Arizona 2004 by Karl Samson Here’s what the critics say about Frommer’s: “Amazingly easy to use. Very portable, very complete.” —Booklist “Detailed, accurate, and easy-to-read information for all price ranges.” —Glamour Magazine “Hotel information is close to encyclopedic.” —Des Moines Sunday Register “Frommer’s Guides have a way of giving you a real feel for a place.” —Knight Ridder Newspapers About the Author Karl Samson finds that the sunny winter skies of the Arizona desert are the perfect antidote to the dreary winters of his Pacific Northwest home. Each winter, he flees the rain to explore Arizona’s deserts, mountains, cities, and small towns. It is the state’s unique regional style, Native American cultures, abundance of contemporary art, and, of course, boundless landscapes that keep him fascinated by Arizona. Summers find him researching his other books, including Frommer’s Washington, Frommer’s Oregon, and Frommer’s Seattle & Portland. Published by: Wiley Publishing, Inc. 111 River St. Hoboken, NJ 07030 Copyright © 2004 Wiley Publishing, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval sys- tem or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photo- copying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Legal Department, Wiley Publishing, Inc., 10475 Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46256, (317) 572-3447, fax (317) 572-4447, E-Mail: [email protected]. Wiley and the Wiley Publishing logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates. Frommer’s is a trademark or registered trademark of Arthur Frommer. Used under license. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc. is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. ISBN 0-7645-3887-X ISSN 1534-2123 Editor: Paul Prince Production Editor: Suzanna R. Thompson Cartographer: Elizabeth Puhl Photo Editor: Richard Fox Production by Wiley Indianapolis Composition Services Front cover photo: Hiking in Grand Canyon National Park Back cover photo: Kayaking in Emerald Canyon, Grand Canyon National Park For information on our other products and services or to obtain technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 800-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993 or fax 317-572-4002. Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. 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Manufactured in the United States of America 54321 Contents List of Maps vi What’s New in Arizona 1 1 The Best of Arizona 4 1 The Best Places to Commune 11 The Best Places to Discover with Cacti . .4 the Old West . .12 2 The Best Active Vacations . .4 12 The Best Places to See 3 The Best Day Hikes & Indian Ruins . .13 Nature Walks . .5 13 The Best Luxury Hotels & 4 The Best Scenic Drives . .8 Resorts . .14 5 The Best Golf Courses . .9 14 The Best Family Resorts . .15 6 The Best Bird-Watching Spots . .10 15 The Best Hotels for Old Arizona Character . .15 7 The Best Offbeat Travel Experiences . .11 16 The Best B&Bs . .16 8 The Best Family Experiences . .11 17 The Best Swimming Pools . .17 9 The Best Family Vacations . .11 18 The Best Places to Savor Southwest Flavors . .18 10 The Best Museums . .12 2 Planning Your Trip to Arizona 19 1 The Regions in Brief . .19 9 The 21st-Century Traveler . .33 2 Visitor Information . .20 Online Traveler’s Toolbox . .34 Destination: Arizona— 10 Getting There . .35 Red Alert Checklist . .21 11 Escorted Tours, Package Deals & 3 Money . .21 Special-Interest Vacations . .38 4 When to Go . .22 12 The Active Vacation Planner . .40 Arizona Calendar of Events . .24 Hot Links . .42 5 Insurance . .27 13 Getting Around . .46 6 Health & Safety . .28 14 Tips on Accommodations . .48 7 Specialized Travel Resources . .29 15 Suggested Itineraries . .49 8 Planning Your Trip Online . .32 16 Recommended Reading . .50 Frommers.com: The Complete Fast Facts: Arizona . .52 Travel Resource . .33 3 For International Visitors 54 1 Preparing for Your Trip . .54 3 Getting Around the U.S. .61 2 Getting to the U.S. .60 Fast Facts: For the International Traveler . .62 iv CONTENTS 4 Phoenix, Scottsdale & the Valley of the Sun 67 1 Orientation . .68 7 Outdoor Pursuits . .129 Neighborhoods in Brief . .73 8 Spectator Sports . .135 2 Getting Around . .74 9 Day Spas . .138 Fast Facts: Phoenix . .76 10 Shopping . .139 3 Where to Stay . .77 11 Phoenix After Dark . .145 4 Where to Dine . .96 12 A Side Trip from Phoenix: Family-Friendly Restaurants . .109 the Apache Trail . .152 5 Seeing the Sights . .115 13 En Route to Tucson . .154 Frommer’s Favorite 14 En Route to Northern Phoenix Experiences . .123 Arizona . .156 6 Organized Tours & Excursions . .127 5 Central Arizona 157 1 Wickenburg . .158 5 Sedona & Oak Creek 2 Prescott . .164 Canyon . .179 3 Jerome . .171 Vortex Power . .183 4 The Verde Valley . .174 The High Cost of Red-Rock Views . .185 6 The Grand Canyon & Northern Arizona 203 1 Flagstaff . .203 4 South Rim Alternatives: 2 Williams . .215 Havasu Canyon & Grand Canyon West . .243 3 The Grand Canyon South Rim . .218 5 The Grand Canyon North Rim . .247 Fast Facts: The Grand Canyon . .223 The Four Corners Region: 7 Land of the Hopi & Navajo 253 1 Winslow . .256 5 Canyon de Chelly 2 The Hopi Reservation . .258 National Monument . .272 A Native American Fred Harvey & His Girls . .275 Crafts Primer . .264 6 Navajo National Monument . .277 3 The Petrified Forest & 7 Monument Valley Navajo Painted Desert . .266 Tribal Park . .278 4 The Window Rock & 8 Lake Powell & Page . .281 Ganado Areas . .269 CONTENTS v 8 Eastern Arizona’s High Country 290 1 Payson & the Mogollon 3 Greer & Sunrise Park . .298 Rim Country . .290 4 Springerville & Eagar . .302 2 Pinetop-Lakeside . .294 5 The Coronado Trail . .305 The Rodeo-Chediski Fire . .295 9 Tucson 307 1 Orientation . .308 Frommer’s Favorite Neighborhoods in Brief . .312 Tucson Experiences . .355 2 Getting Around . .312 The Shrine That Stopped a Freeway . .356 Fast Facts: Tucson . .314 Walking Tour: Downtown 3 Where to Stay . .315 Historic Districts . .358 Family-Friendly Hotels . .321 6 Organized Tours . .362 4 Where to Dine . .329 7 Outdoor Pursuits . .362 North-of-the-Border 8 Spectator Sports . .367 Margaritaville . .334 9 Day Spas . .367 Family-Friendly Restaurants . .342 10 Shopping . .368 5 Seeing the Sights . .344 11 Tucson After Dark . .374 10 Southern Arizona 380 1 Organ Pipe Cactus 5 Sierra Vista & the National Monument . .381 San Pedro Valley . .395 2 Tubac & Buenos Aires 6 Tombstone . .401 National Wildlife Refuge . .382 7 Bisbee . .405 Starry, Starry Nights . .389 8 Exploring the Rest 3 Nogales . .390 of Cochise County . .409 4 Patagonia & Sonoita . .391 11 Western Arizona 418 1 Kingman . .420 4 Lake Havasu & 2 Lake Mead National the London Bridge . .431 Recreation Area . .423 Canoeing the Colorado . .433 Get Your Kicks on Route 66 . .424 5 Yuma . .439 3 Bullhead City & Laughlin, Nevada . .428 vi CONTENTS Appendix: Arizona in Depth 444 1 The Natural Environment . .445 2 Arizona Today . .447 Arizona: Hollywood 3 History 101 . .449 Back Lot . .446 Index 455 List of Maps Arizona 6 Grand Canyon South Rim 225 Phoenix, Scottsdale & the Valley of The Four Corners Region 255 the Sun 70 Eastern Arizona’s Phoenix, Scottsdale & the Valley of High Country 291 the Sun Accommodations 78 Tucson at a Glance 310 Phoenix, Scottsdale & the Valley of Tucson Accommodations 316 the Sun Dining 98 Tucson Dining 330 Phoenix, Scottsdale & the Valley of the Sun Attractions 116 Tucson Attractions 346 Central Arizona 159 Walking Tour: Downtown Historic Districts 359 Sedona & Vicinity 181 Southern Arizona 383 The Grand Canyon & Northern Arizona 205 Western Arizona 419 Flagstaff 207 An Invitation to the Reader In researching this book, we discovered many wonderful places—hotels, restaurants, shops, and more. We’re sure you’ll find others. Please tell us about them, so we can share the information with your fellow travelers in upcoming editions. If you were disappointed with a recommendation, we’d love to know that, too. Please write to: Frommer’s Arizona 2004 Wiley Publishing, Inc. • 111 River St. • Hoboken, NJ 07030 An Additional Note Please be advised that travel information is subject to change at any time—and this is especially true of prices. We therefore suggest that you write or call ahead for confirma- tion when making your travel plans. The authors, editors, and publisher cannot be held responsible for the experiences of readers while traveling. Your safety is important to us, however, so we encourage you to stay alert and be aware of your surroundings. Keep a close eye on cameras, purses, and wallets, all favorite targets of thieves and pickpockets. Other Great Guides for Your Trip: Frommer’s Grand Canyon National Park Frommer’s Family Vacations in the National Parks Frommer’s National Parks of the American West Frommer’s American Southwest Frommer’s Star Ratings, Icons & Abbreviations Every hotel, restaurant, and attraction listing in this guide has been ranked for quality, value, service, amenities, and special features using a star-rating system. In country, state, and regional guides, we also rate towns and regions to help you narrow down your choices and budget your time accordingly.