Travel & Adventure
Sometimes you have to get out of town.
Bringing the Past to Life
If you wonder how Sedona used to look as you drive up Highway 89A through its busy business district, a Red Rock Loop History Tour with the Sedona Historical Society offers you that view into the colorful past.
The historical society conducts an annual fall tour in town as well as an annual spring tour up Oak Creek Canyon that will impress anyone with an interest in local history – especially when you couple the tours with the spectacular backdrop of the Red Rock formations and gorgeous canyon.
Juneteenth!
Juneteenth celebrates June 19, 1865, the day this country’s last Confederate slaves were freed in Texas. The Emancipation Proclamation declared that slaves in Confederate states were free on Jan. 1, 1863. The Confederacy surrendered on April 9, 1865. But in practice, unless slaves escaped north, their freedom remained elusive until Union troops arrived to enforce it.
The Wonders Await You … In Arizona!
Local First Arizona’s mission is to help advance tourism in rural cities and towns. A past Arizona Office of Tourism study found Arizonans were spending a whopping $6 billion annually on tourism in southern California alone. In an effort to shift even a fraction of that money into local communities, Local First set out to make it easier for Arizonans to discover all that in-state rural communities offer as destinations in their own right. Enter WeekendZona!
WeekendZona, just one of several tools and programs Local First launched to promote rural destinations, features guided three-day excursions into rural parts of the state.
A Little Bit of Everything
You won’t find any expired equines at Dead Horse Ranch State Park in Cottonwood, but the riverfront scenery is just as memorable as the unusual name.
The Ireys family required the state to keep the ranch name when they sold it in 1973. The family chose the moniker after touring several Verde Valley properties in the 1940s. Calvin “Cap” Ireys asked his kids which place they wanted to buy and they replied, “The one with the dead horse.” He bought the place in 1950 and the name stuck.
Today, the ranch looks a bit different but retains its rare riparian beauty. It spreads out along the Verde River just across the waterway from Cottonwood’s Riverfront Park. Three lagoons keep fresh with river water via the 1870s-era Hickey Ditch water rights that came with the park. A park store, ramadas, playground, restrooms, campsites, and cabins are connected by a system of trails that links to neighboring federal and state lands. Visitors enjoy fishing, swimming, hiking, bird watching, and horseback riding; an on-site riding concessionaire makes the latter easy for everyone.
‘The Jewel of the Pacific’
A must-see in central Chile is the colorful city of Valparaiso. The second largest city in Chile after Santiago, it consists of more than 40 rolling hills by the sea in a range of colors that includes incredible street art on the sides of homes and businesses. In 2003, United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization declared it a World Heritage site.
How Far Will Your Dreams Take You?
Once upon a time, there was a wild, fiery dreamer inside of each of us, who dreamed of far-off lands and adventures to be had. As we grew older and adulthood began knocking on our door, for many, those dreams were put up on a shelf and replaced by the never-ending responsibilities of everyday life: career, deadlines, family, health, and more.
The Largest Collection of Exotic Animals in Arizona
Mickey was already breeding birds and guinea pigs while growing up in west Phoenix. Although he grew up to become a schoolteacher, he was so involved in his animal ventures, that friends told him he should quit his job and open a zoo. He took their advice and opened the Wildlife World Zoo in the West Valley.
A Magical Ride
If you really want to spark that awestruck holiday sparkle in the eyes of your little ones, take them on the Grand Canyon Railway’s Polar Express excursion.
“There is something magical about the emotional connection people have to this train ride,” said Sam Langner, the railway’s community relations manager.
Farming Roots
Mortimers have taken farming far beyond what their ancestors could have imagined. Mortimer Farms welcomes thousands of visitors each year to pick their own food, participate in a huge variety of activities and games, and enjoy seasonal festivals including the wildly popular Pumpkin Fest and Corn Maze each fall.
A Getaway to Canyon Country …
Adventure seekers hoping to explore one of the most famed slot canyons in the world need look no further than a fall retreat to Hyatt Place Page/Lake Powell as the hotel debuts its new seasonal package with Ken’s Lower Antelope Canyon Tours, which takes guests on a remarkable and enriching trek they won’t soon forget.
‘We Were So Grateful’
The war in Ukraine has been stirring up memories for Mai Nguyen.
The impending North Vietnamese military invasion of South Vietnam forced Mai’s family to flee to the United States in 1975 when Mai was six years old, and she’s never returned. Vietnam has been a socialist republic controlled by communists ever since.
But you won’t hear Mai lamenting her life’s path.
A Local Favorite
Ask some of Prescott’s old-timers to name their favorite local forest hangout, and you’re likely to hear about a place closer to Williams: White Horse Lake.
It’s among Arizona’s rare lakes with a campground in a relatively remote setting, so how can you go wrong?
“I think that’s why it calls to so many people,” related Kevin Lehto, recreation staff officer for the Kaibab National Forest’s south zone. “It brings that classic camping feel.”