About Arizona
Best known for the beauty of its high desert landscape, Arizona contains both these untamed vistas and, in stark contrast, many ultramodern cities. To see some of the more remote sights of this Southwestern state, you'll need to have your own transportation, so book your flight and rent a car ahead of time.
Some of Arizona's most popular cities are:
Arizona has many amazing national and state parks. Besides the famous and very tourist-oriented Grand Canyon National Park, places like Petrified Forest National Park and Lake Havasu State Park each have their own unique sights and special attractions. Situated on the border of Nevada and Arizona, Lake Mead is a favorite camping and fishing destination, open year round to take advantage of the consistently warm desert climate.
Day tours depart from nearly every city and large town in the state, offering a huge variety of sights and ways to see them. Flagstaff is the best place to begin a journey to the Grand Canyon, while Sedona offers many incredible jeep, helicopter and horse tours of the stunning Sonoran Desert. Tucson features both scenic trips and abundant regional history, with sites like the San Xavier Del Bac Mission.
The Phoenix metro area contains no less than eight distinct cities, ranging from the arts-centric city of Scottsdale to the sports-heavy city of Glendale and Phoenix. Visit the downtown areas of these high population areas for amazing restaurants, great shopping and amazing nightlife experiences.
Fun Facts About Arizona
- Arizona's official state neckwear is the bola tie.
- Unlike the rest of the country except Hawaii, Arizona does not recognize daylight savings time. This means that it is the same time as Mountain Time in the winter in line with Pacific Time in the summer. The Navajo Nation, however, does follow daylight savings.
- The Grand Canyon is 277 miles long and up to 18 miles wide in some places.
- The Morenci Mine is the largest copper mine in the whole of North America.
- When England's famous London Bridge was replaced in the 1960s, the original was dismantled and moved to Lake Havasu City, where still it stands today.
- Arizona has more designated Native American land by percentage than any other state.
- Admitted into the nation in 1912, Arizona is the youngest state in the continental U.S.
- When the famous O.K. Corral shootout occurred, Wyatt Earp was only a temporary deputy, not the town sheriff or marshal.
