While New York is my favorite place to travel to that’s close, Arizona is my favorite place to travel to that’s far away. I’ve been out to Arizona five times now and in addition to the beautiful, warm weather, there’s so many different places to go to explore!
1. Jerome
Jerome is a fascinating Ghost Town worth checking out. Beneath it is what was the largest copper mine in Arizona. There are haunted tours of the town’s buildings where ghosts of mining accidents are lurking. Another attraction is Gold King Mine and Ghost Town which is a museum where visitors can see demonstrations of mine equipment and walk in a mine shaft. There is also the Douglas Mansion, which is now a musuem that displays artifacts, minerals, photos, and videos.
2. Prescott
Prescott is full of parks, lakes, and trails to explore. For hikers, there is the Mile-High Trail System which contains 68 miles of trails. Prescott is also the home of Goldwater Lake, Watson Lake Park, and Willow Lake Park. For those who enjoy birds, there are 360 confirmed species of birds to see in Prescott. Some attractions to check out are the Heritage Park Zoological Santuary and the Highlands Center for National History.
3. Flagstaff
Flagstaff is not like the rest of Arizona; the temperate usually doesn’t go above 90 and it snows there, yes..snow! People who go to Flagstaff like to hike, mountain bike, boat, camp, go rock-climbing and ski and snowboard in the winter. Some attractions to check out are Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, Tuzigoot National Monument, Walnut Canyon National Monument, and Wupatki National Monument.
4. Phoenix
Phoenix is the capital of Arizona and a big place to explore. Hikers and bikers will enjoy Camelback Mountain, Papago Park, Phoenix Mountains Preserve, McDowell Mountain Regional Park, and Cave Creek National Park. There are plenty of tours and sightseeing and places to go to like parks, zoos, and gardens. There are also helicopter rides and hot air balloon rides.
5. Grand Canyon National Park
The Grand Canyon receives almost 5 million visitors yearly. It’s one of the most mesmerizing things to lay eyes on, and something people often put on their bucket list. The canyon is 277 river miles long, up to 18 miles wide, and a mile deep. There have been over 4,300 archeological resources recorded, with the oldest human artifacts found being nearly 12,000 years old.The Grand Canyon is home to over 1,500 plant, 355 bird, 89 mammalian, 47 reptile, 9 amphibian, and 17 fish species.
If you love warm weather, Arizona is the place to be. It’s also a great getaway for those who live in places that experience cold and snowy winters. If you haven’t been there before, it’s somewhere I would recommend traveling to and once you do, you’ll want to come back again!