Precisely 42 years ago, in January 1980, the Steelers defeated the Rams to win Super Bowl XIV, Frank Sinatra performed in front of his largest crowd ever of 140,000 concert-goers in Rio de Janeiro and the Rubik’s Cube debuted in London at the British Toy and Hobby fair.

Here in the Grand Canyon State, Arizona Highways magazine released issue Number One of Volume 50, dedicated to the beauty of southern Arizona.

The cover is a charming photo of the Pima County courthouse in downtown Tucson, firmly planted in history alongside the city’s modern skyscrapers. A great introduction to the periodical, which takes you from scenes around The Old Pueblo right down to the Mexican border.

The issue’s first story takes us to a few points along the Tucson Corridor which, today, can be accessed via Interstate 19. The most interesting of which is the boomtown of Calabasas. By the mid 1880s, Calabasas was a paragon of the Wild West: saloons, dance halls and gambling tables.

That boom went bust by the turn of the century as the Arizona and New Mexico railroad bypassed Calabasas for more desirable ground. Today, a golf course in Rio Rico sits atop the site of the former town.

 

Next, we go from gazing upon the past to looking toward the future as we visit Kitt Peak National Observatory on State Route 386. Kitt Peak is one of many astronomical facilities in the region that has been dubbed the “center of gravity” for the study of stars and space.

Among the many pictures in this spread, this view of the observatory at sunset is a standout.

 

Our trip across southern Arizona continues with a stop in Old Tucson, the now in-limbo movie studio that was home to the aptly titled Columbia Pictures film “Arizona,” starring William Holden and Jean Arthur. Legends Bing Crosby and Gene Autry also filmed movies there during Hollywood’s Golden Age.

 

We journey farther south again to gaze at the alluring elegance of Patagonia Lake State Park off State Route 82, just miles from the U.S.-Mexico border. Here we have another photograph at sunset and, really, there just isn’t a better time to take a picture in Arizona than at sunset.

 

The issue closes out with a dirt trail trek to another southern Arizona ghost town, Ruby. Now that name might sound familiar to those in the know. Ruby Road can be found off Interstate 19 and is also signed as State Route 289 from I-19 west to Pena Blanca Lake. Beyond the lake, though, Ruby Road is a risky path that leads to the home of the once-booming Montana Mine. 

In 1909, Julius F. Andrews set up shop near the mine and decided to rechristen the land in honor of his wife, Lille B. Ruby. The name stuck and miners in Ruby extracted gold, silver, lead and zinc for decades until the 1940s saw a precipitous drop in ore returns.  Not long after, Ruby became a ghost town and when Arizona Highways crews visited for this 1980 issue, they were greeted by this less than welcoming sign: “Private property, no trespassing. Survivors will be prosecuted.”

 

From ghost town to ghost town, the January 1980 issue of Arizona Highways magazine is a 48-page jaunt around southern Arizona and its unrivaled beauty. And 42 years later, it still reads like it’s hot off the presses.

Arizona has many amazing treasures.

It’s not just that we have spectacular scenery and an abundance of wildlife. We also have talented photographers who capture images of this beauty for ADOT’s Arizona Highways magazine.

There's no better place to display some of these photographs than along the walls of another Arizona treasure, The Arizona Center for Nature Conservation (ACNC)/Phoenix Zoo.

The two organizations have collaborated to create an exhibit featuring large photographs by nine famed Arizona Highways photographers. It will be on display with a general admission ticket through January 31 in the Zoo’s Savanna Gallery.

“The photographs are absolutely stunning,” ACNC/Phoenix Zoo President and CEO Bert Castro said in a press release, referring to works by Jack Dykinga, Paul Gill, Joel Hazelton, Lisa Langell, Suzanne Mathia, Eirini Pajak, Willis Peterson, John Sherman and Bruce D. Taubert.

Among artwork on display is a snowy egret flying across water that is reflecting yellow foliage, taken by Bruce D. Taubert, giving a white on yellow experience. 

There’s a peaceful photo of the Little Colorado by Jack Dykinga, a green insect atop a desert mushroom by Eirini Pajak and Canyon Magic by Suzanne Mathia.

Zoo visitors have the option of purchasing these and 45 others if they wish to add another touch of beauty to their homes. Twenty percent of the proceeds go back to the non-profit zoo for the care of more than 3,000 animals.

“We’re proud to partner with the Phoenix Zoo on this wonderful exhibit,” Robert Stieve, editor of Arizona Highways, said. “For almost 100 years, we’ve been showcasing the beauty of Arizona, and a big part of that beauty is the state’s wildlife. It’s our hope that these photographs will inspire people to protect the many species that make our landscape so unique.”

