Author: asnsadmin

Welcome to the Apache Spirit Ranch. It’s a slice of the Old West—with some admittedly modern amenities to spare—nestled just two miles from the historic landmarks of Tombstone.

Horseback riding, western entertainment, and cowboy cuisine are some of the items listed on the ranch’s itinerary. It promises guests the opportunity to connect with the history and culture of the region.

But those who book a reservation at the ranch, hoping to lose themselves in the sweep of the Old West, have a chance of experiencing something bit more unexpected. Something a bit more German.

Charity events have been going on for years, but with new interactive runs the events have become more about the entertainment than the speed of the race.

With runs like the Color Run, Mud Run, and The Bubble Run, participants nationally are focusing more on the adventure, than the charity. And that spirit has come to Arizona.

When you think Arizona, many think sunshine, cactus, and desert, but what about snow?

Little do people know the state of Arizona is home to three ski locations in the winter season.

 Although it may not be the ideal location for the best winter terrain it is proving to be a convenient and cheap place to ski to many locals and college students residing in Arizona.

 “I don’t think many people realize that Arizona actually has places to ski. Because I live in Scottsdale and go to school at the University of Arizona I think it is really convenient to take a cheap weekend trip up to one of the mountains with my friends,” Andrew Goodwin of Scottsdale said.

 The top three ski locations in Arizona are Arizona Snowbowl, Sunrise and Mt. Lemmon. All three of these destinations make for weekend get away trips.

 

[caption id="attachment_271" align="alignleft" width="500"]A dilapidated motel sign beckons road-trippers to take Exit 212 on Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013. This sign and other run-down markers along Interstate 10 reflect the comings and goings of interstate culture (Photo by Johanna Willett 2013).[/caption]They jut into sunny skies—an American flag, a Dairy Queen billboard and a yellow Shell—one by one beckoning the weary traveler to take Exit 219 for Picacho Peak Road. Take a break from the high speeds and sudden break lights, they say. Interstate 10 will be here after you gas up, get a soft-serve cone, and experience the quirk hidden beneath billboards.

I-10, the descendant of territorial trails and country-crossing railroads, speeds through the southern half of Arizona. Its lane lines, faded by decades of sunshine, stretch from California to New Mexico and through Arizona’s largest cities, Phoenix and Tucson. Just beyond the off ramps, oddities forgotten by most entice the treasure-hunter, history buff and strange family on vacation.