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• 
  ARIZONA’S STRANGEST: APACHE DEATH CAVE
  by Mary Cook Geivett

  The Apache Death Cave is located in Winslow, Arizona. For a spooky trip, take a flashlight. You’ll need it!

  

  WHAT IS THE APACHE DEATH CAVE?

  Two Guns, the location of the Apache Death Cave, is a small ghost town near Winslow, Arizona, 30 miles outside of Flagstaff. At first sight or driving by, it doesn’t seem worth a second glance. Yet, once you visit, the place can draw you in for hours.

  Two Guns ghost town once consisted of a gas station, zoo, and campground. It also had and still has the Apache Death Cave. There was once a gift shop that sold “artifacts” from the death cave.

  The Ruins still stand where Two Guns was once a thriving tourist attraction. They are worth the hiking boots to go check out. With the ruin, you will find incredible graffiti artwork. Might I add, they are not simple tags. It’s art. The graffiti at the abandoned service station is well worth sticking around for an incredible sunset.

  

  WHAT IS THE APACHE DEATH CAVE STORY?

  The Apache Death Cave holds its own story. During a war between the Apache and Navajo tribes, the Apache raided a Navajo camp. They took three young girls with them. After much searching, the Navajo found that the Apache were hiding out in a massive underground cavern. Upon finding out the girls were dead, the Navajo covered the openings to the caverns and burned it.

  The Apache cut the throats of all of their horses. They used the blood and all of their water to quench the flames to no avail. They piled the carcasses of the dead horses in the entries to stop the smoke. To no avail. The last sounds heard from the Apache were the sounds of their death songs. 42 Apache and all of their horses died in what is now called the Apache Death Cave.

  It is said the cave is haunted. I was there. It’s a great place to visit. A great place to kill the flashlights and tell the Apache story in the darkness of the cave (not all of my family was thrilled about that!) But, we did not witness any haunts.

  WHEN YOU GO

  When you go, wear hiking boots and bring a flashlight. Don’t let little ones wander off. There are hypodermic needles laying around. There are no services so bring your own food, water, and facilities.

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• 
  ARIZONA’S STRANGEST: WUPATKI SPIRIT TOTEM
  by Mary Cook Geivett

  Arizona has some of the weirdest places to visit. Those places make the greatest memories! One of the first weird places I would like to share is the Wupatki Spirit Totem. Travel Flagstaff, Arizona.

  

  WUPATKI SPIRIT TOTEM, FLAGSTAFF, ARIZONA

  The Spirit Totem is located on Deadman Flats at the edge of Navajo land outside of Flagstaff, Arizona. There is no absolute history behind the totem. Locals say the totem has been around forever. As far as I understand, the Wupatki Spirit Totem is named so because it’s close to the Wupatki National Monument. Travelers leave tokens at the totem, although no one knows why.

  Perhaps it’s better to know about the totem before leaving a piece of you behind!

  WHAT HAPPENED AT THE SPIRIT TOTEM?

  According to the archives of the Coconino Sun, a man froze to death on the flats over 100 years ago. Scott Thybony, who lived in the area for some time, said that a CO Bar cowboy told of a man stabbed to death on the land. Thybony’s interview with Pete Epsil, a local, told the story of a man who got mad at his horse and shot it and then shot himself. A dead man often leads to a spirit for the Wupatki Spirit Totem!

  However, Thybony points out that these instances took place after 1900. The earliest record of the name Deadman Flats was 1892. Thybony then found a manuscript in which a Navajo elder told the following story:

  “A Navajo elder related an incident. . . On a fall afternoon, the story begins, a Navajo man, woman, and boy were herding horses in upper Deadman Flat. The woman was in the lead as they approached a gap in the hills. Suddenly she spotted a party of New Mexican raiders being guided by Hopi scouts. . . From horseback, he (the boy) picked off the pursuers with his bow and arrows. Finally, the New Mexicans cut their losses and turned back, leaving behind their dead and a name for the wide opening among the junipers.”

  These stories are interesting, but it still doesn’t explain the creepy totem.

  IS THERE AN EXPLANATION FOR THE TOTEM?

  

  A painting of a similar face or totem is found in the Grand Canyon Desert View Watchtower, painted by Hopi artist, Fred Kabote. However, in the book Watchtower Desert View (Colter, 2015) all of the paintings have descriptions – except for that one.

  In the book A Field Guide To Rock Art Symbols of the Greater Southwest (Patterson, 1992, p. 3) there is a sketch of a similar totem called the God of Death or Maasaw (also spelled Masau. I have kept the spelling true to each document). Pages 104 – 105 of the book explains this evil Hopi god of death in further detail.

