WAYNE WHELESS PHOTOGRAPHY
TRIP REPORTS
March 28, 2008
Where: Paint Mines Interpretive Park, Calhan, CO
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Made a return trip to the Paint Mines today. This is a real hidden gem, and not far from Denver (about 75 miles or so), 30 miles due east of Colorado Springs outside the town of Calhan, CO. No need for 4-wheel drive to get here. Drive down a dirt road and follow the signs. If you drive up the dirt road just past the main entrance sign to the second parking area you won’t have to hike as far into the mines. There are no fees or even a park ranger in sight. There are signs saying not to climb on the hoodoos, but people do it and I did do some climbing to get a few shots. Not a lot of people come here, so this is not a crowded place. I recommend seeing it if you are near the Springs, and it won’t take you but about an hour and a half to see it all. As it is so close to the Springs, make sure to stop back into Garden Of The Gods park near downtown. Plenty of signs pointing the way to this free park. Dogs are allowed as well, but be prepared for crowds as it is a popular spot.
January 12, 2008
Where: Boyce Thompson Arboretum, Superior, AZ
Rating: 2 out of 5 Stars
While spending an agonizing 7 months in Arizona, we managed to make a trip out to a place called the Boyce-Thompson Arboretum just east of Superior. Not a bad place to see and shoot the indigenous plants of Arizona, but going in January meant that although it wasn’t hot, little was in bloom and not as much color as there would be in the spring. This is a rather long drive (about 80 miles or so east of Phoenix) to see things that one could probably find much closer to town, and probably a lot cheaper ($7 per person, and they do NOT take credit or debit cards) as well. Some nice hiking trails, plenty of cacti, a small pond, and a rustic old building and junk truck located in the center of the park can be seen here. In retrospect, it’s probably not worth the drive and money to see this place, unless you go in the spring. A better, and cheaper alternative, would be to go to Apache Junction and see the Lost Dutchman State Park, and the Superstition Mountains northwest of Superior.
