THE LEGACY OF ARIZONA'S MOST PROLIFIC ARTIST

JUNE 2019

ESCAPE • EXPLORE • EXPERIENCE

TED DeGRAZIA A RETROSPECTIVE TED DeGRAZIA:

18 THE EARLY YEARS North Rim By Raymond Carlson 2 EDITOR’S LETTER Grand Canyon 22 THE ARTIST National Park 3 CONTRIBUTORS Flagstaff By Kelly Vaughn 2019 4 LETTERS Sedona June Prescott 30 THE ART A Portfolio Edited by Keith Whitney 5 THE JOURNAL Superior People, places and things from around the state, PHOENIX including Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park, 46 THE GALLERY and the man who made it possible; the history of the By Chels Knorr Tucson McCormick rose; and an eatery in Flagstaff where the tater tots are fried with bacon, jalapeños, green 50 THE PROTEST onions and cheese. By Matt Jaffe POINTS OF INTEREST IN THIS ISSUE 52 SCENIC DRIVE Marble Viewpoint: Just about every road on the Kaibab Plateau qualifies as a scenic drive, including this route, which leads to one of the most beautiful panoramas in Northern Arizona. By Noah Austin 54 HIKE OF THE MONTH Munds Wagon Trail: Just when you thought you’d hiked all of the great trails in Sedona, a couple of forest rangers resurrect an old wagon route. GET MORE ONLINE By Robert Stieve www.arizonahighways.com Photographs by Joel Hazelton 56 WHERE IS THIS? /azhighways @arizonahighways

Hoodoos along the Catalina Highway, the road into the Tucson area’s Santa Catalina Mountains, punctuate a view of the distant Tucson Mountains. Jack Dykinga NIKON D810, 1/80 SEC, F/14, ISO 160, 600 MM LENS FRONT COVER: Ted DeGrazia painted Cowboy Rolling a Cigarette in 1970. It’s part of a small series of traditional American cowboys, but DeGrazia never displayed the pieces. Courtesy of the DeGrazia Foundation BACK COVER: Fiesta at San Xavier, a 1960 DeGrazia work, depicts a procession at Mission San Xavier del Bac, on Tohono O’odham land near Tucson. The piece is part of a series celebrating the life and work of Father Eusebio Francisco Kino. Courtesy of the DeGrazia Foundation

2 OCTOBER 2015 www.arizonahighways.com 1 editor’s LETTER CONTRIBUTORS

The next month, in our January 1980 issue, we ran an ad that promoted an “Exclusive DeGrazia JUNE 2019 VOL. 95 NO. 6 Print Offer.” It read, in part: ed DeGrazia started out with Zilch. Not in “In the more than forty years since former 800-543-5432 CHELS KNORR the lowercase sense of nothing — a starving Arizona Highways editor Raymond Carlson intro- www.arizonahighways.com For this month’s story artist who will work for food — but Zilch, duced Ted DeGrazia’s work in the magazine, GIFT SHOP: 602-712-2200 on Ted DeGrazia’s Gal- with a capital “Z.” That was the unusual we have received thousands of inquiries from lery in the Sun (see The T PUBLISHER Kelly Mero nickname of Mrs. Carlson, who was Ted DeGra- readers who are interested in owning a DeGra- Gallery, page 46), we EDITOR Robert Stieve zia’s Brian Epstein. “Talent alone is not enough,” zia print. Now the artist has dedicated two turned to Chels Knorr, SENIOR EDITOR/ Joe Stacey wrote in March 1983. “Ted DeGrazia paintings, Red Blanket BOOKS EDITOR Kelly Vaughn who has a background

might have been Arizona’s most illustrious bar and Feather Dancer, to MANAGING EDITOR Noah Austin in art but wasn’t familiar

mural painter if he’d not been discovered by Raymond. By special ASSOCIATE EDITOR/ with DeGrazia before Mary Helen ‘Zilch’ Carlson.” Her husband, Ray- arrangement, Arizona VIDEO EDITOR Ameema Ahmed this assignment. “I took mond, was equally impressed. Highways has received PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Jeff Kida art all through school,” Mr. Carlson was our founding father. Our editor emeritus. exclusive rights to the CREATIVE DIRECTOR Barbara Glynn Denney she says, “and I have a Joe Stacey was his successor, who added, “Make no mistake set of limited edition ART DIRECTOR Keith Whitney deep appreciation for its about this truth: Arizona Highways discovered Ted DeGrazia DeGrazia prints pictured MAP DESIGNER Kevin Kibsey creators. Nowadays, I don’t produce much of it myself, but I love to wander art museums and put him onstage.” on this page. They will PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Michael Bianchi for hours, and my husband and I have a small, modest collection in our home.” Knorr The initial spotlight was in February 1941 — we’ve resur- never again be repro- DIRECTOR OF SALES knew DeGrazia was an artist but hadn’t heard of the gallery, and she was surprised to find AND MARKETING Karen Farugia rected that story inside. A few years later, in March 1949, duced when this limited about 15,000 of his pieces are housed there. “To be so prolific, disciplined and committed WEBMASTER Victoria Snow Mr. Carlson reintroduced the artist: “Our art feature this number is sold out. to routine is incredible,” she says. “He painted a few self-portraits, and they each reveal, in CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Nicole Bowman month concerns the paintings of Ted DeGrazia. We have Available separately or as a set, the image different ways, how he saw himself. His art shows his respect for culture, his love of nature DIRECTOR OF FINANCE Matthew Bailey known Ted for many years and we know him to be a desper- size is 9”x12” on a quality weight paper with and the way his mind danced with whimsy. He was true to himself, and also to those who OPERATIONS/ ately serious artist. A few months ago we discussed DeGrazia a wide white border suitable for framing. IT MANAGER Cindy Bormanis were buying his work.” Knorr spent the past year working on a friend’s campaign for the with an established and successful artist, now living in Tuc- If you have ever dreamed of owning such U.S. House of Representatives; she now works as a full-time copywriter.

son. ‘What do you think about DeGrazia?’ we asked. ‘I don’t know,’ [Maynard prints for yourself, or to give as gifts, this is your CORPORATE OR Dixon] answered, ‘but I do know that I want some of his things now when opportunity. Orders will be filled on a strict first TRADE SALES 602-712-2018 they are cheap, because someday they may be very valuable.’ ” come, first filled basis, subject to quantity limita- SPONSORSHIP SALES REPRESENTATION On Media Publications In all, Ted DeGrazia’s work appeared in more than 60 issues of Arizona tions. Prints are $7.00 each, plus $1.00 per order Deidra Viberg Highways. In addition, he was featured in National Geographic, on NBC, and in for postage and handling.” 602-323-9701 many other publications. His big break, however — the thing that put him in The prints from those two paintings would orbit — was when UNICEF selected one of his oil paintings, Los Niños, for its eventually generate $60,000, which, when LETTERS TO THE EDITOR [email protected] CRAIG SMITH 2039 W. Lewis Avenue 1960 holiday card. Millions of copies were sold around the world. adjusted for inflation, is approximately $200,000 Phoenix, AZ 85009 How do we get a piece of fine Despite his whirlwind success, Ted DeGrazia and Raymond Carlson today. All of that money went into the Raymond art into the pages of Arizona remained close friends who would occasionally get together for a night on Carlson Trust. From one friend to another. Highways? For this issue, we GOVERNOR Douglas A. Ducey the town. A legendary anecdote goes something like this: One day the artist Ted DeGrazia once said: “I want to be noto- called Craig Smith, who visited DIRECTOR, showed up at the magazine in a dilapidated pickup to take the editor out rious rather than famous. Fame has too much DEPARTMENT Tucson’s Gallery in the Sun in for a quick beer. They came back a week later ... in a new Mercedes, which responsibility. People forget you are human.” OF TRANSPORTATION John S. Halikowski March to photograph most of Mr. DeGrazia had paid for with cash. As you’ll see in this issue, which celebrates the the Ted DeGrazia pieces you’ll They were dear friends, each of whom admired the talent of the other. 110th birthday of Arizona’s most prolific artist, Arizona Highways® (ISSN 0004-1521) is published see inside. Smith specializes monthly by the Arizona Department of Transportation. Sadly, by the late 1970s, several years after his retirement, Raymond Carlson he was all three — famous, notorious, human. Subscription price: $24 a year in the U.S., $44 outside in this niche of the craft, and the U.S. Single copy: $4.99 U.S. Call 800-543-5432. UP- he came to it naturally. “When was widowed, impoverished and in poor health. That’s when Mr. DeGrazia Even more important, from our perspective, he DATED PRIVACY POLICY: Our privacy policy has been philanthropically sanctioned their friendship. Through his attorney, Thomas was a benevolent friend to our founding father. updated to reflect the new changes in data protection I went to art school to study laws, including the EU’s General Data Protection Regu- A. McCarville, Ted DeGrazia established the Raymond Carlson Trust. Ironically, the beneficiary outlived the benefactor. lations. To read our updated privacy policy, go to www photography, I became com- In a letter dated December 19, 1979, Mr. McCarville wrote: “Dear Ted. Ettore “Ted” DeGrazia died on September 17, 1982. .arizonahighways.com/privacy-policy. Subscription cor­re­ pletely immersed in art history, spon­dence and change of address information: Arizona Enclosed herein you will find an Irrevocable Trust Agreement. I discussed this Raymond C. Carlson passed away a few months Highways, P.O. Box 8521, Big Sandy, TX 75755-8521. Peri­ to the point that I wanted to with Ira Feldman and Marvin Beck of Arizona Highways. Mr. Beck believes later, on January 30, 1983. Those are four shoes odical postage paid at Phoenix, AZ, and at additional continue to study and teach it,” mailing office. Canada Post international publications that the sale of the prints from the two paintings will produce from $20,000 that can never be filled. mail product (Cana­dian distribution) sales agree­ment Smith says. “When I decided against a career in academia, I went back into photography No. 40732015. Send returns to Quad/Graphics, P.O. Box and fell into this niche where I combined the two, and I started working for museums and to $30,000 for Mr. Carlson. Mr. Feldman and I are in agreement that the best On behalf of everyone who has ever been 456, Niagara Falls ON L2E 6V2. Post­master: Send ad- approach would be to create a ten-year trust with me as trustee and Ray- a part of this great publication, thank you, dress changes to Arizona Highways, P.O. Box 8521, Big photographing art.” Among other techniques, Smith uses polarizers on his camera and Sandy, TX 75755-8521. Copy­right © 2019 by the Ari­zona mond Carlson as beneficiary. The two original paintings will be conveyed to Mr. DeGrazia, for taking care of the man who Department of Trans­­por­­tation. Repro­duc­tion in whole or his light sources, so the textures on the paintings don’t pick up highlights, and he includes the trust, and their proceeds for the next ten years will go to Raymond Carl- made it so. Give our best to Zilch. And a humble in part with­­out permission is prohibited. The magazine a color guide in his shoots, so the colors of the photographed art can be accurately does not accept and is not responsible for un­solicited son or, upon his death, to the DeGrazia Art & Cultural Foundation.” bow to her husband. mater­ ials.­ matched to the originals. But every shoot presents unique challenges, Smith says — and Attached to the letter was a bill of sale for two prints: Red Blanket and Feather ROBERT STIEVE, EDITOR that’s part of the appeal. “Every day is different,” he says. “You’re seeing pieces you’ve PRODUCED IN THE USA Dancer. The price: $0. Follow me on Instagram: @arizonahighways never seen before, and that aspect of it makes it very interesting for me.” — NOAH AUSTIN

