Natural Wonders Relax, Refresh
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A CANADIAN’S GUIDE TO NATURAL WONDERS GOLF, GOLF, GOLF COWBOYS, INDIANS RELAX, REFRESH A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO THE SEPTEMBER 2011 ISSUE OF THE canadian’S GUIDE TO ARIZONSEPTEMBERA 2011 NOWHERE ELSE IN AMERICA page 6 SO manY different landscapes found WITHIN the borders of one state DESERT DRIVES page 8 With A climate to be enVIED, golf is neVER OUT of season in ARIZONA PLAY HaRD page 18 A CTIVE traVELLERS maY haVE A difficult TIME choosing from ARIZONA’S long menu OF sports and ADVenture actiVities C ULTURAL TRADITIONS page4 2 AI R ZONA’S 22 tribes still carrY on manY SPIRITUAL traditions of their ancestors RLE AX & RECHARGE page6 2 A gentle side speaKS to EVERYONE’S need TO relaX and recharge BY indulging in A LITTLE culture or self-CARE RID ’ E EM COWBOY page4 3 Wide -OPEN spaces, ranching and mining HISTORY and A rich Western heritage of COWBOY traditions N ATURAL WOndERS page0 4 A N EXTRAORDINARY miX of desert LANDSCAPES, canYON lands and cool PINE forests ARIZONA – A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO THE SEPTEMBER 2011 ISSUE OF CANADIAN TRAVELLER Published 12 times a year by Cover Photo Credit: Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Text by: Josephine Matyas 201-2080 Hartley Avenue Coquitlam, BC Canada V3K 6W5 Contents © 2011 by ACT Communications Inc. Tel: (604) 699-9990 Printed in Canada All Rights Reserved. ISBN 1207-1463 Fax: (604) 699-9993 23 CANADIAN TRAVELLER SEPTEMBER 2011 ARIZONA 3 NOWHERE ELSE I N AMERICA G RAND CANYON ice V R E K S K R A P ational N AI R ZONA. RUGGED. BREATHTAKINGLY beautiful. A palette of colour. NOWHERE else IN AMERICA are so manY different landscapes – desert, pine forests, snoW-CAPPED PEAKS, deep canYONS, red mesas – found WITHIN the borders of one state. IF there is A distinct ARIZONA stYLE uniting all of these VARIOUS different landscapes, it has SOMETHING to DO WITH superlatiVES. Visitors often come AWAY at A loss for WORDS. america I GRAND CANYON COUNTRY A RIZONA’S West COAST N The majestic Grand Canyon – one of the Seven Natural The mighty Colorado River forged and defines the state’s long Wonders of the World – draws millions of visitors to the state water boundary with neighbouring Nevada and California. each year. Nothing really prepares a new visitor for their first The reliable source of water has spun a long, green ribbon of look into this mighty gash in the Earth’s surface. Ponder the cottonwood-willow forests, cattails and wetlands along the numbers: a 446-kilometre long gorge that plunges to a mile “West Coast.” Hiking trails through state parks and along the in depth; its rock walls are 1.7 billion years old. Daybreak and shoreline of Lake Havasu are wonderful ways to get in touch twilight are the best times to peer into the gorge – the rocks with nature. take on ever-shifting colours with the changing light. Another famous “ribbon” that crosses the West Coast is the Grand Canyon country calls to those that love the outdoors. old Route 66, “The Mother Road” that once carried Dust Bowl There are countless adventures (for all skill levels) on biking refugees westward past open desert and through small towns and hiking trails. The National Park Service offers wonderful in search of a better life. Route 66 was etched into time by Nat interpretive programs to explain the geology, history and King Cole’s famous hit tune and by John Steinbeck’s novel, The wildlife of the area. And, of course, there’s the raft trip of Grapes of Wrath. a lifetime – the iconic journey along the Colorado River, The mighty Colorado widens into Lake Havasu, a popular O following in the footsteps of Major John Wesley Powell, leader spot for water sports of all kinds, fishing and – in Lake Havasu of the 1869 expedition that charted the Colorado through the City – gambling at the many casino-resorts. As unlikely as it N WHERE ELSE Grand Canyon. seems, Lake Havasu is home to the original 1824 London Bridge – a local business tycoon bought all 10,276 stones of Southern ARIZONA the English landmark, transported them overseas and had The Sonoran Desert cutting along the southern part of the it reassembled at the 44-hectare London Bridge Resort. state is the arid landscape dotted with the giant saguaro cacti Hotels, marinas and shopping have all sprung up alongside the for which Arizona is so noted. There is beauty in the stillness of relocated landmark. the desert landscape. Far from barren, the Sonoran is teeming In the southwest part of the state, the community of Yuma with flora and fauna – a spectacular introduction to this part of lays claim to being the sunniest spot on Earth. Once a crossing the world is through the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. point for gold rush hopefuls, today Yuma’s historic district is Tucson is a city touched by the culture of the Tohono lined with quirky shops and interesting cafés. O’odham