  The Field Guide reprinted this story from the pamphlet Southwest Museum Leaflet 14 Hopi Indians of Arizona (1940). Here is a story the Hopi told:

  TRACK OF MAASAW (GOD OF DEATH) IN MYTH

  “They found a place where (there were) many footprints. . . Four days our uncles searched for the maker of the footprints. Then our oldest uncles saw, coming over the west mesa, a ‘who-was-it.’ Our uncle went to meet the stranger who was hideous and terrible, covered with blood and loathsomeness. . . when they came together our uncle took hold of him and it was Masau. . . (He, Masau, said) ‘Look in the valleys, the rocks, and the woods and you will find my footsteps there.’”

  Looking over this information I (hypothetically) gather the following:

  1. The hideous and evil god of death approach the Hopi Indians on their land.

  2. The Navajo Indians rightly slaughtered bandits on what may be historically Hopi land near Flagstaff, Arizona.

  3. A man kills his horse and commits suicide on the same land.

  4. A man is stabbed to death at the same spot.

  Points 2, 3, and 4 take place on land that has (possibly) Masau the Hopi God of Death posted on a totem on the edge of the land.

  WOULD YOU VIST THE WUPATKI SPIRIT TOTEM?

  

  I went to visit the Wupatki Spirit Totem. I took pictures by the totem, but I didn’t touch the totem. I didn’t leave a relic at the totem, either. The Wupatki Spirit Totem is just too creepy to me!

  According to Thybony (2017): “The Wupatki Spirit Totem is located on the East side of US Hwy 89, about 100 yards. north of milepost 443. It’s about 1.5 miles south of the Wupatki National Monument.” There is a dirt spot to park by the totem.

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  Would you want to visit the Wupatki Spirit Totem? What would you leave? Do you want more creepy travel ideas?

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• 
  BEST DARK SKY UFO SIGHTINGS IN THE WEST
  by Mary Cook Geivett

  Locations like Roswell, New Mexico, and Area 51 in Nevada are popular tourist sights for UFOs and aliens. Take a look at these Dark Sky places out West, too.

  

  While doing research on visiting Dark Sky locations for National Meteor Day, June 30, I realized that there is more to see in the Western night sky. I was a skeptic of UFOs and strange night lights until I moved out West from West Michigan. Then I began to see strange things. I won’t call them UFOs. I will call them unexplainable lights. Anyhow, I thought if you are out West enjoying the stars and meteors, you may want to look for some strange lights as well. Here are a couple of UFO sighting locations in the West.

  SAN LUIS VALLEY, COLORADO

  The San Luis Valley UFO Watchtower in Hooper, Colorado is a popular dark sky location for stargazing. It is also a hotspot for UFO activity. The watchtower gives historical details on past UFO sightings and the “how” they may have happened.

  SEDONA, ARIZONA

  Sedona, Arizona is a beautiful location for high desert travel that brags of mountain sheep and elk. The town of Sedona is filled with art and artifacts. However, it also is a good place for UFO sightings. Miranda Leslie, a former alien abductee, will set you up for the twilight time of your life.

  LESSER-KNOWN DARK SKY UFO SIGHTING SECRETS

  A couple of less known places where “strange” things are seen are the Chocolate Mountains in California. These mountains include military installations that may or may not be active. Another place where some odd lights have been seen on a number of occasions is the dark skies of Kingman, Arizona. Kingman has a historical Area 66 UFO crash landing sight, as well.

  

  Whether you are looking to Dark Skies for stargazing or for UFO sightings, these Western areas are bound to awe you. The stars, meteors, and planets are explainable. As far as UFO sightings in the dark skies, you be the judge.

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• CALIFORNIA’S STRANGEST: ELYSIAN PARK Spring Break in Cali
  by Mary Cook Geivett

  We know Elysian Park for the famous Dodger’s Stadium. But the park’s history goes much further back than that. Read about its strange history.

  

  ELYSIAN PARK’S STRANGE HISTORY

  Elysian Park’s history is a cumulation of cultures, ethnicities, and geography. Once called Rock Quarry Hills, they changed the name upon dedication as a park in 1886. Chavez Ravine was a community of Mexican-Americans moved to build the park.

  “Prior to the arrival of… Europeans, the Gabrielino-Tongva, and Chumash Native Americans inhabited the wilderness that would become the park. A Gabrielino settlement in the area was called Yangna,the ‘poison oak place.’”

  CCSEP Foundation

  Today, we know Elysian Park in <a href=”http://Greater Los Angeles“>Los <a href=”http://Greater Los Angeles” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Angeles<a href=”http://Greater Los Angeles“>, California for some of the oldest living trees in LA. Elysian Park is the oldest park in LA., established in 1886. They named Elysian after a place where ancient Grecian heroes resided in paradise. According to Michigan Argus, January 15, 1864, there are ancient pyramids in <a href=”http://Cabo San Lucas & Southern Baja California” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>California. Is there a chance there may be a pyramid under Elysian Park?