2 JUNE 2019 PHOTOGRAPH BY PAUL MARKOW PHOTOGRAPHS: TOP TYLER KNORR ABOVE, RIGHT LINDA VANDERBEEK www.arizonahighways.com 3 LETTERS [email protected] THE JOURNAL

i, my name is Cicily, and I am 8 years old. I live in Phoenix, Arizona. I like H going on trips to the places Arizona Highways has in the magazine. My mom, dad, sister and Grampy Tim like to have adventures together. We get good ideas for these adventures from Arizona Highways. It is always fun. I like it, too. Cicily Lenartz, Phoenix Alone on a Hill April 2019 Summer storm clouds gather over a lone tree on Kloster- s recent Arizonans (December 2017), thought the article by Chels Knorr [His the suite. Thank you so much for remind- meyer Hill, an ancient cinder cone volcano, at Government my husband and I are delighted each Hearth Is in the Right Place, April 2019] ing me. I played it over and over last Prairie, a large clearing north- month upon the arrival of Arizona was very well written. She did a great night. I am going to play it more often. A I west of the Flagstaff area. Highways. It’s our “go to” source for job of explaining the bread-baking pro- Norman Francis, San Diego Government Prairie Road everything we want to know about cess in an informative and understand- (Forest Road 107), which our new state — hiking, biking, road able way. I really enjoyed the article have loved Arizona since the first time heads north from Historic trips, history, dining and festivals. The and learning more about Mediterra I visited, in 1987. I was a young mother Route 66 near Parks, offers challenge is: What to do next? With Bakehouse. Thank you. I of three, arriving in Arizona on vaca- good views of the volcano the April issue [Grazing Arizona], it was Hilary Hartline, Phoenix tion with my family in July. We drove and the prairie. For more no contest: Cottonwood for Philly a new Ford station wagon with my information, call the Kaibab cheesesteak. My husband was raised always anxiously await the new issue in-laws from Kentucky. We would be National Forest’s Williams just outside of Philadelphia, and believe of Arizona Highways, and with the here for three weeks. Driving west on Ranger District at 928-635- 5600 or visit www.fs.usda me, he knows his cheesesteak. His I March 2019 issue, I was overwhelm- Interstate 40, it seemed to me that we .gov/kaibab. pronouncement to owner Ronilee Oates: ingly delighted. The landscape photos had entered a land of majesty. Of course, HASSELBLAD H3DII-39, 1/160 SEC, “This is just about the best cheesesteak and articles were fantastic. Your maga- one of the first stops we made was the F/19, ISO 50, 50 MM LENS I’ve ever had — in or out of Philly!” zine always gives me new places to put Petrified Forest and the Painted Desert. Thank you, Robert, for saying yes to on my bucket list. And the Hike of the I still love the pictures of my sons sitting the “Sandwich Tour,” and thanks Month [Hieroglyphic Trail] brought a on a large piece of petrified wood. They to Kelly for her delicious reporting. smile to me. I am fortunate that my sister were 3 and 4 years old at the time. The We give this article, and the cheese­ lives in Gold Canyon, so I just walk down other picture that I often visit is one steak, five stars. the road and up to the petroglyphs. of me holding my then-11-month-old Doreen Dziepak, Sedona, Arizona I have yet to see the waterfalls from the daughter at the overlook of Jasper heavy rains, but the water was running Forest. I’ve often told others that the can hardly contain my anticipation and the ponds were filled the last time Petrified Forest may be one of the most and excitement to see the next issue I was there. I can’t wait to go back again. sacred places I have visited. Maybe it’s I of Arizona Sandwiches. Not sure I will Mary Lohr, Escondido, California because it was where I first found be able to control my emotions — it’s myself. A few months ago, my daughter why I subscribe and arrange for sub- was introduced to the Grand Canyon and I visited that very spot, 31 years scriptions for my family and friends. Suite in fifth grade, some six decades after our first and only visit there Heck, I can hardly wait to get back out I ago. From that first moment to this, it together. We tried our best to re-create there and take the “Sandwich Tour.” has been one of my favorite pieces of the photo, even though I could no longer I’m guessin’ you know why folks sub- music. I’ve also been fortunate enough hold her on my hip! scribe. So, you’ve “shorted” us, and owe to actually visit the Grand Canyon on Dina Capek, Laveen, Arizona us a “real” issue — pictures and stories two occasions. While listening to the about the amazing geography, geology, suite, too. As life would have it, one gets contact us If you have thoughts or com- history, wildlife and people of Arizona. busy, a family, a job, and things slip out ments about anything in Arizona Highways, we’d We’ll let you know when we’re tired of mind. Reading your February 2019 love to hear from you. We can be reached at editor@ arizonahighways.com, or by mail at 2039 W. Lewis of all that. issue reminded me of the beautiful, Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85009. For more information, P.W. (Bill) Miller, Columbus, Ohio soothing sound of Mr. Ferde Grofe and visit www.arizonahighways.com.

4 JUNE 2019 PHOTOGRAPH BY STEVE BARTH J nature

Gilded Flickers

AMEEMA AHMED

The gilded flicker Colaptes( chrysoides) is a large woodpecker found in the American Southwest. It lives primarily in the desert, nesting in holes of giant saguaro cactuses. The male flicker is very defensive of its nesting territory, protecting it with calling, drumming and other aggressive displays. Bright yellow underwings set this bird apart, as does the red “mustache” stripe on the male. These ground-foraging birds enjoy a diet of mostly ants and other insects, but also will eat fruits, seeds and Visitors explore the nuts. Our photographer captured this monument near Faraway Ranch in gilded flicker in midair, next to a saguaro. the 1920s.

ADDITIONAL READING: To learn more about Arizona’s wildlife, pick up a copy of the Arizona Highways Wildlife Guide, which features 125 of the state’s native birds, mammals, reptiles and other animal species. To order online, visit www .shoparizonahighways.com.

6 JUNE 2019 PHOTOGRAPH BY BRUCE D. TAUBERT www.arizonahighways.com 7 J history dining J

THIS MONTH ites. The Forsythe Burger ups the ante IN HISTORY The McCormick Rose The McMillan Bar and Kitchen on cheeseburgers, starting with a chewy Although no one knows the exact timeline, the roses at the Governor’s Mansion in Prescott n In June 1880, Clara As if the historic building and kitschy address weren’t enough, this place pretzel bun and rounding it out with bounced around the state for 75 years before finally finding their way back home. Spalding Brown moves to serves some of the best food in Flagstaff, including tater tots fried with white cheddar, bacon, grilled onions, chi- Tombstone with her hus- bacon, jalapeños, green onions and cheese. potle mayo and a perfectly runny sunny- AMEEMA AHMED band and begins reporting side-up egg. The Black Sheep Caesar also from a woman’s viewpoint JACKI LENNERS bucks tradition, in a deliciously spicy rose can be a symbol of love, friend- McCormick made what arguably is the first on life in a small but flour- way: It’s topped with blackened chicken, ship, purity or many other things. But mention of the rose: “A gentleman at Los Ange- ishing mining town. INSPIRATION TO OPEN a restaurant original stonework. While the wooden avocado and a jalapeño Caesar dressing. one Arizona rose bush, named for a les writes that he has sent by freighter a quan- n The American Museum comes from many places. It usually starts beam archways and intricate brickwork The mixologists behind the McMil- A key historical figure, is a symbol of tity of rose bushes with the dirt about them of Natural History estab- with the food, but for Tucker Woodbury, honor the past, the McMillan’s vintage lan’s sprawling bar give the kitchen stiff something different: It represents the state’s in the box — they will be the first cultivated lishes the Southwestern the inspiration for the McMillan Bar arcade game room and craft cocktails competition when it comes to reimagin- pioneering women. roses in Prescott I think.” Research Station in South- and Kitchen in Flagstaff came from the signal a new era for a structure that has ing the classics. The Old-Fashioned is not The rose’s namesake was Margaret McCor- McCormick planted that rose bush outside ern Arizona’s Chiricahua building itself. The location was nice, too. stood the test of time. your grandfather’s drink: This version mick, the wife of Arizona’s second Territorial her bedroom window at the Governor’s Man- Mountains in June 1955. “How cool is it to be at 2 W. Route 66?” Diners can fuel up for a fast-paced is served over one giant ice cube and governor, Richard McCormick. The McCor- sion, and it grew there for years following her n After the Arizona Ter- Woodbury says. game of Mortal Kombat or Super Mario punctuated with house-smoked orange micks arrived in Arizona in the 1860s and ulti- untimely death after childbirth in 1867. But ritory’s first U.S. marshal, But the McMillan is about more than Bros. with a next-level twist on tater tots. bitters. And the Beeting may have an mately settled down at the Governor’s Mansion McCormick’s short time in Prescott left an Milton Duffield, dies in prime real estate: Its imposing stone The McMillan version ditches shredded unusual tint, but the bright pink hue impression on the people she met. June 1874, the Arizona Citi- building encapsulates nearly 140 years of taters in favor of creamy mashed potatoes comes from beet purée muddled with gin, An obituary in the Arizona Miner zen writes in his obituary: history. Sheep rancher Thomas McMil- fried with bacon, jalapeños, green onions elderflower liqueur, cucumber, basil and acknowledged her character: “It is “It is claimed by some good lan originally opened it in the 1880s. and cheese. The equally video-game- ginger syrup. seldom that such a woman as Mrs. men that he had redeem- The ground floor was a bank, and the friendly Roadway Nachos are a meal unto Sometimes, a building is merely a McCormick becomes a pioneer.” ing qualities, but we are upstairs served as a hotel. themselves, piled high with tangy ched- structure. Other times, it’s a story full of Another pioneering woman free to confess that we The new owners took care in peeling dar, pickled jalapeños, refried beans and twists and turns. The McMillan’s chap- would write the rose’s next chapter. could never find them.” away the layers that built up over years a generous dollop of guacamole. ter of this building’s tale is inspired by The Governor’s Mansion even- of different uses, practicing “addition by The McMillan’s comfort food menu is paying homage to the past — and creat- tually became privately owned, subtraction” in uncovering the building’s all about unique takes on classic favor- ing a new future. and, according to the March 1952 issue of Arizona Highways, the rose 50 YEARS AGO bush “would have been lost had IN ARIZONA HIGHWAYS it not been for the interest of Mrs. Margaret A. Ehle, who removed the bush to her own home and tended it there for years.” Whether Ehle transplanted the entire bush, or just cuttings from it, is unclear, but cuttings from the bush at Ehle’s home have since been planted around Arizona, including at the state Capitol in Phoenix. The Governor’s Mansion now is the centerpiece of the Sharlot Hall Arizona Highways’ June Museum, founded by its namesake 1969 issue was true to our historian, yet another Arizona pio- name and focused on the neer. According to the museum’s histories and conditions Rose bushes descended from the McCormick rose grow at the staff, cuttings from the rose bush of Arizona roadways, Governor’s Mansion in Prescott in the early 1950s. The photog- at the Capitol were planted around the man- especially the “heartland rapher’s daughter, Kris, is pictured in the photo. sion in the late 1930s — bringing the McCor- highway” that at last con- in Prescott, the Territorial capital at the time. mick rose full circle nearly 75 years later. nected Flagstaff, Phoe- There are conflicting stories, however, of The rose itself is believed to be a French nix and Tucson. Editor how the rose bush made its way to Arizona. Boursault — delicate-looking, but hardy. It can Raymond Carlson wrote Some say McCormick brought it with her grow practically anywhere, making it a fitting that highways are “arter- from the East Coast, while others claim it was symbol of Arizona’s early settlers — and of the ies of travel ... that have sent to her. In a May 1866 letter to her family, challenges of making the desert bloom. conquered distance and have knitted us ... closer PRESCOTT Sharlot Hall Museum, 928-445-3122, www.sharlot.org together.” FLAGSTAFF The McMillan Bar and Kitchen, 2 W. Historic Route 66, 928-774-3840, www.themcmillan.us

