Denim hats: Brought to you by America's mining companies

Aside from the stack of postcards of open pit mines around the state, there are two things I took away from the Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum: 1) rocks are cool, and 2) mining is great.

Located in a stately historic building just blocks from the capitol building, the Mining and Mineral Museum has always been high on my list of local Phoenix museums to visit. Add to that the fact that I had a pretty sweet rock collection as a kid, and you've got the makings of a great field trip. So on a whim, a couple friends and I set out to explore the wonders of Arizona's mines and minerals.

Charles Darwin: Putting the "evil" in evolution since 1859

(Editor's note: I apologize for the poor quality of the pictures in this post. I had a crappy camera back then, and apparently the majority of this museum's budget went towards placards, not lighting.)

Some museums are so astounding, so terrifying in their grandeur, that to visit them is like unto a religious experience. The Museum of Creation and Earth History is one such place. And like all great shrines, this Kaaba of museumdom required unparalleled travails to reach its hallowed gates.