In the Southwest, you will frequently run into the terms arroyo, wash and wadi. These rambling water courses, sometimes full, sometimes dry, give Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah their character and are often some of the most beautiful spots in the country. Often, the landscape looks like a crumpled piece of brown paper, with [...]
DATE: April 12, 2012 | FILED IN: The Southwest | AUTHOR: Jen Wolfe
The Southwestern United States is littered with thousands of sites where ancient peoples left their mark. Ancient artists used the symbols they carved or painted in the rocks as teaching tools, message points, astronomical markers, maps, and other forms of symbolic communication. Some petroglyph images probably have deep cultural and religious significance for the societies [...]
DATE: March 11, 2012 | FILED IN: The Southwest | AUTHOR: Jen Wolfe
Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and even parts of Colorado are notorious for smoking hot summer temperatures. Luckily, there are some great places to beat the heat and enjoy the beauty of nature. Here are our top 10 picks, in no particular order, to cool off! 1. Lake Havasu State Park (Arizona) Just outside of Lake [...]
DATE: July 15, 2011 | FILED IN: The Southwest | AUTHOR: Jen Wolfe
The Southwest can be a tricky spot to view July 4th Fireworks. During an especially dry season, when fire danger is high, it is not unusual for a town or municipality to cancel their fireworks show. That is why most fireworks displays are teamed up with other great events like concerts, rodeos, fairs, sporting events [...]
DATE: June 21, 2011 | FILED IN: The Southwest | AUTHOR: Jen Wolfe
The Spanish were the first to explore the American Southwest and they brought with them Catholic traditions including the celebration of Christmas. The Spanish mission was to acquire land for the crown and convert the Native Americans to Christianity. However, many of the native beliefs were absorbed into the holiday celebrations in the Southwest, as [...]
DATE: November 30, 2010 | FILED IN: The Southwest | AUTHOR: Jen Wolfe
{openx:8}The Southwest U.S. is famous for its turquoise. For thousands of years, it has been prized and used as a valuable trade commodity among the Native American tribes. Turquoise was left in rough nuggets and polished, carved into beads and strung together or used as inlaid mosaics. The fancy silver and turquoise jewelry so famous [...]
DATE: February 8, 2010 | FILED IN: The Southwest | AUTHOR: Jen Wolfe
{openx:8}The Joshua Tree is the largest of the yucca family of plants and is native to California, Arizona, Utah and Nevada. Also known as the Yucca Palm, Tree Yucca and Palm Tree Yucca, it received its official name of Joshua Tree when a group of Mormon settlers noticed the tree’s unique shape and it reminded [...]
DATE: January 27, 2010 | FILED IN: The Southwest | AUTHOR: Jen Wolfe
If you are looking for something fun and truly different to do in the Southwest, take a look at Ranchos Los Baños and Tierra Chamahua Eco Adventures. Located in Sonora, Mexico, just 60 miles south of the Arizona border, this ranch caters to individuals seeking adventures in the wilderness while respecting Nature. Rancho Los Baños [...]
DATE: January 14, 2010 | FILED IN: The Southwest | AUTHOR: Jen Wolfe
{openx:8}If you are looking for the perfect Christmas tree, look no farther than the Christmas Trees of the Southwest on the nearest mountain slope in Utah, Colorado, New Mexico or Arizona. Dressed in mantles of white during the winter months, the majestic blue spruce march down mountainsides and soar from valley floors, creating the perfect [...]
DATE: December 14, 2009 | FILED IN: The Southwest | AUTHOR: Jen Wolfe
{openx:8}When traveling in the Southwest, you will discover plenty of the geologic and landscape features that end with the word butte, mesa or plateau — for instance, Coyote Butte, Grand Mesa, Colorado Plateau. In each instance, these geologic features have a flat top surface with relatively steep sides. So if they all have flat tops [...]
DATE: October 19, 2009 | FILED IN: The Southwest | AUTHOR: Jen Wolfe
