9 Awesome Experiences To Have in Arizona Before You Die
1. Getting to know the desert’s furry, scaly, and feathered denizens
Arizona just wouldn’t be Arizona without visions of roadrunners, coyotes, and rattlesnakes. This trio of desert life is just the beginning of the area’s biodiversity, as you’ll soon find out at the Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum.
Located on the mountainous edge of Tucson, this museum is like a combination of a world-class botanical garden and a zoo. From fall through spring, you can catch a birds-of-prey free-flight demonstration, where you’ll practically feel the brush of feathers as raptors swoop above you from saguaro to saguaro. Mountain lions, parrots, bighorn sheep, javelinas, and, of course, lizards and snakes — visit them all in well-thought-out habitats. See the miniature nests in the hummingbird aviary and pet stingrays in a saltwater pool (remember, the Sea of Cortez is just a few hours’ drive away). Lush? Desert? So close together? Absolutely.
2. Wine tasting around the state
Parts of Arizona have soil and climate conditions similar to those of Bordeaux and Burgundy in France. Now that you’re in the know, come and
North of Phoenix, the Verde Valley grows about a hundred grape varieties near the towns of Jerome, Cottonwood, and Camp Verde. South of Tucson, the high desert grasslands around Sonoita and Elgin have been producing wine for decades in a rolling landscape home to pronghorn antelope. And in the state’s far southeast, the Willcox area’s soil and climate have been compared to the Rhône valley and parts of Argentina. Check out this
3. Skiing above the saguaros
Skiing in Arizona? Yep, both down south and up north. High above Tucson in the Santa Catalina Mountains,
And just outside one of the snowiest cities in the country,
4. Wandering the red rocks of Sedona
The luminous country around
Outside magazine says, “If you thought that Moab has a corner on red-rock desert riding, think again.” The mountain biking here is some of the best and most varied in the States. In winter, when the the trails can get icy, you might prefer a short hike like Boynton Canyon Vista, which leads to a grand saddle between stunning rock spires.
5. Gazing at the stars in the clarity of the desert
Astronomers around the world recognize Arizona as a premier destination for studying the skies — the International Dark-Sky Association has its worldwide headquarters right here in Tucson for good reason. Venture up to
Up in Flagstaff,
6. Tasting the origins of the region’s flavors
“Farm-to-table” and “locally sourced” have become guiding mottos for today’s food-minded travelers, and Arizona provides
The buzzing city of
Try Sonoran wheat bread leavened with wild yeast at
7. Encountering ruins, petroglyphs, and history with a Navajo guide in Canyon de Chelly
Sandstone cliffs a thousand feet high, pre-Columbian petroglyphs, ancient cliff dwellings, groves of cottonwoods, horses roaming free beneath fiery red spires — it sounds like a dreamscape, but it all comes together in reality in
It’s one of the longest continuously inhabited places in North America, as generations of Navajo have called this stunning network of gorges home, and before them Hopi, Pueblo, and others, going back nearly 5,000 years. In more recent centuries, encounters with newly arrived Spaniards and U.S. soldiers led by Colonel Kit Carson have resulted in not-always-peaceful endings, but these compelling canyons are tranquil today. To access the deeper reaches of the monument’s 83,840 acres, join a tour with a ranger or Navajo guide.
8. Restoring your body and soul at a world-class spa
At
9. Exploring the Grand Canyon in the quiet of winter
No matter how many photos you’ve seen, nothing compares to being perched, in person, on the rim of the
The summer crowds can be formidable, but from December through February you can drive your own vehicle west of Grand Canyon Village instead of lining up for a shuttle bus. Stop at any of the overlooks on your own schedule, hike a bit, and peer down into the play of shadows on the nearly two-billion-year-old rock and Colorado River, a vertical mile below you. Set your alarm and dress in layers for a sunrise from the edge, and watch, through your breath, the light pouring into these chasms of geological time.
