One Block

THINGS TO DO IN

CAVE CREEK/ CAREFREE

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP:

View the Carefree Sundial, dine at El Encanto, enjoy high tea at English Rose Tea Room, and explore Frontier Town.

EAT DRINK SHOP PLAY

At El Encanto, an Old-World, Mission-style Mexican cantina, enjoy the tastes of Mexico in a picturesque setting, complete with a pond. Stop in at Keeler’s Neighborhood Steakhouse for Certified Angus steaks, fresh seafood, and more. Meanwhile, The Horny Toad is known far and wide for its Fried Chicken and Strawberry Shortcake.

El Encanto 6248 E. Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek www.elencantorestaurants.com Keeler’s Neighborhood Steakhouse 7212 E. Ho Hum Road, Carefree www.keelersteakhouse.com The Horny Toad 6738 E. Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek www.thehornytoad.com Eat and drink at Buffalo Chip Saloon, where there’s bull riding, too. At Elysian Desert Distilleries, sample vodka and bourbon, or enjoy high tea at English Rose Tea Room. Western bar and grill Harold’s Cave Creek Corral also offers music and country dancing.

Buffalo Chip Saloon 6823 E. Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek www.buffalochipsaloon.com Elysian Desert Distilleries 6201 E. Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek www.elysiandesertdistilleries.com English Rose Tea Room 201 Easy St., Carefree www.carefreetea.com Harold’s Cave Creek Corral 6895 E. Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek www.haroldscorral.com On Carefree’s Easy Street, find a collection of shops and art galleries, including Bags & Rags Boutique, which offers clothes and jewelry. Stagecoach Village offers a variety of stories, from a boutique to a T-shirt shop. And those-in-the-know head to the famous Watson’s Hat Shop for handcrafted hats.

Bags & Rags Boutique 16 Easy St., Carefree www.bags-and-rags-boutique. myshopify.com Stagecoach Village 7100 E. Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek www.stagecoachvillagecc.com Watson’s hat shop 7100 E. Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek www.watsonshatshop.com Carefree Desert Gardens is a free, 4-acre botanical garden with a playground and the largest sundial in the United States. Learn the prehistory, culture, and legacy of the Cave Creek/Carefree area at Cave Creek Museum. At Frontier Town, wander through an authentic Old Western town that’s complete with the Boot Hill cemetery, shows, and shopping.

Carefree Desert Gardens 101 Easy St., Carefree www.visitcarefree.com Cave Creek Museum 6140 E. Skyline Drive, Cave Creek https://cavecreekmuseum.org Frontier Town 6245 E. Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek www.frontiertownaz.com

THE HEAT

Cool down in the hot summer

BY MICHELLE GLICKSMAN

Hot days in the Valley of the Sun call for cool fun. Chill out and relax while tubing down the Salt River, explore a local museum, or enjoy dinner in the cool 57-degree temperature of the wine cellar at LONS’s at The Hermosa Inn.

SPLISH SPLASH

Even in the desert of the Valley, there is plenty of water fun to be had.

Not only are hotels and resorts plentiful, but many offer day passes, so even if you’re not staying there overnight you can enjoy these unique water features (check with the location directly, or book through www.resortpass.com). At Fairmont Scottsdale Princess (www.scottsdaleprincess.com), find a sand beach, as well as water slides; the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa (www.marriott.com) features a lazy river; Arizona Grand Resort & Spa (www.arizonagrandresort.com) offers a seven-acre Oasis Water Park, and Great Wolf Lodge (www.greatwolf.com) has an extensive indoor water park designed with kids in mind.

Those looking for destination water parks can spend the day at Six Flags Hurricane Harbor (www.sixflags.com/phoenix), which features water slides, a wave pool, and debuting this year, a new 12,000-square-foot activity pool. Meanwhile, Golfland Sunsplash (www.golfland.com/mesa) offers a variety of amusement park and water park activities that range from laser tag and bumper cars to water slides and a wave pool.

Younger kids—and kids at heart—love to run through the water at various splash pads around town. Find them at Desert Ridge

THE OASIS SLIDE TOWER AT ARIZONA GRAND RESORT SPA

BUTTERFLY WONDERLAND

Marketplace (www.shopdesertridge.com), Scottsdale Quarter (www.scottsdalequarter.com), and Civic Space Park (www.phoenix.gov).

TOTALLY TUBULAR

For those who would rather lounge in the water than run through or play in it, grab an inner tube and float down a river. Salt River Tubing (www.saltrivertubing.com) offers tube rentals and a shuttle bus service to the Salt River, where those ages 8-plus can float through the Tonto National Forest. (Tip: Bring a cooler filled with drinks and snacks, nestle it into a tube, and use a rope to join that tube to yours.)

