Rich Mining History, Relics of the Past in the Prescott Region

Few places are as good for pondering Arizona's past as Prescott and its surrounding areas. Owing to the region's rich mining history, many artifacts of the past are hiding in plain sight, from pioneer graveyards to a century old stone kiln constructed without masonry, to railroad service cars on the old Prescott East Railroad line (today's Iron King Trail), which served the Iron King Mine.

Once a town of as many as 3,000, Walker is now a quiet community of summer homes in the pines just outside of Prescott. Yet, well over a century later, the Walker Kiln sits quietly, each well-placed stone in tact, at the end of a decorated trail. The kiln was built without masonry and used to produce charcoal that would burn hot enough to release silver from ore.

Cherry lies in the foothills of Mingus Mountain, about 30 minutes outside of Prescott Valley, on a winding scenic route through beautiful pines, boulders and manzanita. Once a town with a population of 400, today it's home to summer, retirement homes and a bed and breakfast. So named for the wild cherry trees that used to line Cherry Creek, remnants of Cherry's pioneer and mining past (never quite living up to expectations) can be found in the pioneer cemetery behind the fire station, dating back to 1886.

Two well-used trails in Prescott, the Peavine and Iron King trails, follow in the stead of long removed railroad tracks. Following the crests of wide berms, they carve their scenic routes into the Granite Dells and Watson Lake. Along the route of the Iron King Trail (which skirts the north side of Glassford Hill) you will find antique railroad service cars, all with movable levers, wires and gadgetry in tact. The trail is exposed for the first two thirds of its journey (passing over flat bed railroad cars used to traverse washes). As it nears the Dells, sheer blasted rock cliffs give way to verdant trees and dramatic granite outcroppings adorned with occasional prickly pear. The Iron King Trail is an easy and rustic trail that is fun, and very scenic, for all ages.

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Gold King Mansion of the Hualapai Mountains: "Quite a Place."

The once ornate Gold King Mansion lies all but forgotten in the Hualapai Mountains south of Kingman. The concrete structure, with its unusual poured concrete ceiling, fireplace and elegant molding, dates back to 1929, having outlasted less permanent mining structures. Now remote, the Mansion was once connected to a county highway by a "splendid road," frequented by Cadillac. The mining corp owner's secretary rode shotgun (literally) as they carried the miners' payroll from LA. Today, the Mansion is accessible by the rugged Moss Wash OHV Trail or by hiking 1.5 mi. in from Blake Ranch Road (an "easy dirt road", partially unpaved, a high-clearance vehicle is recommended; four-wheel drive not necessary in good weather, per Arizona Highways "Arizona Ghost Towns"). In its day, the Mansion boasted copper screens on the windows and a fishing pond. When the mining corp struck a 3-foot-wide by 11-foot-long lead and gold vein in 1929, ...

Make-A-Wish Founder, Frank Shankwitz, Learned About Heroism Growing Up in Seligman, Arizona on Route 66

Sometimes, or perhaps, always, great and far reaching human kindness starts on a smaller yet no less significant scale. In the case of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, it arguably might not exist but for it's Founder, Frank Shankwitz's experience growing up on Route 66 in Seligman, Arizona. By age 10, Shankwitz had spent years on the road, homeless, with his mother who had kidnapped him. The kindness and mentorship he received working as a dishwasher at Juan Delgadillo's Snow Cap Drive-In set him on a path of philanthropy and success in the air force, as an Arizona Highway Patrol motorcycle officer and homicide detective. Shankwitz has described Delgadillo, who passed in 2004, as a stand in father figure. In several interviews he has shared how Delgadillo taught him the then novel idea of "turning negatives into positives." When Shankwitz's mother abandoned him in Seligman at age 12, Delgadillo arranged for him to live with a local woman (whom he descri...

Highway 89: the National Park Highway

Hailed by National Geographic as one of the best drives in the world, US Highway 89, the National Park Highway, spanned from Mexico to Canada, until 1992 when it was decommissioned south of Flagstaff. Connecting 6 National Parks (7, if you start at Saguaro National Park in Tucson) Highway 89 begins its epic geologic journey amidst the volcanic cinders and red clay ruins of Sunset Crater and Wutpatki National Monuments near Flagstaff. As it cuts through the solitude of Northeastern Arizona and the Navajo Nation, it passes the historic Cameron Trading Post and offers sublime rose-colored vistas of the Vermilion Cliffs. Today's Highway 89, since the 1960s, continues up to Page, past the Emerald Green spectacle of Horseshoe Bend and on to the Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell. Along the roadside you can buy handcrafted jewelry from individual vendors. The original route, 89A, makes a less traveled trek to the scenic Navaj...

Road Trip Studios: Family-Friendly Adventures on Route 66 and Beyond in the Great Southwest

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