Photo by Abraham Karam Bonus Getaway: Kayaking Topock Gorge makes a great side trip for adventures 11, 14, and 48. Western Arizona Canoe and Kayak Outfitters – WACKO – offers kayak trips from Lake Havasu City (azwacko.com).

Mark your calendar and top off the tank in your getaway car: This menu of statewide escapes serves up everything from zip lining to llama hiking to ghost busting, plus a hefty helping of hikes, scenic drives, festivals and more.
New this year: a handful of out-of-state outdoorsy meccas for every season.











SPRING
SUMMER
FALL
WINTER


For all of PHOENIX magazine’s '52 Weekend Adventures', check back soon, find us at newsstands Valleywide or call 480-664-3960.  Subscribe today so you don’t miss another issue!





SPRING

1. Best Sleepover:
Hacienda Corona de Guevavi
Nogales
Wendy Stover calls her bed and breakfast “the Plymouth Rock of the West,” and it’s a credible claim. Hacienda Corona de Guevavi was first established by Captain Juan Bautista De Anza in 1728 and is the site of Father Kino’s first mission church in Southern Arizona. (De Anza’s mother was buried at the altar steps of the ruins that still stand today.) “He led the army that escorted Father Kino to Guevavi, the mission of sorrows,” Stover says. Today, sorrows are someplace else, as this romantic ranch perched atop 36 acres overlooking the Santa Cruz Riverbed offers a plush, private hacienda retreat. Murals of indigenous Mexican peasants painted by famed bullfighter-turned-artist Salvador Corona line the courtyard walls.
ELEVATION: 3,900 feet
ADDRESS AND DIRECTIONS: 348 S. River Rd., Nogales. Take I-10 east to Tucson; merge onto I-19 south. Continue to exit 12, Ruby Road. Continue east 1.5 miles to Via Frontera; turn right. At the stop sign, turn left on South River Road. Drive approximately 1.5 miles to Guevavi Ranch gate; turn left and proceed across riverbed to Hacienda Corona sign.
DRIVING TIME: 2 hours, 45 minutes (175 miles)
RATES: $199-$239/night (double occupancy)
INFO: 520-287-6503, haciendacorona.com
KIDS: Leave ’em.

Photo by Abraham Karam Place your photo caption here

2. Walk It Out:
Llama Hike Strawberry
“Back in 1988, having a llama was like being in the Arabian horse circuit,” quips Joyce Bittner. Today, Joyce and her husband, John, have 50 goats and nine llamas on their 5-acre slice of high-country paradise called the Ranch at Fossil Creek. John estimates he makes about 60 pounds of cheese and 25 pounds of fudge from goat milk every day. Joyce handles the one-hour or half-day guided llama hikes through neighboring Prescott National Forest or along the Mogollon Rim. (Note: You don’t ride the 275-pound pack animals; you walk alongside them.)
ELEVATION: 7,000 feet
ADDRESS AND DIRECTIONS: 10379 W. Fossil Creek Rd., Strawberry. Take Highway 87 north to Strawberry; turn west on Fossil Creek Road. Travel 3.5 miles to the Ranch at Fossil Creek.
DRIVING TIME: 2 hours (108 miles)
FEES: Half-day llama hikes cost $65 for adults, $40 for children under age 12. Lunch is included.
LODGING: Camp overnight in a Ranch at Fossil Creek yurt. For more upscale accommodations, try Joyce’s sister’s place, Up the Creek Bed and Breakfast (upthecreekbedandbreakfast.com).
INFO: 928-476-5178, ranchatfossilcreek.com
TRAVEL TIP: Take a cooler to keep specialty cheese or fudge purchases cool.
KIDS: Take ’em.


3. Scenic Drive:
Highway 177
Superior to Winkelman
The road to Winkelman meanders south from Superior along saguaros, arroyos, barrel cactus – and copper. This paved road twists, turns, ascends and dips with a nice mix of ease and texture, making it a popular choice for bikers. Twelve miles south of Superior, turn left at the Ray Pit Mine. This massive, multicolored terracing of marred, scarred landscape illustrates the tussle between man and Mother Nature, who gives up her copper at a cost. The pit plunges so deep that mining crews appear to man Tonka trucks below. To the west, aptly-named peaks such as Mineral Mountain and Copper Butte round out the ride to Winkelman.
ELEVATION: 1,972-2,646 feet
DIRECTIONS: Take U.S. 60 east to Superior; turn south on Highway 177. At Winkelman, take the optional return north on Highway 77 to Globe.
DRIVING TIME: 45 minutes (33 miles)
TRAVEL TIP: The Mescal Mountains OHV area near Kearney offers easy off-road trails through low desert terrain.
KIDS: Leave ’em.


