Taliesin West
Taliesin West was legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright's
winter home and school from 1937 until he died in 1959, aged 91.
Today the facility can be visited as the Frank Lloyd Wright
Foundation with tours providing a general introduction to Wright
and his hugely influential theories of architecture. The building
has been constructed with the natural stone of the region, a
reflection of Wright's philosophy that local materials should be
used in design wherever possible. There are a range of tours
available to suit your level of interest: for the rookie, a basic
introductory tour is recommended, while devotees will want the
behind-the-scenes exposé.
Address:
12621 N Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard
Opening time:
Daily 8.30pm-6pm
Taliesin West
Lar
Desert Botanical Garden
The Desert Botanical Garden gets high ratings not only for the
size and range of its collection, but also the inventive ways
visitors can immerse themselves in the desert. With about 21,000
plants representing 139 species, the Desert Botanical Garden was
founded in 1939 to provide a fascinating and colourful introduction
to the ethnobotany of the region. A highlight is the Plants and
People of the Sonoran Desert Trail which allows you to make your
own yucca-fibre brush and grind corn as the Native Americans once
did. Over November and December the gardens are lit up at night by
beautiful luminarias (candles inside small bags), meaning plenty of
worthy photography material.
Address:
1201 N Galvin Parkway
Opening time:
Daily 8am-8pm
Desert Botanical Garden
Dave Pape
Heard Museum
The Heard Museum is home to America's finest collection of
Native American art, making this an essential attraction for
visitors looking to gain an understanding of the country's original
inhabitants. In total there are more than 39,000 works of cultural
and fine art ranging across textiles, katsina dolls, pottery,
jewellery, baskets, cradleboards, paintings, and sculpture. There
are about 10 galleries with dynamic and imaginatively curated
exhibitions. Don't miss the annual Guild Indian Fair and Market
(March) which includes traditional dance performances along with
arts and crafts. The museums signature exhibitions are 'Home:
Native People in the Southwest' and 'Away from Home: American
Indian Boarding School Stories'.
Address:
301 N Central Ave
Opening time:
Monday to Saturday 9.30am-5pm; Sunday
11am-5pm.
The Heard Museum
Kirs10
Pueblo Grande Museum and Archaeological Park
Located surprisingly close to downtown Phoenix, the Pueblo
Grande Museum and Archaeological Park is the site of the remains of
a 1,500-year-old Hohokam village. The site is a National Historic
Landmark and the largest preserved archaeological site in the
region. Mysteriously abandoned around 1450, all that remains of the
village is enclosed in a small museum with artefacts and exhibits
showing daily life in the settlement. Hiking trails wind around the
ruins and replicas themselves, so visitors should come prepared for
the hot weather of southern Arizona. The site hosts the Pueblo
Grande Indian Market each December, featuring more than 250 local
artisans. For those who miss the market, there is a museum shop
open year-round.
Address:
4619 E Washington Street
Opening time:
Monday - Saturday 9am-4.45pm; Sunday
1pm-4.45pm
Pueblo Grande
Offworlder
With its arid climate, Phoenix has been ranked the hottest city
in the United States, and one of the hottest in the world. The
temperature in Phoenix registers at least 100°F (38°C) or more on
an average of 90 days of the year, mostly between June and
September, which are the summer months.
Most days are sunny and hot, and rainfall is scarce, although
there are thunderstorms sometimes between July and September,
caused by humid air blowing in from the Gulf of California. Winters
bring mild, sunny days, with occasional fog. Snow is rare, but has
been recorded; frost is frequent in the winter months.
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
Location: The airport is situated four miles (6km) southeast of
Phoenix.
Time: Local time is GMT -7.
Transfer Between Terminals:
The two terminals (Terminals 3 and 4) are connected by a free
inter-terminal train system, the PHX Sky Train.
Getting to the city:
The PHX SkyTrain transports passengers between terminals,
parking lots, and the 44th Street METRO Light Rail, from where it
is possible to connect to the city centre, all free of charge. The
Valley Metro system, consisting of the Metro Light Rail and a fleet
of buses, charges a standard fare. Airport-to-door shuttle vans can
also be arranged. Many hotels and resorts provide a free pick-up
service for their guests; taxis and mobile app based taxi services
like Uber are also available.
Car Rental:
Car rental companies include Advantage, Alamo, Avis, Budget,
Dollar, Enterprise, Fox, National, Hertz, Payless, and Thrifty,
among others.
Airport Taxis:
Metered taxis are available outside each terminal.
Facilities:
Facilities include shops, restaurants, animal relief areas,
ATMs, currency exchange facilities, free wifi, mailboxes, a chapel,
and ground transportation facilities. All terminals are fully
wheelchair accessible.