In April 1978, the Academy Awards saw "Star Wars" lead with six trophies, while "Annie Hall" won for Best Picture. "The Bob Newhart Show" aired its final episode on NBC, and "Dallas" aired its first on CBS.

Here in Arizona, Governor Wesley Bolin had just passed away in March, after serving just five months in the position. Arizona Highways Magazine had no time to update their April issue in time for printing, and still lists Bolin, who was also Arizona’s longest serving Secretary of State, in the highest office.

The first piece in the issue is an ode to Arizona’s cotton harvest. Cotton, along with citrus, cattle, copper and climate, is one of The Five C’s that played an important role in Arizona’s early economy. We see a great picture of a cotton plant up close, along with a stunning silhouette of a farmer cultivating his crop. These photos were captured by John Running.

Next up is a journey to Boyce Thompson Arboretum off US 60 near Superior. Arizona Highway stalwart Josef Muench captured some beautiful images around the garden, including cactus, flowers and Boyce Thompson's former residence (he also shot this edition's cover).

Further into the issue, spring-inspired poems line the pages, appropriately accompanied by blooming blossoms and desert landscapes. With photos by John Cacheris and Paul Jarrett.

About 28 pages into the 49-page periodical, the tone shifts from flora to jewelry. 

What follows is a 10-page profile of world-renowned jeweler Pierre Touraine, whose work was being exhibited at the Heard Museum. One of those pieces was the Bicentennial Necklace, wrought from white gold, diamonds, rubies and sapphires. At the time, it was estimated to be worth $100,000.

Here, Touraine is presenting the necklace to President Gerald Ford in 1977.

Ford, of course, was president during the country’s bicentennial activities of 1976.

Another Touraine piece featured in the article is his “Phoenix Bird,” which he created to celebrate Phoenix’s centennial. It was presented to the Phoenix Art Museum in 1970. The photo was taken by Jeff Kurtzman.

At the publishing of this issue, a yearly subscription to Arizona Highways set you back just eight bucks, and single copies were available for only one dollar. A small price to pay for the photogenic beauty of our great State 48.

Showcasing Arizona’s beauty, diverse culture and rich history with stunning photography and compelling articles, Arizona Highways magazine (AHM) plays a major role in boosting the state’s tourism economy, as detailed in a new research report.

The world-renowned monthly publication brings more than $43 million annually of direct tourism revenue to Arizona, according to subscriber surveys and economic modeling analyzed as part of a new ADOT research study. The study was conducted by a team at Arizona State University under the direction of the ADOT Research Center. For every $1 spent by Arizona Highways, at least $3.74 enters Arizona’s economy from out-of-state subscribers whose travel decisions were influenced by the magazine.

“The study confirms the importance and impact the magazine and brand have on the tourism community throughout Arizona. It also confirms the exceptional work the entire Arizona Highways team does each and every day,” said Arizona Highways Magazine Publisher Kelly Mero.

The “Economic Impact and Contribution of Arizona Highways Magazine to State Tourism” study, published in December 2020, describes how Arizona Highways magazine, its ancillary products and brand influence travel and tourism decision-making, along with the spending habits of Arizona travelers and outof-state visitors.

The study points to how travel spending generates taxes for state and local governments and pumps tourism dollars into communities across the state, particularly in places featured in the magazine and its branded products. In-state expenditures by Arizona residents are important to many rural communities, where the tourism market includes residents from the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas.

People are loyal to the Arizona Highways brand across multiple platforms as Arizona Highways magazine subscribers, AHM Facebook page users, Arizona Highways TV show viewers and Arizona Highways retail product purchasers, the study’s researchers reported. Highlights of the report include:

• About 87% of subscribers keep their magazines for trip planning months or even years later.
• Facebook users primarily seek information about sightseeing, day trips and recreation from the AHM Facebook page.
• About 77% of shoppers at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport AHM gift shop subscribe to Arizona Highways magazine.
• Focus groups of Arizona Highways TV viewers indicated that the show informs their travel decisions.

The research study, funded partially by the Federal Highway Administration, is the latest in a series of studies conducted about every seven years to assess the impact of the AHM brand. While Arizona Highways magazine is part of ADOT, it does not receive state funding and is financially self-reliant.

We don't want to alarm anyone, but Christmas is less than two weeks away. If you still have people to shop for, but are running low on ideas, maybe we can help!

That may seem weird for a state department of transportation to say, but we do have some helpful holiday suggestions for that person that is just impossible to shop for.

As we suggested a couple years ago, if the person on your list had a particular passion, why not get them a license plate to match? With literally dozens of specialty plates that cover a variety of interests including amateur radio, the Girl Scouts and the Arizona Diamondbacks we are sure you can find the right plate for that difficult-to-shop-for person. And the best part? At $25 it's a thoughtful gift that won't break the bank. You even have the satisfaction of knowing that $17 of that is going directly toward the program being supported. In fact, for fiscal year 2020, specialty plates brought in a high of $11.4 million. 

