Arizona Things to Do Tips by jumpingnorman Top 5 Page for this destination

See Arts and Crafts and Eat at TLAQUEPAQUE

I'm not really sure how to pronounce it's name, but you won't miss Tlaquepaque when you are in Sedona. It has been there since the 1970's, and it is noted for its Old-World Mexico Style architecture...it's like Zorro will come out at any moment, hehehe...

There are about 40 unique shops and galleries, showcasing Southwestern art and crafts - however, some of them are really really pricey. So, most of the time, we just eat here...

Restaurants include El Rincon, How Sweet It IS, Oak Creek Brwery and Grill, Rene, and The Secret Garden Cafe.

But because of the great architecture, sometimes you will see weddings and special events being held here. During Christmas time, the whole place looks wonderful with all the"Christmas lights"...

The place is opn daily from 10 AM - 5PM

Address: 336 Hwy 179 at the bridge

Directions: In the Sedona Gallery District

Lake Powell - Rent a Houseboat!

The first time we saw Lake Powell was when we were driving in our then 2000 road-reliable Honda Accord from our apartment in Kansas City, Missouri to start a new life in Arizona in 2001. My wife saw the wonderful bluegreen waters against the clear sunny sky and surrounded by spectacular desert canyons and towers --- “What a beautiful lake!”, she exclaimed.
Then five minutes after she said that, a torrential pour came down on us and my visibility was ZERO. I had to park the reliable car on the side of the road to wait for the massive rain to pass. Ten minutes later, the downpour was gone and everything was clear again.
Cool.
This is really a spectacular lake, partly in Arizona and mostly in Utah. I later learn that it is actually man-made (built 1963-1980), more than 180 miles long with 2000 miles of shoreline and can be 500 feet deep! Another interesting fact is that it is set in a high elevation – at 3700 feet above sea level!
The lake, which lies partly in Arizona and mostly in Utah, is more than 500 feet deep in places. While Utah has the lion's share of Powell's crystal clear water, Arizona lays claim to the most important part—the dam. It took 17 years, from march 13, 1963 to June 22, 1980, to fill to the planned level of 3,700 feet above sea level. Lake levels fluctuate depending on the spring runoff from the mountains and the releases needed to produce electricity from the dam's eight generators.
Swimming, fishing, scuba diving, snorkeling, kayaking, water skiing, hiking and photography….whatever you do will be a memorable experience in this amazing lake!

Houseboats can be rented (just like in Lake Havasu), and groups can actually split the prices among themselves and enjoy days of fun on the lake. Let’s say there’s eight of you and the houseboat costs about US$5000 a week, then that would be about $700 each only for a whole week of staying on the water and the houseboat sometimes come with jetskis!!! And some of them can accommodate up to 14 people, so that will be much less than $700 per person…

In this high desert area, humidity is at about <40% only, and the waters are warm from June to October (waters can be at a comfortable 70 degrees in summer but cool in the winter). Also, you will be amazed by how clear the water is – clarity even at fifteen feet into the lake!

In Page, Arizona, there are marinas (Wahweap and Bull Frog marinas) with boat cruises that can tour you around the lake for several hours (1-7 hours). Some people also take their RV’s but during the summer, the evening heat can be stifling, so you just have to hook up your RV for airconditioning comfort for about $30.

Whatever you do, Lake Powell will amaze you and it is a great find in the middle of the desert!

Watch the Diamond Backs at their home! Baseball!

When in the Phoenix area, go and see the famous and well-loved Diamond Backs baseball team at the Chase Field, formerly Bank One Ball Park.

Bank One Ballpark opened in March 31, 1998, when the Diamond backs took the Colorado Rockies. Then after 9-1-1, one of the most exciting World Series game (Game 7) was played here where the D-backs beat the Yankees, making Luis Gonzales a household name.

During that post-911 World Series, then President George W. Bush, wearing a FDNY fleece, threw out the first pitch of game three, receiving a standing ovation from the New York crowd. Then in Arizona, the stealth fighter plane flew over the opened retractable roof of the Bank One Ballpark.

The retractable roof is a technological marvel, with nine million pounds of structural steel and operating with similar technology as draw bridges and cranes, with a pair of 200-horsepower motors taking a little more than four minutes! Amazing! (Arizona does have another retractable- roof stadium in Glendale, 2008 SuperBowl).

However, on Sept. 23, 2005, the stadium name was changed to Chase Field (from the previous Bank One Ballpark) after the merger between Chase and Bank One.

Directions: Nestled among Jefferson Street to the north, Fourth Street to the south and Seventh Street to the east

Dead Horse Ranch State Park - Trout Fishing!

We discovered this park by accident as we were looking for the Tuzigoot Monument. The entrance had a lot of trees and striking views. It’s the perfect park for picnics and RV camping adventures, and offers the much needed shade during the summer heat.

