Arizona: Things To Do

Canyon de Chelly National Monument Wonderfully preserved Anasazi Indian ruins lie inside 1,000-foot-high sandstone canyon walls here; some 80 Navajo families still live and farm here, too. Hikes into the canyon can be arranged with a Navajo guide. 222 miles NE of Flagstaff; off of Route 191; 928-674-5500; www.nps.gov/cach
family | culture | hiking | outdoors | history

Desert Botanical Gardens This 50-acre, floral wonderland is home to 139 rare, international plant species, including Queen of the Night and Agave. Spot desert animals and birds on its extensive walking paths 1201 N. Galvin Parkway; Papago Park; 480-941-1225; www.dbg.org
family | outdoors | gardens

Drive Route 66 Once part of the historic “Mother Road” from Chicago to Los Angeles, this little slice of Americana still offers glimpses of honky-tonk motels and shops (most of which now push kitschy souvenirs). Sections accessible from Flagstaff and Williams
family | culture | history

Drive the Apache Trail This 48-mile route in the shadow of the Superstition Mountains is marked by breathtaking scenery, ghost towns, and ancient Indian ruins. Tours are recommended due to unpaved roads. Apache Trail Tours, Goldfield Ghost Town; 4650 N. Mammoth Mine Rd.; 480-982-7661; www.apachetrailtours.com
family | culture | history

Grand Canyon Hike this immense chasm’s spectacular depths, raft the Colorado River, circle the canyon from a chopper above, or simply contemplate the scenery from different vantage points along the South Rim. Grand Canyon, South Rim; 928-638-7888; www.nps.gov/grca
family | hiking | outdoors | adventure

Heard Museum See Native American art and archaeology dedicated to the plight of, and featuring works by, indigenous Southwesterners, including two groups that reside on nearby reservations: the Navajos and the Hopis. 2301 N. Central Ave.; Central Phoenix; 602-252-8848; www.heard.org
culture | museum | history | art

Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park You’ll recognize the landscapes of monolithic, red sandstone buttes and spires from films like Stagecoach and 2001: A Space Odyssey. Located on Navajo land, the park has only one road; guided tours are available. 200 miles northeast of Flagstaff; off of I-40; 435-727-5874; www.navajonationparks.org
family | hiking | outdoors

OK Corral The scene of the Wild West’s most notorious gunfight is now marked by a museum with an exhibit related to the town’s iconic Earp brothers and the outlaw crew they battled in 1881; a reenactment of the gun-slinging showdown is held daily at 2pm. 308 E. Allen St.; 520-457-3456; www.ok-corral.com
family | history

Petrified Forest National Park Overlapping with the multi-hued Painted Desert, this geographically diverse park features bizarre landscapes comprised of colorful badlands, petrified-wood, plant and animal fossils, and archaeological digs. 177 miles east of Flagstaff; off US 163; 928-524-6228; www.nps.gov/pefo
family | hiking | outdoors

Saguaro National Park This wonderland of cacti “forests” offers plenty of photo ops of the mammoth, multi-armed desert plants that, while unique to the Sonoran Desert ecosystem, are among the most quintessential Southwest symbols. 3693 South Old Spanish Trail; 520-733-5158; www.nps.gov/sagu
family | hiking | outdoors

Sedona Jeep tour Explore the Sedona area’s unspoiled backcountry via jeep tour – try Pink Jeep Tours for stops at ancient ruins, rock art sites, and coyote-filled canyons. Sedona; 800-873-3662; www.pinkjeep.com
tour | smart splurge | outdoors

Taliesin West Explore the genius of Frank Lloyd Wright at his winter home, studio, and architectural school, founded in 1932. Guided tours demonstrate his architectural philosophies and examples of their structural manifestations. 12621 N. Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd.; 480-860-2700; www.franklloydwright.org
architecture | tour | history