Book Review: Grand Canyon's North Rim and Beyond: A Guide to the North Rim and the Arizona Strip

 This is a book to take with you when traveling, rather than a read book which I did as I found it at the Kingman Library.   It gives a good description of the history and current status of the North Rim.  This includes Grand canyon Lodge, build to look like the local cliffs.   I talks of the Kaibab trail to the river.  There are also roads to several other points with views of the canyon, Point Royal and Point Imperial.   

I more fascinated with information about the Arizona Strip.  I am fascinated with the old Mormon community at Organ Pipes which is now a Nation Monument on the Kaibab Paiute reservation.  I also look forward to traveling highway 67 from Jacob Lake to the North Rim.  According to the book there is plentiful wildlife here including deer and wild turkey, and a localized squirrel. I like the idea of visiting Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, but it is only accessible via dirt roads.  I want to study this more to make sure we can get there safely in our van.  There are Native American petroglyphs at Nampaweap, as well as canyon views.  There is an old sawmill site where the wood for the St. George Temple was harvested and sent 80 miles over rough roads to the temple.  

This section also includes mention of the three members of the Powell Party who separated and marched out of the canyon to never be heard from again.  Speculation in the book has it they were murdered either by Native Americans (who said they were responsible thinking they had killed a woman in a neighboring band) or by Mormons wary of outsiders.  

Lee's Ferry and Navajo Bridge also appear to be nice spots to visit, which are more tot he east.  The Navajo Bridge shortened the route from north rim to south rim from 600 miles to 200 miles.  

Book Review: Arizona Myths and Legends

 Arizona Myths and Legends: The True Stories Behind History's Mysteries, second edition, by Sam Lowe, A Two Dot Book, Phoenix, AZ, 2016.

I picked this book up at the Kingman Library.  This book has many excellent stories.  It tells the story of Ira Hayes, the Native American WWII hero.  It has left in me a desire to visit the Ira Hayes memorial south of Phoenix.  It has a very good chapter about the Baron of Arizona, James Addison Reavis, who lived the millionaire lifestyle by forging historical documents which claimed he owned much of Arizona. It also explained how his stack of cards eventually came crashing down.  It had a section on the town of Wilcox with five or six stories, including that of singing cowboy Rex Allen.  There was the story of a Spanish War hero who died in Cuba.  He served as a captain and died why out in front of his men.  An interesting chapter is about the deaths in the Grand Canyon.  Most of the deaths in the grand canyon have been due to aircraft accidents, planes and helicopters.  The largest death toll was from a collision of two jet liners above the canyon.  Murders, suicides and drownings also contributed significantly to the death toll.  There are two incidents which remain mysterious as the bodies have never been found.  Very early three members of the John Wesley Powell expedition left the company and decided to walk out of the canyon, thinking the journey was too dangerous.  They were never seen or heard of again.  Powell and the party finished their journey successfully.  The area was later called Separation Rapids and has since been covered by the eastern point of Lake Mead. The second mysterious death was that of a honeymooning couple who were floating the river without life jackets in the early 1928.  Glen and Bessie Hyde disappeared mysteriously.   Their raft was discovered, upright and with supplies still on board.  Bessie's journal was discovered with the last entry November 30.

This book does a good job of telling the stories it tells, but neglects the Kingman area of Arizona.  The Andy Divine story would have been more intriguing than the Rex Allen story.  There are also many more stories from Kingman that would have made more focus in the area a pleasant addition.