usa; arizona

Ask me what I thought of Arizona a month ago, and I would have said ‘Grand Canyon & Desert'...

I recently spent a week RVing around Arizona and I was amazed by the variety of landscape and natural attractions worth checking out!  Some of the information might be irrelevant if you don’t have an RV, but the route and attractions could remain the same if you have about a week to spend. I saw the Grand Canyon a couple years ago, so we didn’t make time to go there again, and there was no shortage of other things to see. If you haven’t seen the Grand Canyon, I would suggest juggling things around to make sure you get to see it.

I flew in and out of Phoenix, which was convenient and fairly central for what I was hoping to see. The attractions I’ve listed below were the highlights for me. There is plenty to see and do in between, but if you take it at a leisurely pace and enjoy the scenery along the way, you can plan to spend about a week going from point to point.

{South Mountain, Pheonix}

This is a nice park area just on the outskirts of the city with plenty of room for hiking or biking. There are several different paths to choose from; we did a 2 mile loop around the southern part of the park. Some of the paths are mostly smooth and mostly flat; some are quite steep and more vigorous. It’s a great way to start off a trip by getting out in the sunshine and seeing the cactus! Make sure you take water.

{Queen Creek Olive Mill, Queen Creek}

This is a must-see stop for anyone somewhat interested in food (I know.. who isn’t!..) They have their own olive grove and all of the olives get pressed into their own olive oils. The oils are amazing; they even have flavours like lemon or bacon olive oil. They offer tours for $5 each, and they have a great deli bar if you are looking for lunch or dinner. Plus the owners are Canadian; a great reason in itself to support them!

{Pima Air & Space Museum}

While we didn’t actually go into the museum, just driving by is worth a slight detour. They have the boneyard for all the old military aircraft here, and there are thousands of planes lined up.. it’s quite a sight. I would suggest getting there by early-mid afternoon if you want to take any of the tours

{Kartchner Caverns State Park}

Unfortunately we did didn’t go in here either.. It’s fairly expensive for the tour, but we realized afterwards that if you purchase a State Park Pass for $75 that the tour is included (well worth it if you go here, the natural bridge, and a couple other parks along the way). I have had several people tell me that it is amazing to see, so I would suggest that it is probably worth the stop.

{Tombstone}

This is a neat little town with very friendly people. It’s definitely touristy, so don’t go expecting an “authentic” small western town.. but it’s a neat place to see nonetheless. If you want to see the shootout reenactment at the OK corral you should get there by noon.. the shows are at noon and 2pm, and pretty much everything shuts down around 5.

Scenery en route to Globe

Scenery en route to Globe

{Old Dominion Mine Park, Globe}

Globe is your typical American small town, with an interesting assortment of shops. I must say the main attraction, in my opinion, is the Old Dominion Mine Park. It’s up on a hillside on the side of town, where they’ve converted an old mine into a recreational area for hiking. They have signs along the way that explain what happened there and the history of the area, and they’ve done a really nice job of creating walking paths. Even if it’s just a quick leg-stretch, I would recommend a walk around!

{Salt River Canyon}

In my opinion, this is the absolute must see. The views are stunning and it’s all around a spectacular drive. If you’re not fond of mountain roads, switchbacks or heights; it’s not for you. There are plenty of pull-offs along the way that you can pause and enjoy the views. If it works into your plans at all I would highly recommend a picnic lunch somewhere along the way. From Globe up to Show Low you drive into the canyon, down to the river bed, and back up the other side. There’s really not much to say other than stunning.. don’t miss it!! ..and fill up with gas first..

{Show low}

This is another quiet small town along the route, with a bit of a western feel to it. You might get a kick out of the street names and the story behind them.

{Tonto Natural Bridge State Park}

Looking through the travertine, 400' long

From the top, looking down to travertine.

This is another amazing natural wonder that is definitely worth checking out. If you have a trailer, you will want to use the trailer drop off lot; there is a very steep grade going down into the park. Once you are in the park, there are a few lookout point worth checking out, but to experience the real attraction it is worth the hike. You can go down to the one side of the natural travertine (which is 183’ high and 400’ long) and hike under the natural bridge, and out the other side. It is absolutely amazing. It’s tough to capture with pictures because there is so much contrast with light and dark, and you’ll probably want to have both of your hands free. It’s not a hike for beginners, but if you are physically able you should be fine.. It is well worth the effort!

{Red Rock State Park}

This park is just on the outskirts of Sedona, with plenty of hiking trails and scenic lookouts. You can see cathedral rock from some of the lookouts and there’s an old house built up on the hill that has an interesting history. You can choose a long or short route; plan on about 2 miles. It’s pretty easy hiking and the views provide lots of excuses to pause and soak it all in.

{Sedona}

The town is neat to see with lots of unique art and artsy things so I would suggest at least a walk up the main street. The main attraction, however, is the amazing red rocks. You really can’t believe that they are actually so red until you see it in person. Give yourself plenty of time to hike around and explore the different formations. Don’t miss out on the lookout on the way up to the airport either.. it was one of my favorites. If you’re going to stop and do some hiking along the Sedona scenic highway you’ll need to purchase a national park day pass, but it’s well worth the $5.

{Slide rock}

Slide rock is another State Park that is just north of Sedona. The way that the rocks have formed is very interesting. I can imagine that this would be quite busy during the summer months, but in the winter it was very peaceful and a nice spot to take in some scenery. Unfortunately the water was too cold for my liking to try out the slide, but it looked like a blast and the fact that it’s completely natural makes it that much more amazing.

{Red Rock Scenic Byway}

This is the road to take if you want to see Bell Rock, Cathedral Rock, Bunny Ears and many others. You’ll need to purchase a $5 National Parks Pass to park along the way and hike, but its well worth it and the views are stunning!

{Phoenix}

I honestly didn’t find Phoenix all that exciting, with the exception of being a great starting point. There are about 3 outlet malls here which are decent, but pretty much all the same. It seems are a lot of things around the city that are meant only for those 55 and up. There are an abundance of professional sports teams, so that’s always a fun time if the scheduling works out. Also, Phoenix is typically the hottest area of Arizona, so if you have a day to lounge poolside, this is the place to do it. Other than that, take advantage of cheaper airfare and enjoy your time around Arizona!


J. 
Design Life. Create Originality. Inspire Wonder.