Northern and Western Arizona tourist attractions
Sonora Desert
The virtually boundless Sonora Desert appears to stretch to infinity. There are few communities and no large towns on US 93, which heads northwest through the cactus-dotted arid plains to join westbound I-40. One hamlet on US 93 is called “Nothing”.
Wickenburg
Wickenburg with a population of 4800 named after the man who accidentally found the richest gold deposit in the state. The Wickenburg area is replete with dude ranches, whose facilities vary from merely recreational to instructional, where visitors learn everything from calf-roping to leather work.
Prescott
At Prescott, you can make a stop at Sharlott Hall Museum which recalls the history of Prescott town that became the first capital of the Territory of Arizona when it was created by President Lincoln in 1864. The town is famous for its Victorian-style homes, Fourth of July celebrations and temperate climate.
Jerome
The living ghost town of Jerome is named after Winston Churchill’s American grandfather. From Clarkdale, east of Jerome, visitors can take a 4-hour scenic trip through the desert past Indian ruins on the Verde Canyon Railroad.
Camp Verde
Here are the Fort Verde State Historic Park – whose exhibits explain the history and methods of frontier soldering; and Montezuma Castle National Monument – with its well-preserved ruins of an ancient five-story cliff dwelling. A side road leads to Montezuma Well – a 470 ft deep limestone sinkhole, formed by a collapsed cavern and used by Indians for crop irrigation.
Sedona
Sedona has become the trendy center of New Age practitioners who rave about its electromagnetic energy fields. Artists and writers find a haven here, and galleries and boutiques abound particularly in Tlaquepaque – a walled-in, pseudo-Mexican crafts village. Nature hikes and bird-watching expeditions take off from Red Rock State Park and dozens of excursions traverse the rugged Red Rocks area. To the north, Oak Creek flows between towering canyon walls. Oak Creek Canyon Drive is an interesting sightseeing route past multi-colored, tree-topped cliffs.
Flagstaff
Flagstaff, 27 miles north of Sedona has become the main jumping-off point for the Grand Canyon for both drivers and tourists on the various excursions by bus. The town is fringed by ponderosa forests. At Flagstaff, make a stop at Museum of Northern Arizona, which sponsors much of the ongoing research at the Grand Canyon. Guided tours can be taken at the century-old Lowell Observatory.