The gunfight is a staple of every Western television show, movie, and pulp novel. If you watched classic TV series like The Rifleman, Gunsmoke, and Wagon Train, you know it was the climactic scene in nearly every episode. The narratives of these popular shows and films, featuring legends such as John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, and Clint Eastwood, portray the Old West as being filled with hired guns, trigger-happy outlaws seeking revenge, and fighters looking for a brawl. It creates tension, doesn't it? Picture a showdown in a deserted street, guns blazing as two men face off in a winner-takes-all battle to the death. The fastest draw usually emerges victorious, that being most often the town marshal or the good-looking hero of the story.
If you've ever gazed up at the stars and wondered about the secrets of the universe, the Gordon D. Crowell Observatory at Rio Hondo College is an exciting destination for you. Located at 3600 Workman Mill Rd., Whittier, CA, this hidden gem has been welcoming stargazers since 1972, providing an opportunity to explore the night sky through one of Southern California's largest public telescopes.
It might seem unbelievable, but the breathtaking Sandia Mountains just outside Albuquerque, New Mexico, can whisk you away to a landscape reminiscent of the Swiss Alps! Our family's journey began in 1978 when we traded our flat, small farming town in northern Texas (Vernon) for the awe-inspiring beauty of this mountainous terrain. From the very first moment I laid eyes on those towering peaks, I was captivated. Each day, stepping outside and soaking in those majestic mountains filled my heart with a longing for the rugged beauty of the West and Southwest. The gentle rustle of the wind weaving through the pine trees is a melody unlike any other.
