Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
463
En Route to Tucson
Driving southeast from Phoenix for about 60 miles will bring you to the Casa
Grande and Coolidge area, where you can learn about the Hohokam people
who once inhabited this region, and, in spring, see desert wildflowers.
Casa Grande Ruins National Monument
, located outside Coolidge,
preserves one of the most unusual Indian ruins in the state; an earth-walled
structure built 650 years ago by the Hohokam people. Instead of using adobe
bricks or stones, the people who built this structure used layers of hard-packed
soil. Located 1 mile north of Coolidge on Arizona 87 (
&
520/723-3172;
www.
nps.gov/cagr). Admission is $5.
Alternatively, if you're heading to Tucson by way of I-10, consider a stop at
Picacho Peak State Park
, 35 miles northwest of Tucson at exit 219
(
&
520/466-3183;
www.azstateparks.com). Picacho Peak, which rises 1,500 feet
above the desert, is a visual landmark for miles around. Hiking trails around the
peak and up to the summit are especially popular in spring, when the wildflow-
ers bloom. Admission is $6 per car ($3 in summer), for up to 4 adults.
seen piled high all around the town. From Globe, head west on US 60. Three miles west
of Superior, you'll come to
Boyce Thompson Arboretum
, 37615 US 60 (
&
520/
689-2811;
arboretum.ag.arizona.edu), dedicated to researching and propagating desert
plants. This was the nation's first botanical garden established in the desert and is set in
two small, rugged canyons. From the impressive cactus gardens, you can gaze up at sun-
baked cliffs before ducking into a forest of eucalyptus trees that grow along a stream.
September through April, the arboretum is open daily from 8am to 5pm, and May
through August, it's open 6am to 3pm. Admission is $7.50 for adults and $3 for children
5 to 12. There are guided tours of the garden daily; call for a schedule.
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