In a world where conservation and preservation of the natural world is often overlooked, Costa Rica is one nation that bucks the trend. Visitors to the Central American country find a haven of cloud forests, tropical jungles and lush rainforests that are home to a vast array of wildlife, plants and natural resources - preserved by many dedicated conservation efforts. That's at the heart of what makes Costa Rica travel so special - and it's something that's easy for any traveler to experience.

Like the majestic granite peaks of the Rockies, my mother is strong.

Several Events Mark Earth Day Celebration

Close to 50 miles north of Tucson, I-10 traffic rumbles past Picacho Peak, an isolated mountain jutting into the sky west of exit 219. Can drivers and their passengers not wonder what’s involved in reaching the summit? Shouldering a pack at the trailhead for the peak’s Hunter Trail recently, I would soon answer the question.

Letters to the editor published in the November 17, 2010, edition of The Explorer.

Paul Emmert, the Oro Valley resident and co-owner of Alive Fitness and Training, flies commercial aircraft for a living.

Within the vast Chiricahua Mountains of Southeastern Arizona lies the 11,985-acre Chiricahua National Monument, a truly remarkable physical and visual experience.

THEATER

Associated Press

MOVIES

Getting back to your roots can be a good thing, especially for a resort whose history dates to the year Arizona became a state.

A discussion about the Pinacate and Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve of Sonora, Mexico, is slated for Tohono Chul Park on Saturday, June 27.

Upcoming arts, entertainment and cultural events.

Rated PG-13 for thematic material. 104 minutes. Two stars out of four.

Rated R for pervasive language including sexual references, violent content and drug material. 106 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.

Calendar and restaurant listings for the week of July 30

Chiricahua National Monument, 120 miles southeast of Tucson, is an 11,985-acre visual feast in cooler country. Most of its elevations are 6,000 feet and above. Within the monument, there is an eight-mile scenic drive, and 18 miles of well-constructed trails, courtesy of the Depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps, that take hikers into a core of hoodoos.