We have had a number of visitors this summer. I like visitors because I get to share the beauty of this great state with them. I have travelled the length of Interstate 10 from Flaggstaff to Tombstone and down south on I-19 towards Nogales. I have found in my travels that one thing constantly changes, and that is the landscape. The people don't, but every twist and turn in the highway on a given day brings new sights.
Let' start in the northern part of the state. The greatest of Arizona's attractions, The Grand Canyon. I have been to the GC twice this summer, and it never ceases to amaze me. It is a "big hole in the ground" but it is a gorgeous big hole. The striations of the rock and the changing colors and contours leaves no doubt of some event or guiding hand in the painting of its grandeur.
As we return to Flaggstaff, the San Francisco Mountains rise up and grace our view. Early June still finds snow on the caps, while later in the summer, we can see "the purple mountains majesty." Although the area to the east and north of Flagg has been devastated by fire this spring, the mountains are still a wondrous sight. And the absence of heat makes the crossroads of Arizona a great escape. Add in the Phoenix Cardinals Training Camp during August, and it becomes the even more appealing.
Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon area are outstanding for sights and mysteries. Sedona is sometimes called "The Harmonic Center of the Universe" so it is filled with little shops that sell New Age items. It also has what are called Vortices in and around Sedona which supposedly help visitors feel peace and tranquility (read lots of hippies and wannabes here). It also has an area outside to the west that is a haven for UFO watchers and has an Area 51 flavor to it as it is protected by government and fenced in.
Past Cottonwood on AZ 89A is Jerome, a mystical place in its own right. This hamlet, built upon the side of a mountain, was once a mining town, but is now filled with shops, taverns and eating places. Jerome is renowned for it ghosts, and a trip to Haunted Hamburger and other places may get you tapped on the shoulder by a ghostly countenance. The drive back down from Jerome to Prescott is filled with switchbacks and hairpin turns which challenge driving skills and your inner ear as vertigo sometimes takes over. The 30 mile trip often takes about an hour, but the time goes unnoticed, as you seemingly fly down the mountain and end up on the plains just outside Prescott, the one time Capital of Arizona.
Prescott is a bustling hamlet that has unique courthouse walk. The walk has a timeline of history carved into it, and visitors can walk the trail of time and get an idea of the history behind the community which wanted so badly to be the leader of state. A stroll down Whiskey Row and a visit to bars along it entertains visitors with spirits of the liquid kind and stories of spirits of ethereal kind. Prescott Rodeo Days offers a look back to "the thrilling days of yesteryear." (Although you won't see the Lone Ranger anywhere.)
From Prescott, travelers can choose to go back to I-17 and visit Campe Verde one of the first outposts of the US Army, or go to Montezuma's Castle, a city built around 1100AD and abandoned in 1400AD by the Sinagua Indians. (Montezuma was never there). For more thrills of Ghost towns, a quick trip south on AZ 60 and stops in Congress and Yarnell can bring more spirits and stories. Wickenburg is the largest town this way, and it is trying to stay true to its Western Heritage while embracing vineyards and wineries. This way takes you in the "back door" to the valley and you find yourself on Grand Avenue on the west side of town.
All along the way there are many shops, restaurants in which to stop. In all of them you will find people who are proud of their state, and more than happy to see you. Politics never enters conversations unless someone (read here, you) bring it up. Then Arizonans are passionate about their freedom, their rights, and making sure people understand their issues.
On my next entry (Monday) we'll explore the lands south of the valley, including a Titan Missile Silo.
Doughnut
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