for the disorder.” I am one of those that suffer from this phobia. I was five years old when the first real symptoms appeared. My father was in the Air Force and stationed in Germany. I was playing with my younger brother and his hard metal cars. He got mad for some reason and threw one at me, hitting my head above my eye. It was cut open, bleeding badly and needed stitches. My Dad took me to emergency to get stitched up. They had me lay on a table and proceeded to put a cloth over my face. This cloth had a hole in it where my bloody eye would show through and be mended. The moment the cloth covered my face, I went into panic mode. It ended up takin...

On the evening of Wednesday, March 4, 1930, 28 year old Wilton climbed in the cab of H. Decker and headed off to the Lincoln Airways, Inc. flying field in California. Wilton had listed his occupation as aviator and/or airplane mechanic. This young man had a wife and four kids with one on the way. His wife, Luzette, was in Virginia while Wilton “worked” elsewhere. There had been rumors of affairs but none were proven. As H. Decker pulled his cab up to the airfield, he handed Wilton his card. Decker gives each person who rides with him his card which has his name, phone number and Diamond Cab Company, the name of the company he worked for. Wilton met up with pilot Morey Johnson and Wilton’s friend Jean. By the time they all arrived at the airpark, the employees working there had left for home. The weather was pouring rain and not a good time to take a plane out on a night flight. They all boarded the plane and Johnson took it out of its stall and flew away. The flying field wat...

Since snow is a rare thing around here, I thought I would share some of the snowy places I had the pleasure of seeing these past couple of years. Grand Canyon Crazy Mountain Ranch, Montana Prescott, AZ Mayer Cemetery, AZ Sedona, AZ West of Phoenix, AZ