Luma Logs

Luma Logs in Ash Fork For more info go to lumalogs

The Luma Log is a very unique piece of hand crafted furniture.

 

Grand Canyon Railway rolls out steam train for Earth Day

Steam locomotives were not exactly the Priuses of the frontier. The big iron beasts had an insatiable need for fuel and water, and they emitted billowing clouds of coal-fueled black smoke. So it seems an odd thing that Grand Canyon Railway rolls out the steam train to celebrate Earth Day, April 22. Then again, maybe not so strange Since it was purchased by Xanterra Parks & Resorts in 2007, Grand Canyon Railway, quietly and without much fanfare, has gone aggressively green. The centerpiece of its initiative has been to convert coal-fired steam engines to run on 100 percent-recycled waste vegetable oil for a handful of trips a year. The oil, originally used for cooking at Xanterra's Grand Canyon restaurants, is converted into a clean-burning fuel. Instead of black, sooty smoke, the converted engines produce a few white wisps and -- no joke -- the aroma of french fries. Hard-core rail fans, or "foamers," take delight in Canyon excursions aboard the retrofitted vegetable-oil steamers. For other trips to the South Rim, diesel trains running on low-sulfur fuel are used. Additionally, rainwater and snowmelt are gathered through the year to operate the steam trains. This saves more than 11,000 gallons of water per trip, water that doesn't need to be pulled from the aquifer. "Xanterra's mission statement says it all: 'Legendary hospitality with a softer footprint,' " said Morgan O'Connor, the company's director of sustainability. "Since 2008, Grand Canyon Railway has reduced fossil-fuel consumption by 34.6 percent, water consumption by 61 percent and hazardous-waste generation by 98percent. We've teamed up with a local paper mill to close the loop on our paper-waste stream. In 2011, Grand Canyon Railway diverted 20.14 tons of paper waste to the mill for the manufacturing of the 100percent recycled-content paper towels and napkins we purchase for our operations." The same effort is made at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel, where an Energy Star roof liner moderates room temperatures. A solar thermal system heats the water, Green Seal-certified cleaning and laundry products are used, and traditional lightbulbs have been converted to CFL and LED styles. "Our company wholeheartedly embraces sustainability," O'Connor said. "Every employee participates in monthly sustainability training covering topics such as energy conservation, water conservation, universal waste management and green purchasing, just to name a few." Trains first chugged the 65 miles from Williams to the Grand Canyon in 1901. For the next two decades, most visitors arrived via the rails. But during that era, automobiles began to seem less like newfangled contraptions and more like must-have items. As the American love affair with the car blossomed, train service declined. In 1968, three passengers took the last train to the Grand Canyon, and the line went dormant. The track was being torn up for salvage materials when Phoenix businessman Max Biegert stepped in. He and his wife, Thelma, purchased the railway in 1989 and began redeveloping the route. After Xanterra bought the operation, it began updating equipment and implementing eco-friendly policies. In the high desert, where water is a scarce commodity, running a steam locomotive day after day wasn't practical. Xanterra began using more-efficient diesel engines. These were fueled by ultra-low-sulfur diesel five years before that fuel was mandated by law. Today, riding the rails to the Grand Canyon attracts people from all over the world. The train leaves the Williams depot at 9:30 a.m. daily. Attendants in each car give a talk on rules, safety procedures and recycling protocol aboard the train. "Our passengers are great. They're very enthusiastic about the program," says Lorraine Oresko, an attendant. "When Max and Thelma owned the railway, the amount of trash we unloaded after each train was just tremendous. Now what's not biodegradable gets recycled. We process 500 pounds of glass each week. That's 500 pounds of material that doesn't end up in the landfill." Xanterra's commitment to eco-friendly practices holds special significance for Oresko, who has lived in Ash Fork for 10 years and uses wind turbines and solar panels to generate power. "We live in a place where the stillness is part of the landscape. You can hear your heart beat," Oresko said. "What we did is for the future of our grandkids. Maybe it will influence the choices they make." A ride on the Grand Canyon Railway is a soothing, back-in-time journey. The standard-gauge tracks traverse rolling prairie for the first hour, then climb through mixed timber en route to the Canyon. Keep an eye peeled for wildlife. Prairie dogs, elk, pronghorn and mule deer are among the animals often spotted. Along the way, singing cowboys wander from car to car crooning folk, blues and campfire tunes. The train pulls into the Grand Canyon Depot on the South Rim at 12:15 p.m. It departs for Williams at 3:30 p.m., giving day-trippers three hours for a taste of the sights. "I never take time to do this, and it's allowed me such a relaxed view of the countryside," said Steve Vingelis, visiting from Long Island, N.Y. "Normally when driving, I have one eye on the scenery and one on the road, which occasionally leads me to miss one or the other. The train has been a great way to meet people from all over. And the staff has been very educational and informative." via az rebublic

Many miles, many causes

Feed the hungry. Clean up a beach. Plant trees. Help build a home. And, along the way, she's also helping a homeless shelter move to a new location.