GRAB A SWEATER

Ready to really chill out? During the summer, LON’s at The Hermosa Inn opens its private underground wine cellar—which is kept at a cool 57 degrees—for a one-of-a-kind, prix-fixe, five-course culinary experience.

INDOOR HAVENS

While in many areas of the country people head outdoors during the summer, in Metro Phoenix, we head indoors. Spend time at these fun locations while soaking up the air conditioning.

The Arizona Boardwalk (www.azboardwalk.com) is a Scottsdale destination with a number of attractions, including OdySea Aquarium (www.odyseaaquarium.com), the largest aquarium in the Southwest; Butterfly Wonderland (www.butterflywonderland. com), the largest indoor butterfly conservatory in America; The Science of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! (www.ripleysaz.com), a unique collection of objects and artifacts; and more. There are also dining spots and shops, including Four Peaks Mining Co. Store (www.fourpeaksminingco.com), which showcases minerals, loose gemstones, jewelry, and the Arizona Amethyst—and has a one-of-a-kind, interactive mine for kids.

In Chandler, color kids happy with a visit to the Crayola Experience (www.crayolaexperience.com), which features 20,000 square feet of attractions.

FROM TOP: MUSICAL INSTRUMENT MUSEUM; PHOENIX ART MUSEUM

MUST-SEE MUSEUMS

Another way to get out of the heat is to tour one of the Valley’s many museums. Popular destinations include Phoenix Art Museum (www.phxart.org), the largest art museum in the Southwest, with more than 20,000 objects; the Heard Museum (www.heard.org), a top museum for the presentation, interpretation, and advancement of American Indian art; the Musical Instrument Museum (www. mim.org), the world’s only global musical instrument museum; Arizona Science Center (www.azscience.org), which not only includes extensive and hands-on exhibits, but a planetarium; Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (www.smoca.org), also known as SMoCA to those in-the-know, and dedicated to contemporary art, architecture, and design; and Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West (www.scottsdalemuseum west.org), offering the story of the Greater Western region.

Children have fun at the Children’s Museum of Phoenix (www.childrensmuseumofphoenix.org), which is one of the top three children’s museums in the nation.

Visitors who like to multitask can head to Scottsdale Fashion Square, the largest shopping mall in the state, to shop, dine, and explore Wonderspaces (https://arizona.wonderspaces.com), which features immersive, interactive art.

LEFT: SLIDE ROCK STATE PARK; RIGHT: LOWELL OBSERVATORY

BY MICHELLE GLICKSMAN

Beat the heat from the summer temps in the Valley of the Sun by heading north. Northern Arizona is filled with everything from hiking to iconic visitor destinations, to wineries and more—not to mention its higher elevation means lower temperatures.

From historic locales to wonders created by Mother Nature, Northern Arizona offers a plethora of unique spots to explore. Add these to your bucket list.

SEDONA

Everything you’ve heard about the stunning scenery is true—Sedona, known for its red mountains, is breathtaking. Take a hike and explore a vortex, wade in nearby Oak Creek, wander through the town’s unique shops, or take a tour with Pink Jeep Tour company.

Known for its spiritual energy, there are plenty of ways to soothe the soul at this destination.

THINGS TO DO...

the famous red rocks, but visitors can also hike them. Explore the more than 300 miles of trails in the area, including those on the well-known Cathedral and Bell rocks. Find a list of trails at www.visitsedona.com.

Slide Rock—Cool off in the waters of Oak Creek at Slide Rock State Park, where a popular summer activity includes slipping and sliding down natural waterslides created by the flow of water over the red sandstone. www.azstateparks.com/slide-rock

Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village—This internationally renowned Sedona landmark arts and crafts village offers an array of shops, galleries, and restaurants, fashioned after a traditional Mexican village and perfect for exploring. www.tlaq.com

FLAGSTAFF

This Northern Arizona city might be known for its skiing during the winter, but summer brings just as much fun—as well as the breathtaking beauty of its setting in the world’s largest contiguous emerald green ponderosa pine forest.

THINGS TO DO...

Flagstaff Extreme—Visitors looking to test their limits head to this destination, where adventure courses and zip lines offer hours of fun. www.flagstaffextreme.com

Lowell Observatory—The observatory was established in 1894, 19

making it one of the oldest in the United States. Not only is it a designated National Historic Landmark, but it has another claim to fame—this is where Pluto was discovered. www.lowell.edu

Lunar Legacy Experience—The astronauts who walked on the moon trained in Flagstaff. With this experience, visitors can walk in their footsteps. www.flagstaffarizona.org

National Monuments—Explore trails, lava flows, and more at Sunset Crater Volcano, Wupatki, and Walnut Canyon national monuments. There’s a 34-mile scenic loop that winds from Highway 89 through Sunset Crater Volcano and Wupatki national monuments. www.nps.gov

Snowbowl—A popular skiing destination in the winter, come summer, Snowbowl takes advantage of its elevation to offer a range of activities. Take in the incredible views during a scenic chairlift ride, which travels up to 10,800 feet. www.snowbowl.ski

GRAND CANYON

One of the seven natural wonders of the world, the Grand Canyon offers breathtaking scenery and plenty of activities, from hiking to rafting. Carved by the Colorado River, it spans an average of 10 miles across and a mile deep along its 277-mile length. The South Rim is open year-round, while

the North Rim is generally open mid-May through mid-October.

