A Misconception

We just got back from spending Spring Break in Arizona.  Here is how many conversations went when we returned:

     "How was your trip?"
     "Wonderful!"
     "Have you been to Arizona before?"
     "Oh yes, this was our 11th time."
     "Eleven times?"  (confused pause)  "Does your family live there?"
     "No, we just love it there.  We hope to retire in Sedona."
     "I could never live in Arizona.  It is too hot for me."

Without a doubt, while there are hot desert areas in Arizona, it is also an extremely diverse state in terms of temperature and geography.  Allow me to clear up some misconceptions.

Having traveled to Arizona so many times, I have literally been to three of the four corners of the state and to many places in-between.  Undeniably there are hot desert sections in Arizona.  The southern parts of the state, from the Phoenix area south, have hot, dry desert environments.  It is during the summer months that they can be extreme and boast highs of 115.  But having been there in February and April, both Phoenix and Tucson not only have pleasant climates, but beautiful blooming cacti to enjoy as well.   Southern Arizona is home to the famous saguaro cactus.  These amazing creatures can grow to be 70 feet high and take up to 75 years to develop a side arm.  In addition, on the southern end of Arizona bordering Mexico sits Organ Pipe National Monument. This is the only place in our country where organ pipe cacti grow.  So while deserts are hot during the summer months, they can be pleasant and beautiful other times during the year.

This should give you a good indication of weather in April:  jeans and long sleeve shirt while hiking among the tall saguaro cacti in the Cave Creek area.

Once you travel about an hour north of Phoenix, you rise in elevation, leaving many cactus species and the extreme hot temperatures behind.  Entering my favorite Sedona region, you are blessed with the splendor of the red rock formations.  While Sedona may have high 90s during the summer, since the air is dry it can feel 10 degrees less.  Did you know it also snows in the winter in Sedona?  Any white covering that hits the ground however, is generally gone by noon because the daytime temperatures rise enough to melt the white away.  

Sedona sunset...UNTOUCHED by PhotoShop

When you go a little further north to Flagstaff, the elevation increases to 7,000 feet.   With Ponderosa Pines and four seasons, you can also enjoy skiing in the Flagstaff area during the winter months. 

This is in Flagstaff with a view of snow-capped Humphrey's Peak.  Does this look like a desert to you?

Heading north of Flagstaff on Route 89, you enter another one of my favorite parts of the state.  To the east you pass the Painted Desert, continue north to the Navajo and Hopi Reservations, and finally reach Monument Valley on the Utah border. The Painted Desert has a magic hold on me.  When I view it, I become totally mesmerized; I can sit there for exorbitant amounts of time inhaling its beauty.  I immediately feel stress melt from my core.  I can’t explain its hold on me, but it is a feeling I want to experience more of in my life.  I have been fortunate and have visited the Navajo and Hopi Reservations numerous times.  The land is beautiful and the ruins are amazing.  There are some areas you can view on your own, but for an in-depth look a the beauty, you travel with a native guide to see the back of Monument Valley’s spectacular formations, the depths and ruins in Canyon de Chelley, and the amazing slot canyons.  You can read more about my day spent in a Navajo/Hopi school by revisiting a previous blog.    

To the west on Route 89, you pass the Grand Canyon. Depending on whether you are at the top of the rim or bottom of the canyon by the Colorado River, the temperatures can vary quite a bit.  Summer highs can be more than 100 while lows in the winter can fall below zero.  The North Rim sits at 8,500 feet in elevation and the roads are generally open from mid-May to mid-October.  The roads to the South Rim, at 7,200 feet, are open year-round, weather permitting.  The Kaibib National Forest boasts pines, fir, spruce, aspen, and oak trees.

The Grand Canyon from the South Rim, looking at Bright Angel Trail on the bottom right.

OK, so maybe this one photo was not from our most recent trip...

Arizona is a rich, diverse state with so much to offer.  Hopefully when people mention Arizona to you in the future, you can inform them that it has more than just hot desert land.  There are so many future posts that can be written about the towns, wildlife, outdoor activities, culture, and history of Arizona.  Each topic is fascinating in its own way.  Much can be said about the diversity of other states like California and New York too, which are both states where I have lived.  But for now, Arizona is my area of fascination and hopefully will be my resting state.  Might you join us?

Along the 22 mile dirt road portion of The Apache Trail

Lots of blooming cacti