ARIZONA: THE GRAND CANYON STATE
BY CLAY
LARROY
We lead
such busy lives working, going to school, taking children to different
activities that often we do not stop and talk to our children. We usually do
not have time to sit around the dinner table and ask our children what they did
today. Family vacations are so important, as it gives us a way to connect
with each other in a stress free relaxed environment. Families that take
vacations together build memories that will last a lifetime. Family vacations
and travel can be a most rewarding experience. When you are ready to
plan a vacation contact me!
Arizona
Travel Guide
A jewel in the USA's crown, Arizona is a state of seemingly
infinite possibilities; a place where you can hike from snow-capped mountains
to the dusty depths of the Grand Canyon; where you can dance around campfires
with Navajo tribesmen and rattle down Route 66 on a road trip to California.
While the north of the
state is crisscrossed with mountain streams and canyons, the south and west
offer eye-catching deserts with stunning rock formations, Native American
tribes and ramshackle ghost towns from Arizona's mining days.
Phoenix, the bustling
state capital, boasts world-class cultural attractions, restaurants and
shopping, not to mention a buzzing nightlife. It borders swanky Scottsdale, one
of Arizona's primary resorts, which is crammed with trendy hotels, spas and
golf courses.
Chock-a-block with
students, Tucson is a hip and culturally vibrant city. Surrounded by rugged
mountains, it has a lively nightlife, heavy Hispanic influence and distinctive
downtown.
Flagstaff, meanwhile, is
the place for adventure, being as it is the gateway to some of the best hiking,
biking and skiing in the state. And then there's Sedona, a small city in
Yavapai County surrounded by stunning sandstone formations and scented pine
forests.
For a taste of the Wild
West, there's the notorious, frontier town of Tombstone, which offers visitors
the chance to stroll down its saloon-lined high street and watch re-enactments
of the famous shooting at OK Corral.
Of course, the Grand
Canyon is the big draw, but dig deeper in Arizona, and you're in for a treat.
Things
to see and do in Arizona
Apache Trail
Travel the Apache Trail (www.americansouthwest.net/arizona/apache_trail), an
extraordinary scenic drive. Attractions include Goldfield Ghost Town and Mine
Tours (www.goldfieldghosttown.com), Superstition Mountain
Museum, Lost Dutchman State Park and Tortilla Flat (an old stagecoach stop
offering 'killer' chili and prickly-pear cactus ice cream).
Biosphere 2
Be dazzled by the
gargantuan bubble that is Biosphere 2 (www.bio2.com) -
a Plexiglas bubble laboratory containing five separate and self-contained
ecosystems. Originally designed to help scientists colonize Mars, it is now
leased by the University of Arizona to study climate and ecology. Guided tours
are available.
Get active
Enjoy outdoor pursuits
that include golf, hiking, rock climbing, tennis and mountain biking in the
Lake Havasu area, or take desert jeep tours in the nearby Sonoran and Mojave
Deserts or up into the Chemehuevi Mountains.
Grand Canyon
Visit the awe-inspiring
Grand Canyon (www.grandcanyonchamber.org), one of the Seven
Natural Wonders of the World. This massive rend in the earth cut thousands of
years ago by the Colorado River can be experienced by helicopter or airplane,
or the more adventurous can hike or ride a mule down to the canyon floor, then
raft the Colorado.
Heard Museum
Tour the Heard Museum (www.heard.org)
in Phoenix. Founded in 1929, the museum is devoted to the art, anthropology,
history and Native American culture of Arizona.
Hopi Reservation
See the smaller Hopi
Reservation, accommodating 7,000 Hopis. They have lived in the region for 1,500
years and are known for being talented farmers. The Hopis live in snug
pueblo-style villages on top of three mesas. This area is treasured for its
outstanding natural beauty.
Lake Powell
Hire a houseboat and float
past the scenic wonderland of red rocks on Lake Powell, the second-largest
man-made lake in the USA. The Rainbow Bridge, a spectacular natural stone
bridge on the Navajo Reservation, can be reached by tour boat.
London Bridge
Visit Lake Havasu City (www.golakehavasu.com),
nestled amidst rugged desert peaks on the Colorado River. In 1971 London Bridge
was dismantled stone by stone, brought over from England and reassembled in
Arizona. It is now the focal point for an array of English-style shops, pubs
and lodgings.
Monument Valley by air
Drift over spectacular
Monument Valley, carved by wind and water, in a hot air balloon (www.monumentvalleyballooncompany.com).
Oak Creek Canyon
Explore beautiful Oak
Creek Canyon in Sedona's Red Rock country (www.visitsedona.com).
The canyon has natural swimming holes and lush forests beneath high sandstone
cliffs. Prehistoric Native American ruins are nearby. Jeep tours, hiking and
mountain biking are also available.
Play golf
Tee off on one of the more
challenging golf courses in Mesa, Phoenix or Tucson. The Phoenix-Scottsdale
area, known as the Valley of the Sun, has a particular abundance of world-class
golf courses and resorts, surrounded by desert and striking mountain scenery (www.golfarizona.com).
Raft the Colorado River
Shoot the rapids on a
white-water rafting trip down the raging Colorado River; there are trips from
short runs to two-week adventures.
Road trips
Drive down empty roads and
see huge cacti, spring wildflowers and the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument (www.nps.gov/orpi)
in the Sonoran Desert. Journey through the vast Navajo Reservation, home to 250,000
Navajos. Purchase native artwork and silver jewelry and visit settlements where
they lived in hogans (dome-shaped
houses of log and adobe). Navajo guides lead horse rides in the Canyon de
Chelly National Monument (www.nps.gov/cach) and jeep tours through Monument
Valley (www.desertusa.com/monvalley), where many a Western
was shot.
Taliesin West
Visit famous architect
Frank Lloyd Wright's home and School of Architecture at Taliesin West, near
Scottsdale.
Tonto National Monument
See the Tonto National
Monument (www.nps.gov/tont).
The monument features well-preserved cliff dwellings occupied 500 years ago by
the Salado Indians and examples of their weavings, jewelry, weapons and tools.
Tucson
Discover the cultural
heritage of Tucson (www.tucsonaz.gov), one of the USA's oldest towns
and now one of its fastest-growing resort cities. Surrounded by a ring of five
mountain ranges in the Sonoran Desert, Tucson is known for its constant
sunshine. Its proximity to the Mexican border is apparent in its architecture,
cuisine, lively fiestas and festivals.
Wild West
Watch re-enactments of
famous gunfights in the Wild West mining town of Tombstone, site of the brief
showdown at the OK Corral, and movies such as Wyatt Earp and Tombstone (www.tombstone.org).
Explore restored sites and attractions like the Boot Hill Cemetery, the Crystal
Palace Saloon (www.crystalpalacesaloon.com), and the Bird Cage
Theatre.
Yuma Territorial Prison
Discover Arizona's most
visited State Historic Park, the Yuma Territorial Prison, with its cells carved
out of the rock. From 1876 to 1909, it housed many of Arizona's most dangerous
and notorious criminals.
REFERENCE SITES:
There's
something wonderfully healing in Arizona air.
~Zane
Grey
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