Arizona Adventure is Calling

Visit abandoned mines in Superior

Superior Tour Company, now operating out of Superior Arizona, provides guided off-road Jeep tours (under permit of the Tonto National Forest) to various locations in and around Superior. Tours include scenic, abandoned and historical mine sites, graveyards, night tours and custom packages starting at $45/per person. Superior Tour Company also offers a guided in-town scenic and informative golf cart tour in an all-electric golf cart for a very private, historical and informative tour of Superior Arizona starting at $20/per person. Tours are provided by knowledgeable guides that are familiar with the history and current events of the town. Superior, Arizona is located 70 miles east of the Phoenix Metro area.

Tour dazzling Hull Mine near Yuma

Castle Dome Mines and Museum in southwest Arizona recently opened the Hull Mine tour, highlighted by its amazing florescent mineral wall. The Cavern is about 30 feet wide and more than 50 feet tall with glowing minerals covering nearly all of it. Cave explorers will find exposed silver galena, crystal formations and mining artifacts, as well as the fluorescing mineral wall that contains as many as ten colors. Reservations are required, and children under 12 are not permitted. Hard hats are provided as well as eye protection for viewing UV-lighted areas. The cost for the three-hour guided tour is $75 per person and includes admission to the Castle Dome Mine Museum and lunch. The Castle Dome Mining District stretches seven miles along the western flank of the Castle Dome Mountains in southwest Arizona. The northern most part of the district makes up The Hull group of patented mines which has some of the deepest and most extensive workings in the district. Castle Dome Museum is a non-profit museum/ghost town dedicated to the preservation and restoration of Castle Dome City.

 

Sip and “Ride”

Touring or sipping in the Desert Diamond Distillery near Kingman is kick in itself, but now you can cozy up on your tour in a first-class business car Pullman once part of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe in 1918. Moving the railcar was an adventure in itself, working with multiple railroads, crane companies and several truck companies. The tour includes the production room and the barrel room, where the award-winning spirits are made and aged. The eight-year-old distillery is open for business every day except Tuesday and Wednesday.

New Badger Mountain Trail in Prescott

Hikers have a new reason to explore the popular Prescott Circle Trail. The Badger Mountain Extension trail offers single track options for hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders. Accessible from the Turley Trailhead, this alternative option provides connectivity to the Ranch Trail while offering inspiring views of Chaparral Forest that are unique to the Prescott area. Constructed in 2017 after an easement purchase from Arizona State Land Trust, the Badger Mountain Extension is composed of rolling contours which are ideal for long- term trail maintenance and water drainage. Trail distance totals approximately 3.2 miles, traversing 2 miles within the City of Prescott jurisdiction and 1.2 miles within the Prescott National Forest.

Be a “Packrat” in Tucson

Packrat “middens” are among the best records of environmental change over the last 50,000 years in the Southwestern United States. Learn about these treasure troves at the newest exhibit project at Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, “Packrat Playhouse: Hidden in the Midden,” which opened in April 2018 gives museum guests the unique experience to explore a “packrat house” with prickly pear cactus and cholla stems on spider webs. Toddlers (0-3 years old) have their own safe zone separated from bigger kids where they can crawl, explore and play. Adults learn about the habitat and habits of packrats in the Sonoran Desert. This exhibit, like all others at the museum, exists to augment and interpret the natural surroundings of the Sonoran Desert region. The new exhibit is open every day from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Founded in 1952, the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is widely recognized throughout the world as a model institution for innovative presentation and interpretation of native plants and animals featured together in ecological exhibits.