Avalon! Just hearing the name of this magical place will always make me smile. Avalon is the only town in California’s beautiful Channel Islands and is located on the easternmost island of Santa Catalina, just a short hour’s ferry ride from the mainland. It may be only an hour away, but it is a world apart and landing at the port feels like you’ve arrived in a far off land.
Catalina Island was once home to the Tongva people who used the island’s abundant soapstone to trade with other bands on the mainland and the other islands. It was purchased in its entirety by James Shatto in 1887 and Shatto built the island’s first pier and hotel hoping to attract tourists from Los Angeles. He had a tough time of it though and sold the island to the Banning Brothers just four years later. They had some level of success in developing the island’s tourism potential, but a devastating fire in 1915 and the general decline in tourism due to World War I caused them to look for a buyer themselves.
The man they found was William Wrigley Jr. of Wrigley Chewing Gum fame who purchased the island from the Bannings in 1919. Wrigley had the capital and the drive to make Avalon and Catalina Island a success. Wrigley built the Casino which is a theater, ballroom and gathering place and has never been a gambling hall. He purchased steamships to bring people to the island and built hotels to house them and restaurants to feed them. Wrigley owned the Chicago Cubs and had the team hold their spring training on Catalina from 1921-1951. Tourists came in droves, including many Hollywood stars.
After William Wrigley’s death in 1932, his son Philip took over and continued to promote Avalon and Catalina Island. During World War II, the island served as a training facility for the military, but after the war tourism would continue to grow. Philip was sensible enough to think of the long-term health of the island and signed over 88% of the island’s land to the Catalina Island Conservancy in 1975 to be kept in its natural state in perpetuity.
I had a great time in Avalon. I enjoyed some beach time at Descano Beach under the palm trees where I also tried the island’s signature cocktail: Buffalo Milk. I toured the Casino and saw the world’s largest circular uninterrupted dance floor. Our guide told us stories about the heard of bison which was brought to the island for the filming of Zane Grey’s The Vanishing American in the 1920s. They were left on the island and now roam free in a herd of over 150. We learned how Norma Jean Dougherty moved to the island when she was 16 and married a naval enlisted man. She worked pulling taffy at Lloyd’s Candy Shop (which is still there) and her husband was a projectionist at the Casino. Years later the world would meet her as Marilyn Monroe, but the island still remembers her as Norma Jean. An exotic bird park on the island was used to record the sounds used for the flying monkeys in the Wizard of Oz. The stories went on and on, one more interesting than the next. I learned more island stories at Avalon’s wonderful history museum and enjoyed a wonderful fresh fish dinner at the Lobster Trap and delicious strawberry pancakes at the Pancake Cottage the next morning. I climbed up the hill to the beautiful Chime Tower which chimes the quarter hour and provides amazing views over the town. I was only there for a day and a half, but I felt like it was much longer. I will always remember my time on beautiful Catalina Island and will definitely return in the future. I hope you enjoy these photos from Avalon, the jewel of Catalina Island.
Most of the states I’ve been to seem to have a town like Solvang - a place with solid European roots that has developed into a tourism draw over the years. Some of my favorites have been Helen, Georgia, Frankenmuth, Michigan, New Ulm, Minnesota and Helvetia, West Virginia. All of these have had either a German or Swiss background, which made the Danish village of Solvang different and quite fun for me to explore.
The area where Solvang now stands was originally Chumash land. In 1804, the Spanish built Mission Santa Inés, one of 21 Catholic missions they would establish in Alta California to try and convert the native peoples and help the Spanish claim to the territory. After Mexico won its independence in 1821, the mission system was dissolved and the land was divided into land grants and this area became part of Rancho San Carlos de Jonata.
Beginning in 1850, many Danish immigrants began arriving on America’s shores including some of my ancestors on my father’s side. Communities would begin to form, especially in the Midwest. In 1910, a small group of Danish men decided to try somewhere a little warmer and purchased land in the Santa Inés Valley. A year later, a town plan had been drawn up and Solvang was born.
Originally, the town looked like many others in the region but after World War II many buildings were built or rebuilt in a more Scandinavian style. Today, Solvang is definitely an eye-catching place, especially the windmills which are scattered around the town. Tourism is a major draw with people coming from all over the world to visit the delicious bakeries and restaurants.
