Topic: Route 66 Centennial. I’ll be giving the keynote talk at this event, filled with great authors, which also serves as a fundraiser for SEEDs for Autism. Warehouse 215 at 215 Grant Street.
Free. Topic: Route 66 Centennial. 700 S. Green Valley Pkwy, 928-474-3483, www.rimcountrymuseum.org.
Free. Topic: Arizona National Parks and Monuments. 3250 White Bear Rd., 928-282-7714.
Free. Author’s Day with several authors in attendance, additional book talks, raffles, a silent auction, and more. Topic: Route 66 Centennial. 12950 N. 7th St., 602-343-5125, www.northmountainvisitorcenter.org.
Free. Topic: Route 66 Centennial. 300 W. Aspen Ave., 928-213-2330, www.flagstaffpubliclibrary.org.
Route 66 book signing. This is part of their Seligman Days celebration of the Route 66 Centennial.
Cottonwood/Sedona leading a guided hike for the Verde Valley Birding and Nature Festival, 8:30 a.m. Registration required. 928-641-6013. Your chance to go hiking with me!
Topic: Boots and Burgers. This is one of the few chances to hear this talk in the Phoenix area. Don’t miss it. Free but might be a good idea to RSVP. 602-274-0067.
Topic: Route 66 Centennial. I’ll be the keynote speaker for their big, colorful annual event, Poppyfest. It’s a great weekend in an intriguing town.
Topic Boots and Burgers.
Topic: Boots and Burgers. 2600 E. Willcox Dr., 520-515-5492.
Topic: Route 66 Centennial. 2980 S. Camino del Sol.
Topic: Route 66 Centennial. 6 Main St., 520-432-4232.
Topic: Route 66 Centennial. Cottonwood Public Library, 100 S. Sixth St., 928-634-5526.
Topic: Arizona National Parks and Monuments. 3830 N. Marshall Way, Scottsdale, AZ, 480-686-9539.
Topic: Arizona National Parks and Monuments. 3830 N. Marshall Way, 480-686-9539. $10 admission. Reserve your seat at https://westernspirit.org/project/arizona-national-parks-and-monuments-with-roger-naylor/
Topic: Boots and Burgers. 2700 E. Speedway Blvd.
Topic: Route 66 Centennial. 34250 N. 60th St., Bldg. B, Scottsdale, AZ, 480-488-1090. $10 admission to benefit Cave Creek Museum. Classic cars will be on hand.
Topic: Route 66 Centennial. 12880 N. Vistoso Village Dr., Oro Valley, AZ, 520-622-6014.
Topic: Route 66 Centennial. 300 S. Chandler Village Dr., Chandler, AZ, 480-782-2717.
Topic: Route 66 Centennial. 18160 N. Maya Angelou Dr., Maricopa, AZ, 520-568-2926.
Topic: Arizona National Parks and Monuments. 22 S. Delaware St., Chandler, AZ, 480-782-2800.
After many years away, it was great to return to the White Mountain Nature Center in Lakeside last year to be greeted by a rollicking packed house. I’m thrilled to return this summer to share my love for this astonishing state. I look forward to catching their legendary free raptor show while I’m in town. White Mountain Nature Center is located at 425 N. Woodland Rd, 928-358-3069.
If you’ve never visited this fascinating state park, now’s your chance. Riordan Mansion is an overlooked gem in the heart of Flagstaff, right next to the NAU Campus. It will be a bit of a reunion for me since this is where I first arrived in Arizona in the summer of 1975. Ostensibly, I was there to go to college. In reality, I was beginning my lifelong love affair with Arizona. Let’s celebrate! 409 W. Riordan Rd., 928-779-4395.
I’m always happy to spend time at the Sedona Library, and April is a great time to visit red rock country. Right now, this is my only scheduled talk in Sedona, so be sure not to miss this free event. 3250 White Bear Rd., 928-282-7714.
For birders, hikers, and nature lovers, this is a great event that primarily takes place at my beloved Dead Horse Ranch State Park in Cottonwood. There are numerous outings over several days and it’s a great way to explore the Verde Valley. It’s conducted by the non-profit organization Friends of the Verde River. They do such great work protecting this vital waterway. I’ll be a featured speaker at the Cottonwood Library (100 S. 6th St.) as part of the event. www.verderiver.org.
This year I’ll be part of the 2025 Speaker Series for the Arizona Territorial Society, dedicated to preserving the past, educating the public, and supporting the community. And I’m all about each of those! The monthly events are held at the Adult Center in Prescott and all are welcome to attend. 1280 E. Rosser St., www.arizonaterritorialsociety.org.
Can you think of anyone better-suited to celebrate the Globe-Miami Poppy Fest than yours truly? I’m a fiend for wildflowers! Poppy Fest will be happening this weekend and I’ll be the featured speaker at historic Bullion Plaza Cultural Center in Miami. Even if we don’t have an abundance of blooms, we’ll still have plenty of fun. 150 Plaza Circle, 928-473-3700, www.bullionplazamuseum.org.
If my talk inspires you to go for a hike, you don’t even have to leave the grounds at North Mountain, with several lovely trails crisscrossing the park. It’s a first-rate facility run by some great people so let’s welcome spring in the desert at this free event. 12950 N. 7th St. 602-343-5125, www.northmountainvisitorcenter.org.
The Tucson Festival of Books is probably the biggest literary event in the state taking place in March on the University of Arizona campus. I’ll be on a panel discussing Stories of Our Unforgettable Places, along with two other talented writers. We’ll be on the Western National Parks Association stage and will sign books afterward. I’ll also be signing sometime during the day at the University of New Mexico Press booth.
I couldn’t be more thrilled to return to the Bisbee Library. How I love Cochise County and it’s always a pleasure to visit. Getting to spend an extra day and evening in the unique town of Bisbee is a bonus. If you yearned for a Bisbee visit, now you’ve got a perfect reason. The Copper Queen Library is located at 6 Main Street in the heart of Old Bisbee. Free.
This is another venue where I always seem to draw large crowds, in the Social Hall at the RH Johnson Library in Sun City West. This is a free event and all are welcome to attend. If you’ve never been here, they usually have pretty good signage. It’s at 13801 W. Meeker Blvd. 623-544-6130.
It will be another happy return to the Maricopa Library. We always have a full house and I hope for the same again. The Maricopa Historical Society puts on this event and it’s another talk on Arizona National Parks and Monuments. Maricopa Public Library is located at 18160 Maya Angelou Drive in the town of Maricopa, south of Phoenix. The fun starts at 5 p.m. and is free.
