Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
15
The Best of Central &
Western Arizona
Between Phoenix and the Grand
Canyon lies one of the most beautiful
landscapes on earth—the red-rock coun-
try of Sedona. Decades ago, Hollywood
came to Sedona to shoot Westerns; then
came the artists and the retirees and the
New Agers. Now it seems Hollywood is
back, but this time the stars are building
huge homes in the hills.
Central Arizona isn't just red rock and
retirees, though. It also has the former ter-
ritorial capital of Prescott, historic sites,
ancient Indian ruins, an old mining town
turned artists' community, even a few
good old-fashioned dude ranches (now
called “guest ranches”) out Wickenburg
way. There are, of course, thousands of
acres of cactus-studded desert, but there
are also high mountains, cool pine forests,
and a fertile river valley. And north of
Sedona's red rocks is Oak Creek Canyon, a
tree-shaded cleft in the rocks with one of
the state's most scenic stretches of highway
running through it.
Also included in this chapter is Arizo-
na's “west coast,” 340 miles of Colorado
River waters, most of which are impounded
in three huge reservoirs—Lake Mead,
Lake Mohave, and Lake Havasu—that
provide water and electricity to sprawling
Southwestern boomtowns such as Phoenix
and Las Vegas.
As with any warm coastline, Arizona's
West Coast is lined with lakefront resorts,
hotels, RV parks, and campgrounds. Of
course, watersports of all types are
extremely popular here. For the most part,
however, it's a destination for desert resi-
dents, so you won't find any hotels or
resorts even remotely as upscale or expen-
sive as those in Phoenix, Tucson, or
Sedona.
1
WICKENBURG
53 miles NW of Phoenix; 61 miles S of Prescott; 128 miles SE of Kingman
Known a half century ago as the dude-ranch capital of the world, Wickenburg once
attracted celebrities and families from all over the country. Those were the days when the
West had only just stopped being wild, and spending the winter in Arizona was an
adventure, not just a chance to escape snow and ice. Today, although the area has only a
handful of dude (or guest) ranches still in business, Wickenburg still clings to its Wild
West image. The guest ranches that remain range from rustic to luxurious, but a chance
to ride the range is still the area's main attraction.
ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE
From Phoenix, drive north on I-17, then west on Ariz. 74, continu-
ing west on US 60. From Prescott, take Ariz. 89. If you're coming from the west, take
U.S. 60 from I-10. U.S. 93 comes down from I-40 in northwestern Arizona.
VISITOR INFORMATION
Contact the
Wickenburg Chamber of Commerce,
216
N. Frontier St. (
&
800/942-5242
or 928/684-5479; www.outwickenburgway.com).
