If you love the great outdoors, that outdoors just does not come any more beautiful than in Arizona. From the Grand Canyon to Monument Valley and the Painted Desert, a trip to Arizona is a scenic feast. The trickiest part will be making sure you have enough space on your memory stick for all your photos.
When planning your trip to Arizona, you will want to make the most of all the incredible sights, so pack accordingly. The state is mostly desert, so while you may not encounter rain, you do need to plan for a lot of sun. Summers are exceptionally hot, with temperatures ranging from 90°F to as high as 125°F. Deserts also cool off at night, so keep in mind those temperatures can drop by as much as 50°F once the sun goes down, so carry along a sweater. Bring sunscreen, dress for the heat, and find ways to keep hydrated and shaded from the sun. Or consider visiting in the winter when the temperatures are much milder, ranging from 40-75 °F.
If you’re spending time out enjoying Arizona’s wild beauty, you’re also going to be doing a lot of walking and hiking, so make sure to bring sturdy and comfortable walking shoes.
Your next step will be deciding just what to do! Will it be a golf trip or a spa weekend in Scottsdale? Are you up for a ghost tour in Tombstone, the “Town Too Tough To Die”? Or would you rather marvel at a more modern feat of engineering at the Hoover Dam? Arizona has it all, and your best bet is to rent a car so you can see as much as possible.
Without a doubt, Arizona’s most famous landmark is the Grand Canyon. Stretching nearly 300 miles across the state, the Colorado River has carved this steep gorge over a mile deep, exposing more than two billion years of geological history. There are many ways to enjoy this incredible wonder, so don’t limit yourself to just one. You can hike for an afternoon, or for days. You can ride a mule down into the Grand Canyon, or hover above it in a helicopter. You can stay in a historic lodge, go camping, or float down the river in a raft. You can even walk on the Grand Canyon by visiting the Grand Canyon Skywalk, a glass structure that juts 70 feet out over the rim of the Canyon, giving you a view 4,000 feet down to the bottom. Whatever you choose to do, the Grand Canyon is bound to jam up your camera and take your breath away.
No less stunning is Arizona’s Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. It’s one of the most beautiful and photographed places on Earth. Sitting on the border of Utah, the crimson desert rises into sandstone skyscrapers, some as high as 1,000 feet. The color of the Valley changes with every hour of the day, from deep reds to bright oranges and brilliant beiges. Monument Valley isn’t just visually breathtaking; it’s iconic in American culture. Standing here will put you in mind of every Western, and every John Wayne movie you’ve ever seen, not to mention every Road Runner cartoon.
For a look at an even older age, stop by the Petrified Forest National Park and learn more about the 200-million-year-old fossils discovered here. Then, check out the incredible colors in the Painted Desert, which is part of the Petrified Forest National Park.
For a less dry time outdoors in Arizona, try a champagne cruise on Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the United States.You can take a tour of the Hoover Dam, and marvel at the engineering.
Arizona also offers countless urban ways to entertain yourself. You can tailgate at a Cardinals game in Glendale, or take yourself out to the ball game at Chase Field in Phoenix. Stroll though Scottsdale’s Downtown Arts District or spoil your taste buds at the Tucson Culinary Festival.
From the ancient Anasazi to Zane Grey and Walt Disney, people have been falling in love with Arizona’s red rock country for thousands of years. So pack your camera and spend a little time in the its great outdoors. You may just find that you too have fallen in love with Arizona.
Valerie McGregor writes for Adventurous Wench, a company that specializes in adventure for women, with trip ideas, travel tips, and everything you need for your journey. Whether your next trips takes you to Arizona or Anchorage, you’ll find a wide range of women’s travel clothes, travel purses, travel accessories, luggage and more. Get set for your next trip, at AdventurousWench.com.
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