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EXCLUSIVE WEEKEND GETAWAYS JANUARY 2014 ARIZONA’S ESCAPE • EXPLORE • EXPERIENCE BEST BURRITOS page 46 — ARISTOTLE— 10 RARE OPPORTUNITIES at places like: PHANTOM RANCH BUENOS AIRES NWR KITT PEAK KEET SEEL “In all things there is something nature of all “In the marvelous.” of “THE WAVE” and more! “The Wave,” Vermilion Cliffs PLUS: A STORM IN THE DESERT • THE DRAGOON MOUNTAINS • MARTINEZ LAKE BOBCATS • SOMETHING FROM NOTHING • SNOWBOWL • WINTER IN THE CANYON Vermilion Cliffs Navajo National Monument Grand Canyon National Park Aubrey Valley CONTENTS 01.14 Flagstaff Wikieup 2 EDITOR’S LETTER > 3 CONTRIBUTORS > 4 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR > 56 WHERE IS THIS? PHOENIX Yuma 5 40 50 THE JOURNAL A WINTER’S WALK OUTSTANDING IN HIS FIELD Kitt Peak Dragoon Mountains People, places and things from around the state, including the history Not many people hike the Grand Canyon in January, but When it comes to credentials, Bayard Brattstrom has plenty. Buenos Aires Chiricahua Mountains of Arizona Snowbowl; a meteorite hunter who’s traveled the globe in Craig Childs isn’t like most people. One January day, not The distinguished herpetologist, professor, photographer, National Wildlife Bisbee Refuge Douglas search of space rocks; and Douglas, our hometown of the month. too long ago, he hiked from the South Rim to the Colorado consultant, author and artist spent more than 40 years • POINTS OF INTEREST IN THIS ISSUE River, a route that’s biologically equivalent to walking from teaching at Cal State Fullerton. When he left, he moved his 16 RARE OPPORTUNITIES the Canadian Rockies to the state of Sonora, Mexico, in less giant lizards and his passion for anything reptilian to Nothing, Arizona is recognized around the world for its scenic beauty and than 10 miles. Arizona, where, even at age 84, he still has plenty to do. unique adventure opportunities. The Grand Canyon, Sedona, Saguaro AN ESSAY BY CRAIG CHILDS BY KATHY MONTGOMERY National Park … those are among the places people go. But they’re also PHOTOGRAPH BY JOHN BURCHAM GET MORE ONLINE crowded, which is why we went in search of some places that only a 46 NEAT LITTLE PACKAGES www.arizonahighways.com 52 SCENIC DRIVE lucky few get to visit every year. In Spanish, burrito means “little donkey” — it’s the diminu- Visit our website for details on weekend getaways, BY NOAH AUSTIN, KAYLA FROST, KATHY MONTGOMERY, tive of burro. In Arizona, it means breakfast, lunch or dinner. Red Cloud Mine Road: This 16-mile drive begins at Marti- hiking, lodging, dining, photography workshops, KATHY RITCHIE AND ROBERT STIEVE There are a lot of great burrito places in our state. We’ve nez Lake, near Yuma, and continues through the Imperial slideshows and more. National Wildlife Refuge. Along the way, the landscape goes lined up 12 of the best. www.arizonahighways.wordpress.com 32 A STORM IN THE DESERT from lush to lunar. EDITED BY KATHY RITCHIE Check out our blog for regular posts on just It doesn’t happen often, but every once in a while, the Sonoran Desert PHOTOGRAPHS BY PAUL MARKOW about anything having to do with travel in gets hit with a winter storm. About a year ago, on February 20, 2013, it 54 HIKE OF THE MONTH Arizona, including Q&A’s with writers and pho- happened again. The temperature dropped, the winds kicked up, and Cochise Trail: In addition to granite boulders, mesic vegitation tographers, special events, bonus photos, sneak peeks at upcoming issues and more. snow fell on the saguaros. and all-around scenic beauty, this trail offers hikers a chance A PORTFOLIO EDITED BY JEFF KIDA to walk in the footsteps of the great Apache warrior for whom www.facebook.com/azhighways it’s named. Join our Facebook community to share your photographs, chat with other fans, enter trivia contests and receive up-to-the-minute informa- tion about what’s going on behind the scenes at Arizona Highways. Arizona Highways is on Instagram Follow us @arizonahighways to see our travel photos from around the state. www.pinterest.com/azhighways Join our creative community on Pinterest to share photo inspiration, outdoors ideas and more. ◗ A rising full moon shines over Kendrick Park in the Coconino National Forest. | LAURENCE PARENT CAMERA: CANON EOS 5D MARK II; SHUTTER: 1/2 SEC; APERTURE: F/16; ISO: 200; FOCAL LENGTH: 93 MM FRONT COVER “The Wave,” a unique rock formation at Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, is open to only 20 visitors per day. | GEORGE STOCKING CAMERA: CANON EOS-1DS MARK II; SHUTTER: 1/20 SEC; APERTURE: F/22; ISO: 100; FOCAL LENGTH: 19 MM BACK COVER A rare snowstorm blankets saguaros in the Rincon Mountains, east of Tucson. | TIMM CHAPMAN CAMERA: NIKON D3X; SHUTTER: 1/200 SEC; APERTURE: F/9; ISO: 400; FOCAL LENGTH: 70 MM PHOTOGRAPHIC2 JANUARY 2013PRINTS AVAILABLE Prints of