Hot, hot, HOT! That’s the only way we can describe this past
week in Casa Grande. From Monday through Friday the temperatures were in the triple
digits, up to 107° every day. And…we discovered that even though it’s a “dry
heat” it’s still HOT! Our air conditioning has been running non-stop for days,
even through the night, when the temps dip to the high 70s. Good grief!
We had planned to do quite a bit of sight-seeing while we
were here, but the heat put the kibosh on that!
Between 1884 and 1915 downtown Casa Grande had burned 3
times; each time the town was rebuilt. And in the 1890s a national mining slump
almost devastated Casa Grande; by 1902 the business district had declined to
just 4 businesses: a mercantile, a saloon, and 2 smaller stores. Thankfully,
agriculture saved the day and Casa Grande flourished once again.
Surrounded by deserts and mountains, Casa Grande’s allure is
the natural beauty, as well as the rich multi-cultural history. Of course, the
glorious weather (of which they boast) has something to do with it, as well.
Apparently activities are abundant during the fall, winter,
and spring, with festivals such as the Annual Fiddler’s Bluegrass Jamboree,
Heritage Tourism Days, a gourd festival, the O’Odham Tash Festival, The Arizona
State Open Chili Championship, Cactus Fly-In, Civil War re-enactment, to name
just a few. Unfortunately, none of that is going on while we’re here. Darn.
We did, however, venture out on Tuesday, when we drove to
Phoenix to the zoo. Privately owned, through the care and contribution of area
philanthropists, the zoo continues to thrive and is a viable contributor to the
culture of this area.
In the spring of 1961 the grandson of the founder of the
Maytag appliance company, Robert E. Maytag, called a small group of friends to
his home to discuss the idea of building a zoo in the city of Phoenix.
Enthusiastically, this “dedicated bunch of amateurs” raised support from other
area leaders, and the Arizona Zoological Society was born. Their enthusiasm
overcame their lack of knowledge, and helped them overcome every challenge they
faced.
Robert Maytag’s untimely and unexpected death in March 1962
almost killed the idea of the zoo, but his wife Nancy stepped forward,
declaring that the zoo would be completed on schedule as a memorial to Bob. It
was the boost the community needed; individuals, families, clubs and companies
all came forward to offer their support. “Build the Zoo in ’62!” was the
catchphrase, and finally, on November 21, 1962 Nancy Maytag cut the ribbon
before thousands of people, officially opening the Maytag zoo, named in her
husband’s honor.
Today, the 120-acre, privately owned, non-profit, Phoenix
Zoo is home to more than 1,400 animals, including 30 species that are
endangered or threatened. Here are a few photos of the animals.
And, a video of the mandrills.
Just north of the park, in Papago
Park lies the tomb of Arizona’s first governor, George Hunt. Hunt was elected
governor after serving several years in various political positions. It was
during his tenure that Arizona became a state; he was the principal writer of
the Arizona constitution. This constitution granted women the right to vote, 8
years before the 19th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution was
ratified. On February 14, 1912,
President Taft granted statehood to Arizona as the 48th member of
the U.S. Hunt was elected governor in 1911, taking office in 1912. He is the
only governor in history to be elected to 7 terms. Hunt was instrumental in
improving roads, educational programs, prison and canal systems, building dams
and securing rights to water from the Colorado River. In May 1920 President
Wilson appointed Hunt U.S. Minister to Siam, a position he held for 13 months. During
his world travels as U.S. Minister, he became fascinated by the pyramids in Egypt
when he visited there. In his final term he received permission from Congress
and President Herbert Hoover to have a 30' x 30' memorial pyramid erected in what is now
Papago Park, to inter his wife who had recently died. Since that time he has
also been laid to rest here, as have 6 other members of his family. The tomb
can be seen from the north end of the park;
Man, was it hot when we returned to the parking lot after 4½
hours of walking through the acres and acres of wildlife: our truck thermometer
registered 110°. Uff-da!!
With the unrelenting heat, we decided to hunker down on
Wednesday and Thursday, only venturing out for groceries and to do the laundry.
