Christine Bailey - Explorers Guide Phoenix, Scottsdale, Sedona & Central Arizona: A Great Destination () (Explorers Great Destinations)

EXPLORERS GUIDES

EXPLORERS GUIDES

A Great Destination

SECOND EDITION

The Countryman Press Woodstock, Vermont

Copyright 2011 by Christine K. Bailey

Phoenix, Scottsdale, Sedona, & Central Arizona

ISBN: 978-1-58157-970-5

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages.

Interior photographs by the author unless otherwise specified

Maps by Erin Greb Cartography, The Countryman Press

Published by The Countryman Press, P.O. Box 748, Woodstock, VT 05091 Distributed by W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110.

To Matt, for his love and support,
and for his faith in me.

If living in Arizona since 1998 doesnt make me a native, then the 20-plus years of listening to my fatherborn in Tucson in 1955 at St. Marys Hospitaldoes. Less than a year old, living on a plot of land as wild as any desert youll see today, with a swamp cooler to stave off the humid monsoon weather, he started forming the impressions that he would later pass on to his midwestern family. It would take him almost 43 years (with mere visits in between) to return for goodand in the process to bring all of us with him.

He instilled in us a sense of adventure, an excitement for exploration, and an appreciation for all things Arizonanfrom the snakes, spiders, and scorpions to the pungent smell of wet creosote after a summer rain. Both of my sons, born in Chandler, Arizona, in 2002 and 2005 respectively, already know that while all snakes are amazing creatures, we cannot always tell which ones are poisonous and which ones arentand so we step around them with respect and awe. They are our neighbors.

In a state where climate is considered a commodity, it is no surprise that Arizona attracts more than 35 million visitors each year. From border to border, our state boasts one natural wonder after anotherthe Petrified Forest in the Painted Desert, the Grand Canyon, Organ Pipe National Forest, Kartchner Caverns, and Tonto Natural Bridge State Park, to name only a few. Even residents of Arizonaa whopping 30 percent of Arizonas tourists each yeartravel the state on weekends searching for something new to do and see. And they are never disappointed. Art galleries, museums, historic sites, resorts, restaurants, natural parks, monuments, and shops stretch from the ArizonaMexico border north through Tombstone, Bisbee, Tucson, Coolidge, Casa Grande, Chandler, Tempe, Glendale, Payson, Yuma, Prescott, Sedona, Camp Verde, Flagstaff, Winslow, Lake Havasu, and Pageand this list is but a sampling of the cities and towns and landmarks, each rich with history, culture, and geographic charm, nestled among the foothills, mountains, and deserts that cover the state.

But perhaps the Valley of the Sunhome to Phoenix, the fifth-largest city in the United States and the capital of Arizonacan be considered representative of all that is Arizonan. Located in the heart of the Sonoran Desert, within half a days drive of any given point of interest, the Valley is a multifaceted jewel of emerald golf courses, sapphire skies, and the amber and ruby rays of breathtaking sunsets.

Currently thousands of people flock monthly to the Phoenix metro area alone, and the famous saying of John B. L. Soule (or Horace Greeleywherever you may have heard it first)Go west young man, and grow up with the countrystill rings true. They are the young, the old, and the active, and perhaps they, too, have found what theyve been looking for. With so much to offer, Arizona might just be your little spot of happiness. So whether youre here for a romantic vacation, visiting for a three-day conference with only a couple of hours to spare, or here to stay, we hope that you find this book full of possibility and your time here an adventure.