Sunday, September 21, 2008

Ready To Take Those Maps Out?

I was actually very excited to see that this week we were researching Arizona. I've never had the chance to go and see the Grand Canyon, but I've heard its and awesome place to visit. So now I definitely think that a trip to Arizona should be on the making because during this week of research I not only want to visit the Grand Canyon but some other places too. I found this site that was very interesting to me because it divided Arizona intro three zones: the Northern roads, the Southern roads, and the Central Roads. I decided to read on all three and found the road trip one each zone that has totally convinced me on buying my hiking shoes and going to Arizona.
  • Arizona Strip East Rim- Northern Roads: We have all heard of the Grand Canyon, but did you know that its divided into several regions and some of them are not given the sufficient attention they deserve? Well, the East Rim is one of those. People pass it everyday on their way to either the North or South rim. Some have been lucky to stop by and admire its beauty, here is what they have found. If you're a fisher then be sure to stop here, fly-fishers have been known to stop at Lees Ferry, a place were rainbow trout is found swimming its way down the Colorado River. If you're a photographer then come to capture the fiery red that the sunset lights up off the Marble Canyon and at the same time capture the diverse vegetation of Kaibab National Forest. And finally for me a good tan always sounds good, so I personally would go and visit, to then find myself looking at a white sanded beach and truly find myself in paradise and Vasey's Paradise after a day of hiking 
  •  Mogollon Rim- Central Roads: I loved this place when I researched it because to me this was a great example of true nature. What I mean by this is that you kind of have the best of both worlds. When you're on your way to Mogollon Rim you pass through the vast desert, you see the Canyons but at the end when your telling tales of the trip you actually have something to be excited to talk about. Not that the Grand Canyon is a story to tell on its own, but after a while rocks and sand seriously is it that interesting??!! At Mogollon Rim you see all types of greens, blues and life! The smell of the greens from high grasses to tall pine trees; the refreshing sounds of the blue currents flowing both north and south; and finally life, you see a variety of animals from bears, deer and elk. To me nothing sounds greater than camping at a place like this. Mogollon Rim is definitely the place for me to take my camera an extra gigabyte memory stick.
  • Yuma- Southern Roads: This is the coolest one of the three. Never would I have imagined that going to Arizona could really mean visiting THE "Official Center of the World". You get to the place and see a series of relics from: a sculpture of Michelangelo's arm of God, to some original stairway pieces of the Eiffel Tower to a collection of walls with random texting on them, that finally lead the way to the Pyramid where the center of the world is actually located. Once you get it, you are to stand on the bronze dot which is the actual center of the world. You even get a certificate as part of the tour which has the exact time of when YOU stood at the "Official Center of the World". How cool is that!??!! 
After reading about all these random but pretty neat places, I know that some day I will make this road trip. Just remember that where ever you go PLEASE take the camera, because these are all unforgettable places.

2 comments:

G.I. Jane said...

I have always wanted to go to Arizona to see the Grand Canyon. It looks so pretty and neat. I would pack up my things and come along with you to all the sites you listed in your blog. I also have family that lives near there, so it would be so cool if I could go there and see those beautiful sites and see my family. I never really thought of any other sites in Arizona other than the Grand Canyon, so I should look more into those other sites you were talking about. You are advertising for Arizona really well! :)

Tagger said...

Been to the grand canyon twice, one of those side effects of having to move frequently across country, and I have to say its absolutely amazing. The petrified forest isn't very far from the grand canyon either, and it's just as exciting to go see despite being less well known. Even if you end up spending only a half hour or so there in between places, its definitely worth a visit.