8 JUNE 2019 PHOTOGRAPH BY ALLEN C. REED PHOTOGRAPH BY JOHN BURCHAM www.arizonahighways.com 9 J around arizona

was born in the territory’s Alder icans on a “Red Cross mission” to Russia. Gulch in 1869. Eleven years later, But the real mission was to identify a the Thompsons moved to Butte, Russian ally who would help defeat Ger- the next mining hot spot. many and be the most beneficial to U.S. Butte was a hardscrabble interests. While living in Petrograd in town: barren, dusty and 1917, Thompson met with Vladimir Lenin, sprawled on a bare hill. Thomp- Leon Trotsky and others to determine son’s mother longed for the trees, the character of those vying for power, as flowers and green slopes of her well as the mood of youth in Missouri. According to most Russians. biographer Hermann Hagedorn, After witnessing as a teenager, Thompson was the poverty of Rus- restless and athletic, raising the sia’s farmers and the ire of his father by gambling, wealth of its elites, stealing and setting fires. But he Thompson returned adored his mother and planted to the U.S. believing flowers in their small yard in an that agriculture and attempt to brighten her spirits. social justice were William Boyce Thomp- son (above) is best He also started prospecting at a linked and that it known in Arizona for young age, and his early love for was imperative to Boyce Thompson flora and minerals would shape ensure a sustainable Arboretum (left), which features Thomp- the rest of his life. food supply for the son’s mansion as its As an adult, Thompson made world’s growing centerpiece. millions via a talent for sniffing population. In 1920, out profitable copper mines. He on his land in Yonkers, New York, he also took his instincts to Wall established the Boyce Thompson Insti- Street, where he made another tute for Plant Research to study plant fortune predicting the ups and growth, germination, potentialities and downs of the stock market. But diseases. Today, the institute has moved he was interested in more than to the grounds of Cornell University. his own wealth: A curious and Thompson fell in love with Arizona visionary man, he donated while scouting copper mines. Although millions to educational and he had traveled extensively in the U.S. scientific research institutions. and abroad, he loved the desert land- He worked behind the scenes scape enough to build his winter home to build support for Congress’ near Picketpost Mountain in the Supe- eventual passage of daylight sav- rior area. In 1924, he established Boyce ing time (which, ironically, most Thompson Arboretum to foster educa- of Arizona does not observe tional, recreational, research and conser- today). He served as director vation opportunities associated with the of the Federal Reserve Bank of world’s desert plants. New York and twice was a del- The arboretum opened to the public egate to the Republican National in 1929, with Thompson’s mansion as its Convention. And during World centerpiece. Thompson died the follow- War I, he assisted in Herbert ing year, at age 61, and the fact that he Hoover’s effort to supply food to established the site so late in his life was German-occupied Belgium. in keeping with his philosophy of leaving illiam Boyce Thompson is best ments that still impact Americans today. Thompson’s work during that conflict the world in better shape than he found Boyce Thompson Arboretum known in Arizona for his per- Thompson’s parents were lured to also included some international intrigue. it. “Remember,” he once said, “we are “We are planting not for the present,” William Boyce Thompson said, “but for W petual gift to the state: Boyce Montana Territory by gold strikes. His When Russian revolutionaries ousted planting not for the present, but for gen- generations to come.” That philosophy and a love for the desert led to the Thompson Arboretum, which now is a mother, Anne Boyce, came with her fam- the czar and it wasn’t clear who would erations to come. You and I will not enjoy state park that protects countless desert ily, while his father, William Thompson, gain power, President Woodrow Wilson much of this, but others will. We have establishment of one of Arizona’s most unique state parks. plant species. The place is impressive arrived alone. The younger Thompson directed Thompson to help lead 20 Amer- the joy of starting it.”

LISA HONEBRINK — and so was its founder, who lived a blockbuster life filled with accomplish- NEAR SUPERIOR Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park, 602-827-3000, www.azstateparks.com/boyce-thompson

10 JUNE 2019 PHOTOGRAPHS: ABOVE PAUL GILL OPPOSITE PAGE COURTESY OF BOYCE THOMPSON ARBORETUM www.arizonahighways.com 11 J photography

PHOTO WORKSHOP Illuminated by a portable strobe light, yuccas grow beneath a cloudy sky in the Arizona desert.

Lake Powell by Houseboat October 6-10, Page The reservoir’s red sandstone and blue- green water offer numerous opportunities to make spectacular photos. Gary Ladd and Suzanne Mathia, both regular Arizona Highways contributors, lead this expedition using two houseboats as base camps. Information: 888-790-7042 or www.ahps.org

JK: Has the camera technology changed? JG: It’s amazing how much cameras have improved in the past decade. All the pho- tos from the 2008 portfolio were shot with an 11-megapixel camera; the iPhone I use today has a 12-megapixel camera. My actual camera today is 50 megapixels, and I can digitally stitch three photos and make a 60-by-90-inch print without using interpolation. This is an exciting time to be a photographer, because the technology is changing so fast. We have to constantly reassess how we approach our craft with the tools we have. To me, that’s a good thing.

JK: Has technology affected the photog- raphy market? JG: You’re definitely competing against more people, but I think there also are more opportunities to sell or publish your work than there used to be. And regardless of how many photographers are compet- ing, there always seems to be a handful who reach the top of whatever genre JK: In 2008, Arizona Highways published and I use strobes on everything. For me, JK: You recently told me you’re planning That limited the parts of the desert I was they’re in. Too many people get scared off Q&A: a portfolio in which you used battery- the way the light hits my subjects is very to revisit your “desert strobe” project. able to visit and photograph. These days, by the numbers. If you wake up every day Joel Grimes powered strobe lights to illuminate the important, so I approach it the way JG: When I started this, 12 or 13 years ago, a battery with the same output weighs and say there’s too much competition and subjects of your desert photos. Where I approach portrait photography — except the battery for the strobes was a motor- about 2 pounds, and I can fit everything you can’t be successful, you’ve already lost

PHOTO EDITOR JEFF KIDA did this idea come from? I’m making a portrait of a cactus or a cycle battery with a big inverter. It weighed I need for a shoot into a backpack. Also, the battle. A lot of it is believing that if you JG: I’ve been a strobe guy since the 1980s, yucca, instead of a person. about 25 pounds, and between the I now have an electric bike with big, fat work hard, pick a subject matter and prac- strobes, battery, camera and tripod, I was tires, and I can put my equipment into my tice it more than anyone else on the planet, To learn more about photography, visit www.arizonahighways.com/photography. carrying more than 50 pounds around. backpack and go zipping across the desert. the odds eventually will be in your favor.

12 JUNE 2019 PHOTOGRAPHS: ABOVE JOEL GRIMES ABOVE, RIGHT GARY LADD www.arizonahighways.com 13 photography J

Window Rock, Capital of the Navajo Nation

ROBERT STIEVE

This photograph by Barry M. Goldwater was first published in the June 1943 issue of Arizona Highways, an issue that was dedicated to the Navajo people. The caption for the image reads: “At Win- dow Rock, Arizona, in northeastern Apache County, not far from the New Mexico line, is the headquarters of the Indian Service for the Navajo Indian Reservation. The vast and extensive adminis- tration of the reservation has its center here. Here the Navajo deals officially with the United States government and through this agency has contact with Washington, D.C. Here in Septem- ber of each year until war interfered was held the Navajo Fair, one of the most interesting Indian events presented by Indians in this country. Like all of the United States, Window Rock is keyed to the war effort, and from here issues, in part, the stimu- lus to the Navajo in contributing men and material to victory.”

To see more of Barry Goldwater’s photography, check out Photographs by Barry M. Goldwater: The Arizona Highways Collection at Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West. The exhibition will run through June 23. To learn more about the show, visit www.scottsdalemuseumwest.org. To learn more about the Barry & Peggy Goldwater Foundation, which is working to restore and digitize Barry Goldwater’s 15,000 photographs, visit www.goldwaterfoundation.org.

