Visitor Exhibit and Signs Unveiled 

Visitor exhibit   Drive entry signs Drive identification signs

Thank you!

April, 1998. As part of our effort to restore and enhance the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive Friends has created an exhibit which provides information about the Drive’s history and Sonoran climate, plants and animals. In addition, new entry signs have been installed at the northern and southern ends of the Scenic Drive and 8 new scenic drive identification signs have been posted at major intersecting roads.   These improvements represent a major step forward in our project to restore, improve and promote the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive that began in the summer of 1994.  The finishing touches were put on the exhibit in April 1998. The Drive is Back!

Visitor Exhibit

The exhibit consists of 48 photo-metal plaques mounted on two large monuments. Four large illustrated plaques provide a map of the Scenic Drive, a brief description of the Drive's history, data about Sonoran climate and information about Native American plant use. In addition, there are smaller plaques depicting 44 species of plants and animals found in the Foothills.  The Plant Guide and Critter Guide contain information provided by these plaques.

Our goal was to create a simple exhibit that could be enjoyed by residents and visitors of all ages. The exhibit is located in an area that for many years has been a popular stopping place for tour busses. We wanted to enrich visitors' brief stop in the desert foothills.

The exhibit was designed by Susan Conway a Friends volunteer and Habitat, Inc., a leading developer of exhibits and signs. The Desert Botanical Gardens donated hours of valuable design assistance.

Friends’ volunteers developed the informational plaques. Local artists Judy Conklin, Herb Grasse and Marg Nelssen did the illustrations. George and Cheryl Altman, Howard Meyers, Roy Slaunwhite and Les Conklin wrote descriptions. Jane Rau, Tony Nelssen, Horst and Barbara Berkner assisted in the selection of plants and animals to be included in the exhibit. The stucco monuments were constructed by Tempe-based Habitat. The plaques were manufactured by PMA Photometals, Inc. of Phoenix.

The exhibit is located at the site of the large Desert Foothills Scenic Drive monument sign on the east side of Scottsdale Road, ¼ mile south of Jomax Road. The site, which marks the original entrance to the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive on Scottsdale Road once, contained a small park with picnic tables and bathroom facilities. Maricopa County created the park in 1968.

Drive Entry Signs

Two impressive signs now act as bookends for the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive.   The sign located just south of Carefree Highway marks the northern entrance to the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive.  The sign is located on the west side of Scottsdale Post.  The sign marking the southern entrance to the Scenic Drive is located just south of Happy Valley Road on the east side of Scottsdale Road.  Immediately after they pass the entry signs visitors will begin seeing roadside plant identification signs. To view a picture of the sign click here.

Some residents may be wonder why the southern-most sign was place south of Happy Valley Road when the original wooden sign was about 1/2 mile north of that location.  The Scenic Drive was extended southward so that the sign could be placed on land which is under the jurisdiction of Scottsdale.  The old wooden sign was on State of Arizona land.  The new location also coincides with plans to link the Scenic Drive to an expanded McDowell Sonoran Preserve. The power line corridor which will be used for access to the preserve is just north of the southern entrance to the Scenic Drive.

Drive Identification Signs

Eight, small and tasteful signs now mark the Scenic Drive's route.  These signs have been posted at major intersecting roads: Jomax Road, Dynamite Road, Dixiletta Drive and Lone Mountain Road.  These signs and their placement was the brainchild of Scottsdale's Mayor Campana.  They are smaller, less obtrusive versions of the signs that were initially proposed. 

The metal identification signs that were posted in 1995 will be taken down as part of our effort to minimize signage along the Scenic Drive. 

Thank You!

This milestone would not have been possible without support from many parts of our community: the volunteers, our major sponsors, City of Scottsdale staff and the Mayor and City Council.  Council members Manross, Pettycrew and Prior attended every one of our functions over the past three years.  None of this would have been possible without the support of City Manager Dick Bowers and Mayors Campana and Drinkwater. We have been able to raise more than $55,000 since this effort began.  But in the end it all comes down to volunteers like Dick McIntyre who single-handidly dug 110 post holes to install plant identification signs and Susan Conway and other local artists who spent many hours designing our signs and exhibit.