Frommers ShortCuts - Central Arizona

The Best of Arizona

Its easy to be smug when youre home to one of the seven natural wonders of the world, and Arizonas license plate succinctly sums it up: Grand Canyon State. However, there is more to this Southwestern state than the vast canyon of the Colorado River. Stately saguaro cacti and rugged red-rock landscapes have served as backdrop both for Western history and Western movies. Cowboys and Indians are still at home on the range here in Arizona, but it is as a seller of sunshine to the winter-weary that Arizona has made its fortune.

Cities In Phoenix, the nations fifth largest city, Ford Mustangs far outnumber wild mustangs and the golf course greens of luxury resorts have long since tamed the desert. Set against a craggy mountain backdrop, Tucson strives to preserve both its Hispanic heritage and its forests of saguaro cacti. College-town character and a historic downtown make Flagstaff a lively gateway to the Grand Canyon. Jerome and Bisbee, once booming mining towns, have once again struck pay dirt, this time in the guise of galleries and boutiques.

The Great Outdoors Take a hike, ride a mule, or hang on for a rip-roarin raft ride. No matter how you approach it, a Grand Canyon adventure is world class. In the states northeast corner, the buttes and mesas of Monument Valley compete with the canyon for the title of the states most astonishing landscape. In southern Arizona, explore the Sonoran Desert, one of the greenest deserts on earth. In scenic Sedona, rumble through the red rocks in a Jeep, or search out some quiet on a hike or mountain-bike ride.

Eating & Drinking With Mexico for a neighbor, it should come as no surprise that Arizona relishes south-of-the-border flavors. From street tacos, Sonoran hot dogs, and air-dried carne seca to the complex Southwestern and Nuevo Latino dishes served at such celebrated restaurants as Janos, Kai, Poca Cosa, and the Turquoise Room, theres a regional dish for every palate. Native American fry bread tacos are a local guilty pleasure not to be missed. Wash it all down with a margarita, microbrew, or even an Arizona wine.

National Parks While millions of people come to Arizona each year to visit Grand Canyon National Park, the state is also home to more than a dozen other national parks and monuments. Massive saguaro cacti are preserved in Tucsons two units of Saguaro National Park, while to the west of Tucson, more cacti are preserved in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. In such national monuments as Canyon de Chelly, Montezuma Castle, Navajo, Wupatki, and Tonto, cliff dwellings and ancient pueblo ruins can be explored.

The best Places to Commune with Cactus

Desert Botanical Garden (Phoenix): Theres no better place in the state to learn about the plants of Arizonas Sonoran Desert and the many other deserts of the world. Displays at this Phoenix botanical garden explain plant adaptations and how indigenous tribes once used many of this regions wild plants.

Boyce Thompson Arboretum (east of Phoenix): Just outside the town of Superior, this was the nations first botanical garden established in a desert environment. Its set in a small canyon framed by cliffs and has desert plantings from all over the worlda fascinating educational stroll in the desert.

ArizonaSonora Desert Museum (Tucson): The name is misleadingthis is actually more a zoo and botanical garden than a museum. Naturalistic settings house dozens of species of desert animals, including a number of critters you probably wouldnt want to meet in the wild (rattlesnakes, tarantulas, scorpions, black widows, and Gila monsters).

Saguaro National Park (Tucson): With units both east and west of Tucson, this national park preserves "forests" of saguaro cacti and is the very essence of the desert that so many imagine it to be. You can hike it, bike it, or drive it.

Tohono Chul Park (Tucson): Although this park is not that large, it packs a lot of desert scenery into its modest space. Impressive plantings of cacti are the star attractions, but there are also good wildflower displays in the spring.