4. Castle Dome Mining Museum
Yuma
The Old West was fragile, not built to last, says Alan Armstrong. The historian has amassed a 50-building mining museum and ghost town on the site of Castle Dome City, which produced silver from 1864 to 1979. To gather artifacts, Armstrong rappelled 250 feet down a mine shaft sealed on his property since 1919. “It was like going into the Titanic. It was all untouched,” he says, adding that he found intact picks, shovels, powder boxes and a pair of Levi Strauss-authenticated 1890s buttonfly jeans. Other artifacts are reclamations, like the 1817 wood stairs in the saloon that Armstrong salvaged from a Jefferson Davis residence. Don’t miss the chapel and the jail, whose barred window nicely frames the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge.
ELEVATION: 138 feet (Yuma)
ADDRESS AND DIRECTIONS: 27550 E. County 15th St., Yuma. Take I-10 west to Quartzsite; exit onto Highway 95 south to mile marker 55. Turn east onto Castle Dome Road and follow signs for about 10 miles.
DRIVING TIME: 2 hours, 50 minutes (185 miles)
FEES: $6-$10/adults, depending on how many attractions you want to see; $3-$5/kids ages 6-11.
LODGING: Hike up your history quotient with a stay at the Hilton Garden Inn Yuma Pivot Point (hiltongardeninn3.hilton.com) and walk the interpretive trail system behind the hotel along the Colorado River.
INFO: 928-920-3062, castledomemuseum.com
KIDS: Take ’em.


5. Saguaro National Park
Tucson
Flanking Tucson, bifurcated Saguaro National Park is an earthen ode to carnegiea gigantea, the super-centenarian succulent that can reach a height of 50 feet and weigh as much as 8 tons. Scenic loop drives and miles of hiking immerse visitors in 91,000 acres of dense saguaro-studded landscapes at the park, located in the Tucson Mountains in the west and the Rincon Mountains in the east. Shutterbugs should arrive early for sunrise in later spring months when white, waxy flowers open creamy petals for pollination from bats, birds and insects.
ELEVATION: 2,180-8,666 feet (at top of Mica Mountain in Saguaro East district)
DIRECTIONS: To Saguaro West District: Take I-10 east to Avra Valley Road; turn west and drive 5 miles to Sandario Road; turn left. Drive 9 miles south to Kinney Road; turn left and continue to visitor center.
To Saguaro East: Take I-10 east to Houghton Road; drive 9.5 miles north to Old Spanish Trail. Turn right and proceed 3 miles to park entrance.
DRIVING TIME: 1 hour, 50 minutes (109 miles) to Saguaro West District; allow 45 additional minutes to reach Saguaro East district.
FEES: $10 vehicle permit
LODGING: Traipse through more saguaro stands on horseback at White Stallion Ranch (whitestallion.com).
INFO: nps.gov/sagu
TRAVEL TIP: Leave Fido at home; dogs – even on leashes – are not permitted.
KIDS: Take ’em.


6. Bog Springs
Madera Canyon
Untether from reality at Bog Springs Campground in the bird-watching mecca of Madera Canyon. With only 13 campsites, this quiet, exclusive setting is best visited in spring, when wildflowers and migratory birds, including the rare elegant trogon and the painted redstart, return. Most campsites offer wooded seclusion amid swaths of oaks and sycamores. While many trails emanate from Bog Springs, we recommend the Old Baldy Trail up to Josephine’s Saddle (trailhead is 1 mile north of campground). The thigh-burning, chuparosa-lined trail includes moss-covered outcroppings that speak to generous rainfall that attracts stunning varieties of birds.
ELEVATION: 5,060 feet (7,080 at Josephine’s Saddle)
DIRECTIONS: Take I-17 to Tucson and merge south onto I-19. Continue 24 miles to the Continental Road/Madera Canyon exit. Turn east and follow signs 12.5 miles to the campground.
DRIVING TIME: 2 hours, 30 minutes (150 miles)
FEES: $10 per night
INFO: fs.usda.gov/activity/coronado/recreation/camping-cabins
TRAVEL TIP: Sites are claimed quickly, so jump-start your weekend with a Thursday departure.
KIDS: Take ’em.