THINGS TO DO...

Skywalk—For those who don’t mind heights, a must-experience is this 10-foot wide, horseshoe-shaped glass bridge that extends 70 feet out over the rim of the Grand Canyon, 4,000 feet above the floor of the canyon on its west rim at Eagle Point. www.grandcanyonwest.com

Trail of Time—This trail begins at the Yavapai Geology Museum, and is a paved interpretive walking trail. It runs 2.83 miles in length, and is designed to be a geologic timeline—every meter walked signifies

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Visit Meteor Crater, the world’s bestpreserved meteor impact site; get a unique view of the Grand Canyon at Skywalk; and explore Northern Arizona by train with the Grand Canyon Railway.

one million years of the Grand Canyon’s geologic history. www.nps.gov

WHERE TO STAY

For those looking to make it an overnight— or longer—trip, there are several places to stay in Northern Arizona. The Strawberry Inn in Strawberry (www.thestrawberryinn. com) is a dog-friendly boutique hotel with a main property, as well as private cabins and cottages. In Sedona, nestled against the banks of Oak Creek, stay in one of the luxury cabins at Brian Patch Inn (www. briarpatchinn.com) and enjoy spectacular views. Little America Hotel (https:// flagstaff.littleamerica.com) is Flagstaff’s only

AAA approved Four Diamond hotel, and is set on 500 acres of ponderosa pine forest.

TRAIN TRAVELS

Explore Northern Arizona by train on the Grand Canyon Railway (www.thetrain. com), which departs daily from Williams and heads to the Grand Canyon. Not only can riders enjoy the scenic views during the ride, but the experience includes Western musicians and cowboy characters on the vintage rail cars. The Verde Canyon Railroad (www.verdecanyonrr.com), which leaves from Clarkdale, offers a four-hour journey through 110 years of history on meticulously refurbished train cars.

Other Destinations in Northern Arizona

BEARIZONA WILDLIFE PARK Walk or drive through this spacious wildlife destination in Williams and see bears, bison, and more. www.bearizona.com

METEOR CRATER This location in Winslow is the world’s best-preserved meteor impact site. The meteor hit over 50,000 years ago, and left an impact measuring 550 feet deep and almost a mile wide. www.meteorcrater.com

MONTEZUMA CASTLE NATIONAL MONUMENT In Camp Verde, view this 20-room, high-rise apartment set in a limestone cliff, built between approximately 1100 and 1425 AD by the Sinagua people. www.nps.gov

OUT OF AFRICA WILDLIFE PARK This 104-acre wildlife preserve in Camp Verde features hundreds of exotic animals, shows, encounters, and activities. www.outofafricapark.com

TONTO NATURAL BRIDGE STATE PARK Walk across what is believed to be the largest natural travertine bridge in the world, which is now surrounded by a state park, in Pine. www.azstateparks.com/tonto

WHISKEY ROW Step back in time on this street in Prescott. Explore historic bars and saloons, primarily built during the Gold Rush, where outlaws and famous cowboys used to drink. Today there are also art galleries and other stores. www.prescott.com 21

Saving Dough in the Old Pueblo

BY TAYLOR CLAYTON

TUCSON MUSEUM OF ART AND HISTORIC BLOCK

If you find yourself venturing to or vacationing in Tucson (also referred to as the Old Pueblo), there is plenty of fun—and deals—to be had. Here, you can take in all the natural spoils the desert has to offer without breaking the bank. Whether you’re looking for some sound Mexican cuisine for cheap, on the prowl for Old West-centric attractions, or in desperate need of exploring the beautiful surrounding landscape, Tucson has the tools available to allow you to treat yourself—and save a little extra money while you’re at it.

FREE AND INEXPENSIVE ATTRACTIONS

No trip to Tucson would be complete without gazing upon the breathtaking architecture found at the Mission San Xavier del Bac (www.sanxaviermission. org). Not only is this historic landmark consistently rated as one of Tucson’s top attractions, but it is also free to visit (select hours). Truly a must for history buffs.

Another popular attraction that’ll allow you to leave with the same amount of money in your pocket that you walked in with is the University of Arizona’s Center For Creative Photography (www.kennerly.ccp.arizona.edu). Here, visitors can get lost in photographs from 270 archival collections, which include a variety of images from notable 20th-century photographers. Check for re-opening plans.

