Rising From the Fire

Hello, friends !! I went to Phoenix, Arizona for a conference. But along with the work, I managed to sneak in one of my favorite traveling activities, the tour bus.

First, we stopped at Memorial Plaza. It was created in 1978 in the honor of Govenor Wesley Bolin who had died 4 days prior to its opening. There are 30 varied memorials on the plaza, which sits in a mall configuration in front of the Arizona State Capitol Complex. Let's see some of them!!!

This is the Arizona Fallen Firefighters Memorial. Firefighters are a big deal here. The rest of the US sends their forest service firefighters to Phoenix to train. They have stopped many fires dead in their tracks, due to the skill and bravery they possess.

Each firefighter has his or her name engraved in the granite, with a small flag mounted next to it.

There were workers there adding 23 more names and flags.

This is the 911 memorial. There is a flat piece of steel from the buildings mounted on a ledge.

Above it, there is a ring of copper with a hole cut in it. On September 11, the sun shines through the hole and hits the piece of steel.

This is the Korean War Memorial. The pagoda displays the saying "Freedom is Not Free"

Inside is a Korean style bell made of copper.

This is a tribute to all the police dogs killed in the line of duty.

Their names and agencies are inscribed on the side of the statue.

This is one of a few memorials to the Vietnam War.

In the center of this planter is an ocotillo plant - they are used to from natural fences by weaving the strands together. The strands are covered in huge thorns.

This touching statue depicts a soldier making a cross out of his fallen comrade's rifle, boots, and helmet.

This statue is an image of a Navajo Code Talker - the Navajo were used to transmit messages in code during WW2. Navajo is an extremely difficult language, with 25 dialects.

Here is a list of their names - common last names were Begay, Yazzie and Tsosie.

Here are several small memorials - first, the Jewish War Veterans.

This one commemorates the Battle of the Bulge.

Here is one for the Combat Wounded Veterans.

There were 10 monoliths, one for each of the Amendments to the Bill of Rights.

This is a statue of Father Eusebio Francisco Kino. He was a Jesuit who lived from 1645 - 1711. He traveled the Pimeria Alta, which is now Sonora, Mexico and southern Arizona. He founded 24 missions before his death.

This is Lt Frank Luke, a Phoenix native who lived from 1897 -1918. He was an Army fighter ace, and was the first airman to receive the Medal of Honor. After shooting down 14 German balloons over France, he died from a single machine gun bullet wound.

Then there were some kind of strange memorials. There was a replica Liberty Bell. It looked to be exactly the same size as the real one.

There were 2 chunks of petrified wood.

And there was a statue of the 10 Commandments. There was talk about removing it, but in Arizona, it takes a 66 % vote by the public to do such a thing. So it still stands proudly.

The largest memorial, by far, was the one that represents the sinking of the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor in 1941.

The rack of names is flanked on either side by the 12 inch and 14 inch guns.

The name plates flutter in the breeze, making both sound and twinkling light.

This is the original main mast of the ship.

It is exactly 608 feet from the mast to the Capitol Complex - the length of the ship.

There were six huge anchors weighing 19,000 pounds apiece.

Another view of the big guns.

Every one of the servicemen who died that day has their name inscribed on this statue.

Then we went inside the Arizona State Capitol Complex. The roof is copper,one of the state's major products.

This is a view of the rotunda from the interior.

They were lighting the Christmas Tree. The govenor was there, and security was extreme, but I got in after going through a metal detector.

 This map was interesting. It shows the area that we regained during the Spanish American War.

The Rough Riders flag is displayed there. The Rough Riders were the first US Volunteer Cavalry, established in 1898 to fight the Spanish American War.

The Apache and the Navajo are the two most famous Indian tribes. The Apaches were fierce fighters, and a series of battles led to the surrender of Geronimo in 1886.

The Navajo were more peaceful - their lives were filled with colorful clothing and art, and a rich language and musical style.

Here is the Livestock Sanitary Board - I just liked the name of this bureau for some reason.

And here is the actual missile from the USS Arizona's 12 inch guns. Pretty impressive.

Then we went to St Mary's Basilica. It was founded in 1881 by the Franciscan Brothers, the most famous one being St Francis of Assisi. It was dedicated as a basilica by John Paul II in 1987.

Leading into the garden is a huge arch with this statue of children just inside the entrance.

Then we went to Chase Field, the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks, who won the World Series in 2001. The tickets are as low as $1, if you want to sit on a bench in right field.

On the way to Papago Park, we passed the castle and Superstition Mountain. The castle was built in 1929 by a rich land baron from San Francisco for his wife. They only lived there for 3 years.

Superstition Mountain is so named because that is the closest translation of a Yavapai word. In this range, one can find the Lost Dutchman Mine.

Once we got to Papago Park, we climbed the Hole in the Rock. This is a formation of eroded sandstone that got this way over 6 - 15 million years ago. The ancient Hohokans used the hole to mark the seasons and the equinoxes.

We made a short 5 minute climb up to the hole.

 Below me, you can see Papago Park.

The vista was quite spectacular.

And here is the Phoenix zoo - the giraffe were out strolling. One of my tour mates said that it cost $44 to get in.

We finally made it to Scottsdale for Lunch.

It's a touristy old western town, with many restaurants and art galleries. I ate with some folks from Cedar Rapids Iowa, at an Australian pub. I had lamb and rosemary pie.

Another ginormous Christmas tree. Tis the season!!!

The streets display many examples of wonderful statuary, mostly bronze and copper.

I loved this piece with the Indian maiden tending her herd.

The howling wolf was another favorite of mine.

And this doe and fawns were adorable - they were painted, so I guess they were plaster of paris.

As we left, a giant draft horse plunked by, pulling a sweet white carriage. His hooves were painted gold.

Whew!! So now, let's link !!

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See you all soon !!!