Arizona Curiosities : Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities and Other Offbeat Stuff

by Sam Lowe

• ISBN13: 9780762725472
• ISBN10: 0762725478
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2003-08-01
• Publisher: Globe Pequot

Summary

Stand exactly 3,333.33 feet above sea level; walk among trolls and gnomes in the Valley of the Moon; and explore a crater made by a 2,548-pound rubber-band ball. See what it's like in Paradise, Eden, and Nowhere; witness the Running of the Chihuahuas; and hear your voice in a vortex. Meet Eve, the ghost that lives in a brothel turned bed-and-breakfast; cheer with the Fighting Artichokes; and reminisce with a man who brings back the past with bicycles. Whether you're a born-and-raised Arizonian or a recent transplant, author Sam Lowe will have you laughing out loud as he introduces you to the neighbors you never knew you had and takes you to places you never knew existed-right in your own backyard. Book jacket.

Author Biography

Sam Lowe has lived in Arizona since 1969, which puts him into the loosely regulated "near native" category. He worked as a columnist for The Phoenix Gazette and Arizona Republic for more than 25 years and was named "Humor Columnist of the Year" by the National Society of Newspaper Columnists in 1988. After retiring in 1999, he became a freelance writer. He and his wife Lyn live in a two-bedroom house in Phoenix. There's nothing unusual about them or the house. Well, maybe the billboard-sized circus poster plastered across one wall in the garage.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. ix
Introduction	p. xi
Northeast Arizona	p. 1
Northwest Arizona	p. 57
Southeast Arizona	p. 113
Southwest Arizona	p. 191
Valley of the Sun	p. 239
Index	p. 295
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

Hi Yo Wormie
Alpine
It's not quite Olympic Games caliber, but worm races are one of the major summer events in this White Mountain community. They're run on the second Saturday of July and are preceded by a short (naturally) worm parade.
The races are held behind Ye Olde Tavern on a piece of plywood painted with rings. It's not head-to-head competition, however. Each worm is placed in the center ring and given two minutes to crawl. Worm breeders can urge their steeds on by misting them with water or by yelling encouragement like, "Win or you'll be sleeping with the fishes!"
According to local legend, the first races also featured the coronation of The Robin, who ate the losing worms between shots of tequila. The practice has been discontinued, allegedly because it gave the tequila a bad taste.
Worm fans and handicappers interested in more information may call 928-339-4330.

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Excerpted from Arizona Curiosities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities and Other Offbeat Stuff by Sam Lowe
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.