Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Boots meeting desert in Arizona
The first things most of us think about when considering Arizona are the desert, extreme heat and cactus.
The first things most of us think about when considering Arizona are the desert, extreme heat and cactus.
Yes, much of this beautiful state is covered by desert, but there are also many mountains and forests.
And the boys of summer even hold Spring Training here, or what is known as the Cactus League, as compared to the Grapefruit League in Florida.
What follows are some of my favorites in the Grand Canyon State:
• Saguaro National Park-While there are many types of cactus, most of us think about those towering cactus from the movies that only grow in the Sonoran Desert. Some go as tall as 40 feet and live 150 years. The first “arms” might not start growing for 75-100 years. Those arms bulge when saving water.
• Sedona-With those brilliant red walls surrounding town, some say it’s the most beautiful city in the world. No argument here. I was there after a foot of snow
had partially melted and the contrast from the sandstone to the white stuff was spectacular. I visited a vortex, a special place with its spiritual powers, and there I became a little dizzy.
• Jerome-This little town is built into a mountain. I asked a shopkeeper what the elevation was and she stated that it depends on where in town you are standing. It’s often called “America’s Most Vertical Town.”
• Prescott CollegePrescott College gives the pass/fail option for grading and is attended by “hippies,” while conversely, across town, there are those intense flight students of Embrey-Riddle Aeronautical University. Like Sedona after a snow— quite the contrast.
• Fountain Hills-There’s nothing like a typical subdivision with a 330 to 560 foot fountain. This was originally the tallest fountain in the world until one in Saudi Arabia was built that now spews water 1,024 feet into the air. The Arizona fountain automatically shuts off when the wind blows at least 10 m.p.h. Use caution—stay away from the mist—this fountain sprays the development’s recycled waste water.
• Scottsdale, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West— Architect Wright had the supreme ability to notch structures into their surroundings, with a real flair. This school and complex IS Arizona.
• Petrified Forest National Park-It’s true. The wood has really turned to stone and the colors are brilliant.
• Winslow, Arizona—You just have to stand on that corner. There’s even a red flatbed Ford parked in the street out front.
• Holbrook-Route 66 weaves through the state and this little town features motel rooms designed to resemble “teepees.” As you would imagine, from inside, the rooms are very oddly shaped.
• Flagstaff and the Wheeler Observatory-Look through the big telescope here far into space. Surprisingly, the scope swivels along a track on car tires.
• Grand Canyon-The most physically demanding hike I ever did was climbing out of the Grand Canyon with a backpack full of water. But what a payoff! We camped near the Colorado River and watched a full moon rise and light up one of those places every person should visit in their lifetime.
• Four Corners-That spot where Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah meet is worth a quick stop. Something about standing in four states at once is way cool.
• Phoenix-Amazingly it seems to get even just a little bit hotter in the big city. Saw a Philly sandwich shop, but they referred to them as subs on the sign. I passed since everyone knows real Philadelphians call them hoagies.
• The Boneyard-Hundreds of old planes are stored here. Why? Because the lack of humidity preserves them better. The day I visited it rained. Go figure. It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity.
• Lake Havasu City’s London Bridge—Yes, the real London Bridge is now located in Arizona. Really. Somebody shipped it over and reassembled it piece by piece.
• Hoover Dam-The power source for Las Vegas neon and millions of people. We took an elevator from the top to the bottom and then looked back up at this monster. Very intimidating. You wonder, hopefully only briefly, how does that concrete hold back Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in America and all that water?
The summer is coming and hopefully we’ll all soon be able to travel. If it’s not Arizona, hit the deserts of Utah or New Mexico. But make sure the air conditioning is working. Happy travels!