14 JUNE 2019 PHOTOGRAPH BY BARRY M. GOLDWATER, COURTESY OF THE BARRY & PEGGY GOLDWATER FOUNDATION www.arizonahighways.com 15 J lodging

Sheldon Street Lodge Lodge, one of the motor lodges built Like most old buildings in Arizona, the Sheldon Street Lodge has lived along U.S. Route 89 (now State Route 89), through many incarnations. Today, it’s a rustic inn within walking distance which defined the northern edge of town of Courthouse Square. for decades. In later years, the building served as Prescott’s Greyhound station KATHY MONTGOMERY before becoming an extended-stay facility. Colleen Milam and her husband, TRAINS, BUSES AND AUTOMOBILES. Prescott’s historic train station. Shane, bought the property in 2003. That might not sound as catchy as the The lodge’s foundation dates to the A Prescott native, Colleen remembers title of a certain movie starring Steve turn of the 20th century, when it sup- when there was nothing between the Martin and John Candy, but it does sum ported housing for immigrant railroad lodge and Granite Creek but train tracks. up the long history of Sheldon Street laborers. The current structure dates to Depot Marketplace has since replaced the Lodge, which is located across from the 1940s, when it opened as Navajo tracks, but the depot remains, and the THIRSTY FOR towering cottonwoods of Granite Creek Park still form an impressive, sometimes colorful backdrop. The Milams upgraded the rooms for SURVIVAL use as nightly vacation rentals. Along with amenities, they added a sense of humor: A porch sign declares that the Winter’s record rainfall wasn’t enough to reverse over 20 years of drought fire pit is where people and marshmal- lows get toasted, and the license plate of in Arizona. For our wildlife, this means less available drinking water an old truck out front reads, “IM DONE.” as another hot summer approaches. With your help, we can increase As with most historic lodgings, the rooms are small. But they’re efficient the odds of survival by delivering lifesaving water to remote watering and well equipped, with microwaves, refrigerators and flat-screen TVs. sites around the state. Let’s give wildlife a fi ghting chance—together. Complimentary tea, water and snacks are available in the lobby, which is decorated with historical photos and Prescott memorabilia. The collection includes a picture of Gail Gardner. The late rancher, post- master and cowboy poet employed Col- leen’s mother as a nurse and personal assistant, treating her family as his own. Gardner announced the World’s Oldest Rodeo for years and frequently served as grand marshal of Prescott’s annual Fron- tier Days Parade. Visit AZWildlifeHero.com While the inn is not on the official parade route, entries pass it before dis- or text SENDWATER to 41444 banding, so those who are fortunate enough to book a room over Fourth of to contribute toward our summer watering project. July weekend watch from comfortable chairs on the front porch — and often make reservations a year in advance for the privilege. The parade and the train depot were immortalized in the 1972 movie Junior Bonner. Sheldon Street Lodge didn’t make the cut, but, as with so much of Prescott’s history, it had a front-row seat.

PRESCOTT Sheldon Street Lodge, 115 E. Sheldon Street, 928-445-5554, www.sheldonstlodge.vpweb.com

16 JUNE 2019 PHOTOGRAPH BY PAUL MARKOW

AGF19 - W4W Print Ad - AZHWYS.indd 1 3/21/19 3:19 PM TED DEGRAZIA 1909-1982

THE EARLY YEARS BY RAYMOND CARLSON ARTWORK AND PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF THE DEGRAZIA FOUNDATION

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was originally published in the February 1941 issue of Arizona Highways. It was Ted DeGrazia’s first appearance in the magazine. As former editor Joseph Stacey wrote: “Ted DeGrazia might have been Arizona’s most illustrious bar mural painter if he’d not been discovered by Mary Helen ‘Zilch’ Carlson and [Editor] Raymond Carlson. Make no mistake about this truth: Arizona Highways discov- ered Ted DeGrazia and put him onstage.”

here appeared for exhibition in Arizona this season a group of oil paintings by a young man from Bisbee. The exhibition was entitled: Dust of Mexico! Pre- sented herein are a few reproductions from that exhibition. The impression that this series of paintings makes on a person depends Tentirely on the person, and again on the person’s reaction to Mexico, and especially the northern part of Mexico. Generally when travelers speak of Mexico they refer to the central part, where the vegetation has all the richness of the tropics. They refer to Mexico City, where their entire orbit centers about the cafés and the Hotel Reforma. But there is another Mexico. We have a different Mexico right close to us, just across the line. Travelers into Ari- zona during the winter should not fail to visit Sonora, for even if your travel bags bear the sticker of the Reforma and Mexico D.F., you still have something to learn of Mexico. You will find the desert and its people in the streets of sun-beaten villages. You will find laughter, for always there is laughter, and you will find sorrow, for there is A young Ted DeGrazia, who started college with always sorrow, too. You might find much, too, to recall some of the things you see in “$15 in his pockets and a trumpet under his arm,” the paintings from the collection: Dust of Mexico! produces a sketch. The young man from Bisbee is Ted DeGrazia, a very sincere person, and one of whom you may someday hear much. Ted DeGrazia is married and has two children. VIVA!, 1940 He devotes himself sufficiently to his business affairs to keep the household running “Many of the paintings in Ted DeGrazia’s Mexican Revolution series feature women soldiers comfortably, and then, when time permits, he crosses the international boundary, carrying rifles and ammunition, holding which isn’t much more than a hop, skip and jump from Bisbee, and sketches what he children, and protesting,” says Gallery in the Sun sees and feels about the country. He speaks Spanish like a “puro paisano,” and there curator Jim Jenkins. “In this image, an angry but isn’t a little village in all of northern Sonora that he hasn’t lived in, let alone visited. confused-looking mob of men are milling about a lone woman who defiantly glares from the He’s natural and normal enough to walk into any small cantina in any small village of center of the crowd.” northern Sonora and order a mescal without the customers instinctively labeling him

18 JUNE 2019 www.arizonahighways.com 19 a “turista.” And that he can take the mescal occa- his early orchestra was a boy by the name of Teddy sionally without too many grimaces merely identi- Essex, a genius if there ever was one, around whom fies him as a person who knows his way around there are already arising legends as to his wizardry northern Sonora. with the horn. But that is another story. Ted DeGrazia was born in Morenci, Arizona, on At the University of Arizona, DeGrazia came June 14, 1909, the third of seven children born to under the influence of the late Joseph DeLuca, of Domenico DeGrazia and Lucia Gagliardi DeGrazia, the College of Music, and decided to follow music natives of Italy. The boy was christened Ettore. for a career. In 1920, the DeGrazia family, children and all, Upon leaving the University, he was married to went to Italy for a visit, remaining there until 1925. Miss Alexandra Diamos, the daughter of prominent “While there,” Ted DeGrazia says, “I was around the Tucson residents, and shortly thereafter entered churches and saw many decorations and Church business in Bisbee. His visits to the villages and artists. I began to work with clay, in imitation of the towns of northern Sonora rekindled his interest Church artists, and even got some paints and tried in painting, so the trumpet was forsaken for the to paint pictures, always with the religious theme.” brush and palette. His ease and friendliness, his The family returned to Morenci from Italy in 1925. innate courtesy and his fluency with the language Ted had to learn to speak English all over again, and with the Mexican idiom made him welcome and in seven years, completed twelve grades in wherever he went. All of this together with a deep school. After graduation from high school, DeGra- love and understanding of the strange country to zia worked in the mines, but with the shutdown the south and the simple people there gives him an in 1932, with no work on the horizon, he decided entrée denied others with a more formal approach. DEFEAT, 1940 to attend college. When he entered the University If you would care to call this rambling essay an “The Mexican Revolution of Arizona, he had $15 in his pockets and a trum- art criticism, you are guilty of misnomer. We are paintings were an pet under his arm. The fact that he could play the merely trying to tell you a few things about a young overtly political facet of the social realism of trumpet with vigor was a virtue that contributed man from Bisbee who paints, and in our opinion DeGrazia’s early work,” materially to his college education. The truth is that paints very well. He is a very gracious person, and Jenkins says. “Here, this trumpet paid his way through college, because very sincere, and, as all artists should, he is striving dispirited revolutionaries retreat through their it wasn’t long before he had an orchestra of his own. to make a name and a place for himself. We know village, presumably to It should be recorded that one of the performers in how much his painting means to him and the great fight another day.”

SMALL TOWN VIEW, enjoyment he derives from it. The most learned such geniuses — they ignore standards — they just 1940 comment we can make about DeGrazia’s work is naturally know how to make pictures and proceed The lower end of Bisbee’s Brewery Gulch that we would be very proud to own his painting to do just that. is shown at night in this Defeat, because we like it very much, for we, too, “Ted DeGrazia came to me only a few months ago piece. Jenkins notes feel very deeply about Mexico and the people there, with a half dozen attempts at paintings. I knew at that the “Gluch Bar” and the painting makes one feel good inside. once that regular art instruction was not for him, sign on the left is one of several examples The paintings we reproduce herein from Dust of so I encouraged him. Today he surprises me by of DeGrazia’s dyslexia. Mexico! are Defeat, Viva!, Un Domingo and Felicidad. exhibiting at least a score of masterful paintings. An alternate title for The first expresses symbolically the eternal combat It is not possible, yet he has done it, and so far as this painting is Brewery Gulch at 4 a.m., as of the country, the second the fury and emotion of a I can judge, his pictures are all his own concep- referenced in this story. simple people aroused. The third is a quiet Sunday tions. In these days we tag such painters as ‘primi- in a small village, and the fourth portrays the hap- tives.’ I would indeed be surprised if Ted is not piness and pride that a person has in a pet rooster. discovered as such and his works end up hanging Brewery Gulch at 4 a.m. and San Xavier are studies of in many museums of fine art within five years or historic places in Southern Arizona. less. Ted DeGrazia understands and sympathizes To add a note of authority to this essay, we will with the underprivileged Mexicans, and with bold, close by quoting Charles Tracy, eminent surrealist direct brush strokes, he paints as his heart directs. author, dramatist and artist, who says of DeGrazia: He could never use color science with his kind of “Many years ago when I was a young art teacher graphics — to him, sky is blue, clouds are white, at Columbus, Ohio, a young man brought a portfo- old shacks are brown, the faces of his subjects are lio of drawings to me for criticism. I advised him simple and sad — so he paints them that way. It is to join my class, but he smilingly informed me that his kind of art, and it is wonderful.” he could not learn in that way. I liked his frankness You should spend some time following the and did the best thing that I could — I encour- vagrant country roads that ramble about northern aged him. Five years later I met him in New York, Sonora and learn to know and understand the where he had reached the top. That boy’s name was people you meet along those roads. Then you’ll like George Bellows. Art history is punctuated with the paintings of Ted DeGrazia.