We enjoy one another’s company, but entertaining one another
day after day can wear on you. So, Friday we visited the nearby Casa Grande
Ruins National Monument, about 20 miles away in Coolidge, Arizona.
Construction appears to have been well planned and
organized, requiring tons of material and a huge cooperative effort on the part
of many people. Materials for building were found onsite: caliche, a concrete-like
mix of sand, clay, and limestone was used to build the Great House (3,000 tons
of the stuff!) and surrounding structures. Caliche was layered to form walls 4’
thick at the base, tapering toward the top. Hundreds of juniper, pine, and fir
trees were carried or floated 60 miles down the Gila River to the village, and
used to anchor the walls; timbers formed ceiling or floor supports.
Archeologists have discovered evidence that the ancient
Sonoran Desert people who built the Casa Grande also developed wide-scale
irrigation farming and extensive trade connections, which lasted until about
1450 A.D. Villages sat along natural routes between today’s California, the
Great Plains, Colorado Plateau, and northern Mexico. They traded mostly pottery
and jewelry for a variety of items, such as shells, macaws, mirrors, and copper
bells, as well as baskets and other wares. Archeologists have unearthed as many
as 200 oval-shaped, earthen side pits in major Hohokam villages that may have
been used as ball-courts for games, or for gatherings.
In the late 1800s scientists pressed for its legal
protection, and in 1892 the Casa Grande became the nation’s first archeological
preserve. To this day the Great House keeps within its walls the secrets of the
Ancestral People of the Sonoran Desert.
In 1903 a shelter roof of corrugated iron supported by
redwood timbers was built over the Casa Grande, and between 1906 and 1908 major
excavations and repairs of the ruins were conducted. Most of the lower walls
visible today were uncovered at that time. President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed
Casa Grande Ruins to be a National Monument in August 1918, and management of
the Ruins was transferred to the National Park Service.
Several important construction projects were undertaken during
the 1930s, including a visitor center building with adjacent parking lot and
entrance road, and a new steel shelter roof over the Casa Grande were completed
in 1932. The Civilian Conservation Corps constructed a number of adobe
buildings to support park operations; all of these structures remain in use
today, and are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Saturday was another day of rest, even though the
temperatures had “cooled off” to the mid-90s. That evening we met Stan and
Debby, friends and former co-workers from Tacoma, for dinner at Red Estilo Mex
in Casa Grande. They now live near Phoenix, so it was really good to catch up
with them and share a few laughs and memories. We noshed on chips and salsa (of
course), tortilla soup, enchiladas, and a tilapia dish that still makes my
mouth water. Yum-Yum! Oh, then there were the pomegranate-infused margaritas,
which were pretty good, too.
That evening Dick and I watched the movie “RV” starring Robin
Williams, Jeff Daniels, Kristin Chenoweth, and Matthew Gray Gubler, among
others. Williams who plays Bob Monro, a successful executive of a beverage
company, and his dysfunctional family rent an RV for a road trip to the
Colorado Rockies after his family vacation to Hawaii was cancelled. Complete
novices at driving an RV, as well as camping, they have a lot of lessons to
learn and ultimately have to contend with a bizarre community of campers. We
laughed at all their experiences (understanding that it could’ve been us in
many of them…ha!), and were rather glad we didn’t watch this before we hit the
road 3½ years ago! Ha! It’s certainly entertaining!
Sunday we met friend Peggy, also from the Tacoma area and
our former church, for lunch in Tempe, at RigaTony’s Authentic Italian
Restaurant. We hadn’t seen her for over 4 years, so it was really good to share
memories, laughs, and catch up. Unfortunately, her husband Rich was still up in
Tacoma tending to their business, so he wasn’t able to join us. We dined on antipasto
salad, ciabatta bread, lasagna, manicotti, and meatballs. We are stuffed! It
was so good! Yum-Yum!!
Even though the temps are still in the mid-90s, it sure
feels cooler than those in the 3-digits. Perhaps it’s all in our minds…
Until next week, stay well, and stay in touch.
Sending hugs your way,
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