Camping facilities include barbecue grills, hiking and biking trails, horseback riding (2.5 hour trails available through private guides) and excellent bird watching as there are more than 100 species of birds in the area.

But one of the best things is the stocked fishing ponds!!! The lagoon is stocked with Rainbow trout from Nov-Mar and trout fishing is popular in this part of Arizona. Another reason why we support our state parks!

My son and I returned early morning the next day and at 8 AM there were people fishing already! It was a very nice and picturesque lagoon wih tall grass in the middle and the mountains all around...truly a nice morning for photoshoots! Our car entrance was only $6 (2008) and you could come back anytime during the day until closing. The park ranger was nice and even gave us seeds to plant and a park pin for my kid!

Car admission (in 2008) only six dollars (additional dollar for more than four people) and open from 8AM to 5-7PM (earlier closing during the winter).

Address: N 675 Dead Horse Ranch Road, Cottonwood

Phone: (928) 634-5283

Out of Africa Safari in Arizona - Tigers Splashing

We decided to experience this safari park in the Arizona Desert after seeing a brochure on it with tigers jumping in the air and giraffes, bears and even a rhinoceros! I had visited South Africa a few months before and the safari was a great experience, and it was great we could have a similar experience right here in Arizona.

My Russian barber told me that this safari zoo was originally near the Fort McDowell casino near Phoenix, but then moved to Camp Verde for bigger and better grounds. So, that Friday night my family booked a motel stay at Pines Motel which offered a night stay with zoo tickets included.

We went on a Saturday, pleasantly surprised that there was a lot of people to experience the safari. It had a huge parking lot and big gates which reminded me of the King Kong gates I saw in Sun City, South Africa. On entering, you are given your wristbands and cards in exchange for carrot sticks which you will later feed the giraffes during a Serengeti ride. The trains and buses were filled and people - we were all having a good time walking around the park and hopping on and off the buses to see the shows which included a big snake show…

Our favorite was the tiger splash where 3 huge Siberian tigers jumped in and out of the water with their trainers, and the owner himself presented the show. Founders “Dean” and the lady trainer “Prayeri” are to be praised for doing a good job in setting up this safari in the Arizona desert which does have similarities to the African safaris I have experience before.

As in Africa, the huge mountains are all around, some of them snow-capped (during winter in Arizona) while the bushes remain dry. Even our Serengeti bus guide was from South Africa himself.

There are several tigers, lions and the big rhino Boom-Boom. The animals have names and trainers know all of them --- the giraffes were very friendly. Zebras and ostriches were aplenty. And the bears were very playful, with one small bear running around playfully in his encasement alongside a child who was running around it. They had also recently put up a lemur station and also a wild prairie dog enclave. It must cost a lot to maintain this safari paradise in the middle of the desert and it is truly nice to have this kind of entertainment in Arizona!

The park is open year round Wed-Sunday 0930-1700 (admission closes 4PM), closed on Monday and Tuesday except some holidays. Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, July 4, Columbus Day and Veterans Day.

Address: Verde Valley Justice Ct Rd, Camp Verde AZ

Directions: In Camp Verde, 3 miles west of I-17 on Hwy 260 (exit 287), 30 min south of Sedona and 90 minutes north of Phoenix

Phone: 928-567-2840

Website: http://www.outofafricapark.com

Montezuma Well - Where does water come from?

We had been at Arizona's Montezuma Castle before which featured the prehistoric cliff dwellings rising 100 feet above the Beaver Creek floodplain. It was actually constructed by the Sinagua people, and the Aztec emperor Montezuma was never really in this area as the castle and the well were abandoned a century before Montezuma was even born!

Close to the castle is Montezuma Well - a natural limestone sinkhole which is sanctuary for several birds, turtles and thick beds of brown-green algae! Once we were at the Well Info office (entrance is free), you walk up a path leading to the well. And then you see some railing and the well is right down below --- a round waterhole several hundred feet below. Don’t Fall! The railings do not encompass the whole perimeter and so it is possible to fall into the well – and so watch your kids, as I did have to hold the hands of my 4 year old twins!

It’s amazing that this perennial body of water has lasted for centuries, a story which began 12 million years ago when this part of the Verde Valley was covered by a large shallow lake. The waters of that lake started disappearing 2 million years ago. Until now, the origin of the perennial water is unknown to scientists---- it must be from well below the earth’s surface and studies are being conducted as you are reading this. It is truly a mystery!

But the high carbon dioxide content of the well makes the well inhospitable to fish, and therefore there are 4 species unique to the well and found nowhere else in the world. There are amphipods, tiny shrimplike animals which comb algae with their mouth appendages. Leeches have sensory hairs on their bodies to gulp in those amphipods. I’m not much of a zoologist but this info does sound interesting!