7. Willy Wonka Waterfall
Navajo Nation
If the winter snowpack is good, the spring runoff is spectacular at Grand Falls in the Navajo Nation. This 185-foot natural waterfall actually exceeds the vertical drop at Niagara Falls but slips by unheralded because she’s a part-time player on the Southwestern landscape. When flowing, the falls pour like a melted Fudgsicle from the Painted Desert into the Little Colorado River – providing the muddy raw material that Navajo potters downstream depend upon to ply their craft. Be forewarned: Grand Falls is as temperamental as it is impressive, reducing to a trickle during dry seasons.
ELEVATION: 4,760 feet
DIRECTIONS: Take I-17 north to Flagstaff; merge right onto I-40 east. Travel 15 miles to exit 211 at Winona. Drive 2.3 miles north to Leupp Road. Turn right and drive 20.3 miles to unpaved (and unsigned) Indian Road 6910 (between mile markers 5 and 6). Turn left and drive 9.4 miles on the rough, washboard road to the turnoff, which leads to an easy 1-mile trail and overlook with picnic tables.
DRIVING TIME: 3 hours, 15 minutes (184 miles)
LODGING: La Posada Hotel, Winslow (laposada.org)
INFO: navajonationparks.org/htm/grandfalls.htm
TRAVEL TIP: Leaving roads or trails is against Navajo law.
KIDS: Take ’em.



8. Take a Glass Class
Tucson
The Tucson Glass Festival, set this year for April 13-14, celebrates glass arts with demonstrations by artists who offer blow-by-blow commentary on their craft. Demos include everything from stained glass and sculptural flowers to goblets and beads. Participants can also get in on the fun with hands-on, make-and-take projects. Most festivities take place at Sonoran Glass School, with select artist demos at the Philabaum Glass Studio & Gallery.
ELEVATION: 2,390 feet
ADDRESS AND DIRECTIONS: 633 W. 18th St., Tucson. Take I-10 east to Tucson, exit 259. Turn left onto W. 22nd Street. Turn immediately left again on the frontage road. Turn right on 18th Street and continue to the school.
DRIVING TIME: 1 hour, 45 minutes (115 miles)
FEES: $10 per person daily
LODGING: Sample another artistic genre at the nearby Hotel Congress (hotelcongress.com), where the Tap Room houses the largest private collection of Pete Martinez’s Western art.
INFO: 520-884-7814, sonoranglass.org
KIDS: Leave ’em.


9. Hopi Arts Trail
Hopi Villages
Potter Lawrence Namoki hails from Walpi, a Hopi burg still without running water and electricity. “I do everything by hand,” he says, holding up an obsidian rock he uses to patiently score his pieces until they are spit-polished. Like all Hopi art, Namoki’s pots tell a story that is tribal, spiritual and personal. Now, thanks to the Hopi Arts Trail, a self-guided collection of artists and galleries from 12 Hopi villages, travelers can find authentic Hopi art with ease. Leave high-brow inclinations behind – some galleries take a breathtaking step back in time, such as Hamana So’ohs in Old Oraibi, a village that dates to 1150.
ELEVATION: 5,000-5,500 feet
DIRECTIONS: Take I-17 north to Flagstaff; merge onto I-40 east 5.5 miles to Highway 89 north. Continue 62 miles to Highway 160 east to Tuba City. Take Highway 264 east and visit hopiartstrail.com for a locator map of galleries.
DRIVING TIME: 3 hours, 20 minutes (220 miles) to Tuba City. Allow three to four hours to visit galleries, especially if traveling to the farthest point on the trail, First Mesa.
LODGING: Moenkopi Legacy Inn and Suites, Tuba City (experiencehopi.com)
TRAVEL TIP: If you feel more comfortable hiring a tour guide, click the “tour guide” link at hopiartstrail.com.
KIDS: Leave ’em.