20 JUNE 2019 www.arizonahighways.com 21 TED DEGRAZIA 1909-1982

BY KELLY VAUGHN ARTWORK AND PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY THE ARTIST OF THE DEGRAZIA FOUNDATION

e had the backing of better painters. No. He had the backing of more criti- cally acclaimed painters. José Clemente Orozco. Diego Rivera. Others. They found words of praise for him that, in hindsight, might seem contrived. In reality, though, they likely were born of great admiration for the man — Hand not necessarily for his work. ABOVE: Ted DeGrazia’s interest in music paralleled his education as an artist. Here, he plays the trumpet In fact, in the March 1949 issue of this magazine, Rivera raved about Ted DeGrazia: in his ROTC uniform at the University of Arizona in “His paintings greatly interested me because of his brilliant artistic gift and his per- the mid-1930s. sonal sentiment, so original that it prevails through some strange influence, perhaps ABOVE, RIGHT: DeGrazia (right) is photographed with mentor Diego Rivera at Rivera’s home studio in unconscious.” Rivera continued: “The fugue in the execution of his painting, his acute Mexico City in the early 1940s. romantic and exalted observation and his feeling for proportion give the certainty OPPOSITE PAGE: The artist works on a mural in that when developed as an artist, DeGrazia will become a prominent personality in a Tucson residence. A similar photo appeared in the American art.” March 1949 issue of Arizona Highways. When people speak of a fugue, it’s typically in reference to music or the psyche. Of the former, it’s a composition in which a short repetition of notes or phrases is intro- duced in one part and gradually woven into others. In the latter, it’s a period of loss of identity, most often associated with hysteria. For DeGrazia, it may have been both.

22 JUNE 2019 www.arizonahighways.com 23 “Often I went on long hikes with my father. We Mexican and Native cultures in music, art and “You cannot start lower than that, in every always came home with our pockets filled with everyday life. sense of the word,” DeGrazia explained to colored minerals. These rocks I crushed with a In her 2007 thesis, Kitsch and Southwest Hybrid- author Harry Redl about mining for Redl’s 1981 hammer for color. Color fascinated me.” ity in the Art of Ted DeGrazia, Karen Jeanne Dalton book, The World of DeGrazia: An Artist of the — TED DEGRAZIA writes: “Americans did not speak Spanish or American Southwest. have names like ‘Juan’ or ‘Estevan’ or ‘Ettore’ Jeff Mitchell, a Phoenix-based former gallery Born in the Southern Arizona town of (DeGrazia’s given name), which became angli- owner and current art consultant, completed Morenci in 1909, three years before Arizona cized to ‘John,’ ‘Steven,’ and ‘Ted’ as a child his undergraduate studies at the University of DeGrazia’s early work became a state, Ettore “Ted” DeGrazia was entered the school system. These new American Arizona in the 1960s. As he did, he worked at included 1936’s The Losers, the child of Italian immigrants. His father was signifiers, and others, subtly reminded everyone a little art supply store at the intersection of which depicts the tragic aftermath of a cockfight. a miner, as were his grandparents. And so, that the United States was the ruling colonial Speedway Boulevard and Park Avenue in Tucson. Gallery in the Sun curator DeGrazia was exposed at a young age to the political power in Southern Arizona. This was “Ted would come in to buy his supplies,” Jim Jenkins notes this sensory extravagances associated with life in a the multicultural atmosphere of Morenci at the Mitchell remembers. “He was a very neat guy. painting is one of the artist’s most compelling mining town — the languages of the working time of DeGrazia’s birth, where power, class and Local ladies would come in, too, and they’d works of social realism. men, the colors of the desert, the influences of position were determined by money or earning fawn all over him.” potential, which was further linked to ethnicity. In biographies and articles about the painter, If one was not American, in every sense of the it’s that magnetic quality that seeps from the word, then one was an outsider, an ‘other.’ ” stories. He had charisma. Charm. A magnetic, From 1920 to 1925, the mines closed, and irrefutable appeal. Still, that fire wasn’t enough DeGrazia’s parents moved the family back to to endear him to his critics. Italy’s Calabria region. There, the 11-year-old “From a fine art and academic point of view, boy forgot how to speak English, so when he teachers would laugh,” Mitchell says. “But the methods and inspirations. ABOVE: DeGrazia’s master’s returned to Arizona at 16, he entered first grade talent was there early on. He didn’t want to “His musical education, those experiences, thesis was about the relationship between art and and had to relearn the language. It was an expe- handle a pick and shovel his whole life.” were important,” Mitchell contends. “DeGrazia music, known as kinesthesia. rience, Dalton asserts, that “taught him what it So, DeGrazia studied with Rivera and Orozco, was intellectualizing between music and the Part of his electronic, was like to feel like an immigrant in the land of even spending time in Mexico and interning for visual arts.” playable kinesthesia device is visible in the background his birth.” the world-renowned painters. Ultimately, they It was profound. Still, the artist couldn’t of this photo. DeGrazia was, in fact, an outsider. hosted an exhibition of DeGrazia’s work at the gather critical steam. BELOW, LEFT: A young Ultimately, though, the man from Morenci Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City. “All his life, DeGrazia was denied enfranchise- DeGrazia (standing) is earned two undergraduate degrees — one in And although DeGrazia was deeply influ- ment by the leaders of the university and art pictured with his uncle music education and one in fine art — as well enced by his Mexican friends, another of his intelligentsia, which refused him legitimacy,” Gregorio around 1924. This photo likely was made during as a master’s of fine arts. And he completed his early pieces pays homage to the style of Thomas Dalton writes. “He, in turn, rejected their DeGrazia’s time in Italy in the studies by 1945, in an era when most Americans Hart Benton, particularly Benton’s Steel. DeGra- authority and sought and gained approval of the first half of the 1920s. never surpassed the eighth grade. He supported zia’s piece is black and white, and moody, while newly emerging middle-class market of post- himself by planting trees on the university cam- his early work in celebration of music was World War II America.” pus, playing trumpet and leading his big band in vibrant, abstract, wild, lovely. He seemed an nighttime gigs. artistic chameleon, bouncing between styles, “It is too easy to analyze something out of He married Alexandra Diamos in 1936 and existence. Don’t underestimate the people.” moved to Bisbee to run the town’s Lyric Theatre, — TED DEGRAZIA which was owned by his bride’s family. The couple had three children, then divorced in 1946. It was easy, too, for DeGrazia to build a rela- While DeGrazia overcame the challenges of tionship with Raymond Carlson, editor of Ari- his working-man upbringing, even at the col- zona Highways from 1938 to 1971. legiate level, he was denied accolades, acclaim Carlson was a foster parent of sorts for cre- and, in many cases, respect. There is an undeni- ative types. He nurtured and cultivated and able value, though, to the artist’s early work. In explored. He forged relationships with photog- pieces such as The Losers and Defeat, there is an raphers such as Ansel Adams, Barry Goldwater obvious thoughtfulness: They are tributes, in a and Josef Muench. He made friends with illus- sense, to the cultures by which DeGrazia found trators and painters such as Ross Santee, Hal himself surrounded. Empie, Larry Toschik and George Avey (Arizona With The Losers, the forlorn faces of a Hispanic Highways’ longtime art director). family loom over their dead rooster. The brush- And, of course, there was his relationship strokes are clean. The painting is linear. Colorful. with DeGrazia, which lasted more than 40 years. Emotional. The same can be said for Defeat. Both of their fathers were miners. Both of them It’s that style of his early work that some in went to college. Both of them liked to drink. the art world wish DeGrazia had clung to — a And both of them had a deeply rooted love of style that seems to comment on mining, on his Arizona and the Southwest. upbringing, on socioeconomics and humanity. The first of DeGrazia’s paintings appeared in

