Travel & Adventure
Sometimes you have to get out of town.
A Northern AZ Staycation
We may be living in this pandemic world until the beginning of summer. That doesn’t mean you can’t have fun – safely. You may not feel comfortable traveling too far outside of the comfort and safety of your home. We’ve curated this list of staycation ideas for your possible staycation fun.
Arizona’s very own Shangri-La; Castle Hot Springs resort is back
Nestled at the southern tip of the Bradshaw Mountains amidst towering saguaros and jagged sunburned rocks, a true Sonoran Shangri-La once existed.
It was the winter home of Gilded Age titan families including the Vanderbilts and Rockefellers, who spent their mornings on horseback with local ranching families such as the Champies before relaxing in the natural hot springs or playing a round at Arizona’s first golf course.
Important suffrage sites still stand in Prescott, Phoenix and Cottonwood
A beautiful Victorian on North Mount Vernon was home to both Pauline O’Neill and Frances Willard Munds, so it was the site of countless suffragist planning meetings. That makes it one of the most important Arizona suffrage sites for Heidi Osselaer, Arizona State University history professor and an expert on the subject.
White Mountains Fall Foliage
The spectacular aspen stands in the White Mountains offer a wonderful day trip in search of fall foliage. Thousands of new aspens have sprung up from the devastation of the 2011 Wallow wildfire, Arizona’s largest at 538,000 acres. These thick aspen stands are now 10-20 feet tall as they emerge amid the blackened stumps of mixed conifer near mature forestlands that survived the flames.
Now is the time to savor the Verde Valley wine crush
The Verde Valley wine scene has blossomed into dozens of vineyards and tasting rooms during the 21st Century. With the harvest season in full swing, this is the perfect time of year to enlist on a day trip that’s a feast for the eyes as well as the palate.
Yukon 2020™: The Adventure of a Lifetime
Just as this issue of Prescott Woman magazine hits the stands, I’ve been dropped off by floatplane in the middle of the Klondike. The drop-off marks the start of an epic expedition known as Yukon 2020™. It’s a record-setting, 60-day, self-supported canoe adventure along all 2,000 miles of the Yukon River from the Canadian Rockies to the Bering Sea in Alaska.
A World Traveler Who Loves to Call Prescott Home
Why is a wildlife cinematographer who specializes in Arctic wildlife and underwater filming living in Prescott?
Go Ahead: Spend the Night in the Wilderness … I Dare You
If you’re thinking of spending a night or more out in the wild, I have some suggestions for you. I highly recommend, especially if you are planning to take your kids, that you start in your own backyard. Once you have your tent, your sleeping bag, and pad, set them up and spend the night close to home. This simple “trial” can be a fun adventure and can teach you a lot in one quick night. When I look at backpacking from a beginner’s standpoint, it can be an overwhelming experience.
Head up to the cool country for Flagstaff Blues & Brews
There’s no cooler place to hang out during Arizona’s hot, dry month of June than 7,000 feet high in Flagstaff. Add two days of eclectic blues music, a tasty variety of beers and a wide expanse of green grass, and you get perfection with the Flagstaff Blues & Brews Music Festival.
The Most Magnificent Place
Getting from Tel Aviv to Petra was no easy feat; it was quite an adventure. After a short flight from Tel Aviv to Eilat Israel, the journey really began. You cannot rent a car in Israel and drive across the border, so from the airport we caught a cab to the border, where we would cross by foot into Jordan.
A Journey through Thailand
After one year of planning, saving, and anticipation, ten women – nine from Prescott and one from Colorado (see group photo above) – headed off on what would become an amazing two-week journey. After a 30-hour journey from PHX > LAX > HKG > CNX), our first stop was Chiang Mai, in the mountains of northern Thailand.
“Out of Africa” comes to life at Camp Verde wildlife park
Dean and Prayeri Harrison opened their Out of Africa Wildlife Park in May 2005 in Camp Verde after originating in Fountain Hills back in 1988. Some of the wild animals now have room to run up and down hills on more than 104 acres of the Upper Sonoran Desert at an elevation of 3,400 feet. The park is home to 86 species including 42 mammals, 27 reptiles and 17 birds.