Getaway

Visiting NORTHERN ARIZONA

Most people in Phoenix venture north of the Valley for a day trip now and then. We like to visit the mountains, tall pines and cool summers of Flagstaff with trips to the Grand Canyon National Park’s South Rim and the small towns and sights to see on the way. But north of Flagstaff and the South Rim lies a vast, sparsely populated wilderness. If you’re looking for adventure on the road less travelled, here are some places you can visit north of I-40 in Arizona.

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK – NORTH RIM

If you enjoy the majestic beauty of the Grand Canyon, but aren’t crazy about all the tourists, you should check out the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. The North Rim is about a four-hour drive from the South Rim and sits at over 8000 feet in elevation, which means it is closed during winter months due to harsher winter weather. With gorgeous views and an abundance of wildlife, the North Rim has just one lodge, one campground and accounts for only 10 percent of all Grand Canyon visitors.

VERMILION CLIFFS NATIONAL MONUMENT

On the road to the North Rim of the

By Jill “MamaBug” Frier

Grand Canyon lies a spectacular vision of towering canyon walls. The Vermilion Cliffs National Monument is located on 294,000-acres of the Colorado Plateau, just south of Utah. This monument includes the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, which is home to Coyote Buttes. You may recognize this international hiking destination, which features rock formations of colorful, swirled crossbedded sandstone – it’s home to the famously photographic “Wave” rock formation. Be sure to plan ahead and prepare for a trip into the wilderness; there is no Visitor Center or lodging, but camping is allowed in designated areas or with a backcountry permit.

GLEN CANYON NATIONAL RECREATION AREA

The Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is located on the Arizona and Utah border, at the center of the Colorado Plateau. This natural wonder encompasses over 1.25 million acres and offers visitors an array of water-based and backcountry recreation. The recreation area also protects scenic, scientific, natural, and cultural resources on Lake Powell, the Colorado River, its tributaries, and surrounding lands. The gateway to Glen Canyon and Lake Powell is the small town of Page, Arizona. This community offers a wide variety of lodging, services and recreational resources for visitors to the lake.

GRAND CANYON – PARASHANT NATIONAL MONUMENT

The Grand Canyon National Park is not the only way to see the incredible views the Grand Canyon offers. You can travel west of the North Rim and take a rocky, two-track road in a 4x4 to the edge of the Grand Wash Cliffs, where you will find a stunning, solitary view deep into the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument is a dynamic geologic environment with amazing vistas, volcanic flows and mountains on the move. The monument is incredibly remote, so plan ahead and be prepared to leave pavement, cell service, and modern conveniences behind.

NAVAJO NATIONAL MONUMENT

Just south of the Utah border and about an hour west of Monument Valley, you will find the Navajo National Monument. Established in 1909 to protect the remains of three large and incredibly well-preserved prehistoric pueblos, Keet Seel, Betatakin, and Inscription House, this monument represents a long cultural history of the Navajo people and their ancestors. Located on the Navajo Nation approximately nine miles from Highway 160 at the end of AZ Highway 564, the Navajo National Monument is a free park that offers a picnic area and camping facilities.

MONUMENT VALLEY TRIBAL PARK

Stunning rock formations and broad vistas welcome you to the Navajo Nation’s Monument Valley Park. The onsite location for many western movies, visitors get to see and experience one of the most majestic and photographed places on earth. Monument Valley is a vast swath of desert just south of the Utah border on the Navajo Nation, displaying graceful sandstone masterpieces that tower at heights of 400 to 1,000 feet. Highway 163 runs through Monument Valley to Utah, but travelers can stop by the Visitor Center to eat, buy Navajo arts and crafts, and pay to travel through a specially designated area of the park.

The far northern part of Arizona is a vast wilderness that covers hundreds of miles on both paved and unpaved roads. If you crave the solitude of nature and a journey off the beaten path, a trip to this part of Arizona is for you. Be sure to check Ladybugs Blog (www.LadybugsBlog.com) for information about other fantastic places to visit in the great state of Arizona.

ENTERTAINMENT WATER-FILLED FUN AWAITS FAMILIES AT GREAT WOLF LODGE ARIZONA

Careening down slides, bouncing in the surf, 20-foot free fall, followed immediately by a 360-degathering underneath a giant bucket as a gree, high-speed loop. thousand gallons of water prepares to pour • Alberta Falls: This one or two-person tube slide down – families will experience this joy, and much features drops, chutes and serpentine 180- degree more water-filled fun. With the temperature set to a and 360-degree banked curves. cozy 84-degrees year-round, the indoor waterpark • River Canyon Run: A rollicking family raft ride facility will offer weatherproof family fun for every that sends up to four riders on a white-water advenage and excitement level. ture down one of the park’s longest slides. With no Great Wolf Lodge recently released the first details the kids to enjoy together. about the waterpark and the slides and attractions that will be offered inside the nearly two acres of The resort will also feature an oversized outdoor water-fun. A sampling of the line-up of waterpark resort pool so families can take advantage of the experiences include: favorable Arizona weather. Near the outdoor pool, • Talking Stick Treehouse: Great Wolf Lodge’s relaxing chaise lounge chairs and a private hot tub signature, multi-level water play structure featuring for parents to enjoy. suspension bridges, slides, spray stations and other water elements. Atop of Talking Stick Treehouse sits a massive, 1,000 gallon tipping bucket that pours out every three-to-four minutes, to the glee of the guests waiting below. Attached to the play structure are five water slides, two that originate from the top of the structure for more adventurous young ones and three at a lower-level for more of the toddler set. • Wolf Tail: A thrill-seekers delight. Guests step into a launch pod and listen to the rhythmic sound of a heartbeat as they wait for the floor to drop out from underneath, hurling them into a nearly vertical,

TITANIC: THE ARTIFACT EXHIBITION COMING IN MAY

Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition takes you on a there,” said Ran Knishinsky, Partner and Chief Marjourney back in time to experience the legend keting at OdySea. “Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition of Titanic like never before. The galleries in this puts visitors in the shoes of passengers, showcasing fascinating Exhibition feature over 137 real artifacts, authentic objects that offer a poignant, emotional conincluded 120 never seen before in Arizona, recovered nection to those traveling on the iconic ship.” from the ocean floor along with room re-creations and steep drops, this is the perfect slide for parents and Great Wolf Lodge will offer an adult-only oasis with personal stories; each highlighting a different chapter Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition will be replacing the in the compelling story of Titanic’s maiden voyage. Bodies Revealed exhibit, and opening May 8. Visitors will experience a chronological voyage through Viewed by more than 25 million people worldwide, the Titanic. These artifacts, recovered from two and this traveling exhibition is one of the highest attended a half miles below the surface of the North Atlantic, in history. tell the story from behind the Titanic’s short journey from construction, to destruction, and eventual “Even after more than 100 years, the curiosity is still recovery.

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