24 JUNE 2019 www.arizonahighways.com 25 the magazine in 1941. Then, his work appeared did his frequent coverage in Arizona Highways, To some, DeGrazia became the Walt Disney on covers, in portfolios. Everywhere. but it wasn’t until 1960, when UNICEF acquired of Southwestern art. Take Shad Kvetko, for “DeGrazia’s association with the magazine the 1957 painting Los Niños to adorn its holiday instance. Kvetko now owns Las Almas Rotas, a facilitated his success as an artist by validating card, that DeGrazia’s work could be found popular mezcaleria in Dallas’ Expo Park neigh- his art with a degree of authenticity,” Dalton everywhere. borhood, but he also maintains a vintage busi- writes. “DeGrazia and Arizona Highways targeted There were roadrunner glasses, magnets ness that began in Phoenix. the same audience or consumer, i.e., the middle- and coasters with the Niños. Prints with face- “You know, I grew up despising DeGrazia’s class automobile tourist.” less, brightly hued child angels. Notecards with art,” Kvetko says. “His insipid paintings of In the same issue as Rivera’s accolades for Yaqui dancers and fat babies in papooses. More. Indian children on magnets, greeting cards and DeGrazia, in March 1949, we find this, from The outsider was making money hand over more were omnipresent.” Orozco: “DeGrazia’s painting has all the fresh- fist after years of unsuccessful attempts to sell To others, such as Laber, DeGrazia was docu- ness, simplicity and power of youth. He is able his paintings himself. According to lore (and a menting the Native people of Southern Arizona to go from simple and graceful movement to 1977 article in the Arizona Daily Star), DeGrazia in a way that the people of Middle America deep understanding of human misery.” would prop his paintings outside at his first gal- (think Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin) and And by the time the magazine’s 50th anni- lery, on Campbell Avenue, overnight. The next beyond could understand and appreciate. versary rolled around in 1975, presenting a day, the work would still be there, and DeGrazia “His work matters because it brought out the retrospective of the talent that had appeared in history of Arizona through the telling of stories its pages over the years, there was this: “Since associated with the state’s Native tribes,” Laber DeGrazia’s first exposure in the early 1940s, his says. “And they loved him for it. It was such a art has made more friends and sold more copies draw for the state’s economy. He brought joy to of Arizona Highways than all the other popular people.” artists combined.” Retrospectively, Kvetko sees it, too. Suddenly, DeGrazia had commercial appeal. “It wasn’t until later, when I learned more A new exhibit titled Arizona about him and was exposed to his early works Highways and Ted DeGrazia “I want to be notorious, rather than famous. influenced by the Mexican modernists, that will be on display at the Fame has too much responsibility. People forget I began to appreciate him,” he says. “Then, I Gallery in the Sun (see page you are human.” learned of the scope of his creativity in work- 46) through January 29. The — TED DEGRAZIA ing in different media, including building his Kvetko hits the proverbial nail on the head. The OPPOSITE PAGE: DeGrazia exhibit commemorates the gallery and home in Tucson. Now, I can even outsider, synthesized. completed several self- portraits, but this 1950 decades-long relationship It’s a Tuesday in late winter, and Lance Laber look back on the Indian children paintings with version stands out because between the magazine and is walking through DeGrazia’s Gallery in the nostalgia for home. I think his commercialism “Not to know a rule in art and break it is bad of its decoratively painted the artist. DeGrazia’s artwork Sun, across a floor the artist made by lacquer- hurt him in the eyes of fine art critics, but I also art, but to know a rule and break it is good art. frame. first appeared in the February ing cross sections of cactuses. The gallery’s think he was more of a folk artist, anyhow.” Only by knowing the rules and breaking them LEFT: DeGrazia visits New York City around 1960. 1941 issue of Arizona Highways adobe buildings hide in the shadow of the Santa Despite not being a professional art critic, will one develop an individual style.” ABOVE: The artist’s best- and has since appeared in — TED DEGRAZIA Catalina Mountains, tucked amid chollas and known work, 1957’s Los Niños, more than 60 other issues. For paloverdes, and built by DeGrazia himself, along was selected for UNICEF’s more information, call 520- with a collection of his Yaqui friends. It was the The actual critics may have tried to analyze 1960 holiday card, allowing 299-9191 or visit www early 1950s, just a few years after he married DeGrazia’s work out of existence. It didn’t work. DeGrazia’s fame to spread far beyond the desert Southwest. .degrazia.org. sculptor Marion Sheret in a Mexican jungle. So beloved are his drawings, paintings and — Ameema Ahmed Together, they created a wild, nature-gracious sculptures that thousands of people visit his gal- space. Breezy and light-filled, it’s home to lery each year. approximately 15,000 of DeGrazia’s pieces. On that Tuesday morning in late winter, three The artist would open his doors here from would lament that “people wouldn’t even steal women traveling together from the Midwest are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the same hours the gallery them.” outside the gallery. They ask for a photograph at welcomes visitors today, says Laber, the gallery’s Still, Dalton asserts in her thesis: “One of the entrance. executive director. DeGrazia’s strongest characteristics was his “I had no idea how much sculpture he did,” “He would wake up at about 9:30 and be in the unwavering belief in himself and his artistic tal- one says. gallery at 10,” Laber says. “He’d lie down again ent. … Frustrated at the art world that would not The others talk about the depth of the Padre in the afternoon, then be up most of the night — accept him, DeGrazia continued to paint and Kino collection — DeGrazia’s 20-piece homage there were a lot of midnight sketches. Then, he’d found a market with which he identified and to Father Eusebio Francisco Kino, the Jesuit rest again around 5 a.m., get up at 9:30 and do it that he embraced — mainstream America. He missionary who established 24 missions across all over again.” ameliorated his marginalized status as an out- the Southwest in 24 years, befriending Native DeGrazia in fugue. sider in the art world by finding a niche in the people along the way. Whether you look at it as discipline or mania, kitsch market. By targeting this market, he was It’s that imagery, born of DeGrazia’s pro- the routine was partly responsible for the rate able to take himself from a place of having no foundly ingrained spiritual sense, that most at which DeGrazia’s work became commercially power and no appreciation to a place where he stands out there. popular. He painted all the time. A National Geo- was appreciated, and where he exerted complete “He was a deeply religious man,” says Mitchell, graphic profile in 1953 led to greater notoriety, as power and control.” the art consultant. “He was sensitive.”

26 JUNE 2019 www.arizonahighways.com 27 Now, it’s a Thursday morning in Paradise Valley, and Mitchell is flipping through a book of DeGrazia’s work. It was published by the Uni- versity of Arizona Museum of Art in the 1970s, and Mitchell has flagged certain pages with pale yellow Post-it notes. Mitchell is friends with Ed Mell, a painter whose work is both critically and socially acclaimed. Mitchell’s company, Mitchell Brown Fine Art, Inc., has specialized in art acquisitions and sales for more than 35 years. So to say that Mitchell knows a thing or two about the art world would be a gross understatement. He is on page 30 of the book, discussing the painting that is reminiscent of Benton. “He’s struggling with the handling of paint,” Mitchell says. Just two pages earlier, when The Losers appears, a different take: “This is a sophisticated painting, in terms of the composition and the drafting.” The implication is that, had DeGrazia stuck with his early style of work, he might have seen much greater critical acclaim. Mitchell owns the assertion. “He would have been a very good painter as he matured,” he says. “But the commercialism devalued him. It some cases, it looks as though he was using a brush that had half its hairs.” Later, DeGrazia worked with only a palette knife. It was a technique he used to create many of the pieces that made him famous, the ones that made Ettore DeGrazia just DeGrazia. Mitchell is searching for an answer to a question about whether any modern artists are comparable to DeGrazia, in terms of both the manner in which he produced work — fever- ishly, religiously, wildly — and the way he That said, the critical praise of Warhol’s work OPPOSITE PAGE: DeGrazia marketed it. The answer, at first, is unsurprising. today means his work fetches incredible sums tackles a favorite subject, Mission San Xavier del Bac But it takes a surprising turn. Mitchell compares at auction. His portrait of Mao Zedong garnered near Tucson, in a staged DeGrazia to one of the 20th century’s most $47.5 million when it was last for sale. One of the publicity photo from 1946. iconic painters. higher-priced pieces in the consignment room at ABOVE: DeGrazia sits in the “Street painters in France would have done the Gallery in the Sun, on the other hand, tops dining room of his Tucson home in the early 1950s. The similar things in terms of the mass production,” out at $16,500. house is on the grounds of he says. “But if you think about it, DeGrazia was By the time DeGrazia died, in 1982, there was the Gallery in the Sun and is a lot like Andy Warhol, too. Not in terms of the no consensus about his art. Some hated it; many open to the public. way the paintings were executed, but in terms loved it. The same is true today. Regardless, a of popularity [and] marketing.” few things are clear about Ted DeGrazia. He Indeed, both men knew the rules. And they loved to paint. He loved his work. And he loved broke them — Warhol with his candy-colored the desert Southwest and its people. Take it pop art, DeGrazia with his faceless Indians. from his friend, Raymond Carlson. Warhol with his Catholicism and his crystal “Genius or madman he may be, but you can’t healing and his wig collection, DeGrazia with help liking him,” Carlson wrote in that March his 1976 protest (wherein he burned dozens of 1949 issue of Arizona Highways. “He’ll continue to his paintings in the Superstition Mountains to paint, make ceramics and lay adobe with equal protest estate taxes; see The Protest, page 50) and intensity, smiling at the passing world, wonder- his rumored affairs and his anti-establishment ing if the people of that world will ever accept attitudes. him. He’ll continue to paint the way he wants to The men were notorious, not merely famous. paint.”

28 JUNE 2019 www.arizonahighways.com 29 TED DEGRAZIA 1909-1982

FREE AS THE WIND, 1961 “This painting combines some of Ted DeGrazia’s favorite themes with his dynamic work with a palette knife,” says Jim Jenkins, curator of the Gallery in the Sun. “Here, he conveys the motion and speed of four running horses.”

A PORTFOLIO EDITED BY KEITH WHITNEY THE ART ARTWORK COURTESY OF THE DEGRAZIA FOUNDATION

30 JUNE 2019 www.arizonahighways.com 31 THIRD CLASS BUS, 1944 This bus is a recurring theme, Jenkins notes: “An old, jalopy-like bus — in profile, overloaded with passengers and headed from right to left — appears more than a dozen times throughout DeGrazia’s career.” Other pieces carried titles such as Bus, Mexican Bus and Nogales Bus.

APACHE DEVIL DANCERS, 1949 “DeGrazia was fascinated by the ceremonial dances and costumes of the different Native cultures of the region,” Jenkins says. “These lively, masked Apache dancers became a recurring subject, and he painted and sculpted them several times.”

32 JUNE 2019 www.arizonahighways.com 33 RANCH IN THE DESERT, 1951 Long shadows stretch across a colorful desert landscape in this watercolor painting. Jenkins notes that behind the distant ranch houses, the mountains are bathed in golden light.

34 JUNE 2019 www.arizonahighways.com 35 ROAD RUNNER, 1960 “The roadrunner became one of the best-known desert icons of DeGrazia’s art,” Jenkins says. “It’s usually depicted as this one is: in profile, and running at full speed.”

36 JUNE 2019 www.arizonahighways.com 37 Ink drawings, various dates Mariachis, miners and a saguaro fruit harvest were the subjects of these simple drawings from the 1950s and ’60s.

DESERT LANDSCAPE, undated “This simple painting of a solitary yucca conveys the deep sense of space in a vast, barren desert,” Jenkins says.

38 JUNE 2019 www.arizonahighways.com 39 JUNGLE CART, circa 1947 DeGrazia’s 1947 trip to Tehuantepec, a city in Oaxaca, Mexico, inspired a series of watercolor paintings, including this tropical scene with a Mexican ox cart.

40 JUNE 2019 www.arizonahighways.com 41 MEXICAN NIGHT CLUB, 1953 “DeGrazia was an accomplished musician and bandleader,” Jenkins says, “and he enjoyed painting musicians, most notably mariachis. He created dozens of mariachi paintings, but the couple in this painting is the only mariachi audience he ever depicted.”

RODEO INTERMISSION, 1954 This piece was part of a 1954 series inspired by the tribal rodeo in Sells, a town on the Tohono O’odham Nation. It depicts a group of rodeo cowboys between events.

42 JUNE 2019 www.arizonahighways.com 43 NAVAJO RIDING SONG, 1961 Also known as Night Chant, this painting, which first appeared in our August 1967 issue, shows five Navajo riders singing or chanting as they move slowly through the desert under a starry sky. “They seem to have a mysterious inner glow,” Jenkins notes.

