Arizona Places to Visit
Far from being the arid, lifeless desert in cartoons, the state has its share of snowy mountain ranges, roaring rivers, huge pine forests and unusual flora and fauna. Snaking its way 277 miles, Arizona's Grand Canyon dominates northern Arizona, a vast, multi-hued chasm that entertains over 5 million guests a year. The grottoes of Kartchner Caverns State Park descend underground while the red sandstone spires of Monument Valley pierce the sky.

Boasting a movie-backdrop landscape, Arizona offers natural attractions and adventure in one of the world's most varied and beautiful playgrounds. Some of the most remarkable natural attractions are preserved in six National Forests, 21 Indian Reservations, 27 State Parks, and 26 National Parks, Monuments, Recreation Areas and Historic Sites. Most of these also host visitors from around the world who come to hike, bike, ski and raft through some of the wildest terrain on earth.

Phoenix, the sixth-largest city in the nation, is a major tourist
destination as well as the business center of Arizona. Phoenix Sky Harbor
International Airport is conveniently located minutes from the city center.
The travel industry in town is experienced at handling the annual influx of
visitors wanting to take advantage of the warm weather and sunny skies. The
downtown area is alive with numerous after-hours activities, from major
sports events to performing arts.

Northern Arizona
The Grand Canyon's vastness, Sedona's red rocks, Flagstaff's forested
mountains, Lake Powell's blue waters and Monument Valley's sandstone
spires-all these are in Northern Arizona. Familiar to many through movies,
they await only the tough decision on how best to see them. Help is as close as the nearest raft, helicopter, mule, jet ski, trail, jeep or guided tour.

Tucson and Southern Arizona
Dominated by the modern city of Tucson, with its plush golf courses and
resorts, Southern Arizona is a nature lover's paradise with a romantic
cowboy history. Visitors can relive the past at guest ranches and Old West
towns or explore the future at astronomical sites or the Biosphere, and
Southern Arizona birding is some of the best in the world.

North Central Arizona
Enjoying the cool, pine-scented forests of North Central Arizona,
summertime, visitors hike, bike and ride their way along tree-shaded
mountain trails. High-country communities invite them to enjoy rodeos and
festivals. In fall, they watch the slopes turn red and yellow. And in the
winter, high above the cactus-studded desert, they ski at some of the
country's southern-most ski resorts.

Arizona's West Coast
Flowing hundreds of miles from Hoover Dam to Mexico, the Colorado River
forms Arizona's West Coast. Along the way, beaches, lakes and coves provide boating, fishing, water skiing and wildlife viewing for millions every year. And here and there, visitors can check out historical attractions that show how people have used this river for centuries

Recreation
Arizona's golf courses are as diverse and spectacular as its landscape. Across the state there are more than 300 courses, ranging from desert target style to links courses and alpine fairways. With that many courses, you can always find one with good tee times and within your budget, but planning ahead is always recommended.

Recreation References:
Arizona Outback Adventures - Allow Arizona's most complete outdoor adventure company to take you on a trip to one of the most spectacular places on earth. Phone: 480-945-2881

Arizona Facts
American Indians in Arizona
Arizona has one of the largest American Indian populations in the United States and more land devoted to Indian reservations than any other state.

The Navajo Indian Reservation in Northeastern Arizona extends into three states and across more than 27,000 square miles, which is roughly the size of West Virginia, and is shared by about 250,000 residents, or roughly one-tenth the population of West Virginia.

The prehistoric or pre-Columbian Indian tribes who preceded modern day Arizonans - tribes such as the Hohokam of southern Arizona, the Sinagua of central Arizona and the Anasazi of northern Arizona - left records, ruins and relics that attest to their high degree of sophistication in dry farming, water management, far-flung trade routes, and jewelry, pottery and textile-making.

Today, visitors can explore ruins, assist archaeologists and even spend the night in an authentic Navajo Hogan.

Pre-Pilgrim History
The Mayflower was old hat in Arizona considering the first European set foot in Arizona 80 years before pilgrims landed in Plymouth Rock. Coronado and his Conquistadors began exploring Southern Arizona in 1540. Today, Coronado National Monument in Southeastern Arizona marks the entry spot of that first major European expedition into the modern-day United States.

Great Outdoors
Of the state's 118,000 square miles, only about 15 percent, or an area roughly the size of Delaware, is privately owned. The rest is devoted to forests, parks, wilderness, wildlife preserves, recreation areas, and Native American reservations.

From seas of stoic Saguaro cactus to thick groves of fragrant pine trees, Arizona's vast open spaces beg for exploration.

In fact, Arizona boasts more national monuments than any other state in the continental United States, and is second only to Alaska.

The world's largest stretch of ponderosa pine forest meanders from the Eastern Arizona town of Alpine through Flagstaff, Prescott and Payson. The northwest corner boasts pine, spruce, and fir conifers, large stands of aspen, and lush grassy meadows.

The state's southeast corner offers a sea of lush, honey-colored meadows and is home to a rare orchid known as Canelo Lady Slipper, which grows streamside in the San Pedro Riparian Conservation Area.

In altitudes, Arizona ranges from 70 feet above sea level near Yuma to 12,643 feet on Humphrey's Peak near Flagstaff.

Trivia
The London Bridge at Western Arizona's Lake Havasu City is the largest antique ever sold to the United States.

Rainbow Bridge National Monument at Northern Arizona's Lake Powell is the largest natural bridge in the United States.

Time Zones: Arizona does not observe daylight savings time except at the Navajo Nation located in the northeastern portion of the state.

Arizona is noted for its 5 C's. . . . Copper, Climate, Cotton, Citrus and Cattle.