Arizona | |
Arizona is a state in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the Western and the Mountain states. It is the sixth largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona shares the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico; its other neighboring states are Nevada and California to the west and the Mexican states of Sonora and Baja California to the south and southwest.
Arizona is the 48th state and last of the contiguous states to be admitted to the Union, achieving statehood on February 14, 1912, coinciding with Valentine’s Day. Historically part of the territory of Alta California in New Spain, it became part of independent Mexico in 1821. After being defeated in the Mexican–American War, Mexico ceded much of this territory to the United States in 1848. The southernmost portion of the state was acquired in 1853 through the Gadsden Purchase. Southern Arizona is known for its desert climate, with very hot summers and mild winters. Northern Arizona features forests of pine, Douglas fir, and spruce trees; the Colorado Plateau; some mountain ranges (such as the San Francisco Mountains); as well as large, deep canyons, with much more moderate summer temperatures and significant winter snowfalls. There are ski resorts in the areas of Flagstaff, Alpine, and Tucson. In addition to the Grand Canyon National Park, there are several national forests, national parks, and national monuments. |
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Arizona: Navajo Nation – Monument Valley
I had grown up watching John Wayne movies with my parents and loved them. When planning a road trip across the western States of the US I simply had to put Monument Valley on the schedule.
Arizona: Page – The spectacular Antelope Canyon
You have probably seen photographs of Antelope Canyon even if you did not know it where it was. This amazing corkscrew canyon has been carved by the fast-rising waters of flash floods. Antelope Canyon's sandstone walls are an amazing contusion of colours and shapes. Definitely worth the excursion!
Arizona: Chinle – Canyon De Chelly
On the recommendation of a good friend, we took a detour on our journey through Arizona to visit the Canyon De Chelly and we fell in love with the place. The rim trail is a great place to view the valley, but the climb to the bottom is not too difficult and well worth the effort.
Arizona: Flagstaff & Sunset Crater
Close to Flagstaff, Sunset Crater, the site of the most recent eruption in Northern Arizona, is now a National Monument and well worth a short visit to hike the lava fields. Also close to Flagstaff is the Lowell Laboratory, which is open to visitors. Here you can learn more about the universe and see the telescopes inside the Lowell's observatories.
Arizona: Montezuma Well and Castle
A visit to Montezuma Castle, an ancient cliff dwelling south of Sedona. This five storey cliff dwelling was built by the Sinaquas, an Ancient Indian Tribe about 700 years ago, which they later abandoned in around 1400
Arizona: Arcosanti – a social project
On our road trip through Arizona we has heard about a place called Arcosanti which piqued our interest. Set in a desert landscape 90 miles north of Phoenix this social experiment was conceived to address the concerns of its architect Paolo Soleri about how unsustainable the way we live is into the future.
Arizona: Petrified Forest National Park & Meteor Crater
On our road trip across Arizona we called into the amazing Petrified Forest National Park, a journey back into the primordial past . As we traveled on the weather forced us to make a stop, which gave us the chance to visit Meteor Crater, the landing site of a car sized meteor and the massive indentation it made in the Earth.