44 JUNE 2019 www.arizonahighways.com 45 TED DEGRAZIA 1909-1982

THE GALLERY BY CHELS KNORR

alk into the Gallery in the Sun, and it feels like you’re headed underground. The doorway, styled like a copper mine’s shaft, is narrower at the top than at the bottom. Wooden lattice gates intro- Wduce the heavy doors. The elaborate entrance is a preface to the eccentric energy of the gallery — and the man who created it. Designed and built by artist Ted DeGrazia, the Gallery in the Sun’s sandcastle-like structures sit up against the Santa Catalina Mountains on Tucson’s northeast edge. DeGrazia bought 10 acres of land here in 1949. At the time, it was in the middle of nowhere. Now, it’s where Swan Road intersects Sky- line Drive. Although the gallery is the main structure on the grounds, it wasn’t the first. DeGrazia started by building a mission — as is Spanish tradition — on the west side of the property. He built a modest house for his family, then an adjacent single-room gallery where he played with narrowing walls to create per- spective. It wasn’t until the late 1950s that he and a crew of 20 or 25 people — mostly his Yaqui and Tohono O’odham friends — built the main gallery and the attached second homestead. They made every adobe block on-site. DeGrazia grew up in the copper mining town of Morenci, and his experiences inspired his work, including his gallery design. He was a self-taught architect, and when the gallery

LEFT: Long paloverde limbs and other desert plants frame the elaborate entrance of the Gallery in the Sun in Tucson. Steven Meckler

ABOVE: Ted DeGrazia (right) and an unidentified colleague assemble the framework for the entrance’s interior doors in an undated photo. Courtesy of the DeGrazia Foundation

46 JUNE 2019 www.arizonahighways.com 47 With a wider surface on one end than on the other, the cactus floor stretches, creating a three-room wing that holds the site’s rotating exhibits. Jim Jenkins, the gallery’s curator, is tasked with curating exhibits and maintaining the permanent collection and galleries. Around the corner, DeGrazia’s studio, a room in the middle of the gallery, is set up as it was when he was living and working there. It’s equipped with a fireplace and a window that looks out to the desert. The artist was nocturnal: He’d work through the quietest and darkest hours of the morning — beginning at midnight and retiring around 5 a.m. — and sign many of his works “Midnight Sketch.” Like many artists, DeGrazia was a creature of habit, discipline and vice. As much as linseed oil and brushes, his supplies included Copenhagen snuff and 12-year-old Chivas Regal. And his palette is caked with the teals, browns and deep reds of the Southwest. Much of his early work, which is interspersed throughout the gallery, focuses on struggling people, backbreaking labor, war and pain — it’s not the type of art that people buy for above the fireplace. Although he preferred to focus on adults and animals, he was com- mercially astute. He began painting little children, and the buying public fell in love. And when UNICEF asked for permission to reproduce Los Niños on its Christmas card in 1960, he became the most widely produced art- ist in the world. Today, DeGrazia is best known for that series of illustrations. Beyond the studio, the gallery winds outside to the courtyard and then back through the gift shop, where visitors can buy prints and postcards. But Jenkins walks into a tangential storage room where pieces are cataloged and sorted by subject matter and year. The organized chaos spans two rooms. Some of the artwork is stored upright, on a shelf with slats. Other pieces are homeless, leaning against the walls of the cluttered room. This room is where Jenkins sifts through the collec- tions and makes frames for the rotating exhibits. There are about 15,000 pieces of art housed at this location, was nearly finished, he painted all 16,000 square feet and DeGrazia himself cataloged roughly half of them in himself. “Dry brush on stucco” was among his many the vault before he died — a credit to his prolificity, and media — a list that included oil paint, caustics, water- to his ache for self-preservation. color, stained glass and charcoal. He worked with Box No. 18 is the size of a recipe box. It had been ceramics and made jewelry from what he found while missing, but Jenkins recently rediscovered it. It’s full prospecting. He even sculpted the statue for the foun- of 2-by-2-inch watercolor sketches painted in 1982, as tain in the gallery’s courtyard. It seems DeGrazia was DeGrazia was on his deathbed. The cards revisit the good at everything ... well, almost everything. Lance ideas and scenes he’d painted all his life — chickens, Although Jenkins and Laber have been tied to the of the night; a prolific artist whose work balanced Laber, the gallery’s executive director, says a few of the horses and little children, but also whimsical and DeGrazia family for years, they’re continually astonished themes of violence and smiling children; a man who 73 skylights leak. strange leprechauns and mountain gnomes. by the artist’s oddball ways and fearless self-promotion. could make anything, including his own gallery, into an Just inside the doorway lies a waxy, pitted floor that’s When they find new treasures such as Box No. 18, their art project. gorgeous and impractical. It’s made from the dried ABOVE, LEFT: DeGrazia (second from left) and members of his passion for the artist and his work is renewed. Laber This much is clear: It’s impossible to separate the art- skeletons of chollas and saguaros, which were placed construction team pose for a photo in front of the unfinished Gallery in says his strategy to remain authentic to DeGrazia is to ist from the gallery, because the gallery is Ted DeGrazia. the Sun. Courtesy of the DeGrazia Foundation on end, lacquered and interspersed with handmade keep things running smoothly and not change a thing. LEFT: The adobe bricks used to build the gallery were made on-site. turquoise ceramics known as “DeGrazia jewels.” It’s an It’s hard to say if that’s what the enigmatic artist The Gallery in the Sun is located at 6300 N. Swan Road in Tucson. It’s open Courtesy of the DeGrazia Foundation from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily; admission is $8 for adults, $5 for ages 12 to 18, intricate and strange masterpiece: inspired by the natu- RIGHT: The dried skeletons of chollas and saguaros form a unique section would have wanted. He was a contradictory figure: an and free for children under 12. For more information, call 520-299-9191 or ral Southwest, and executed by a bizarre imagination. of the gallery’s floor. Steven Meckler extroverted salesman who worked alone in the middle visit www.degrazia.org.

48 JUNE 2019 www.arizonahighways.com 49 TED DEGRAZIA 1909-1982

government could tax his heirs on the full value of the art. If DeGrazia ultimately failed to move BY MATT JAFFE federal tax policy, he did prove, long before THE PROTEST any number of contemporary publicity hounds and miscreants, that notoriety can be monetized. In the aftermath of his pro- ong before Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram, Ted DeGrazia In his book The Museum of Lost Art, art test, he declared that he might burn 1,000 went viral. historian Noah Charney argues that over more works. He never went through with The Arizona artist knew a thing or two about self- the centuries, war, looting and vandalism the threat, but curious visitors flocked to his promotion and marketing. And in May 1976, he was no have destroyed more masterpieces than exist Gallery in the Sun [see page 46], and Johnson Llone rider as he ventured into the Superstition Mountains to burn in the world’s museums today. But it’s still writes in his DeGrazia biography that a year a selection of his paintings as a protest against tax laws. rare for artists to do the damage themselves, after the incident, the artist guided groups In those pre-livestreaming days, a gaggle of journalists, along although Charney says Michelangelo inciner- of tourists on overnight trips into the Super- with Yaqui and Apache friends and a film crew, accompanied ated drawings to conceal the toil that went stitions. DeGrazia on his horseback ride to the cliff dwellings at Angel into his finished paintings, and that Pablo And more than 40 years later, DeGrazia’s Spring. He prepared a teepee-style pyre, then arranged the paint- Picasso sometimes reused canvases. protest lives on. There were rumors that he’d ings around the wood. Some say he poured whiskey on his art as Later in her life, Georgia O’Keeffe stashed a number of paintings, protected by an accelerant and that the wind blew out the first three matches he destroyed early works that didn’t rise to her aluminum tubes, in caves in the mountains, struck. Then, DeGrazia took his cigar and torched a few charcoal exacting standards, while Charney writes creating a latter-day tale of hidden treasure sketches, using those to light his paintings. that John Baldessari burned 13 years’ worth reminiscent of the Superstitions’ fabled Lost It took hours to burn all of the art before DeGrazia marked the of paintings as a way to “reinvent himself” Dutchman Gold Mine. “People have been ashes with a pair of Apache-style crosses. He claimed he’d burned in what he dubbed “The Cremation Project.” searching for these paintings forever,” Laber 100 paintings, worth a combined $1.5 million, which, when adjusted And after turning 80 in 1991, photographer says. “Every year or two, someone will call for inflation, would be $6.8 million in 2019. But in his book DeGra- Brett Weston burned his inventory of nega- and say that they know where the paintings zia: The Man and the Myths, James Johnson writes that witnesses sug- tives, arguing that any prints produced by are. Or they have the aluminum tubes and gested no more than 30 works — most of them lesser or unfinished others wouldn’t truly be his works. want our help opening them up. But nothing paintings with little value — went up in flames. Although he apprenticed with famed ever comes of it.” Regardless, DeGrazia’s protest made international news, and a Mexican muralist Diego Rivera, whose art In our age of livestreamed housecleaning legend was born. “After everything burned, he sat there crying, eat- frequently portrayed overtly political themes, and webcams showing grass growing, it’s ing beans out of a can and drinking his whiskey,” says Lance Laber, DeGrazia was an unlikely crusader. But he natural to see DeGrazia’s act as little more executive director of the DeGrazia Foundation. “How often does decided to make a statement about the estate than a cynical publicity stunt, an analog someone burn $1.5 million worth of paintings? Or take $1.5 million tax, which remains a hot-button issue and antecedent to today’s clickbait digital exces­ in cash and burn it?” often is derided as the “death tax.” ses. But whatever his gifts for self-promotion, The answer to the second question: almost certainly never. As for DeGrazia railed against the regulations DeGrazia was, first and foremost, an artist. the first, last fall, the anonymous street artist and activist Banksy — that affected him as an artist, saying that if Burning his works affected him deeply, and like DeGrazia, no stranger to publicity — sold a painting at auction he donated works to a university or museum, he didn’t paint again for years. “I have dam- for $1.4 million. But Banksy had concealed a shredder in the picture the government would allow him to deduct aged myself mentally, spiritually and physi- frame. After the auctioneer gaveled the sale closed, someone in the only the materials he used while creating the cally,” he told the Cleveland Plain Dealer in an audience used a remote control to turn on the shredder, reducing art — canvases, brushes and paints — not article displayed at the Gallery in the Sun. the painting to little more than ribbons. The art world’s consensus? the market value of the unsold paintings “And the damage seems to be permanent. Banksy’s work might be even more valuable now that it’s in tatters. themselves. When he died, however, the I have lost all feeling for painting.” Ted DeGrazia burns a selection of his paintings in the Superstition Mountains in 1976. Years later, he would say the experience had deeply affected him. Courtesy of the DeGrazia Foundation

50 JUNE 2019 www.arizonahighways.com 51 scenic DRIVE

MARBLE VIEWPOINT Just about every road on the Kaibab Plateau qualifies as a scenic drive, including this route, which leads to one of the most beautiful panoramas in Northern Arizona. BY NOAH AUSTIN

Eight miles into the drive, you’ll turn left onto Forest Road 219 and head north. Thick stands of aspens line both sides of this road, which is narrower than the previous two. Even up here, you’ll be thankful for the shade the aspen canopy provides on a summer afternoon. The road gets more marked as Forest Road 219AB. Huh. I won- it’s windy, maybe a little cold. So put on rutted around Mile 10, so proceed care- der where that leads. a jacket. And make sure you check the fully until Mile 12.5, when you’ll arrive After a quarter-mile drive through pockets. at a clearing, on the left, with a sign that some ponderosas, you’ll find out: a huge reads, “Marble Viewpoint.” clearing, jutting from the plateau, that SCENIC Hmmm, you’ll think. This is … nice. And offers seemingly limitless views. Among DRIVES of Arizona’s ADDITIONAL READING: Best Back it is nice — there’s a good view of a them are the Saddle Mountain Wil- 40 Roads For more adventure, pick up a copy of our book Arizona pine-covered ridge to the west. But not derness just below the viewpoint, the Highways Scenic Drives, which much else. This is it, right? There’s a sign and unmistakable profile of Marble Canyon features 40 of the state’s most beautiful back roads. To order, everything. And then, just northeast of to the east and the Vermilion Cliffs to visit www.shoparizonahighways Edited by Robert Stieve the clearing, you’ll see a small road that’s the north. You’ll feel very lucky. And, if and Kelly Vaughn Kramer .com/books.

