Jaunting Jen
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I'm Jen. I like to go on jaunts. I love history, traveling, and hiking. I'm an Army Veteran and have Multiple Sclerosis. This is a place to explore the history, travel, and everything else. I write and share because history is cool.
Jaunting Jen
3w ago
The History Recently, we visited a cool little (not really little) place called Slaughter Ranch. Before that trip, ranching history wasn’t super interesting to me. Now I know better. My reason for going was to try and track down Arizona’s fourth Presidio (Spanish fortress). The other three are: Tucson Presidio, Tubac Presidio, and Santa Cruz ..read more
Jaunting Jen
1y ago
Long before Dragoon Springs was a stop on the Butterfield Overland Mail route, it was the territory of the Chiricahua Apache. So much history happened here. What we think we know is probably only a fraction of what happened in these mountains. This stagecoach stop started with a 2,700 mile mail route from Missouri to ..read more
Jaunting Jen
1y ago
Updated 5/18/2023 for a return trip for a routine dental cleaning. Not much has changed. Is Nogales, Mexico safe? Will we get caught up in drug trafficking? How long will it take to cross the border? Is it even worth it? Despite the reputation for drug violence and underground tunnels, we decided to see what ..read more
Jaunting Jen
1y ago
After reading that the National Park Service (NPS) was partnering with the Southwest Mission Research Center (SMRC) to sponsor a tour for teachers (for free) of the Spanish Missions of the Pimería Alta, I knew I had to go. The three-day, three-night workshop was open to teachers in Arizona, tribal lands, and Sonora, Mexico. This had ..read more
Jaunting Jen
2y ago
Is Nogales, Mexico safe? Will we get caught up in drug trafficking? How long will it take to cross the border? Is it even worth it? Despite the reputation for drug violence and underground tunnels, we decided to see what the town is really like. Below is what happened when we crossed the border for ..read more
Jaunting Jen
2y ago
Isla Mujeres The Island of Women. Fifteen minutes by ferry from Cancun and you’re there. It’s rumored to be one of the most beautiful spots in the Caribbean Sea. While this small Caribbean island is truly beautiful, it’s also one of the places that I’ve experienced true fear while traveling. The trip to Cancun didn’t go well ..read more
Jaunting Jen
2y ago
This is my sixth year living in Arizona. Every time it feels like it’s time to pack up and experience something new, Arizona whispers in my ear, “don’t go yet, there’s still a lot to see.” A random and spontaneous road trip last week proved to be no exception. We discovered a ghost town on ..read more
Jaunting Jen
2y ago
Bisbee: Where Copper Was Queen Locally roasted coffee, ghost stories, mining history, shopping, historic hotels, and museums? Is there one place to find all of that? The answer is yes. Bisbee, Arizona. I’ve been visiting Bisbee on and off since 2011, and every visit is something different. I may spend one day shopping, or another ..read more
Jaunting Jen
2y ago
The Well The third time I stopped along the winding road to admire Montezuma Well was a little different. Funny story how these historic site came by the name “Montezuma,” but we’ll get to that later. For now lets take a journey together, through two ancient sacred sites between Flagstaff and Phoenix, Arizona. On previous ..read more
Jaunting Jen
2y ago
October 10, 732 It’s the date that one man changed everything. Well, maybe not everything, just the course of European history. As a historian I’ve long known that the Battle of Tours is a key moment in world history. Why doesn’t it receive more than a paragraph or two in world history textbooks? I can’t ..read more