BEST OF SPRING
Hit the road for fun events throughout the state.
Now is the time for a road trip. Spring is the season when almost every corner of the state is accessible and beautiful. Here are the best things to do around Arizona this spring.
Float away on the Colorado
An inflatable tube, a lazy river and a warm spring day — what else do you need? The river tubing season in Yuma has begun. This is a new tourism addition for Yuma, following the massive cleanup and restoration of its riverfront. Yuma River Tubing operates from April 1 through Sept. 30. It provides tubes, coolers and a ride up the river. You just drift back downstream to your starting point.
The Colorado River can be feisty in the upper canyons but the Yuma portion is gentle and languid. Choose from three floats. The 5-mile float ($10-$20 depending on age) lasts about 31⁄2 hours. A 2.5-mile float ($10-$15) and 1-mile happy hour ($10) also are available. Bring an excessive amount of sunscreen and slather it on relentlessly.
Details: 928-750-0247, www.yumarivertubing.com.
Do the Dells
A ring of sparkling lakes encircles Prescott. The most striking of these is Watson Lake nestled amid the Granite Dells. The Dells are an otherworldly collection of massive boulders clustered together. Rounded yet lumpy, wrinkled yet smooth, these exquisitely sculpted rocks rise directly from the water and then ramble off across the shore.
A series of trails makes a 4.8-mile loop around the lake, curving through the big cottonwoods of the Watson Woods Riparian Preserve, following a recycled railway bed and then scrambling into the big boulders of the Dells. Views are spectacular almost every step of the way.
Watson Lake Park includes picnic tables, horseshoe pits, playground equipment and two boat launches. Canoe and kayak rentals are available after April 22. The parking fee is $3. The campground recently opened for the season with 19 sites ($15 per night) and stays active through the first weekend of October.
Details: 3101 Watson Lake Road, Prescott. 928-777-1122, cityofprescott.net/ services/parks/parks.
Roar with the lions
Nestled in the high desert of Camp Verde, Out of Africa Wildlife Park provides a comfortable sanctuary for 400 exotic animals, and features dozens of large predators. The preserve is spread across 104 acres of rolling terrain. The natural habitats reduce the stress-induced behavior noticeable in animals in captivity.
Tiger Splash is Out of Africa's signature show. The daily program is spontaneous, just animals frolicking with their caretakers. Tigers engage in the sort of activities every house cat owner will recognize. It’s just the grand scale that makes it so impressive. Visitors can also take a narrated African Bush Safari and attend the Giant Snake Show.
General admission is $29.95, $14.95 for ages 3-12. Check the website for discounts.
Just outside the park, the Predator Zip Line offers a two- to three-hour zipline tour across five lines and a suspension bridge high above the animals. Tours are normally $129.95 but cost $89.95 through April; 928-567-9947, www.predatorzipline.com.
Details: 3505 W. State Route 260, Camp Verde. 888-878-6628, www.outofafricapark.com.
Spend a night in a time capsule
The Shady Dell motel in Bisbee is a monument to a simpler, more swinging time. It was an era of two-lane roads and big cars with fins hauling shiny chrome trailers the size of whales. Now the whales are parked, beautifully restored and waiting for you.
The Shady Dell offers seven vintage trailers that have been converted to overnight accommodations, as well as a Chris-Craft yacht and a full-blown tiki bus with a hand-carved outrigger bar. The attention to detail is eye-popping. Every knickknack, furnishing and fabric is age-appropriate. Even the radio plays only tunes, commercials and programs from back in the day.
The 1951 Royal Mansion is a plush 33 feet of aluminum-encased swank with leopard carpet, diner-style breakfast booth and martini shaker and glasses on the kitchen counter. Each unit includes a patch of Astroturf, lawn furniture and pink flamingos. So don’t be surprised if an impromptu cocktail party breaks out with your new neighbors. That’s just life at the Shady Dell.
Details: 1 Douglas Road, Bisbee. 520432-3567, www.theshadydell.com.
Dance and drink
Or watch other people dance while you drink. The Mariachi/Wine Festival at Patagonia Lake State Park takes place 9 a.m.-8 p.m. May 20.
Southern Arizona mariachi bands take the stage and put on a lively, colorful show. Vendors serve up Mexican food, as well as hamburgers, hot dogs and shaved ice. There will be a piñata for the kids. Bring water, lawn chairs, sunscreen and hats. Local wineries will be on hand for tastings.
Tucked away amid rolling hills, the 265-acre lake makes a shimmering oasis in the desert. The campground sits at water’s edge. The park also has a beach, picnic areas, fishing and a marina with boat rentals. Campground reservations can be made online. Park admission is $20 per vehicle on weekends, $15 on weekdays. Details: The signed turnoff for the park is 7 miles south of Patagonia on State Route 82. 520-287-6965, azstateparks.com/patagonia-lake.
Play looky-loo in some cool digs
Ever walked the narrow streets of Jerome gazing at the houses dotting the hills and wondering what they were like inside? Here's your chance to find out. The Jerome Historic Home and Building Tour takes place from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. May 20-21. This will be the 52nd year for the event, making it the longest-running home tour in Arizona.
Vans transport guests to each location. Spend as much time as you’d like checking out the architecture and style of each home, including some that have never been on the tour.
Here’s a tip: The tour is most crowded in the mornings so you might want to come in the early afternoon to minimize your waiting. It takes two to four hours to finish the tour, depending on how long you dawdle at each place. Tickets ($20) are available online and the day of the event. Wear comfortable shoes, because some walking and steps are involved.
Details: 928-634-2900, www.jerome chamber.com.
Visit Canyon de Chelly
Canyon de Chelly National Monument is one of those places almost everyone has heard of but only a handful of folks have actually visited. Let’s change that.
Two rim drives offer stunning vistas. Sheer cliffs plunge hundreds of feet to lush bottomlands lined with corn crops, pastures and cottonwoods. It’s a staggering blend of high drama and pastoral beauty. Canyon de Chelly shelters thousands of archaeological sites and dozens of Navajo families who still live and farm there during warmer months.
The North Rim Drive is 17 miles with three overlooks at prominent cliff dwellings. The South Rim Drive (19 miles) with seven viewpoints is even more spectacular. At White House Overlook, visitors can hike into the canyon along a beautiful trail (2.5 miles round trip) that switchbacks down the sandstone wall for a close-up look at an ancient multitiered pueblo.
Further exploration requires a guided group tour or a Navajo guide for jeep, horseback or hiking outings. Tours leave daily from Thunderbird Lodge in the park. A four-hour tour costs $70; 928-6745842, www.thunderbirdlodge.com. You’ll also find registered tour operators near the visitor center. Details: 928-674-5500, www.nps.gov/cach.