You Know You're In Arizona When…

Arizona Art

Here, without further ado, are my favorite photos of Arizona, so far—magically turned into digital paintings. Enjoy!

Arizona Sunsets

Arizona is known for its spectacular sunsets. And I can't resist taking photos of them. So, if you enjoy looking at beautiful sunset photos, I've got you covered.

A Week In Arizona

Although we live in the Phoenix area, some friends who are going to stay in Sedona have asked me to compile a list of things that might be fun to see and do while they are there. Since Sedona, and Arizona, are so awesome, I thought I'd share that list with everyone.

Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park

Saturday morning I set out to hike in Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park, which is located about four miles west of Superior, Arizona, about 35 miles from my house. I had thought it would be a small place (I didn't realize it was an actual state park until I got there) but it wasn't; it contains many paths and trails and is suitable for anyone who wants to get out in the fresh air for a bit. It also happens to be breathtakingly beautiful. So, of course, I took a lot of photos.

Flagstaff Area

Flagstaff is the largest city, and the county seat, of Arizona's northern Coconino County. Home of Northern Arizona University and Lowell Observatory, and adjacent to at least four National Monuments as well as Grand Canyon National Park, if you want to enjoy the parts of Arizona that are as un-desert-like as possible, you can't go wrong with Flagstaff.

Fossil Springs Wilderness

Fossil Springs Wilderness is an 11,550-acre (18 square mile) wilderness area within the Coconino National Forest in the beautiful state of Arizona. It is at the bottom of a steep canyon at the edge of the Colorado Plateau, just south of the Mogollon Rim. At Fossil Springs, water gushes forth at the rate of about 2,700 cubic feet per minute as Fossil Creek. The perennial water supply supports one of the most diverse riparian ecosystems in the state, with more than 30 species of trees set among native desert shrub. It also creates a haven for abundant wildlife, including elk, deer, javelina, coyote, skunk, racoon, ring-tailed cat, fox, mountain lion, black bear and more than 100 species of birds.

Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon of the Colorado River (yes, that's its actual name) is the single most spectacular thing I've ever seen on Earth.

Not only is its physical beauty unparalleled, but its psychic energy, for those who are sensitive to such things, is life-changing.

This is the place I go to, over and over—for special occasions, to bring friends, for solitary contemplation.

Kaiser Warm Spring

Michael and I, who had each lost about 40 pounds on the Atkins diet, had fallen off the no-carb wagon and put most of it back on. The three days it takes to get back into "lipolysis" is murder, although the rest of the time the diet is easy to follow. So I decided to take myself out to the middle of nowhere so I wouldn't be tempted to run out and buy a donut.

Mazatzal Mountains

The Mazatzal Mountains, a rugged and remote range in central Arizona, are characterized by a rich geological history and diverse ecology. Geologically, they feature Precambrian rocks, including the erosion-resistant Mazatzal Quartzite, and are known for the Great Unconformity, where nearly a billion years of Earth's history is missing between the Tapeats Sandstone and older rock units.

Monument Valley

Monument Valley is an exquisite example of erosion gone fabulous. Made famous by film director John Ford, most everyone in the world knows the images of Monument Valley, even if they don't know where they came from.

Payson Area

Payson is a town in northern Gila County, Arizona. Its location puts it very near to the geographic center of Arizona. Payson has been called "The Heart of Arizona". The town is surrounded by the Tonto National Forest and has many outdoor activities year round. Located at the base of the Mogollon Rim, it's an especially good base for camping, hiking, and photographic adventures.

Petrified Forest National Park

Petrified Forest National Park is a United States national park in Navajo and Apache counties in northeastern Arizona. Named for its large deposits of petrified wood, the fee area of the park covers about 230 square miles, encompassing semi-desert shrub steppe as well as highly eroded and colorful badlands. The park's headquarters is about 26 miles east of Holbrook along Interstate 40 (I-40). The site, the northern part of which extends into the Painted Desert, was declared a national monument in 1906 and a national park in 1962. Typical visitor activities include sightseeing, photography, hiking, and backpacking.

Phoenix and the Greater Phoenix Area

Phoenix, Arizona's largest city, happens to be home to more parks and natural areas than any other city in America.

A Visit to Picacho Peak State Park

Anyone traveling by ground between Phoenix and Tucson can't miss the unique outline of Picacho Peak. It's so distinctive, that every time I've seen it, I wanted to stop and check it out—but never had time.

Until today, when I drove there specifically for that purpose!

Prescott Area

Prescott is a city in Yavapai County, Arizona. The city is the county seat of Yavapai County. In 1864 Prescott was designated as the capital of the Arizona Territory, replacing the temporary capital at Fort Whipple. The Territorial Capital was moved to Tucson in 1867. Prescott again became the Territorial Capital in 1877, until Phoenix became the capital in 1889. The city was named after author William H. Prescott, whose writings were popular during the Civil War. The Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe reservation is located adjacent to and partially within the borders of Prescott.

Queen Creek Gorge

About 30 miles east of where we live, along US 60, lies the little mining town of Superior, Arizona. It's a relatively unremarkable place, but just a few miles past it US 60 winds its way into a gorge dug eons ago by Queen Creek, which eventually winds its way into the Valley and gives its name to a smaller housing development that is one of the dozens of Phoenix suburbs.

Salt River Canyon

Salt River Canyon is relatively remote, but so beautiful that it would be worth traveling to see even if it weren't the starting point for Upper Salt River rafting trips.

Sedona Area

One of Arizona's most precious jewels is the town and environs of Sedona. Nestled in a bed of red rocks jumbled from the mile-high Mogollon Rim, Sedona is known for its exquisite beauty as well as for metaphysical "energy vortices" with healing and enlightening powers.

Sierra Ancha Wilderness and Bees

This weekend's camping trip was in the Sierra Ancha Wilderness, in the mountains east of Roosevelt Lake. I went with a new friend, Wade, who hadn't been camping since he was a kid and had asked to be taken some place isolated and quiet…which I completely understand, because I am so over the noise and crush and pollution of the city.

Snowflake

When I moved to Arizona in 1997 with my then-fiancé, Michael, it was just outside of the little town of Snowflake we bought 40 acres of land with an old, but livable (we were told) trailer on it.

Tonopah

Tonopah is a small town about 40 miles west of downtown Phoenix. However, it is home to a hot spring that is a favorite of mine, as well as some spectacular scenery.

Tucson Area

Tucson is a city and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona; and home to the University of Arizona. Tucson is the second-largest populated city in Arizona behind Phoenix, both of which anchor the Arizona Sun Corridor. The Spanish name of the city, Tucsón, is derived from the O'odham Cuk Ṣon, meaning "(at the) base of the black [hill]", a reference to a basalt-covered hill now known as Sentinel Peak. Tucson is sometimes referred to as "The Old Pueblo".