TOUR GUIDE Note: Mileages are approximate. ave you ever put on a jacket for (State Route 67), which leads to the National Forest and part of Grand Can- LENGTH: 12.8 miles one way (from North Rim Parkway) the first time in months and Grand Canyon’s North Rim. From the yon National Park. Thankfully, the fire DIRECTIONS: From Jacob Lake, go south on the North H found a dollar in the pocket? Have highway, head east on Forest Road 611, doesn’t appear to have made it to FR 610, Rim Parkway (State Route 67) for 26.3 miles to For- you ever done that, then reached into the which is near DeMotte Campground and which runs south before turning east and est Road 611. Turn left (east) onto FR 611 and continue 1.3 miles to Forest Road 610. Turn right onto FR 610 and other pocket and found 20 dollars? If so, Kaibab Lodge. After crossing a small skirting the park’s northern boundary. At continue 6.7 miles to Forest Road 219. Turn left onto you’re pretty lucky. And you also have bridge, the road turns to gravel as it Mile 6.3, you’ll pass through two grassy FR 219 and continue 4.5 miles to Forest Road 219AB. Turn right onto FR 219AB and continue 0.3 miles to some idea of what the drive to Marble climbs into a forest of tall ponderosa meadows ringed by aspens and pondero- Marble Viewpoint. Viewpoint, on the Kaibab Plateau, feels pines. The road is mostly in excellent sas. They’re good places to spot wild VEHICLE REQUIREMENTS: A high-clearance vehicle is like. At the end of this gorgeous drive, condition, but a high-clearance vehicle is turkeys or mule deer, and if you stop for recommended. you’ll reach a nice vista that you’ll think advisable for the rough patches. The same a picnic lunch, don’t be surprised if a WARNING: Back-road travel can be hazardous, so be aware of weather and road conditions. Carry plenty of is the destination. And then you’ll go a is true of Forest Road 610, onto which Steller’s jay tries to steal a bite. water. Don’t travel alone, and let someone know where little farther, and … wow. you’ll turn right after 1.3 miles. you are going and when you plan to return. But this 12.8-mile journey offers plenty You’ll start to see evidence of for- ABOVE: Marble Viewpoint offers an expansive view INFORMATION: North Kaibab Ranger District, 928- of beauty before that — starting at est thinning — this road was used as that includes Marble Canyon and distant Navajo 643-7395 or www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab Mountain. Jack Dykinga Travelers in Arizona can visit www.az511.gov or dial DeMotte Park, one of several picturesque a firebreak during the 2016 Fuller Fire, OPPOSITE PAGE: State Route 67 winds through 511 to get infor­ma­tion on road closures, construc­tion, meadows along the North Rim Parkway which scorched a section of the Kaibab DeMotte Park, where the drive begins. Tom Bean delays, weather and more.

52 JUNE 2019 MAP BY KEVIN KIBSEY www.arizonahighways.com 53 HIKE

MUNDS WAGON TRAIL Just when you thought you’d hiked all of the great trails in Sedona, a couple of forest rangers resurrect an old wagon route. BY ROBERT STIEVE / PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOEL HAZELTON

n paper, Schnebly Hill Road is and the off-road mobility of a dune buggy, trailhead that also serves as a starting right and the hikers go left. That’s unfor- an irresistible temptation. Like it’s not so relaxing. Too rugged. That’s point for the Huckaby Trail and the tunate for those on horseback, because O the fire-roasted corn at Elote why it’s best to steer clear and hike the Margs Draw Trail. You can make it there the slick-rock they’re being protected Café. The description: “Twelve miles of adjacent trail instead. Turns out, the in a Fiat, but the lot fills up when the against is arguably the most interesting dirt road, winding through the red rocks Munds Wagon Trail winds through the weather’s nice. And, sometimes, even part of the trail. of Sedona, with spectacular panoramas.” same red rocks, with the same vistas, but when it’s not. When the waterfalls are running, it’s It sounds like a leisurely Sunday drive. without the risk of ripping off your muffler. From the trailhead, the route drops a scene from a Zane Grey novel. And it’s However, unless you drive a light tank The hike begins at the lower end of into a wash. It’s a short descent marked easy to imagine the history of the trail, with the turning radius of a Big Wheel Schnebly Hill Road, at a well-developed by flood-resistant cairns in wire cages which was used in the late 1800s by a as tall as TV trays. The locals describe rancher named Jim Munds, who would Sedona trails as being “red velvet,” drive his cattle from the Verde Valley up because there’s no dust. You’ll see that to the pastures near present-day Munds on this route. Park. Later, in 1902, J.J. Thompson, with About five minutes in, the trail veers funding from Coconino County and a zag. Then another crossing of the road, you get there, you’ll see why the road is left and parallels Schnebly Hill Road, help from fruit growers and ranch- and then an intersection with a trail to so tempting as a scenic drive. However, which makes frequent appearances. The ers in Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon, the “cow pies,” a cluster of rocks appro- you might also see a Subaru go by with road itself is benign, but it does serve as improved the cattle track and opened priately named. Before long, the trail its tailpipe scraping the ground. a thoroughfare for some of the local jeep it to wagon use. Later still, in the 1930s, breaks out of the canopy again and offers tour companies. Instead of an annoyance, Schnebly Hill Road was built and the some amazing views of Mitten Ridge to though, the jeeps serve as a reminder Munds Wagon Route became obsolete the west and Munds Mountain to the east. ADDITIONAL READING: that hiking is the way to go, especially in — it literally faded into the forest. For- After a brief slog in the open air, the For more hikes, pick up a copy the spring, or during the monsoon, when tunately, the original wagon trail was trail dips back into the trees and winds of Arizona Highways Hiking Guide, which features 52 of the the trail gets a little splashy with all of rediscovered by some forest rangers, who around Merry-Go-Round Rock. The state’s best trails — one for each its waterfalls. If you can time it right, the resurrected the route. grade levels off a little at this point as weekend of the year, sorted by seasons. To order a copy, visit running water makes this trail hard to Continuing along, about an hour in, the trail makes a final run to its northern www.shoparizonahighways beat. But even without it, it’s on the A-list. the trail begins to climb. First a zig, then trailhead on Schnebly Hill Road. When .com/books. After crossing the road a second time, the trail drops into Bear Wallow Canyon. It’s unlikely you’ll see a bear, but you will see an escalation of trees, mostly junipers. TRAIL GUIDE Before long, the trail hits the bottom of LENGTH: 8.5 miles round-trip the drainage and passes a gnarly, old alli- DIFFICULTY: Strenuous gator juniper — one of the many elders ELEVATION: 4,454 to 5,525 feet along the way. Just beyond the venerable TRAILHEAD GPS: N 34˚52.002', W 111˚44.915' evergreen, you’ll come to a lovely grove DIRECTIONS: From the roundabout intersection of State Route 179 and State Route 89A in Sedona, go south with three or four picnic tables. You on SR 179 for 0.3 miles to Schnebly Hill Road. Turn left onto won’t be tired yet, but it’s a good place Schnebly Hill Road and continue 0.8 miles for lunch on the way back. to the trailhead on the left. Ten minutes later, the trail intersects SPECIAL CONSIDERATION: A $5 day pass is required. VEHICLE REQUIREMENTS: None the Hangover Trail, the etymology of DOGS ALLOWED: Yes which makes you wonder. Veer right and HORSES ALLOWED: Yes continue toward the creek bed. From USGS MAPS: Sedona, Munds Park, Munds Mountain there, the trail pushes out of the canopy INFORMATION: Red Rock Ranger District, 928-203-2900 and then back in before arriving at an or www.fs.usda.gov/coconino “equestrian bypass.” Here, the horses go LEAVE-NO-TRACE PRINCIPLES: • Plan ahead and be out all of your trash. prepared. • Leave what you find. LEFT: The slick-rock on the Munds Wagon Trail • Travel and camp on • Respect wildlife. adds a sense of adventure. durable surfaces. • Minimize campfire impact. OPPOSITE PAGE: In the spring, and during the • Dispose of waste • Be considerate of monsoon, waterfalls add a soundtrack to the hike. properly and pack others.

54 JUNE 2019 MAP BY KEVIN KIBSEY www.arizonahighways.com 55 WHERE IS THIS? GO WEST AND WALK THE SKY. FEEL THE POWER OF NATURE WITH BREATHTAKING VIEWS!

It’s About Time The long shadow cast by this sundial is appropriate for its location, a place named for a certain time of day. It’s one of those places many people drive by, but few stop and visit. And the view to the west is spectacular — especially when the shadows are long.

Win a collection of our most popular books! April 2019 To enter, correctly identify the location pictured above and email your answer to editor@ Answer & Winner arizonahighways.com — type “Where Is This?” in the subject line. Entries can also be sent to 2039 W. Lewis Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85009 (write “Where Is This?” on the envelope). Miami. Congratula- Please include your name, address and phone number. One winner will be chosen in a ran- tions to our winner, dom drawing of qualified entries. Entries must be postmarked by June 15, 2019. Only the Jeanne Burkhalter of winner will be notified. The correct answer will be posted in our August issue and online at Elkhart, Indiana. www.arizonahighways.com beginning July 15. 888-868-WEST (9378) find us on

56 JUNE 2019 PHOTOGRAPHS BY TOM STORY