Address: Exit 293 at I-17

Directions: Follow I-17 to exit 293 (4 miles north of the exit for Montezuma Castle). Continue through the towns of McGuireville and Rimrock, following the signs for four miles to the entrance to the Well. There is no fee to enter Montezuma Well.

Tuzigoot - ancient stone dwelling on hill!

Tuzigoot Monument holds the archeological remains of Sinagua people who abandoned the site around 1400 – they were the ancient farmers of the Verde Valley. And it is very interesting to see the little museum showing excavations done in the early 1900’s. But why did they leave? Nobody really knows…

From afar, the stone fort-like structure looms on a hill and beckons to be explored. The monument encompasses 42 acres.

Once there, you go to the museum for $5 tickets for those more than 15 yo (as of 2008) and then you go up the trails going up to the structure. The trail is wheelchair friendly and the kids loved following it (one mile of paved hiking)!

Tuzigoot means “crooked water’ in Apache, and the structure we visited was originally two stories high in places and with 77 ground floor rooms. Entry was then mostly by ladders through roof openings – I guess this is a construction marvel to protect from the scorching heat and cold.

You then find a small door which will lead you into a dim room and you will feel how much cooler it is behind these ancient rocks. This is probably why they used this kind of clay and rock – and then you go up the steps and end up at the “rooftop dwelling” and get spectacular views around the expanse of the desert. Simply breathtaking views and perfect for Kodak moments!

Directions: Located on Highway 89 between Cottonwood and Clarkdale

Sedona - Red Rocks, Romance, and UFO's!!!

The first time I saw Sedona was driving through the winding mountainside road and seeing the wonderful houses alongside it's famous creek You can park at the sides of the road and go down steep stone hillsides to see the cool creek! And then, there's the Red Rock Slide Park where bathers enjoy the slippery creek during the summers. And when you see the John Wayne red mountains (the ones you see in those cowboy movies), you will fall in love with this place.

Sedona always has that mystery about it, and once I saw in the History Channel that this site is actually one of the best places to spot UFO's! Hmmmm....but when you are here, you do notice the skies are really clear and look magical and enigmatic. The scenery is breathtaking as well...

Sedona has even been voted as one of the most romantic places in the USA, and artists from all over have decided to stay in Sedona to be inspired! Those from Phoenix escape to this enchanted place when the city is too hot since it is only two hours away - a perfect spot for vacation houses. There are great restaurants, shopping, art shops and famous spas with those massages made with warm earthy stones...this place is truly relaxing!

Grand Canyon Natural Wonder

The Grand Canyon looks great, no matter what --- sunshine, raining, snowing. But I like it best after a little rain because the color of the rocks show. There is a Grand Canyon Village with hotels where you can experience sleeping overnight in this natural wonder. Some people prefer to enjoy the scenery through the Grand Canyon Railway, some through a helicopter ride and some through hiking down into the canyon's depths and onto the rafting through the Colorado River.

There are two main parts to this huge basin, the more touristy South Rim with the beautiful postcard sceneries and Grand Canyon Village hotels, and the less-visited North Rim with the wonderful pine trees and known for the river rafting. My wife likes the North Rim better, and I the South.

But, no matter how you travel to the Grand Canyon, being able to have even just a glimpse of this glorious place is quite a privileged experience -- and we Arizonians are proud we have this magnificence in our state!

Montezuma Castle along I-17

The Sinagua culture left the best preserved cliff dwellings in North America. The 1000 year old mountain dwellings boasts of a 20 room high-rise apartment strategically carved into a towering limestone cliff. If you are going to the Grand Canyon from Phoenix, you will pass by this exit on 1-17N (or 1-17S if you are going to PHX from GC).

Open Daily: 8 AM- 6 PM
(June - August)
Open Daily: 8 AM -5 PM
(September - May)

The entrance gate remains open during these hours seven days a week (closed on Christmas Day). Dogs are allowed on park trails but must remain on a leash no longer than six feet in length. Dog owners must pick up after their pets.

Museum
Includes exhibits and artifacts depicting the lifestyle, history and culture of the Sinaguan Indians who built Montezuma Castle. Book Store, restrooms, and picnic area. (928)567-3322



There is also the Montezuma Well which is unit of Montezuma Castle National Monument, and located 11 miles from Montezuma Castle and is home to species of animals found nowhere else. You can wander the trails exploring pre-historic Sinaguan cliff dwellings, pueblo ruins, and a 1,000 year old irrigation ditch that still in use by local residents.
Open Daily: 8 AM- 6 PM
(June - August)

Open Daily: 8 AM -5 PM
(September - May)

The entrance gate remains open during these hours seven days a week (closed on Christmas Day). Dogs are allowed on park trails but must remain on a leash no longer than six feet in length. Dog owners must pick up after their pets.

Address: Along I-17

Phone: (928) 567-3322

Website: http://www.nps.gov/moca/