Coronado Trail, Arizona - March 22, 2006 (Re-run)

 The Coronado Trail is a section of U.S. 191 that runs from Springerville to Clifton in eastern Arizona, approximating the route taken by Coronado's 1540 expedition.  A large segment of the trail is so twisty, steep and dangerous, larger vehicles are not allowed on it.  The northern end of the trail passes through the White Mountains, where the White Mountain Apache Reservation is located.

There are a few resorts along the trail, offering a quiet, secluded place for folks to stay.

As the trail progresses southward, the mountains give way to a desert landscape, home to the desert bighorn sheep.  These were comfortably grazing on the lawn of a public building and showed no concern for our presence.

We eventually came upon Morenci Mine, one of the largest copper mines in the world.  Watching the operation was fascinating, with trucks that looked tiny at a distance, but massive as you got close.  The tires are twelve feet in diameter and some of the trucks can haul 200 tons of ore.