| Think about it: the wine-hued canyons of Lake | | | | check out a Hohokam excavated ballcourt and |
| Powell...the Ponderosa pines of the Coconino | | | | full-scale reproductions of prehistoric Hohokam |
| National Forest...the red rocks of Sedona...the | | | | homes. The site also includes some of the last |
| soaring Santa Catalina peaks...Arizona is definitely | | | | remaining intact Hohokam irrigation canals. |
| ready, willing and able to fit right into a variety of | | | | For a more contemporary -- let's say 1800's -- |
| lifestyles. For example, the state enjoys a wealth | | | | Old West experience, book a stay at one of the |
| of hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, touring, | | | | state's dude ranches or visit historic Tombstone, |
| swimming, river rafting and both water- and | | | | where many buildings have bullet holes and there |
| snow-skiing. In addition, amazing examples of | | | | are daily shootouts at the O.K. Corral. If your |
| Mother Nature in Arizonas real estate are | | | | munchkins are more rambunctious, kids can be as |
| abundant, including one of the "Seven Wonders of | | | | rowdy as they like at such Western town replicas |
| the World" - the Grand Canyon - as well as | | | | as Rawhide near Phoenix and Old Tucson Studios, |
| forests of statuesque saguaro cacti, magnificent | | | | where many classic cowboy films were made. |
| caverns and even the 550-foot-deep Meteor | | | | With so many outdoor classrooms, the wide open |
| Crater. | | | | real estate of Arizona offers numerous science |
| Meanwhile, the Phoenix Zoo and Tucson's Reid | | | | and history lessons. At Petrified Forest National |
| Park Zoo are both excellent places for a family | | | | Park, you can see dinosaur bones and pieces of |
| day-trip, as is the Out of Africa Wildlife Park, near | | | | the trees that grew when dinosaurs roamed the |
| Camp Verde. And for distinctly natural habitats, it's | | | | area. The living cave system at Kartchner |
| hard to beat Tucson's huge Arizona-Sonora | | | | Caverns State Park was kept secret by its |
| Desert Museum, while mostly critter-free but filled | | | | discoverers for years so it wouldn't be spoiled and |
| with indigenous plant life are Phoenix's Desert | | | | Tucson's Colossal Cave is so big it's never been |
| Botanical Garden and Tucson's Sabino Canyon, | | | | fully explored. If you don't have claustrophobia, |
| which includes a tram ride to the top. | | | | you can even go underground and tour the |
| For a taste of the REALLY Old West, Deer Valley | | | | Queen Mine in Bisbee. |
| Rock Art Center is a great place to ponder the | | | | When it comes to night skies, among the places |
| mysteries of ancient Native American | | | | where you can peer through telescopes are the |
| artwork...and it's located right off the Loop 101 in | | | | Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Kitt Peak National |
| north Phoenix, just a hop, skip and jump from | | | | Observatory west of Tucson and the Flandrau |
| Scottsdale. Or you could visit the Pueblo Grande | | | | Science Center and Planetarium in Tucson. Some |
| Museum, which is the site of 1,500 year-old | | | | resorts in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Tucson and |
| Hohokam village ruins located inside the Phoenix | | | | Greater Phoenix also offer astronomy programs |
| city limits. Spread across 102 acres, the Museum | | | | that are open to guests as well as the general |
| allows you to explore an 800 year-old Hohokam | | | | public. |
| platform mound or you can stroll the grounds and | | | | |