When most people think of Arizona’s best places to visit, the first thing that often comes to mind is the Grand Canyon.
Over 1 million acres make up one of the world’s seven wonders, but there is so much more to Arizona than just the Grand Canyon.
1. Swansea – Yearly, there is as many as 5000 people that come from around the globe to explore this ghost town. Once it was bustling mines where the main shaft that today is surrounded by an iron fence, is 1200 feet deep.
You can check out the smelter ruins, slag heaps as well as the barracks that housed the miners. Swansea has been a popular Arizona attraction for many decades.
2. “Rooms with a View”– If you have ever dreamed of staying in the mountains or hidden away in the forest your fantasy can now become a reality. “Rooms with a View” is a Forest Service program that offers visitors a taste of what rustic living in Arizona was like in the past.
The program began in 1999 and permits guests to rent one of seven cabins that are located across Arizona. The experience is unique with the splendid beauty of Arizona right in front of you along with the sights and sounds of coyotes, antelope and elk.
3. The Arizona Strip – One of the most beautiful places in Arizona’s remote back country is the 5 million acres of splendor that can be found between the Colorado River and the state line of Utah.
The region is diverse with areas ranging from Kaibab Plateau with its dense forest to the Paria Plateau with its winding slot canyons. The Grand Canyon is the Arizona Strip’s border to the south and to the west you will find high deserts.
4. Sycamore Canyon – Sycamore Canyon is more often than not off the tourists’ radar as it may be Arizona’s best kept secrets. It is 20 miles long and in some places as much as 7 miles wide.
It can be found about 12 miles from Sedona and cuts through the Mogollon Rim. People have described it as Oak Creek Canyon without the plethora of tourists.
5. Chino Valley Organic Winery – Robin and Kit Hoult decided 30 years back that they wanted to live in their own private Shangri-La so they built it from scratch using grapevines.
The winery boasts 20 acres in a town that was once known only for sandstone pits, villas for retirees and farms. Though Chino Valley Winery can’t compete with Napa Valley it would fit right in the wine country of California without a hitch.