some photographs in this issue are available for purchase. To view options, visit www.arizona highwaysprints.com. For more information, call 866-962-1191. www.arizonahighways.com 1 editor’s letter contributors PAUL MARKOW “Every assignment I receive, Best-Laid Plans especially from Arizona JANUARY 2014 VOL. 90, NO. 1 Highways, is a chance to go 800-543-5432 www.arizonahighways.com t was supposed to be the trip of a life- visitation to only 20 Even in good on a new field trip,” says Paul PUBLISHER Win Holden Markow, who photographed time. For the first time in our adult people per day. That’s weather, the South EDITOR Robert Stieve I lives — 25 years and counting — my it. Twenty. There- Kaibab is an adventure. MANAGING EDITOR Kelly Vaughn Kramer Neat Little Packages (see three brothers and I were going on a fore, getting in takes Throw in a driving SENIOR ASSOCIATE EDITOR Kathy Ritchie page 46), our roundup of ASSOCIATE EDITOR Noah Austin some of Arizona’s best burrito multi-day expedition. No parents. No patience, determina- winter storm, pouring EDITORIAL ADMINISTRATOR Nikki Kimbel kids. No family obligations. Just the boys. tion and a little bit of rain and a mysterious, PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Jeff Kida joints. Markow does a lot of We could have gone just about anywhere, luck. The payoff, how- hunched-over hiker CREATIVE DIRECTOR Barbara Glynn Denney food-related photography ART DIRECTOR Keith Whitney JEFF KIDA but since one of the world’s Seven Natural ever, is an opportu- covered in plastic for Highways, and he says his DESIGN PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Diana Benzel-Rice Wonders is in my backyard, we planned a nity to do something garbage bags, and you MAP DESIGNER Kevin Kibsey constant challenge is to make food look as good as it tastes. “Most chefs work fast, and rim-to-rim hike of the Grand Canyon. spectacular without have the beginnings PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Michael Bianchi their focus is on taste,” he says. “But the camera can’t taste, so that upside-down leaf of The plan started about a year ago. the gridlock typically of a great story line. WEBMASTER Victoria J. Snow lettuce must be turned over, and the melted cheese on that burrito must be shot before DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING Kelly Mero That’s what it takes to get the best cabins associated with the Not that Craig Childs CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Nicole Bowman it starts to look waxy. I always strive to make food look visually tasty.” Markow’s work at the Canyon, especially on the North best places on Earth. needs one. He could FINANCE DIRECTOR Bob Allen has also been featured in Forbes and other magazines, and in his opinion, Cottonwood’s Rim. It took some doing, but, eventu- That’s the nature of write about the root INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Cindy Bormanis Verde Lea Market is the best burrito spot in our roundup. PAUL MARKOW PAUL ally, everything was set: We’d lined up all the rare opportuni- structure of a syca- CORPORATE OR TRADE SALES 602-712-2019 Western cabins on the North Rim, Bright ties in this issue, including the 17-mile more and make it read like Ralph Waldo SPONSORSHIP SALES REPRESENTATION Kathleen Hennen KAYL A FROST Angel cabins on the south side and sev- trek to Keet Seel, the black-footed- Emerson. Hennen Publishing & eral shuttles in between. We even had ferret research west of Flagstaff and In this essay, his writing is as good as Marketing Group Kayla Frost, who interned at Arizona Highways in the spring of 480-664-0541 dinner reservations at El Tovar with park the women-only backpack adventure ever. And, like everything he writes, it 2013, did a lot of the initial research for Rare Opportunities (see LETTERS TO THE EDITOR [email protected] superintendent Dave Uberuaga. It was to Phantom Ranch. Just eight women a will tempt you to follow in his footsteps. 2039 W. Lewis Avenue page 16). She also wrote three of the entries. She says she initially going to be the trip of a lifetime. And year get to do that trip, which is led by And you should, but not necessarily in Phoenix, AZ 85009 racked her brain for interesting Arizona adventures that only a few people get to experience. “Then, I started scouring the Inter- then the federal government shut down, Marjorie “Slim” Woodruff of the Grand January — April or May would be bet- GOVERNOR Janice K. Brewer forcing the closure of Grand Canyon Canyon Field Institute. As rare opportu- ter. No matter when you go, check the DIRECTOR, DEPARTMENT net,” she says, “and asking everyone I knew for other exclusive OF TRANSPORTATION John S. Halikowski opportunities that were diverse in content and location.” Frost National Park. Just like that, a rare oppor- nities go, that’s among the rarest.