Ajo to Why

I left the Casino lot about 6 am, dropping inside for a cup of coffee before heading onto Interstate 8 toward Gila Bend.  The drive was wonderful because I was about the only car on the road!  I watched as the sun came up over the desert and as always, it was beautiful!



Last night, I made contact with Blaize from the RTR Art Group. We met at a cool place called Roadrunner Java in Ajo and chatted over a cup of coffee and a donut. She gave me some great information about camping in this area. Her website can be seen at http://www.rubbertrampartist.com/

Before taking off, I used the restroom at Roadrunner, and this poster was up on the wall and I thought it was pretty funny, though probably politically incorrect these days?



I want to figure out one to post telling ladies who insist on standing up and peeing like a man to lift the damned seat like a man! I swear.... women can be more disgusting than men sometimes!

On my way out of Ajo, I was struck by the beauty of the historical section of town. This little place is worth spending more time visiting. The first thing that caught my attention was this gorgeous church building!



Then right next door, another church, a Catholic one, with a cool dome on top, and also whitewashed.



In the side yard of that Catholic Church was a beautiful statue of the Virgin Mary. There were two benches where people could sit and meditate or pray.

Traveler, I am here.

The Masonic Lodge building was pretty cool.



I saw a sign directing people to a museum, so I followed the arrows and ended up on the top of a hill overlooking a copper mine.  There, I found another whitewashed building which was originally St. Catherine's Indian Mission.  The brief history of the mission went like this:  In 1973, James Griffith wrote that some kind of chapel was there since a bell had been purchased in 1922 for the sum of $46.00.  Father Schwarz' 1920 photograph showed that indeed, a sturdy wooden biulding was in place, but there was as yet, no bell.  The structure was replaced by a new chapel in 1942 an dedicated to St. Catherine. Fire destroyed that building a few years later when a dog kicked over some candles.  Soon afte rthe fire, Brother Robert Schuchert directed construction of a new complex of buildings on Indian Village Road, in Ajo, it occupied nearly the same location as the earlier chapel. The U-shaped building housed the church, the school, and the priest's quarters.  The Catholic Church abandoned the building in 1974. In 1976 the Ajo Historical Society established a museum in the complex, repairing and refurbishing the damage that occurred during the 8 years of vacancy.

Now, the little museum holds various antiques including a dentist and printer office, a kitchen, a bedroom, and more.



This kitchen reminded me so much of my grandmother Carvalho's kitchen when I was growing up. She had one of these cupboards in her kitchen, though it was green and white and in much better condition. It had bins in which she kept flour, sugar, and salt.



There was a bit of natural history displayed in the museum as well.

  

These were punishments issued for the breaking of rules. Children today have no idea how lucky they are!



And then, there were Teacher's Rules too!



Upon leaving, I stopped to take a look at the copper mine.



I ran across this cool art in someone's rock garden on the way out of town.



The headdress is made of iron implements. such as scissors.




Soon, I was at WHY, Arizona.

Cool fountain at WHY

It's a shame about the shadow, but these were some pretty nice murals.

I stopped to see if I could find a sticker for the inside wall of my van. No luck.
So I headed on to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.

Stay tuned,
Annie