Parking
Parking at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport offers a
range of daily maximums depending upon proximity of the car park to
the terminals. Parking lots are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
A free cell phone waiting lot is also provided.
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Phoenix is spread out, meaning distance between places of
interest tends to be significant. Therefore, a rental car is ideal
outside the downtown area. The Valley Metro Light Rail in Phoenix
is one of the busiest light rail systems in the country, making
getting around much easier for visitors. Stations run right by some
of the city's top attractions, such as the Phoenix Art Museum, the
Heard Museum, and the Arizona Science Centre.
Valley Metro buses access areas the light rail doesn't reach and
the rail and bus routes have the same basic fares: tickets can be
purchased from vending machines at all stations. There is also a
free central city shuttle bus service, called DASH (Downtown Area
Shuttle), which is useful for accessing attractions like the state
capitol and major shopping malls. Taxis are freely available from
local companies but tend to be expensive and are not recommended
for travelling long distances.
Phoenix shimmers in the heat of the biologically
unique Sonoran desert in central Arizona. For decades people have
chosen to travel to Phoenix for the sunshine, and found a modern
metropolis with a thriving tourist district, an art neighbourhood
packed with galleries, and a number of fascinating natural and
historical attractions. The city offers some good sightseeing and a
great restaurant scene, but most travellers use Phoenix primarily
as a travel hub for excursions into the glorious desert landscapes
on the city's doorstep.
Within the city, popular sights include the Heard
Museum, the Desert Botanical Garden, the Phoenix Children's Museum,
St Mary's Basilica, the Musical Instrument Museum, and Taliesin
West, the former home and school of renowned architect Frank Lloyd
Wright.
Travellers are spoilt for choice when it comes to
excursions out of Phoenix: Camelback Mountain, South Mountain Park,
Piestewa Peak, and many other scenic spots lure hikers and
photographers just beyond the city. Many people choose to travel
farther afield on a day trip to famous attractions like the Grand
Canyon, Lake Mead and Hoover Dam.
Golfers are very well catered for on a Phoenix
holiday with scenic courses to take a swing at, and there are
numerous spas and health resorts for those who enjoy pampering.
Hikers enjoy excursions to the surrounding mountains.
Sedona
Sedona is one of the most striking geographical
locations in the US. Located in the heart of Red Rock Country, the
sandstone cliffs and plateaus provide a stunning backdrop for this
small yet bustling town. Only 120 miles (193km) north of Phoenix,
Sedona is fast becoming one of Arizona's top holiday
destinations.
Sedona is a paradise for outdoor activity. Visitors
can mountain bike, quad bike, hike, rock climb, horseback ride, and
camp to popular trails like the Broken Arrow, Cathedral Rock,
Devil's Bridge, Bell Rock, and Soldier's Pass.
A unique attraction of Sedona is its reputation as
the site of the confluence of five large vortexes. It is said that
the strong magnetism of the earth in Sedona has natural healing
properties. As a result the city has a thriving New Age medicine
industry.
You'll find a multitude of spas, herbalists, healers
and spiritual guides. The vortices are said to be concentrated at
Bell Rock, Airport Mesa, Cathedral Rock, Boynton Canyon, and
Schnebly Hill, and there are many guided tours of these sites
available from Sedona.
Shopping in Sedona offers a number of stores filled
with Native American arts and crafts as well as New Age shops
stocking crystals and healing products. For the culture lovers,
Hozho Plaza is home to a number of art galleries, featuring local
artists' sculptures, paintings, and jewellery.
Tourists eating out have a variety of restaurants and
bars to choose from, catering to every budget and taste, some rated
among the best in Arizona. Whether you journey to Sedona for the
thrill of climbing the cliffs and diving into the rock pools, or to
be soothed and pampered in a local spa, Sedona receives and
accommodates all.
![Cathedral Rock]()
Cathedral Rock
Adam Baker
The Grand Canyon
A mile deep, 277 miles (446km) long, and up to 18 miles (29km)
wide, the breath-taking grandeur of the Grand Canyon is so
impressive that words simply cannot do it justice. One of the great
natural wonders of the world, it was formed by the cutting action
of the Colorado River over millions of years. The hard rock
formations survive as great cliffs, pinnacles and buttes, and the
different layers of rock span a range of colours: from purple,
fiery-red and pastel-pink, to yellow, brown, grey and soft tones of
blue.
Whether by foot or on horseback, from a plane or helicopter,
aboard a raft down the mighty Colorado River or by merely gazing in
awe from the rim, the canyon's seemingly infinite depths can be
experienced in a variety of ways and is a sight not to be missed
however one chooses to see it. The park receives hordes of visitors
from around the world, who never fail to be transfixed by the
sculpted rock shapes, the shifting colours that change with the
light, and a tiny glimpse of the Colorado River far below.
