USA TODAY International Edition
FIVE MUST-SEE TOWNS IN ARIZONA
Visiting small towns is one of the great joys of travel. Combine scenic beauty, easy access and welcoming main street businesses and you’ve got all the makings of a memorable day trip. Scott Craven of USA TODAY Network-Arizona traveled the state and found
PRESCOTT
On sunny, mild weekends — and so many of them are — residents and tourists flock to the grassy square at the heart of downtown. In view of the Yavapai County Courthouse, a four-story granite structure looming like a castle, many stake claims to shady spots under spreading elms, or peoplewatch from the courthouse steps.
Others browse the shops, restaurants and bars that box in the 4-acre plaza, a design that’s as perfect today as it was in 1864 when the town was laid out. Founders couldn’t have envisioned the role the plaza now plays, hosting more than 100 festivals and events annually. The square is not just Prescott’s heart, but its soul.
A great day: Arrive early, not only to snag a nearby parking spot but to enjoy breakfast on the square at the Lone Spur Café, a cowboy-themed restaurant that gets you in an Arizona state of mind. Burn off the steak and eggs by browsing the antiques shops and boutiques. At lunch, relax with a craft beer at Prescott Brewing Company. After more shopping, if not a nap under the elms, take an evening walking tour of Whiskey Row, the drinking establishments lining the plaza’s west side. The watering holes are as popular now as they were when thirsty cowboys rode in off the range. Claim to fame: Step back in time at the Palace Restaurant Saloon and Restaurant. Opened in 1877, the state’s oldest bar is one of the most popular stops on Whiskey Row and once hosted Doc Holliday as well as Wyatt and Virgil Earp. The Palace burned to the ground in 1900, but not before patrons carried the bar itself to safety. That original Brunswick bar remains, polished smooth over more than a century of use. Easy day trip from: Phoenix,
about 90 minutes away. Details: www.visit-prescott.com
.
SEDONA
The first glimpse of Sedona is one of awe. Towers and walls of red rock surround the hamlet like a fortress. But rather than keep visitors out, the surreal landscape attracts tourists by the thousands.
The red- and orange-tinged sandstone formations have been shaped over hundreds of millions of years. At sunrise and sunset, they glow as if plugged into the earth’s molten core.
A great day: Board a jeep operated by one of the several companies specializing in tours of the surrounding landscape. The four-wheel-drive vehicles follow narrow, rutted trails and power over boulders to reveal stunning views. Once back in town, head to Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts Village, a collection of shops and restaurants resembling a Spanish plaza.
Claim to fame: Many come to Sedona to experience the spiritual energy said to emanate from vortexes. Those open to the possibilities may feel psychic forces energize and heal them, say adherents. Even if you don’t believe, it’s worth visiting the vortexes because they happen to be in some of Sedona’s most scenic spots, such as Bell Rock and Airport Mesa.
Easy day from: Phoenix, two hours away. Details: visitsedona.com.
JEROME
The Asylum, a longtime favorite restaurant for tourists, is located in the Jerome Grand Hotel, which was built in 1926 as a hospital.
The way buildings cling precariously to the side of Cleopatra Hill, it’s as if gravity has been suspended in this former mining town. Jerome is laid out vertically, with Arizona 89A switchbacking through it. The Verde Valley spreads out below in one of the most accessible vistas in Arizona.
With few signs of the mine shafts that run through Cleopatra Hill like a honeycomb, Jerome now thrives on tourism, enhanced by a welcoming vibe exuded by artists and small-business owners. Those who visit during the holiday season will see a plethora of peace signs outlined by Christmas lights.
A great day: On the lower end of Cleopatra Hill, you’ll note a towering wedge assembled of formidable timber. Completed nearly a century ago, the Audrey Headframe lowered miners more than 1,000 feet down a narrow shaft. Visitors may stand on the thick sheet of transparent plastic now covering the opening and peer into the abyss. Continue to downtown Jerome for lunch at the Haunted Hamburger and enjoy the view from the patio. Spend the day browsing the dozens of shops and galleries, and take a break at the tasting room for Caduceus Cellars, owned by Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan.
Claim to fame: The town may be Arizona’s most haunted. Many visitors hoping for a spontaneous outbreak of spirits can play it by eerie at the Jerome Grand Hotel. The building opened in 1927 as the United Verde Hospital and since then guests and staff have reported all sorts of unearthly activity, from apparitions and flickering lights to disembodied voices. The hotel looms over Jerome and even appears menacing at sunset. That’s a great time to duck into its bar, The Asylum, where spirits of a different kind are served. Easy day trip from: Phoenix, two
hours away.
FLAGSTAFF
Settled at the base of the San Francisco Peaks, Flagstaff is a popular getaway any time of year. It sits at 7,000 feet, with welcome heat relief in the summer and snow-based recreation in the winter.
The town boasts a quaint, dogfriendly downtown with an atmosphere reflecting its laid-back residents. Shops and restaurants line the narrow streets that form a pedestrian-friendly grid. Visitors mix easily with college students from Northern Arizona University, its tranquil campus just south of the central core.
A great day: A morning meal at MartAnne’s Breakfast Palace is mandatory for in-the-know tourists. Choose the breakfast burrito or the chilaquiles, a house specialty featuring tortilla chips scrambled with eggs, green onions and your choice of sauce. Cross Historic Route 66 and the railroad tracks to explore Flagstaff’s south side, a once-ignored area that’s gaining businesses and attention. After a beer at Mother Road Brewery, head back downtown and enjoy a bite at Diablo Burger, where you can build your own from dozens of add-ons. As the sun sets, nurse a cocktail on the balcony of the historic Hotel Weatherford and watch the shadows engulf downtown.
Claim to fame: In 2001, Flagstaff was designated the first International Dark Sky Space by the International Dark Sky Association. Civic leaders continue to keep an eye on light pollution, restricting billboards, signs, streetlights and more that could obscure the night view. The city also is home to the Lowell Observatory where, in 1930, Clyde Tombaugh discovered the formerly-known-as-a-planet Pluto.
Easy day trip from: Phoenix, two hours away.
Details: www.flagstaffarizona.org.
BISBEE
Two- and three-story buildings built of brick and stone line Main Street as if holding back the canyon walls rising sharply along its length. Bisbee’s slopes display a century’s worth of architecture, from historic inns to refurbished, modern-looking former miners’ shacks.
Bisbee thrives on a laid-back foundation of artists, entrepreneurs and free thinkers. Whether you’re exploring the shops downtown, the drinking establishments of Brewery Gulch or the town’s dizzying network of concrete stairs, you’ll be welcomed with a smile.
A great day: After walking around town, spend an evening along Brewery Gulch, where the history flows like beer. Start with dinner at the Stock Exchange, where businessmen once gathered to keep up with the latest prices via ticker tape. Duck into St. Elmo’s, the town’s oldest and diviest bar. If the barkeep has stepped out, don’t worry, one of the regulars will be happy to pour you a brew. Then cross the street to enter the Silver King Hotel. Take a right at the top of the stairs for the Room 4 Bar. With just four stools and 100 square feet, it’s Arizona’s smallest pub.
Claim to fame: Put on a yellow rain slicker, climb aboard a rail car and rumble into the heart of a mountain. The Copper Queen Mine Tour follows what was once one of Bisbee’s richest veins, mapped by men with no fear of dark, enclosed spaces.
Easy day trip from: Tucson, just
two hours away. Details: discoverbisbee.com.