Let's take it back a little bit.

Not too far, but just enough to when a major Phoenix-area freeway was starting construction.

The man pictured is hard at work on what would become the Loop 202 Red Mountain Freeway. Specifically, this segment is just east of the future Mini-Stack.

While the date of the picture is unknown, we know it’s in the early 1990s as the Red Mountain Freeway opened in 1993.

Here are some other fun facts about Loop 202 Red Mountain:

• Its original name was the East Papago Freeway.
• The portion between the Mini Stack and Loop 101 was originally designed as State Route 217 until 1987 when the Loop 202 idea was created.
• The Red Mountain Freeway is the northern leg of the Valley’s Loop 202. Stretching from the Mini Stack interchange with I-10 and State Route 51 in Phoenix, it travels more than 30 miles eastward to US 60 in Mesa. The Loop 202 Red Mountain Freeway was completed in 2008. 
• The freeway also served as a filming location for the 2007 blockbuster movie “The Kingdom.”

The black and white nature of this photograph may be a bit deceiving.

Today, we are throwing back to 1992. The year of the Barcelona Summer Olympics, the maiden voyage of the Space Shuttle Endeavor, and Paul Reiser taking the sitcom world by storm with the premiere of ‘Mad About You.’

Here in the Copper State, the Arizona Department of Transportation completed work on State Route 143 after decades of planning. We see it here from its northern terminus at McDowell Road as it winds southbound toward Interstate 10. 

We can clearly spot Sky Harbor as it looked nearly 30 years ago, and near the middle of the picture, we see the Loop 202 Red Mountain Freeway (or, as it was then known, the East Papago Freeway).

And if you look even harder, you’ll notice it stops just east of the interchange over 48th Street. It can be hard to believe now, as we zip across the Valley with ease these days, that our freeway system is relatively young.

The Red Mountain Freeway would open to Loop 101 in Tempe the following year, and finally be completed in 2008, when the last leg between Power Road and University Drive in Mesa opened.

Of course, the entire Loop 202 was officially “looped” in 2019 with the opening of the South Mountain Freeway.

Greetings hungry travelers!

So, Thanksgiving day has come and gone but you’ve still got half a turkey hogging space in your fridge. What to do? How about a warm chili? Get rid of your leftover turkey the tasty way and add a heaping helping of nutritious beans and veggies to boot with our Red Mountain Turkey Chili!

Eagle-eyed readers may recognize that name as one the Valley’s many freeways. And they’d be right.

The Red Mountain Freeway is the northern leg of the Valley’s Loop 202. Stretching from the Mini Stack with I-10 and State Route 51 in Phoenix over 30 miles eastward to US 60 in Mesa, the Loop 202 Red Mountain Freeway was completed in 2008. 

It’s your gateway to the East Valley! You can get from downtown Phoenix to downtown Tempe in a matter of minutes thanks to the Red Mountain Freeway’s route. You’ll also find easy access to Arizona State University's main campus and several high profile shopping centers. There’s even a special exit that takes you right to Sky Harbor Airport. 

The portion between the Mini Stack and Loop 101 was originally designated as State Route 217 and known as the East Papago Freeway. In 1987 the Loop 202 designation was created, and we’ve never looked back.

In case you are wondering, the name comes from the eponymous Red Mountain, a prominent landmark in the East Valley that sits just north of the Salt River. In fact, it's nearly impossible to go anywhere in east Mesa without finding something named for it.

When the final (nearly) 5-mile section was finished between Power and University, it was said to be the single largest project ADOT managed up to that time.

Fun fact: It was also a filming location for the 2007 blockbuster "The Kingdom."

Now, if you’re ready for a kingdom of flavor, you’ve come to the right place!

Red Mountain Leftover Turkey Chili

• 
  Ingredients:
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 serano pepper, diced and seeded
• 1 jalapeno pepper, diced and seeded
• 1 anaheim pepper, diced and seeded
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• ¼ cup chili powder
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 cups leftover turkey meat, chopped or pulled
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 (15 oz) cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans, whole
• 1 (28 oz) can of fire roasted diced tomatoes, whole

Prepare:

1. Heat pot over medium-high heat, pour in olive oil. Add in onions and bell peppers, allow to cook for about 7 minutes. 
2. Drop in jalapeno, serano, anaheim and garlic. Cook for about 2 minutes. 
3. Stir in the spices and mix until fragrant. Add the turkey and stir until coated. 
4. Pour in chicken broth, tomatoes and beans.
5. Allow to simmer for 1 hour on medium-low, stirring occasionally. 

Add salt and pepper to taste. Top with cheese, green onion, sour cream, and a slice (or two!) of cornbread. 

Did you make this dish? Let us know what you think and post an image on social media using the hashtag #RoadtripRecipe!