Peoria Times
16 FEATURES
December 9, 2021
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Cottonwood’s Dead Horse Ranch State Park is a hiking gem TOLD BY KUMA AND WRITTEN BY LORRAINE BOSSÉ-SMITH Peoria Times Contributing Writer
I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving. Did you gobble ’til you wobbled? No comment from me. What’s better than turkey? Finding a great new place to hike! Yes, my family and I discovered yet another neat gem that isn’t too far away. Dead Horse Ranch State Park (azstateparks.com/dead-horse) is in Cottonwood, which is about an hour north of us. If you live in other parts of the city, you might need to add about a half hour. It’s a straight shot up I-17 north to the Cottonwood exit onto the 260 west toward the town of Cottonwood. Stay on 260 until 10th and turn right. You will follow signs for the Dead Horse Ranch State Park, ultimately taking another right on Dead Horse Ranch Road. At the entrance to the
Dead Horse Ranch Park has great views of Jerome and Mingus Mountain. (Photos by Lorraine Bossé-Smith)
park, guests will need to pay $7 per vehicle. Dogs are permitted on leash, and there are human restrooms. In fact, this is a park, so there are lots of human restrooms, picnic tables, fishing spots and camping. The park sits near the Verde Valley River, so it
Kuma wishes everyone a Merry Christmas!
has water. I could smell it as soon as we pulled in! Be sure to grab a map, as there are plenty of options for activities. We chose the Lagoon Lake Trail Loop that goes around most of the lagoons for a total of 2 miles. It’s flat and scenic.
Visiting this time of year is perfect, as the temperatures are cooler. However, there are tons of big cottonwood trees, so you would have shade even in the hot summer months. I would watch SEE RANCH PAGE 20
Goldberg finds inspiration in the Phoenix Art Museum BY SHEA STANFIELD
Peoria Times Contributing Writer
Art theorist Anton Ehrenzweig observed, “Abstract art has helped us to experience the emotional power inherent in pure form.” Scottsdale artist Barb Goldberg intuitively entered her encore career as a painter after many years in corporate America. Growing up in Philadelphia, Goldberg was introduced to her family’s creative roots through her mother’s meticulous fashion sense and learning of her grandmother’s hobby as a milliner. Despite her creative musings, Goldberg began her working career as a
special education teacher. Five years in, she returned to ASU to earn a master’s in business, and that allowed her to take a corporate job with a Fortune 500 company. The corporate world was her place of business for the remainder of her career. “Some say after spending years focused on the left side of our brains, a long-awaited aspiration to spend time in our right brain follows. Turning to the fine arts is a perfect solution to the yearning,” Goldberg said. Goldberg retired from the fast-track career a few years ago, turning her attention to her intuitive, contemplative right-side brain.
“I welcomed a chance to pursue an activity with no rules and no requirements,” Goldberg said. To this end, she enrolled in several painting classes at Scottsdale Community College, where she could paint in an open studio with other artists. “I have learned so much through osmosis, critiques and my professor Robert You. I’m honored to be in his studio class,” she said. During the initial pandemic lockdowns, Goldberg retreated to her cabin garage in Munds Park, attending class virtually through Zoom and Facebook. The group provided support and inspi-
Barb Goldberg is an abstract artist. (Photo by David Minton)
SEE GOLDBERG PAGE 19