Rhea Ellis-Anwyl, 25, is touring nine western states, volunteering wherever she can in order to raise awareness about altruism.

Her mission is the Altruism Project, and her goal is "an effort to foster and spread the idea of selfless action."

She's in Flagstaff for the week, volunteering her time at the Flagstaff Family Food Center and the Flagstaff Shelter Services homeless shelter.

"Everyone should be more altruistic," Ellis-Anwyl said Tuesday while helping pack boxes at the shelter in preparation for the during the week of April 16-21. "I just wanted to inspire people to do a little something more with their free time."

GIVEN SO MUCH

From her home in Arcata, Calif., she plans to drive to more than two dozen locations to help out agencies with their causes. Where she can, she'll stay with friends, stay in hostels, "couch surf" with people she meets on the way, or sleep in her car.

The project is supported with $1,200 from fundraising and another $800 of her own money for phone service and gas.

The project started at the beginning of March and Ellis-Anwyl said she hopes to be back home and back to work as an assisted-living caregiver by early June.

"I've just been given so much in life," Ellis-Anwyl said. "I, at least, wanted to give my part, give back."

Of her experience, she said it has been "eye-opening."

"So many people need help," she said. "They don't need much."

Her inspiration to hit the road occurred to her one day standing on a street and watching cars whiz by. She said she was struck by how many people she was close to, but with whom she had no connection. She also became painfully aware, she said, of how little time people say they have to devote to helping others.

"It's so simple," she said.

TWO-FOLD BENEFIT

Tom Isakson, programs manager at the shelter, said the benefit of Ellis-Anwyl's effort is two-fold because it helps get a lot of work done for the move, and her attitude helps the clients.

"When they hear what she's doing, that says something to them," Isakson said, adding that the men were a little surprised and even shocked, but impressed by her mission.

"It's been great," Isakson said of her visit. "She immediately latched onto jobs, got stuff done and has such a caring attitude."

Isakson said the shelter will be closing for the season on April 16. Since opening in mid-October, the shelter has served more than 500 different people and has averaged between 40 and 48 bed nights every night during that period.

"I don't know when we've been under 40 in months," Isakson added.

The new shelter, which is bigger, will house between 60 and 80 men a night, and it will be able to open overnight as early as mid-July through the winter season thanks to a grant from the city.

Although the final figures aren't in yet, Isakson said the trend of continued growth in use of the shelter is a sign of hard economic times in the economy. In the 10-week hiatus for the shelter, the clients will have to find alternate housing at night.

When the new shelter opens in the summer, the eventual goal is to be open for overnight services year-round.

MOVING ON

When Ellis-Anwyl finishes up in Flagstaff, she'll head to the Grand Canyon. Then it's off to Colorado to the Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center to volunteer with people with disabilities and special needs.

She's not expecting any reward from the effort. She has no expectations other than to simply give of her time. But a smile from the people her volunteer work is helping definitely gives her reward.

"It's being connected," she said, smiling. "It's closing that gap. That's the most rewarding part -- putting smiles on their faces. That's the best part."

For more information on Ellis-Anwyl's journey, visit www.altruismproject.wordpress.com.

Larry Hendricks can be reached at 556-2262 or lhendricks@azdailysun.com.

Shelter needs volunteers for move

Flagstaff Shelter Services, when it closes its doors for the season on April 16, will need a bevy of volunteers to help with moving to a new, larger location in the city.

Tom Isakson, programs manager for the shelter, said that "dozens" of volunteers are needed for the week of April 16-21 to move from the city-owned property on Phoenix Avenue to the new property on Industrial Avenue.

"By Saturday afternoon, we'd like the old location to be empty and ready for the city to use," Isakson said.