Or, maybe the person you are shopping for has moved away, but is missing the Grand Canyon State. Well, you can cheer up folks braving a winter elsewhere with the gift of Arizona Highways magazine. With its articles on history, suggestions for travel destinations and pages of gorgeous photos, no wonder this magazine keeps wracking up awards. It's the perfect way to bring a little bit of Arizona joy into the home of your loved one all year round. Plus, there is even an Arizona Highways specialty plate if you really want to go all out!

We have an option if you are less about things and more about giving experiences. The best option may be the gift of you and your time. The Adopt a Highway program is a perfect way to bring family and friends together to serve the community and build memories doing something meaningful. It's also a great way to remember friends and family members that are no longer around to share the holidays with us.

The last gift idea is actually one that you may never give someone. If you haven't already, why not consider giving the gift of life? Nearly 4 million Arizonans have signed up to be organ and tissue donors through Donor Network of Arizona, which partners with the Motor Vehicle Division. If your vehicle registration is coming due soon, make sure to check that box to become a donor. It's a charitable act that will definitely get you into the holiday spirit and maybe give someone else a precious gift in the future.

And the best part? All these can be bought and ordered from the comfort of your own home – perfect for the saavy gift-giver trying to avoid retail stores during the current public health situation.

Trust us, it's a lot better than buying socks, ties or even – horror of horrors – a gift card at the last minute.

Have you ever traveled far away and saw something familiar that you would never have suspected would appear thousands of miles from home?

It’s happened to a few of us over the years. One of our colleagues here at ADOT once traveled to Japan and encountered a subway rider wearing an Arizona Cardinals jersey. 

Random. 

Do you know what isn’t random? Finding a piece of Arizona as far away as Asia or actually on just about every continent on Earth (possibly even Antarctica). That piece of our iconic state is the world-famous Arizona Highways magazine. 

Pardon us a little humble-brag, but Arizona Highways is awesome and is published right here at ADOT.

It gets around, though. People all over the globe are familiar with Arizona Highways, which has outstanding photography, great writing, layout and design, and, well, it is just a cool publication all-around.

You don’t have to take our word for it. As a recent news release pointed out, Arizona Highways just took home not one, but at least two full armloads of awards for excellence. This photo is the cover to an essay it just won a gold award for. 

We would like to congratulate everyone who makes Arizona Highways come to life every month to show people all over our planet what a uniquely colorful state Arizona is in every way. 

And if it is in Antarctica, we hope anyone there who reads it feels a little warmer.

Given a camera, what natural beauty can you find across the state of Arizona?

Every year, Arizona Highways magazine, published by ADOT, asks that question to thousands of professional and amateur photographers, and it's safe to say that we are never disappointed with the result.

That certainly holds true this year as the magazine has released the top three photos from its 2020 competition. As we told you about last week, the top prize goes to Joe Vermette of Tucson, who with a little preparation work and astronomical know-how, captured a truly stunning shot of the Milky Way over Monument Valley. That's his image here, at top, which will also grace the cover of Arizona Highways this September. Aside from that exposure, Vermette also received an in-state photo workshop worth $2,500. Not too shabby.

Judging is based on the fundamentals of photography – composition, lighting, framing, etc – but there's also a "wow" factor. We think you'll agree that this arch of stars and nebulae above the majestic buttes is the definition of "wow."

But "wow" is also where the second-place entry comes in. You won't be surprised to know that Vermette's photo fell into the landscape category of the contest. But the runner-up went a different way and entered a special shot in the macro, or up-close, category. Joe Neely from Phoenix managed to capture a candid moment of two pollen-covered bees snuggled up with each other inside of a flower along US 60 near Globe. It's a fantastic shot in an unexpected place.

Finally, we have something unexpected, but in a familiar place. The red rocks of Sedona are known around the world, but there's always a special thrill seeing them dusted in white. Michael Wilson from Prescott went a step further and found this small waterfall into a semi-frozen pond. That's his shot there to the lower left and manages to make Sedona look all the more inviting, even during the winter. Both Wilson and Neely have won prize packages from Tempe Camera. 

This is Arizona Highways' 12th annual photo contest, but the magazine has been delivering fantastic shots of Arizona for years. It started as a trade newsletter in 1921 before being spun off into its magazine form a few years later. A few years ago, we even did a blog taking you behind the scenes to talk about its operation and, yes, those gorgeous photos. 

Nearly 4,000 people submitted photos for this year's contest. You can check out some of the honorable mentions at ArizonaHighways.com. While you are there, feel free to also sign up for a year's subscription of the print edition – just in time to get a physical copy with Vermette's Milky Way photo splashed across the cover.