Stan's Travels: Whetstone and Hereford, AZ (2/8 thru 2/11/2019)

Several more days of less than ideal weather kept me inside most of the time. Of course, I was happy to watch one of my favorite players (Phil Mickelson) win the Pebble Beach Golf Tournament. and today was much nicer, though still windy. At least the clouds helped produce some dramatic sunsets that I'll share with you. Let me know if you're tired of seeing these.

All of these sunsets were taken in Whetstone, the next community over, with the Whetstone Mountains featured.

2/8

2/10

Today I drove to the community of Hereford to see a Catholic shrine I had read about. It's called Our Lady of The Sierras, and it really is a spectacular place. Located several hundred feet above the valley, the shrine can be seen as soon as you start up the road. Another view jumps out while you make the turns in the switchbacks going up the mountain.

At the entry, there is a good view toward some mountains in Mexico. Here a sign warns about the very steep road up to the chapel, saying you drive it at your own risk. I figured it can't be worse than the mountain roads I drive all the time, so off I go, passing two parking lots. At the chapel, I learn the very small turnaround area is occupied by a truck. So, I had to carefully back down to the last parking area.

Several white angel statues adorn the grounds.

Completed in 1998, the chapel is constructed of river stone from nearby Ash Canyon.

The interior is beautifully decorated with antiques and church relics. Behind the stone altar is a mural painted by a local artist. The cross beneath the painting came from the early days of Mexico. A barn from Michigan, dating to the 1830s, was dismantled to provide wood for doors, cabinets, ceiling beams and beams over windows. The craftsmanship is striking.

The statue of the Madonna is 31 feet tall and made of steel frame and concrete. Hand sculpted, it weighs 25 tons.

A man-made grotto houses a waterfall and steps that begin a stairway up the mountain where Stations of The Cross are presented.

The Celtic Cross is 75 feet tall and weighs 30 tons. Its steel frame is covered with concrete and fiberglass, its finish meant to resemble hand-carved wood.

One of the Stations of The Cross, this structure is decorated as a manger during Christmas season.

You don't have to be Catholic, or even religious, to appreciate the special beauty of this place.

Back down in the valley, I drove into Ash Canyon for the first time, as I had previously been unaware of it. Several houses line the first quarter mile of the dirt road, then it enters public land. One house caught my attention, since it appears to be a stylized version of an old castle. You can barely see the wall surrounding the home. Should keep out rattlesnakes and other critters.