Southwest Stories Seasons 1 & 2 Destinations

These are the featured destinations from Southwest Stories, Seasons 1 & 2 (some destinations were featured more than once). Soon, we'll have the list coming for Season 3 - shooting in fall 2022!

Horse Thief Springs, Salt Creek Hills, China Ranch Trail: Trail-head, Parking & Picnic Area, China Ranch Date Farm & Bakery, Mountain Springs Trailhead, Crowbar Cafe & Saloon, Shoshone Inn, Tecopa, BLM Land west of Lake Havasu City, AZ in California ~3 miles, College Street Brewhouse & Pub, Flying X Saloon, The Red Onion, Sunset Charter & Tour Co., London Bridge, Havasu 95 Speedway, SARA Park, Sara Mountain Park Loop Trail, Sara Park Hiking Trail, Havasu Springs Resort, Rice Desert Signpost, Rice Shoe Fence, Hi Jolly's Tomb, Enchanted Cavern, Castle Dome Mine Museum, Yuma Swap Meet Flea Market and Live Music, Garden Cafe, Gateway Park, CHURCH ON THE HILL AT FELICITY, Museum of History In Granite, Vallecito Stage Station County Park, Box Canyon Historical Marker, Galleta Meadows Spinosaurus Sculpture by Ricardo Breceda, Galleta Meadows Saberwolf, Desert Eagle Sculpture by Ricardo Breceda, Galleta Meadows Horses, Stanlunds Inn & Suites, Sky Art Desert Sculpture: Scorpion, Metall Elefants, Borrego Springs Jeep Sculpture, Sky Art Desert Sculpture: Spanish Padre

• Horse Thief Springs, United States

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  Where do you go if you're a horse thief on the Old Spanish Trail? Simple - to Horse Thief Springs!

• Salt Creek Hills, United States

  
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  We shot a segment for our Old Spanish Trail documentary (PBS stations, FNX network) here. It's a fantastic spot to explore on the Old Spanish Trail, at the north tip of the jornada del muerto - the journey of death!

• China Ranch Trail: Trail-head, Parking & Picnic Area in Tecopa, United States

  
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• China Ranch Date Farm & Bakery in Tecopa, United States

  
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  One of our all-time favorite places in the world, we shot a segment of our Old Spanish Trail TV documentary (PBS stations and the FNX network) here, with Brian Brown, owner of China Ranch. If you're in this area, this is a must-stop destination! Hiking, date shakes, coyotes, crazy geology, the Amargosa River, the Tonopah & Tidewater Railroad, Kit Carson, date bread, dates, date cookies, picnic areas, more hiking, slot canyons, and date groves you can walk - it's all here, and it's all magical.

• Mountain Springs Trailhead in Las Vegas, United States

  
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  We filmed a segment of our Old Spanish Trail documentary for PBS stations and the FNX Network in and around Mountain Springs.

• Crowbar Cafe & Saloon, United States

  
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  Our go-to dining facility for our Old Spanish Trail TV documentary shoot. Can't be beat!

• Shoshone Inn, United States

  
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  Our crew base while shooting a television documentary on the Old Spanish Trail.

• Tecopa, United States

  
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  We shot various segments of the Old Spanish Trail documentary we produced for various PBS stations and the FNX (First Nations Experience) network, in and around Tecopa.

• BLM Land west of Lake Havasu City, AZ in California ~3 miles, United States

  
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  In Season 1 (The Real Desert), we joined Chemehuevi tribal elder, cultural preservationist, and Salt Song singer, Matt Leivas (Jason Mamoa's advisor on The Last Manhunt) to visit a Chemehuevi sacred petroglyph site in this area. Look for Matt to join Southwest Stories again in Season 3!

• College Street Brewhouse & Pub in Lake Havasu City, United States

  
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  Featured in Season 1 (The Real Desert), in a dining and brewing segment.

• Flying X Saloon in Lake Havasu City, United States

  
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  Featured in Season 2 of Southwest Stories when we went honky-tonkin'!

• The Red Onion in Lake Havasu City, United States

  
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  Featured in Season 2 of Southwest Stories.

• Sunset Charter & Tour Co. in Lake Havasu City, United States

  
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  Sunset Charter's Captain Kenny and his cruises have been featured in both Season 1 (The Real Desert) and Season 2 of Southwest Stories. We're hoping to see him again for Season 3! His cruises are excellent!

• London Bridge in Lake Havasu City, United States

  
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  The history of the bridge and Lake Havasu City were featured in Season 1 (The Real Desert), with additional coverage in Season 2 of Southwest Stories.