The Grand Canyon National Park comprises two separate areas: the
South Rim and the more remote North Rim. Separated by the 10-mile
(16km) width of the canyon, it is a 215-mile (346km) drive from one
Visitor Centre to the other. The South Rim is the most accessible
and has more facilities, and as a result it attracts the bulk of
visitors to its boundaries. The North Rim is higher in elevation,
wetter, with thicker surrounding forests, is more remote, and is
cut off by snowfall from October to May. Many people, however,
prefer its comparative peacefulness and less-crowded lookouts.
Grand Canyon West has recently opened the Grand Canyon Skywalk,
a glass-bottomed, horseshoe shaped deck that juts almost 70 feet
(21m) from the canyon's rim. It gives visitors the sensation of
being suspended amid the canyon's towering red rock walls above a
faint sliver of Colorado River flowing 4,000 feet (1,219m) below.
There is an additional charge for the Skywalk, which is not for
those with a fear of heights. Another great way to tour the Grand
Canyon is on the Grand Canyon Railway, a vintage steam train that
winds its way around the area.
Both rims have numerous drives and walkways along the edge with
various scenic viewpoints, and some hiking trails into the canyon
where one can overnight at Phantom Ranch on the canyon floor. The
impact of more than four million visitors a year to the South Rim,
especially during the busy summer months, is one of overcrowding
and traffic congestion; but seeing for oneself one of the most
spectacular examples of natural erosion in the world more than
makes up for any inconvenience.
There are also several educational and cultural attractions at
the Grand Canyon, including the Tusayan Museum and Ruin (near
Desert View), the Yavapai Museum of Geology, and the Verkamps
Visitors Center.
![Grand Canyon]()
Grand Canyon
John Kees
Lake Mead and Hoover Dam
The 1.5 million acre Lake Mead Recreation Area was
created in 1936 as part of Roosevelt's New Deal programme. A
popular excursion from Las Vegas or even Phoenix, Lake Mead is a
haven for outdoor recreation like boating, swimming, canoeing,
fishing, waterskiing, lake cruises, and even scuba diving. Five
marinas ring the lake, ranging from small family-owned operations
like Hemingway Harbor to large resorts like Forever Resorts at
Callville Bay. The rest of the shoreline of Lake Mead is made up of
rocky coves and sandy beaches good for sunbathing. Land-based
activities like camping and hiking are available in the surrounding
area. The Alan Bible Visitor Center, also known as the Lake Mead
Visitor Center, provides information about activities and resources
at Lake Mead. There are also some educational exhibits, including a
garden of cactus plants native to the Mojave Desert. Lake Mead is
formed by the giant Hoover Dam, a popular tourist attraction.
Attracting nearly 3,000 people each day, Hoover Dam is an
engineering marvel, standing 726 feet (221m) tall and 1,244 feet
(379m) wide. The enormous dam supplies 90 percent of Las Vegas'
water, and visitors can take guided tours of the facility.
![Hoover Dam]()
Hoover Dam
Raquel Baranow
Petrified Forest National Park
Located in the northeastern corner of Arizona, Petrified Forest
National Park was designated a national monument in 1906. The trees
within the park are over 225 million years old, and have over that
period transformed into brilliantly-coloured minerals, the world's
largest concentration of petrified wood. Aside from the trees,
there is a variety of wildlife to see in the park, including
bobcats, coyotes, owls, porcupines, mule deer, and various desert
lizards and rodents. There are several trails leading to popular
sites in the park, making it a great place for desert hiking.
Visitors should be aware that it is illegal to remove petrified
wood from Petrified Forest National Park.
![Petrified Forest National Park]()
Petrified Forest National Park
Finetooth
Kingman
Kingman is a nostalgic tourist destination in Arizona. Located
in the northeastern corner of the state, between the Grand Canyon
and Las Vegas, the city is a popular fuelling stop between the two
destinations. However, Kingman is most famous for having been a
major stop along the celebrated Route 66. There are a few old
buildings and museums dedicated to this era, including the aptly
named Route 66 Museum, and though most of the road has been
replaced by Interstate I-40, the longest remaining stretch runs
from Kingman to Ash Fork. There are some good restaurants and bars
in Kingman and wonderful hiking can be enjoyed in the area.
![Kingman, Arizona]()
Kingman, Arizona
JlsElsewhere
Taliesin West
Lar
Desert Botanical Garden
Dave Pape
The Heard Museum
Kirs10
Pueblo Grande
Offworlder
Cathedral Rock
Adam Baker
Grand Canyon
John Kees
Hoover Dam
Raquel Baranow
Petrified Forest National Park
Finetooth
Kingman, Arizona
JlsElsewhere