Can’t get enough art? The Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block (www.tucsonmuseumofart.org) will feed your creative side for just $12 for adults, $10 for seniors, $7 for youth ages 13-17, and free admission for children 12 and under. Here, you’ll find artwork ranging from Western, Latin American, modern and contemporary, along with five historic houses that provide a glimpse of Tucson’s past.

Presidio San Augustin del Tucson Museum (www.tucsonpresidio.com) has a slice of history to experience at the inexpensive price of $5 for adults,

MT. LEMMON’S WINDY POINT VISTA $1 for children ages 6-14, and free for those ages 6 and under. The museum is a reconstruction of the original Tucson Presidio built in 1775, and the price of admission enables guests to walk through an excavation of a 2,000-year-old pit house, the Spanish Presidio (including a barracks exhibit), and a 1850s renovated Sonoran row home. Reenactments are also available during select day; you can check their website or call ahead for event and reenactment schedules.

ADMIRING THE BEAUTY OF THE DESERT

There’s nothing quite like the Sonoran Desert’s natural beauty. The saguaro cacti found scattered throughout the region, perched upon towering mountains, is a sight unlike any other. Combine that with rock formations and the vibrant colors of the desert meshed with Tucson’s big blue sky, and you’ll find yourself running out of

photo space on your phone fairly quickly.

While the Sabino Canyon Crawler (https://sabinocanyoncrawler.com) is ideal for sitting and relaxing while traversing the desert, the more active types also have a plethora of biking and hiking trails at their disposal to explore. Tucson has a giant bike path that circles around the city limits and its surrounding area, named The Loop (www.webcms. pima.gov/government/the_loop). On this path, bicyclists can travel through Pima County, Marana, Oro Valley, Tucson and South Tucson, all along one connected bike route.

If you’d rather get your exercise on your own two feet instead of two wheels, you’ll find an abundance of trails and scenic viewpoints near and around Tucson. Mt. Lemmon’s Windy Point Vista (https:// www.fs.usda.gov) provides an opportune Instagram moment, with breathtaking views of the city of Tucson and the neighboring Santa Catalina Mountains, via the Mt. Lemmon Highway. The lookout is equipped with parking, a viewing area, walkways and restrooms.

For hikers, Saguaro National Park (www.nps.gov/sagu) West and East provide a variety of trailheads to explore, from moderate levels of difficulty to strenuous. On the east side of the park, you’ll find views of the Santa Catalina Mountains, washes, and small bodies of water. The west side features petroglyphs from the prehistoric Hohokam people, found on the Signal Hill Trail in the Tucson Mountain District.

AFTER A LONG DAY, IT’S TACO TIME

After a busy day of wandering the city and desert in all its glory, you’ll probably need to refuel. What better way to do so than with some fresh tacos? The taco options in the Old Pueblo are plenty. Aqua con El Nene (www.aquiconelnene.com) serves up $3.15 tacos at its two locations, and its special lorenzas—toasted taco with cheese—are just $4. At Taqueria Juanitos (www.juanitostaqueria.com), the street tacos are only $1.95 each, and their dessert is even cheaper, at $1 per delicious churro.

Looking for a good happy hour spot? El Charro Café (www.elcharrocafe.com) is the place to be, as their happy hour special is packed with menu items such as $6 house and fruta margaritas, and $4.95 fiesta hour Mini Chimichangas (4), available 2-6 p.m. daily.

EL CHARRO CAFÉ

GETTING AROUND

If you need an inexpensive way to get around, The Sun Link streetcar (www.sunlinkstreetcar.com) provides rides through Mercado, Downtown Tucson, Historic Fourth Avenue, and the Main Gate Square/ University of Arizona main campus area. Pay by the ride with the GoTucson Transit app, get a $2 pass for two hours, or purchase a one-day SunGo ticket for $4.50, available at Sun Link stops. Kids 5-years-old and under ride for free.

THE GUIDE

OUR

FAVORITES WHERE’S THE WARHOL

Rock legend Alice Cooper famously rediscovered this rare Andy Warhol silkscreen several years ago in his Scottsdale garage, where he had originally stored (and then had forgotten about) it. Now, Cooper will sell the piece—a vibrant red Little Electric Chair acrylic and silkscreen on canvas from Warhol’s “Death and Disaster” series from 1964-1965—during the 2021 Fall Larsen Art Auction on Oct. 23. The public can view it on June 24 at Larsen Gallery during the free Scottsdale ArtWalk, from 6:30-9 p.m. Additional viewing times throughout the summer will be announced at www.larsengallery.com. 3705 N Bishop Lane, Scottsdale