• Havasu 95 Speedway in Lake Havasu City, United States

  
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  Featured in Season 2 of Southwest Stories.

• SARA Park in Lake Havasu City, United States

  
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  Featured in Season 2 of Southwest Stories.

• Sara Mountain Park Loop Trail in Lake Havasu City, United States

  
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  Featured in Season 2 of Southwest Stories.

• Sara Park Hiking Trail in Lake Havasu City, United States

  
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  Featured in Season 2 of Southwest Stories.

• Havasu Springs Resort, United States

  
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  Featured in Season 2 of Southwest Stories.

• Rice Desert Signpost in Twentynine Palms, United States

  
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  Featured in Season 2 of Southwest Stories.

• Rice Shoe Fence, United States

  
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  We featured the now nonexistent town of Rice in Season 2 of Southwest Stories.

• Hi Jolly's Tomb, United States

  
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  We didn't shoot any episodic content for Southwest Stories here, but Southwest Stories host, creator, and writer, Steve Brown, has written a feature on Hi Jolly for an international magazine and now lectures on Hi Jolly, the US Army's legendary camel driver, and the Army's pre-Civil War camel experiment. It's a fascinating tale that Brown hopes to build into a book project or documentary.

• Enchanted Cavern in Yuma, United States

  
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  While we were filming at Castle Dome Mine Museum for the start of Season 3 of Southwest Stories, we went down into this silver mine to view the Enchanted Cavern. It's fantastic! We can't wait to get back again!

• Castle Dome Mine Museum in Yuma, United States

  
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  This is where we began filming Season 3 of Southwest Stories, but the COVID-19 global pandemic hit two weeks later, disrupting our progress. We're not going to complain - we just lost some time, not the lives of loved ones, or our own personal health. But this is a fantastic place to visit and explore, and hopefully, we'll be back soon to pick up where we left off. Highly recommended.

• Yuma Swap Meet Flea Market and Live Music in Yuma, United States

  
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  There's no place like the local swap meet to get the real flavor of a community. We filmed a segment of Season 2 here, and return every time we go to Yuma!

• Garden Cafe in Yuma, United States

  
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  Featured in a dining segment in Season 2 of Southwest Stories for its great outdoor brunch!

• Gateway Park in Yuma, United States

  
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  Featured in Season 2 of Southwest Stories, as we discuss efforts to improve public lands along the Colorado River.

• CHURCH ON THE HILL AT FELICITY in Felicity, United States

  
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• Museum of History In Granite in Felicity, United States

  
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  Felicity, with its incredible Museum of History in Granite, and its brilliant creator (and mayor), Jacques Andre Istel, was featured in Season 2 of Southwest Stories. Felicity is a magical place that we love and cannot get enough of!

• Vallecito Stage Station County Park, United States

  
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  A great place to see an authentic desert stage station, used by the Overland Mail Co. and the Jackass Mail. Located on the Butterfield Overland Trail, Vallecito provided a welcome respite to travelers on their "24 days of hell" trip to San Francisco (or back to St. Louis or Memphis). While we didn't shoot any episodic content for Southwest Stories here, we did shoot part of a historical trails documentary here.

• Box Canyon Historical Marker, United States

  
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  While we didn't shoot any episodic content for Southwest Stories here, we did shoot some of a short historical trails documentary piece we produced on the Butterfield Overland Trail that ran through here, through a canyon with a roadway created by the Mormon Battalion.

• Galleta Meadows Spinosaurus Sculpture by Ricardo Breceda in Borrego Springs, United States

  
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  Featured in Season 1 (The Real Desert).

• Galleta Meadows Saberwolf in Borrego Springs, United States

  
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  Featured in Season 1 (The Real Desert).

• Desert Eagle Sculpture by Ricardo Breceda in Borrego Springs, United States

  
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  Featured in Season 1 (The Real Desert).

• Galleta Meadows Horses in Borrego Springs, United States

  
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  Featured in Season 1 (The Real Desert).

• Stanlunds Inn & Suites in Borrego Springs, United States

  
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  We didn't film episodic content for Southwest Stories here, but this modest desert motel served as our base for shooting a short documentary on the Butterfield Overland Trail as it crosses Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.

• Sky Art Desert Sculpture: Scorpion in Borrego Springs, United States

  
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  Featured in Season 1 (The Real Desert).

• Metall Elefants in Borrego Springs, United States

  
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  Featured in Season 1 (The Real Desert).

• Borrego Springs Jeep Sculpture in Borrego Springs, United States

  
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  Featured in Season 1 (The Real Desert).

• Sky Art Desert Sculpture: Spanish Padre in Borrego Springs, United States

  
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  Featured in Season 1 (The Real Desert).