  

  THINGS TO SEE AT ELYSIAN PARK

  For the best view of<a href=”http://Greater Los Angeles” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”> LA, California, take a .3 mile hike to the Secret Swing. Google “Swing in Elysian Park” and enter it into your google map. Google takes you to the trailhead. Otherwise, park at Angels Point Drive, the trailhead, and a 5-minute uphill hike is right there. Also, in Elysian Park, you will find what was once a naval armory, built over a Jewish cemetery. Today it houses the local police academy and !re department training facility. Elysian Park is the home to the Barlow Respiratory Hospital, originally built as a tuberculosis sanatorium.

  Elysian Park’s claim to fame is, of course, the Dodger’s Stadium. But it contains over 600 acres of history, art, running paths, and architecture. Take the time to <a href=”http://Cabo San Lucas & Southern Baja California” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>visit this hidden gem when you travel to LA.

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• 
  Canyon Diablo Ghost Town: A Stunning Arizona Adventure
  by Mary Cook Geivett

  Canyon Diablo Ghost Town: A Stunning Arizona Adventure

  Is the Canyon Diablo ghost town a haunting remnant of the Wild West, or merely a collection of legends? You decide. Nestled in Arizona, this ghost town comprises scattered rubble and a few weathered tombstones that hint at its vibrant past.

  The Fascinating History of Canyon Diablo Ghost Town

  Canyon Diablo, an Arizona ghost town, is located east of Flagstaff and easily accessible via Interstate 40, taking Exit 230. The final approach is a rugged road best traversed with an off-road vehicle, leading you through a landscape that seems to whisper tales of adventure. Established in 1881, Canyon Diablo began as a tent community, serving the needs of railroad construction workers who were building the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad. Its name, which translates to Devil’s Canyon, derives from a nearby gorge and crater site that evokes a sense of intrigue and danger. Initially, the town was bustling with life, featuring a variety of establishments like saloons, gambling halls, and even brothels, creating a vibrant, if not chaotic, atmosphere. Unfortunately, the fervor was short-lived. The completion of the Canyon Diablo Bridge that same year prompted a mass exodus as residents sought better opportunities elsewhere, leading to the town’s decline.

  Myths and Legends Surrounding Canyon Diablo Ghost Town

  Despite its storied past, much of what is known about Canyon Diablo is shrouded in myth. The tall tales of gunfights, drunken escapades, and notorious robberies often stem from a man named Richardson, who once operated a trading post nearby. His exaggerated accounts, crafted decades after the town’s heyday, transformed into the folklore that many still associate with the ghost town today. The book Weird Arizona (2007) highlights a slew of strange and fantastical stories tied to the Canyon Diablo ghost town. Due to the sparse documentation during its peak in the late 19th century, these riveting stories lack substantial evidence, raising questions about their veracity. However, the fascination surrounding these legends only adds to the mystique of Canyon Diablo.

  Key Facts About Canyon Diablo Ghost Town

  While folklore enriches the narrative, the actual history of Canyon Diablo ghost town is equally compelling. Initially a temporary settlement of tents with wooden facades to mimic a true town, it quickly became a hub of activity. As it transitioned into the early 1900s, the Canyon Diablo ghost town served as a trading post and railway station for travelers traversing the arid Arizona landscape. The remnants of this history can still be seen in the scattered ruins that dot the area, captivating history buffs and adventurers alike.

  Planning Your Visit to Canyon Diablo Ghost Town

  The allure of the Canyon Diablo ghost town is undeniable, making it a worthwhile destination for explorers eager to unveil the secrets of this hidden gem. However, it’s important to prepare adequately for your journey. Pack essential supplies such as snacks, water, and a first aid kit, as amenities are scarce. The trading post that once served travelers is no longer operational, so plan accordingly. As you venture through the remnants of Canyon Diablo, take a moment to reflect on the stories it holds—both real and imagined. Each rock, each tumbleweed, seems to carry the weight of history. Whether you’re a ghost town enthusiast, a history lover, or simply an adventurous spirit, Canyon Diablo offers a unique glimpse into Arizona’s storied past. In conclusion, Canyon Diablo ghost town remains an enigmatic symbol of a time gone by, filled with stories waiting to be told. As you walk through its desolate streets, you may find yourself pondering the truth behind its legends. What do you think? Are the tales of ghostly gunfighters and raucous revelry merely fables, or is there some truth hidden within those dusty remains? Let us know your thoughts about Canyon Diablo or other Arizona ghost towns in the comments below. Don’t forget to subscribe to Barefootandprovincial.com for more travel tips, ideas, and inspiration to make the most of your adventures!

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