I had a great time in Solvang. It was busy but not crazy and I couldn’t help but smile as I wandered around taking these photos. It felt familiar yet different at the same time and it is definitely worth a visit if you’re looking for a break from the coastal beach towns and Mission architecture. I hope you enjoy these photos from beautiful Solvang, California’s Danish capital.
If there’s a more classically Californian beach town than Pismo Beach, I have yet to find it. Just driving into town makes your stress start to fade away and when you find a parking spot you can take a deep breath and relax - you have arrived. Pismo Beach residents have made an obvious effort to create and maintain this laid-back, surfer vibe and they’ve built a beautiful town around it. The fact that I was there on a beautiful sunny day didn’t hurt.
This area is historically home to the Chumash people, and “Pismu” was their name for the tar they found in the area which they used to seal their canoes and baskets. The Spanish Portolá Expedition passed by the beach in 1769 and after Mexican independence it would be included in José Ortega’s Rancho Pismo. A town was established in 1891 and the first pier was built in 1924. Pismo Beach was long called the “Clam Capital of the World” and these delicious mollusks drew people from miles around, but overharvesting has devastated the local clam population. Today the town states simply that they are “Classic California” and they definitely live up to that claim. While there is a lot more to California than surfing and beaches, that is the image that many people have of the Golden State. If that’s what you are looking for, you won’t find a better place to experience it than beautiful Pismo Beach. I hope you enjoy these photos from this classic California surf town.
The area that is now Wickenburg was once Yavapai Indian land and the river that runs through it is the Hassayampa which means “following the water as far as it goes” in the Yavapai language. In 1863, German prospector Henry Wickenburg came to the area in search of gold. He found it and opened the Vulture Mine which would eventually produce 340,000 ounces of gold and 260,000 ounces of silver.
Ranchers came to the area as well and soon a community sprang up. In 1895, the railroad came through Wickenburg which spawned even more growth. The town was incorporated in 1909, making Wickenburg the oldest Arizona town north of Tucson and the 5th oldest in the state. In 1866, Wickenburg missed being named the territorial capital by just two votes.
Today Wickenburg is a quaint little community with a real wild west feel to it (some of the light posts are even wearing cowboy hats). There are some amazing art installations around town and the Desert Caballeros Western Museum is one of the best in the state. I love the design of the Saguaro Theatre which was also probably my favorite theatre in Arizona. You’re never alone when you’re in Wickenburg as life-like statues are spread throughout town making for a family friendly feel. I hadn’t planned on staying long in Wickenburg, but it’s a great town worth exploring and I was there way longer than I expected to be. Next time you’re in this part of Arizona, stop in for a spell. You’ll be glad you did. I hope you enjoy these photos from tiny Wickenburg - the Dude Ranch Capital of the World.
Construction on Fort Bowie began in 1862 after two separate confrontations between the United States Army and the Chiricahua Apache. The fort was erected to protect the Apache Pass through the mountains and Apache Springs, a vital water source in the area. Six years later a more substantial fort was built just up the hill from the original fort and would be in service until 1894. The Apache Wars would end in 1886 with the surrender of Chiricahua leader, Geronimo, and the removal of the Chiricahua from the area. As you may remember from a recent post, the U.S. Army was aided in this endeavor by the White Mountain Apache scouts based in Fort Apache to the north who were the sworn enemies of the Chiricahua.
The fort today is a mere remnant of what it once was. The adobe walls have all but melted back into the surrounding desert and the stone foundations and a few odds and ends are all that is left. This park is unique in that it is a “hike-in” park, meaning the only way to visit it is by hiking the 1.5 miles from the parking lot up to Apache Pass. This walk takes you past the old stagecoach stop ruins, the cemetery, an old Apache village, Apache Spring and up to the pass where the fort is located. While the rangers at the park will provide access for people with disabilities, this walk is an amazing way to get a feel for the remoteness of the fort and the isolation the men who were once stationed there must have felt. I was definitely glad I visited in the winter months as I’m sure making this walk in the summer is quite hot and dusty. I was definitely glad I finally made it out to Fort Bowie as it’s been on my to-do list for many years now and I’m glad I finally got there. I hope you enjoy these photos from Fort Bowie National Historic Park.
