Avi Kwa Ame National Monument
My first chalk event of the year is usually during the Tempe Festival of the Arts in March. Given that it's usually the dead of winter in Elko still in March, I was more than happy to head south for a while. I have never been the best flyer, so when the stars aligned to give me enough time to drive, I was more than happy to load up the car and go.
As with any road trip, I was hunting around for interesting things to do on the long drive from Elko to Bouse, Arizona where my parents were conveniently staying for the winter. Highway 95 cuts through Searchlight, Nevada and the fairly new Avi Kwa Ame National Monument.
Grapevine Canyon was a known petroglyph site, and more importantly, it was just a couple miles off the road. There was a nice little parking area with a restroom and a couple of interpretive signs. Hiking down a long sandy wash, it was still fairly chilly despite being March but I was appreciative of the cloudy day.
The petroglyphs were far more impressive than I'd imagined and they were absolutely everywhere.
Grapevine Canyon Petroglyphs
My next stop was Big Bend of the Colorado State Park, a mere twenty minutes down the road. I've been working on the Nevada State Parks Passport for a couple years, and I snagged my stamp on the way in.
The park itself was fairly urban, but I spend a few minutes walking along the beach, admiring the palms and the sound of boats on the Colorado River.
Big Bend of the Colorado State Park
From there, it was only a couple more hours to Bouse, but the road was a narrow two lane that wound through barren desert and after getting stuck behind a long trail of semi trucks, I was more than happy to get out of the car.
Bouse, Arizona is tiny, mostly a haven for snow birds. The wind was howling, and upon checking the weather, I discovered that our first day of chalking was more than likely going to be a rain out.
Still, there was plenty of desert to explore and if I had an extra day, I wasn't going to be too upset about it.
The next morning, the wind continued its rampage. I spent the day exploring, hiking the washes and riding out a little further on my parent's side by side. Due to the lack of rain, the only plants even remotely blooming were the Ocotillos, but I did manage to see a few Saguaros and smaller cactus.
Bouse, Arizona
Late that same night, I received an email notifying me that they'd moved the chalking days from Friday and Saturday to Saturday and Sunday, which meant I was going to only have seven hours to complete my entire piece as I had to drive back home on Sunday.
One thing you learn doing chalk art is that you have to be ready for anything. Wind, rain, people riding bikes across your art. Eventually you see it all. I revised my plan, knowing I was going to be on a super time crunch, and hoped for the best.
Friday, as predicted, was a complete rain out. We drove the two hours from Bouse to Tempe, staying with family in the area while we watched in amazement as it proceeded to rain for pretty much the entire day.
Saturday morning, I got an early start, but I was already feeling the pressure. My piece was inspired by the Salt River Mustangs, and I set to work as quickly as I could. Ironically, the theme for the spring festival was the Power of Nature, and it was great to see some familiar faces after the long Elko winter.
The Tempe Festival of the Arts occurs annually in March and December and it is one of the largest art events I have ever attended, taking over blocks and blocks of downtown Tempe. The chalk artists are usually located on 4th street and I managed to finish up by about 4:30 that afternoon.
"Salt River Spirits"
I was, lets say, content with my piece. It was okay for the time frame I was working with, but it will never be one of my favorites.
We made it back to Bouse about 8:00 that night at which point I discovered that the mice I'd been battling at my house had decided to make a nest in the spare tire compartment of my car.
We all had a good laugh at that one.
So concluded another Arizona chalk adventure, an excellent beginning to chalk season 2025.