SHADOW of the MOGOLLON RIM Being a Texas Ranger had its rewardsthough they were few and far betweenbut after twelve long and lonely years on horseback tracking down and arresting what seemed like an endless number of ruthless, cold-blooded fugitives from justice, Clint Wells had had enough. By the grace of God, he had survived the hardships and dangers of his job. At thirty-seven years of ageand feeling several years olderthe time had finally come to hang up his reliable Colt revolver, surrender the tarnished silver badge, and head further west. The Arizona Territory had its own brand of special lawmen, the Arizona Rangers, and they needed Clints priceless experience. If they got their way, he would not be hanging up his six-shooter anytime soon. The year was 1892; the place was central Arizonaand the wonderful smell of late spring was in the air.

Get off the beaten path and explore the hidden-gem destinations within a few hours of the Mother Road! Includes numerous photos and illustrations. Known as the Main Street of America and the Mother Road, US Route 66 is the nation’s best-known highway. This lavishly illustrated book steers you from Chicago to Los Angeles, traveling through the lowlands of the American Plains and the high plateaus of New Mexico and Arizona, from the Great Lakes to the mighty Pacific Ocean, and through major metropolises and remote country towns. Best of all, it lets you branch away from the Mother Road and encounter gems hidden beyond today’s standard motels and tourist traps—the quaint frontier communities that date back to the nation’s westward expansion; the legacy of ancient native cultures; and the awe-inspiring natural wonders that have graced these lands since time immemorial. State parks, wildlife refuges, museums, historic sites, literary landmarks, and much more are there to be explored within a few hours’ drive from the path of Route 66. The fifty trips included here offer new travel opportunities for the thousands of road-trippers who follow this legendary route, looking for something more. “The road and this book recall a time before franchise restaurants and chain motels choked America’s highways . . . the guide consists of 50 driving tours, which include plenty of side trips.” —Arizona Republic

The face of Arizona has changed dramatically over the centuries-but for those who know where to look, the coyote still howls, waterfalls still tumble into deep red rock canyons, and some of nature's finest handiwork is still to be seen along the backroads and byways of the state. For the open-road adventurer or the armchair tourist, Backroads of Arizona is the ideal guide to the state where antelope still roam, cowboys still ride the range, and mail is still delivered by mule train. Jim Hinckley's informative text and Kerrick James' brilliant color photography reveal the Grand Canyon State as more than just desert and towering saguaros: It is a powerful land of compelling variety where a mere sixty-mile drive can transport you from scorching sands to dense evergreen stands where deer and elk roam. Continuing on Voyageur Press' successful travel series, Backroads of Arizona takes you on more than twenty trips to the state's most notable and underappreciated sites. The book covers Arizona's plethora of awe-inspiring natural areas and national parks as well as its many historic sites, including Native American Pueblos and ancient ruins, ghost towns and vestiges of the Old West, and more. It is a fitting celebration of one of the most scenic states in the country.

Shadows in Jerome is a tale which introduces the reader to the old town of Jerome on Mingus Mountain in its heyday as the center of the world's copper mining industry, but it is also a story involving the town's "afterlife" as a tourist attraction and a historical site; a treasure to travelers from all over the world. Jerome is a real town, and the dynamics and vitality of the things which happened there in years long gone rival those of any old western town in the United States. Today, it is a so-called ghost town. Much of what it was has vanished. Still, it's amazing that so much of it remains. At less than two square miles in size, and with no more then fifteen thousand residents at any one time and far fewer than that for most of its life, it was a mighty midget of a town. Some of its one-time residents are said to still be present in a few of its old buildings, albeit in different form. In this story, a couple of young wayfarers encounter more adventure and mystery than they bargain for when they find the old town paradoxically in a state of death and decay as well as vibrant activity; its streets and shops filled by the bustle and gaity of tourists who come to walk its quaint up-and-down sidewalks and see the old buildings that once made up the city of Jerome, Arizona, the billion dollar copper town. The old place was once the center of serious endeavor by men of means, men of ambition and authority, as well as men who felt nothing should be allowed to block their path toward wealth and power. Desire for these things was not the only kind of passion which existed in Jerome; love in all of its attendant forms was present as well, for beautiful women lived there. But there is even more in Shadows in Jerome. Mystery, and a touch of horror complete this story. The wild and grand spectacle of the mountains and the nearby Verde Valley, as well as the picturesque charm of the old town in the clean air high on the side of Mingus Mountain not only help to hide evil, but they assist in posing philosophical questions as well; is it love, or through hate, that one finds forever? And by what means does one reach it? Enter the pages of this novel and you will be able to feel the forgotten years that pervade the old streets of Jerome as the very past seems to rear itself before you; here men and women lived and died. Haroltry, gambling and heavy drinking were not any more unusual here than was the coming of the long shadows at the end of each day. What is in store for those who lie for profit and love? What happens when young girls are taken too soon? How does one pay for transgressions against life and the living? Shadows in Jerome addresses these questions in a very unique way. At less than two square miles in size, and with no more than fifteen thousand residents at any one time and far fewer than that for most of its life, it was one mightly midget of a town.