As a third-generation Arizonan growing up in Tucson, I have always felt a special connection to the geology around me. I grew up hearing stories about my great-grandfather riding with gold in his saddlebags through the Bradshaw Mountains in the late 19th century. It was on a toll road between Prescott and Crown King in the Arizona territory that he met my great-grandmother.
Sometimes, my mother would take me to visit my uncle who manages a ranch in Kearny, north of Tucson. A train carrying ore from the nearby mine ran right across the road to the ranch. On visits, I used to scour the train tracks for bits and pieces that had fallen off the train on its way to who-knows-where. For a time, my Godmother even owned a rock and mineral shop in Phoenix. A highlight of my childhood is the crystallized sugar ârock candyâ with which she used to greet me.
The hustle and bustle of the Gem Show always brings me back to these childhood memories, but the excitement of seeing an amazing natural specimen never fades. Go forth, and explore with childlike wonder!
Natalia V. Navarro