Indians and the history of its days as a Spanish colonial outpost. The city’s vibrant intersection of cultures Northern ARIZONA appears in its food, music, language and heritage. Tucson is The Four Corners region of Northern Arizona has been known for its upscale resorts, artists’ communities and adobe described as mystical, sacred and spiritual. To the Navajo and architecture. Hopi people who make this area their home, the Four Corners In the southeast, the Chiricahua Mountains are a fortress of (where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah intersect) is eroded peaks, crags, spires, canyons and cliffs that were once all of these things. a stronghold of the Apache. Not far away are the old mining towns of Bisbee, Willcox and Douglas, that have found new life as artists’ enclaves and resort stays. At one time, this was the land of the Wild West – towns like Tombstone keep this heritage alive. HAPPY BIRTHDAY ARIZONA laKE HAVASU In the year 2012, Arizona marks one century of history as a state. Celebratory festivals, special events and centennial projects will mark the 100th year of statehood. Slated to open in 2012, the new Arizona Experience Museum will be a highly interactive, technology-driven museum showcasing Arizona’s past, present and future. A blend of galleries and exhibits will tell the story of the rich culture, diverse heritage and early entrepreneurship that built the state. AOT 25 CANADIAN TRAVELLER SEPTEMBER 2011 ARIZONA 5 america I N B V C X OENI H P V ALLEY of the sun RE G ATER It’s a region of canyons, curvaceous slot canyons, a high Northern Arizona is home to Monument Valley O desert landscape speckled with red sandstone mesas and buttes, (instantly recognizable from countless westerns), the spiritual N WHERE ELSE national monuments and protected sites, tiny communities that Canyon de Chelly where Navajo families still farm on the canyon are specks on the map, the country’s largest tribal lands (the floor, the Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site with its Navajo) and the country’s oldest (the Hopi mesa villages). This display of world-class woven rugs, the Anasazi ruins at Navajo part of the state is often overlooked – one glance at a map and National Monument, the forbidding Painted Desert… it seems that the distances are too far and the communities too all set against an almost otherworldly backdrop rich in reds, few. But there is richness and spirituality in the land and the local orange, purple and browns. culture that is found nowhere else in the state. Dramatic in Setting. Spanish-Mediterranean designed architecture grace this beautiful mountainside resort that overlooks everything yet nothing at all. Impeccable dining options, onsite championship golf, the refreshing Falls Water Village, rejuvenating spa services, and of course, all-suite accommodations, await you at Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cli s Resort. 1-800-876-4683 pointehiltontapatiocli s.com 6 ARIZONA SEPTEMBER 2011 CANADIAN TRAVELLER 26 B V C X OENI H P ariNAZO ’S colourful heritage RE G ATER ValleY of the SUN caught the attention of Frank Lloyd Wright, America’s most The metropolitan area surrounding Phoenix is known esteemed architect, who built his winter home there. It’s also collectively as the Valley of the Sun (including the communities home to the Heard Museum, with the country’s greatest archive of Tempe, Mesa and Scottsdale). Phoenix is a hub – for the arts, of Native American artifacts. And shopping is not just a pastime world-class museums, national sports teams and events, five- in the valley – it’s almost an obsession fed by lifestyle malls, small star resorts and retreats, and dining par excellence. The valley boutiques and quirky shops to find that one-of-a-kind item. b Dramatic in Setting. Rich in History. Spanish-Mediterranean designed architecture grace this beautiful Arizona’s favorite oasis is surrounded by spectacular desert mountain mountainside resort that overlooks everything yet nothing at all. vistas, all-suite accommodations, unique dining venues, relaxing spa Impeccable dining options, onsite championship golf, the refreshing treatments and acres of refreshing pools and water features at the Falls Water Village, rejuvenating spa services, and of course, all-suite renowned River Ranch. See for yourself why Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak accommodations, await you at Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cli s Resort. Resort remains the ‘famous for fun’ Phoenix destination getaway. 1-800-876-4683 1-800-876-4683 pointehiltontapatiocli s.com pointehiltonsquawpeak.com 27 CANADIAN TRAVELLER SEPTEMBER 2011 ARIZONA 7 DESERT VE Dri S WeOP -K - A GOLF CLUB B V C C S OTTSDALE F ROM the MYSTICAL red rocKS of SEDONA doWN to the famed fairWAYS in PHOENIX’S ValleY of the SUN, and on to the ponderosa pine lined greens at WILLIAMS, ARIZONA boasts more than 300 golf courses, each WITH its OWN uniQUE TERRAIN and challenges.