Father Eusebio Francisco Kino established the Mission San Cayetano de Tumacácori on the east side of the Santa Cruz River in January of 1691, making this the oldest mission site in what is now Arizona. The name “Tumacácori” is an English bastardization of a Spanish interpretation of an O’odham (Pima) word, the meaning of which has been lost. It is how the native people referred to this region. After years of violence at the hands of the Spanish, the O’odham people rose up in the Pima Revolt of 1751. Laying blame on the abuse of the Jesuits missionaries, they were pardoned by the colonial governor and the Jesuits would be expelled from the colonies beginning in 1757. The mission was moved across the river and renamed Mission San José de Tumacácori and the first actual church was built on this new site.
Franciscans would try and pick up where the Jesuits left off and in 1800 they began work on an ambitious new church, trying to match the majesty of Mission San Xavier del Bac to the north (a photo of which appears at the very bottom of this post). The church was never fully completed as the missions were closed when the Mexicans won their independence in 1821. Today, the mission is a part of Tumacácori National Historical Park and a visit is a must when you’re in the area. You can learn more about the O’odham people, the Spanish missionaries and colonial life in the missions and it’s a very cool place for a wander.
I’ve spent a fair bit of time in Tombstone in my life. It was always a stop on my company’s cross-country winter trips, of which I ran many. But it was always a quick stop as we usually arrived late in the short winter day and left early the following morning, but my groups and I always enjoyed the old-west feel of the place, the dirt streets, the wooden sidewalks and having a few beers at Big Nose Kate’s Saloon. It was nice for me to get back this past winter after several years and have a little more time to spend there.
Tombstone is an old silver mining town, founded in 1877, and produced somewhere between $40 million and $85 million worth of silver bullion. During Tombstone’s heyday in the mid-1880s, the town boasted a population of 14,000 and was home to 110 saloons, two churches, three newspapers and a bowling alley. It was named the county seat of Cochise County, a designation it held until 1929. A fire in 1886 destroyed the mine’s central hoist and pumping plant and it was decided that with the productivity of the mines at that point, they weren’t worth rebuilding. The population would dwindle until tourists started to take an interest in the old west and come to have a look for themselves.
Tombstone is probably best known for the legendary shootout at the O.K. Corral between the Earp brothers and Doc Holiday and a group of cattle rustlers known as The Cowboys on October 26th, 1881.
Nara Visa, New Mexico got its start as a rail town when the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad was being built around the turn of the 20th century. It was originally called Narvaez after a local family who had farmed in the area for decades, but was eventually anglicized to some degree to Nara Visa. Within a decade, the town had grown to include 4 churches, 8 saloons, a couple of hotels and a whole array of small businesses. In 1921, with a growing population of 651, a fine school was built and the Works Progress Administration helped add a gymnasium a decade and a half later. The depression took its toll on the town though and lean years were ahead for Nara Visa. By 1968, there were only 7 students enrolled at the school when it closed its doors for the last time. Today less than a hundred people call the town home, and none of the businesses from this once thriving little community are open. It’s easy to pass through Nara Visa and not see it at all. I’m glad I got out and had a look. It makes me sad when towns die, but the reality is that everyone leaves at some point, one way or another. It looks like times were good there once, and maybe will be again at some point in the future. It sure made for some nice photos though. I hope you enjoy these photos from Nara Visa - a modern day ghost town in eastern New Mexico.
“The Original Las Vegas” was founded along the Galinas River in 1835 in the midst of Mexican rule in the area and quickly grew as a popular stop on the Santa Fe Trail. It was on the Plaza in Las Vegas where Stephen Watts Kearny claimed New Mexico for the United States during the Mexican-American War in 1846. In 1879, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad came to Las Vegas and the town quickly grew into one of the largest in the region. The New Mexico Normal School (now Highlands University) was established in 1893 and Fred Harvey built the Castañeda Hotel in 1898 as part of his hospitality empire in the southwest. Las Vegas hosted Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders’ first reunion in 1899, a tradition that continued for many years. In more recent years, Las Vegas has been the filming location for many movies including No Country For Old Men, Wyatt Earp (with Kevin Costner), and perhaps most notably for me, Red Dawn where it served as the fictional town of Calamut (the massive “Calamut Says Howdy” mural is still a prominent feature downtown). I found Las Vegas to be a quiet, charming University town with some spectacular architecture, fascinating history and friendly people. It may be the “other Las Vegas”, but it’s a town not to be missed on your travels in New Mexico. I hope you enjoy these photos from wonderful Las Vegas, New Mexico.
