The southwestern United States, with its clear skies and low humidity, is an astronomer's paradise, unique in its loose federation of like-minded research outposts and in the quantity and diversity of its observatories. Douglas Isbell and Stephen Strom, both intimately involved in southwestern astronomy, have written a practical guide to the major observatories of the region for those eager to understand the role these often quirky places has played in advancing our understanding of the cosmos.