Best Sights On The Drive From Tucson To Phoenix
STAFF PICK: Many
MOST TRAVELERS FIND the stretch of interstate between Tucson and Phoenix to be absolutely bereft of any aesthetic value. Nothing, of course, could be further from the truth. We have put together a sampling of the the many fascinating and scenic wonders available to the discerning traveler.You may have missed the IQ Tester at Dairy Queen. It comes up about the time your passengers who didn't hit the head before hitting the road need to go; just watch for the billboards. No trip is complete without testing your mental acuity against one of the most comprehensive intelligence-measuring devices known to man. This elaborate wooden board with red plastic pegs is recognized by the American Mensa Society as the only truly infallible test of superior intellect. Many of America's most gifted thinkers have matched their wits against the Tester while enjoying pecan log rolls or Dilly Bars.
It's no longer backgrounded by blue sky, but we must mention the Furrers jeep, because in our mind's eye we still see it aloft its majestic pole, beckoning like Ozymandias to travelers from faraway lands. The camouflage-green vehicle now resides in a fenced compound just south of the Dairy Queen. We urge you to petition the Arizona Historical Society to help return the jeep to its rightful place.
By now you should have noticed the Ostrich Ranch, near Picacho. Since the time Father Kino first introduced the ostrich to the Tohono O'odham, these swift, two-toed birds are considered by some to be the backbone of Arizona's future economic growth. Just imagine millions of pounds of ostrich feathers, meat and eggs shipped daily to all ports of the world--awfully strange, eh? Not to mention these birds are just plain weird to look at.
Don't miss the Sodomite Indians Hieroglyphics. On a lonely freeway overpass, sharp-eyed wayfarers can spot the only known message ever left by the Sodomite Indians, a little-known indigenous tribe that was distinguished by being composed entirely of men. Sadly (but somewhat expectedly), the tribe passed from recorded history after only one generation. This one is a bit of a mystery, so you'll have to do some discovering for yourself; the challenge will help you stay awake.
And finally, just before you get to Phoenix, there's the Turkey Stump. Don't forget to leave enough time for your family to enjoy one of the most amazing and mysterious natural phenomenons in the state of Arizona. Twenty miles south of Phoenix is a sight so astonishing that you will hardly believe what you are seeing! It's the world-famous tree stump that's sort of shaped like a turkey! You're driving, or riding, along when you think you just saw a huge turkey standing in the desert. What kind of tree is it? Where did it come from? Why is it shaped like a turkey? Why do Phoenicians always set it on fire? These are just some of the many questions that have baffled tourists and scientists alike.
--Terry Owen and Mike Sterner
