Desert Tale - No. 1 -
Vol. 1 - Arizona's Captivating Colorful Creation
 In 1539 Marcos de Niza, a Spanish Franciscan friar, was the first European to explore Arizona searching for the mythical Seven Cities of Gold. Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, also came in search of gold and ended up forming settlements. In 1540 Pedro de Tovar, discovered the Hopi Village of Oraibi, the oldest Native American settlement in the United States, built in the year 1100.
Arizona has the largest percentage of land designated as Native American Tribal land in the USA. Mail is still delivered by mule to Havasupai, at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Spanish influence abounds in Southern Arizona because missions were established by Spanish priests at Tubac and Tumacacori.
From Native Americans to Spanish Conquistadors, to California gold miners, prehistoric petroglyphs, the Yuma Territorial Prison, the red Grand Canyon, Snowy Flagstaff, the Colorado River, Imperial Sand Dunes, Lake Havasu, and even the old London Bridge, Arizona has something for every imagination and photographer.
Tourists discover the unique areas of nature's handiwork in this beautiful state. In addition to hiking trails and fresh air adventures, there is golf, arts and culture, spas, dining and nightlife, and of course, shopping. For the historian, here are the homes of the Navajo, Hopi, Hualapai, Havasupai and Apaches, descendants of prehistoric people who built civilizations in cliff dwellings. The "Painted Desert" derives its name from the multitude of colors in the mountains starting with grey turning into lavender, ending up in red, orange and even pink rocks. From a distance it may look barren and austere but the beautiful harmony of colors lend a rainbow effect to the landscape.
 Writers must not miss the opportunity of visiting Zane Gray's cabin in the Mogollon Rim, with its endless scenic vista of verdant pine trees below and hidden lakes. This American icon, a dentist, escaped to his wooden cabin to think and write his stories about the Old West, entertaining us all with his Riders of the Purple Sage, Nevada, Fighting Caravans, The Last Trail, Wanderer of the Wasteland, to name a few.
Prescott is the place of the world's oldest rodeo dating back to 1888. Jerome is not to be missed with its reputation for having been the "wickedest town in the West," at the turn of the century with its brothels and saloons entertaining copper miners, and frequent ghosts. Sedona is a must see for artists with its red sandstone buttes, snow-capped red rocks; gorgeous yellow and lavender sunsets, and its mystical vortexes.
 The Saguaro cactus flower with its white waxy blossoms appears in mid-April. The petals open at night into large white flowers which close in the day. These flowers turn into bright red fruits in about 30 days with 2000 tiny black seeds and serve as food for a variety of desert animals. In Saguaro National Park, saguaros begin to grow arms at about 65 - 75 years of age. A mature saguaro is considered to be at least 125 years old. Its average life span is about 150 - 175 years old. Not only are they protected, but the flower is the Arizona state flower.
For the ornithologists, Arizona is the hummingbird capital of the USA with many species found in the Sierra Vista. So bring your binoculars.
This Old West is full of cowboy frontier towns, ancient ruins and magnificent scenery.
If you can keep a secret, it is also home to over 100,000 voting seniors, who enjoy the sunshine, medical facilities, and lower cost of living as they hot-rod around in their golf carts, discarding the expense of an automobile.
 Once when I was driving around the mountains, I got out of my car to get a better angle for my photos when suddenly a Gila monster attacked the tires of my car. I didn't see it because it was so well camouflaged in the rocks. Later, an Arizonan told me it is the largest native lizard in the USA, and one of only two poisonous lizards in the world. Their bite can be quite painful, but that it was "protected." I decided to travel with an Indian guide the next time I ventured out into the desert by myself.
Coyotes, rattlesnakes, gila monsters, hawks, cacti, and flash floods can be hidden dangers for a city girl like me. I see I have a lot to learn about this rugged state, and will keep you posted, as I practice my singing from Annie Get Your Gun. "Anything you can do I can do better…"
Alinka Zyrmont
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