After a long wait, the Arizona Republic has finally posted more of their picks for the top 50 places in Arizona. Giving credit where credit is due – please find the original article at azcentral.com
Don’t see your favorite spot on the list? Check out the top 50 – 30 and the top 10. If you can’t find it there, feel free to leave your comment here telling us where you think we should visit next.
No. 29: Apache Trail to 3 Lakes
The trail’s saguaro-covered hills and deep canyons stretch for miles, broken by red-rock cliffs and hoodoos. The area remains a favorite among local sightseers, boaters, hikers and anglers.
No. 28: Petrified Forest National Park
Visitors to the vast park (its boundaries, extended in 2004, encompass 218,533 acres) will see the petrified remains of trees that grew here millions of years ago.
No. 27: Grand Canyon’s Phantom Ranch
Nestled along Bright Angel Creek at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, Phantom Ranch is one of the world’s premier destinations. And for good reason.
No. 26: Picacho Peak
The redundantly named Picacho Peak (”peak” in Spanish is picacho) rises abruptly from the desert floor between Phoenix and Tucson and for centuries has served as a landmark for explorers.
No. 25: Havasu Falls, a watery gem
Little else matters, especially not the lawn that needs mowing or office desk buried with work, as I recline against a warm, smooth rock after a swim in the turquoise-hued pools of Havasu Creek.
No. 24: Monument Valley towers in lore
We know it from the movies as John Ford’s favorite stage. And yet Monument Valley feels like the most foreign of places, even exotic – if such things still can be said about a large piece of our map.
No. 23: Desert Botanical Garden rewards patient visitors
This 67-year-old Arizona treasure hosts events from the annual Music in the Garden concert series to winter holiday evenings that feature thousands of candlelighted luminaries.
No. 22: Canyon Ranch Spa
Voted best spa by Condé Nast Traveler magazine 10 times, Canyon Ranch may be the best-known resort of its type in America. It’s been a leader among destination spas in combining health and fitness, and it employs 3 staff members for every guest to ensure that customers leave happy.
No. 21: Offbeat Sedona
Had enough of viewing Sedona’s red rock beauty and searching for bargains at Tlaquepaque? Don’t leave yet. There are lesser-known, hidden-away places that are well worth exploring. And they don’t cost nearly as much as a foray into the upscale attractions.
No. 20: The sky’s the gimmick at Benson inn
At the Astronomers Inn in Benson, stargazers can stay all night and examine the heavens through a variety of telescopes, then enjoy a hearty breakfast the next morning.
No. 19: Globe-Miami renaissance
The twin mining towns of Globe and Miami are becoming destinations for Valley travelers, not just a passage to the White Mountains. The communities lay claim to spectacular views in the foothills of the Pinal Mountains and provide a glimpse into the state’s rich mining history.
No. 18: Sabino Canyon
There’s no off-season in Sabino Canyon, a desert oasis and spectacular canyon at the base of the Santa Catalina Mountains northeast of Tucson.
No. 17: Montezuma Castle National Monument
Montezuma Castle, a five-level cliff dwelling in a limestone alcove above Beaver Creek near Camp Verde. The structure was home to Sinagua people more than 600 years ago. It’s one of three well-known ruins in the Verde Valley, about 90 miles north of Phoenix. Montezuma Castle, Montezuma Well and Tuzigoot National Monument make a scenic and informative day trip from the Valley.
No. 16: Old West comes alive in Wickenburg
Wickenburg is near the Hassayampa River, a rich riparian area that has sheltered the Yavapai Indians, lured there by its fertile planting ground. Gold wooed miners. Clear skies, uncluttered mountain views and the Sonoran Desert lure Valley visitors, who can escape urban life, journey into the state’s historic past and still make it home before sunset.
No. 15: Delightful bookshop in Benson
For more than 20 years, Singing Wind Bookshop has been delighting its visitors, not just from Arizona but also from around the world. Charmingly, the bookstore is plunked in the middle of a cattle ranch just north of Benson.
No. 14: Southern Arizona’s ‘White Dove’
Nine miles south of Tucson, the towers of San Xavier del Bac Mission rise unexpectedly from the sun-baked desert floor. Nestled in the Santa Cruz Valley, the mission is one of the state’s gems.
No. 13: Lake Havasu hums year-round
Forget London Bridge and spring break. The real fun of Lake Havasu lies, surprise, in the lake. From boating to scuba diving to wakeboarding, visitors to Lake Havasu have myriad choices when it comes to water-related activities.
No. 12: Old West meets art scene in Scottsdale
Downtown Scottsdale covers a lot of territory historically, from remnants of the Old West farming community founded in 1888 by Army chaplain Winfield Scott to the contemporary art interspersed with traditional pieces in galleries around Main Street and Marshall Way.
No. 11: El Presidio Historic District
Walking through El Presidio, Tucson’s historic, geographic and psychic center, you’ll see vibrant reminders of a past that’s still celebrated.
Miss the rest of the list? Check out the top 50 – 30 and top 10 places in Arizona.
