This entire Wickenburg area of Arizona is and has been a highly productive gold mining area. Many abandoned gold mines dot the area and there are numerous active gold mining operations. 

 

This town celebrates it’s history with numerous art installations around the town. These include life sized bronze sculptures on sidewalks around town, sculptured rattlesnakes and giant tarantula spiders make you take pause as you walk the streets.

 

There are numerous murals depicting historic scenes from the old west on many of the buildings and there are the delightful street lamps with cowboy hats. Today, the town celebrates its cowboy heritage with a proudly displayed entry sign that reads “Team roping capitol of the world” The town swells to three or four times its size every year when the roping season arrives.

 

Team roping is a popular rodeo event involving two cowboys riding on horseback capturing a calf with ropes. People from all over the U.S. come with their horses to display their skills and compete in a demanding skill sport. There are also numerous local rodeos during that October – March season. This annual phenomenon is a nostalgic and fun journey into what helped build the American west and a chance to see true Americans patriotically living and celebrating our cowboy roots.