Folks interested in volunteering an hour, an afternoon or a day or two can RSVP with the shelter at 255-2533, or e-mail tisakson@flagstaffshelter.org, or visit www.flagstaffshelter.org.

via: azdailysun

The Grand Canyon

Here's a shot of the Grand Canyon. It happens to be a picture my cousin Dave took.
I think it is a good photograph. What do you think?

Still kicking in Arizona – Route 66

Ray Charles one said, “Get your kicks on Route 66.”  To some one of the most memorable road trips that you can embark on in the U.S., Route 66 serves up a bit of nostalgia, amazing scenery and wildlife, and diners that serve food just like mom or maybe just a bit better. 

The stretch of Route 66 that goes through Williams and Flagstaff is most popular, but it’s important to note that Arizona boasts the longest unbroken stretch of Historic Route 66 in existence.  It begins west of Ash Fork and stretches 158 miles to the California border.  If you’re a purist and prefer to take the unbroken route head out on Interstate 40 west of Ash Fork at Exit 139 and turn onto the highway once known as the Main Street of America.  It’s here that you’ll think that you’ve traveled back in time.  You’ll be struck by the endless Burma-Shave signs, a 1950′s brushless shaving cream famous for its advertising gimmick of posting humorous rhyming poems on small, sequential highway billboard signs.

Seligman – The Heart and Soul of Route 66

Make your first stop in Seligman.  In its heyday, Seligman played host to a flourishing business community, then became a ghost town overnight.  Local businesses formed an association to lobby the state of Arizona to designate Route 66 a historic highway.  By 1988, the state agreed and organizations popped up all along this American route and the frenzy for Route 66 nostalgia was launched.

As you drive through Seligman, evidence of the glory days are everywhere with the Aztec Motel, the famous Snow Cap drive-in and cafes like the Copper Cart and 66 Road Kill Café, both with clever tongue and cheek menus.

Route 66 gift shops are full of trinkets and collectibles preserving the best of the fun days of Route 66. To get a better look, explore Seligman on foot.

The Wonder and Surprise of the Hualapai Reservation

As you continue west on 66, you’ll cross the Hualapai Reservation, a 100 mile stretch along the pine-clad southern side of the Grand Canyon. Whether you simply drive through or plan to stay awhile, this stretch of the trip will fulfill your desire for the outdoors.  If you plan to visit the Skywalk at Grand Canyon West, a unique glass-bottomed cantilever bridge that spans 70 feet over the Grand Canyon’s rim and sits 4,000 feet above the Colorado River, consider staying at the Hualapai Lodge in Peach Springs.  This might also be your chance to take a river-rafting trip or hike the breathtaking Havasu Canyon. 

As you continue on your journey, check out the Keepers of the Wild Nature Park in Valentine, a non-profit rescue sanctuary for more than 150 exotic animals including tigers, lions, wolves, leopards and monkeys.

Stock up on Route 66 merchandise at the Hackberry General Store where vintage signs and artwork cover the walls.  And don’t leave before you have your photo taken out front next to the 1957 red and white corvette next to the antique gas pumps. 

Route 66 Museum in Kingman
Built in 1907, the Kingman Powerhouse Visitor Center is a must see.  A real blast from the past, this museum is a treasure for pop-culture junkies.  Make sure that you pick up a mile-by-mile guide of Route 66 from their association.

For a break, stop by Beal Street Brews a coffee shop that brews their own and offers free wi-fi located in downtown Kingman.  For some comfort food and homemade root beer, Mr. D’s Route 66 Diner is across the street from the Kingman Visitor Center.

Brave the Hairpin Turns to Oatman
As you head towards the Black Mountains you will endure the torturous climb through Sitgreaves Pass. The panoramic views are worth the sweat.

Once you make it, Oatman is a theme park filled with staged gunfights, burros roaming the streets and Model T Fords driving down the main road.  Shopkeepers offer handmade leather goods, handmade Indian jewelry and knives.  One of the more colorful shopkeepers is known as Betty the Bead Lady, who sold beads to the Navajos for their jewelry making.  Check out the Mission Inn, some say it’s the best chili they’ve ever had.

You’ve only got 25 miles left on Route 66 from Oatman to the California state line.  But why leave this state, when you can see more of Arizona’s vast landscapes, learn more of its history and reminisce of its nostalgic past.

Thanks Heather
Via: examiner.com

The Trip From Payson To Ash Fork

This video captures some of the beauty of the back woods on Highway 87 from Payson to Ash Fork, up through the the Lake Mary route.