Mike's Virtual VacationArizona |
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In the fall of 1998, Julie, Jamie, and I traveled to Arizona. We spent 4 nights in not-so-sunny Scottsdale, then traveled north. We stopped in Sedona on the way to Flagstaff where we stayed for 3 nights. While in Flagstaff, we visited the Grand Canyon, the Wupatki indian ruins, and went back to Sedona. One of the coolest things in Arizona is definitely the Saguaro Cactus. They are everywhere down by Phoenix and southern Arizona.
We visited the Grand Canyon but didn't spend enough to there to really appreciate the beauty. It was a cold day and our daughter Jamie was not liking the sub-40 degree temperatures or the brisk wind blowing off the canyon so we had to just to a quick car tour of the South Rim of the Canyon. It was beautiful and huge just like everyone says. But it would be cool to go down into the canyon someday. We spent the night at the Embassy Suites in Flagstaff, which was about a 3 hour drive.
I think we all enjoyed our time in Flagstaff more than in the Phoenix area because of the natural beauty of the area and outdoors vs the desert city area around Phoenix. The Botanical garden in Phoenix is pretty interesting since the majority of the plants on display are native to the American Southwest. We also saw Sun Devil stadium in Tempe where ASU and the Arizona Cardinals play football. I would've loved to see an actual game there. It's neat how it is built into the side of a mountain. I didn't get to see HoHoKam park which is where the Cubs have spring training, but then again I'm a White Sox fan so who cares? Nor did we travel down to Tucson, home of the White Sox spring training which is supposed to be a little less commercialized. Many people love the Phoenix and Scottsdale area and I can see why they would. There are loads of beautiful, world-class golf courses and spas where travelers come to escape from the cold winters of the north. There is lots of shopping and art studios are everyone in Scottsdale.
Sedona is a very trending town in the middle of some incredible red rock formations in the middle-northern Arizona. The town has many art studios and shops. From what I've heard from people who been there many years ago, the town is much larger than what it was 10 years ago. Vacation homes and resorts are popping up all over town. In a few years, I can easily see the town becoming a vacation destination of Aspen-like proportions. Buy your land now! We didn't get a chance to take one of the pink jeep tours through the desert but we did drive some of the more remote roads to view the beautiful rock scenery. The highlight of the town, outside the rock formations, is probably the Chapel on the Rocks. This Chapel is set amidst a canyon backdrop and is hauntingly serene. Out the front windows of the Chapel, you have a view of the entire canyon. This of course is being spoiled by the building that is going on, but when we were there, there weren't too many homes built yet.
I would recommend a trip to Arizona to all. It's so much different than Chicago, or most places I would imagine. I could easily return there and do some more traveling around the state to other sites. And I would much like to descend down into the Grand Canyon and camp down there.