Native Americans mined turquoise in the hills which now surround the tiny town of Cerillos. In more recent times, miners have also found gold, silver, copper, lead and coal in the area. An early Spanish explorer commented on the mineral wealth in these “little hills”, which gave the town its name. While all of the things that are mined in the area are valuable, it was the 1879 discovery of gold which really put Cerillos on the map. The railroad came through the following year and the town boomed. The town’s population grew to over 3,000 and it supported 21 saloons, 4 hotels, 3 churches, an opera house and several newspapers. At one point, Cerillos was even in consideration to be the capital of New Mexico and was visited by Teddy Roosevelt. With every boom comes a bust and by 1930 most of the big mines had closed, although turquoise is still mined nearby and is considered some of the finest in the country. The dirt roads and old buildings of Cerillos have made it a great Western filming location with Walt Disney's Nine Lives of Elfego Baca and Young Guns being two of Cerillos’ most famous productions. I’ve probably seen Young Guns several dozen times, so Cerillos felt familiar as I walked the streets and when I saw the faded Murphy-Dolan Store sign on the side of the old Wortley Hotel it really made me smile. Cerillos is a great little turn-off from the Turquoise Trail Scenic Byway which connects Albuquerque and Santa Fe and I definitely enjoyed my visit. I hope you enjoy these photos from the old mining town of Cerillos.
Madrid was the first town I came to along the beautiful Turquoise Trail, the scenic byway which connects Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Pronounced MAD-rid for some maddening reason, I couldn’t find a clear story as to how the town got its name. The earliest Europeans in the area most likely came from Spain, but it doesn’t appear that Madrid got its name until New Mexico was an American territory. First lead and then coal were mined in the surrounding hills and in 1892 a 6 mile spur was built to connect the town to the Santa Fe Railway. By 1906, coal mining in the area was consolidated under the Albuquerque and Cerrillos Coal Company and a company town grew to a population of over 3,000, more than that of Albuquerque at the time. In 1922, Madrid boasted the only baseball field with lights west of the Mississippi River, and the Brooklyn Dodgers’ minor league affiliate the Madrid Miners played there for many years. The mines did well until the early 1950s and in 1954 the Coal Company left Madrid and many of the residents went with them. By the early 1970s, Madrid was almost a ghost town but then artists discovered the town and started moving in. Today, Madrid is a vibrant and colorful town with many reminders of the old mining town that it once was, but truly reborn as an artists’ colony and a tourism destination. I hope you enjoy these photos from beautiful Madrid, New Mexico.
Native Americans have been passing through the area we now call the Salinas Valley for thousands of years. As agricultural techniques developed, hunter-gatherer societies began to settle down, plant crops and build permanent communities. The communities which grew in the Salinas Valley combined the traditions of the people we call Mogollon with those of the Ancestral Puebloans. They traded with other Puebloan groups to the west and with the Plains Indians to their east.
When the Spanish arrived in 1540, Coronado was searching for the 7 Lost Cities of Gold. He never found gold, but found abundant salt deposits in these mountains which is where they get their name (“salinas” means “salt” in Spanish). While the treasure seekers were met with disappointment, the Franciscan priests who accompanied them found whole towns of souls they believed needed saving. They took up residence in these remote pueblos and oversaw the construction of massive churches. They brought with them items which changed these societies for the better like wheat, fruit, cattle, goats and sheep. They also brought disease and demands for the Native people to give up their rituals and traditions. Some of these pueblos contain kivas, the underground centers of Pueblo communities and religion which point to some level of compromise, since later missions had kivas filled in and destroyed. Spanish priests and governors were often in disagreement over how to treat the Puebloan people, and cultural conflicts would often erupt…
