ARIZONA

Grand Canyon NP
The Grand Canyon is far more than an experience. It's an emotion. Ask anyone who's visited, hiked, worked, or lived here. Many think it deserves a greater superlative than just "Grand." As you gaze out from the rim, you're viewing 2 billion years of geologic history, exposed for all to see in the canyon's rock walls. There is more Paleozoic and Pre-Cambrian Earth history on view here than anywhere else on the planet. Far below the rim, the Colorado River continues its timeless carving process. It's been estimated that, prior to the completion of the Glen Canyon Dam, an average of 400,000 tons of silt was carried away every day. That equates to 80,000 5-ton dump-truck loads -- one per second, nonstop.

If you were to travel from one end of the Grand Canyon to the other, you would journey just under 280 mi from Lees Ferry near the junction of the Paria and Colorado rivers in northern Arizona to the western border shared by Arizona and Nevada. At its deepest point, the canyon is nearly 6,000 feet. From the North Rim to the South Rim, the distance across varies from 18 mi to less than ½ mi. However, to travel between rims by car requires a journey of 200 mi. Hiking steep and arduous trails from rim to rim is a strenuous trek of at least 21 mi. A rim-to-rim hike for the very fit is well worth the effort, though. There is ample evidence of early habitation from ruins that are between 8,000 and 10,000 years old in some of the highest, most inaccessible areas of the canyon. The Paleo-Indians were nomadic peoples known as Elephant Hunters, whose existence depended upon hunting large prehistoric elephants, mastodons, and mammoths.

Then, about 1,500 years ago, the Puebloan people more popularly known as the Anasazi (a name that means both "ancient ones" and "enemy ancestors") arrived on the scene. More than 2,000 of their sites have been found, including Tusayan Pueblo, some 3 mi west of Desert View in the South Rim. The last of the Native Americans to occupy the region were the Navajo, who came into the area some 600 years ago. Today, more than 5 million people each year stand in awe at the canyon and leave with therealization that they have witnessed nature at her finest. "Leave it as it is," President Teddy Roosevelt proclaimed. "You cannot improve on it. Keep it for your children, your children's children, and for all who come after you as the one great sight which every American should see."

Phoenix-Scottsdale
The Valley of the Sun, a term synonymous with metro Phoenix, is named for its 325-plus days of sunshine each year. The Valley marks the northern tip of the Sonoran Desert, a prehistoric seabed that reaches from northwestern Mexico with a landscape offering much more than cacti. Palo verde and mesquite trees, creosote bushes, palms, and aloe dot the land, which is accustomed to being scorched by temperatures in excess of 100°F for weeks at a time. Late summer brings precious rain when monsoon storms illuminate the sky with lightning shows and the desert exudes the scent of creosote. Spring sets the Valley blooming, from giant saguaros crowned in white flowers to masses of vibrant wildflowers dotting desert crevices and mountain landscapes.

Expand your drive of the Apache Trail- to include an overnight stay in Globe. Along the way stop to enjoy the view of Weaver's Needle from the Peralta Trail, stroll through Boyce Thompson Southwestern Arboretum, or check out the ancient Hohokam ruins at Casa Grande Ruins National Monument to the south of Phoenix. If you'd like to plan your own driving tour, the Arizona Office of Tourism and Arizona Highways magazine have created a Web site www.arizonascenicroads.com featuring 22 officially designated scenic routes.

Tucson
When you travel to Arizona depends on whether you prefer scorching desert or snowy slopes, elbow-to-elbow resorts, or wide-open territory. Our advice: Visit during spring and autumn, when the temperatures are milder and the crowds have thinned out. Winter is prime time in the central and southern parts of the state. The weather is sunny and mild, and the cities bustle with travelers escaping the cold. Conversely, northern Arizona -- including the Grand Canyon -- can be wintry, with snow, freezing rain, and subzero temperatures; the road to the Grand Canyon's North Rim is closed during this time.

Arizona's desert regions sizzle in summer, and travelers and their vehicles should be adequately prepared. Practically every restaurant and accommodation is air-conditioned, though, and you can get great deals on tony southern Arizona resorts you might not be able to afford in high season. Summer is also a delightful time to visit northern Arizona's high country, when temperatures are 18°F-20°F lower than they are down south -- but hotel prices are commensurately high.

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