10. Historic Home Tour
Jerome
Jerome’s 48th annual Historic Home and Building Tour gives visitors an inside sampling of delightfully redecorated domains ranging from upscale Victorian to mended mining shacks. Last year’s tour featured the pimped-out Sullivan Hotel, an 1899 brothel built by madam Belgian Jennie. At the time of her murder in 1905, she was reputed to be the wealthiest woman in the Arizona Territory. This is a guided tour with transportation. First tours begin at 9 a.m.; the final tour begins at 3 p.m.
ELEVATION: 5,435 feet
DIRECTIONS: Take I-17 north to Highway 260 north. In Cottonwood, follow signs for Highway 89A; pass through five roundabouts and continue on Highway 89A into Jerome. (For scenic route directions into Jerome over Mingus Mountain, see No. 41.)
DRIVING TIME: 2 hours (110 miles)
FEES: $12/adults, $6/children. Tickets are sold on Main Street at the old firehouse.
LODGING: The Surgeon’s House, formerly the residence of Jerome’s chief surgeon (surgeonshouse.com)
INFO: jeromechamber.com
TRAVEL TIP: The tour is not handicap-accessible, due to winding paths and numerous steps.
KIDS: Leave ’em.


11. Lake Havasu Grand Prix
Lake Havasu City
Loud, fast and exciting, the Lake Havasu Grand Prix screams through this Colorado River reservoir at speeds up to 150 mph during the annual Pacific Offshore Powerboat Racing Association event. While the actual Lake Havasu Grand Prix is held Saturday, stick around for Sunday when boat manufacturers fight for bragging rights to the fastest pleasure-craft on the lake. The aerodynamics, adrenaline and insane horsepower make speedboat racing the king of boy-toy entertainment. The race – free for spectators – is held in conjunction with the Lake Havasu Boat Show.
ELEVATION: 575 feet
DIRECTIONS: Go west on I-10 to Highway 95 north. Once in Lake Havasu City, turn left on Palo Verde Boulevard. Turn right onto London Bridge Road and proceed to Lake Havasu State Park.
DRIVING TIME: 3 hours, 20 minutes (200 miles)
LODGING: londonbridgeresort.com or visit golakehavasu.com
INFO: Check golakehavasu.com for 2013 dates.
KIDS: Take ’em.


12. Easter Hunt and Picnic
Amado
Every spring, the great-grandson of MGM and Paramount Pictures pioneers Marcus Loew and Adolph Zukor puts on a show at Agua Linda Farms in Amado. Stewart Loew, with wife Laurel, hosts the Easter Hunt and Picnic on the picturesque farm that embraced organic farming before it was trendy. Mother Nature dials up blooming flowers and baby farm animals just in time for the event, which features the ubiquitous egg hunt, pony rides, petting zoo (with baby bunnies), you-pick veggies and hayrides, all in the shadow of the stately Santa Rita Mountains.
ELEVATION: 3,000 feet
ADDRESS AND DIRECTIONS: 2643 E. Frontage Rd., Amado. Take I-10 east to Tucson; merge onto I-19 south to exit 42. Exit east and proceed south on the frontage road to the Agua Linda driveway.
DRIVING TIME: 2 hours, 20 minutes (155 miles)
FEES: Check website for 2013 pricing.
LODGING: Tubac Golf Resort & Spa (tubacgolfresort.com)
INFO: 520-891-5532, agualindafarm.net
TRAVEL TIP: The Easter Hunt and Picnic is the Saturday before Easter (March 30, 2013); Agua Linda is closed Easter Sunday.
KIDS: Take ’em.


13. Yosemite
In spring, waterfalls gush but crowds trickle in this epic, glacier-carved icon. While the park’s upper regions don’t open till late May or June, you can visit the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias and Yosemite Valley. A free shuttle makes zipping around the Valley a breeze; check out Tunnel View point, mossy Vernal Falls, and the highest cascade in the country, Yosemite Falls. Trained trekkers can tackle the 7.5-mile roundtrip hike to jaw-dropping views at the top of the falls.
ELEVATION: 4,000 feet (Yosemite Valley)
GETTING THERE: Driving time is 11 hours, 30 minutes, or fly to San Francisco or Fresno and rent a car.
LODGING: The classic, luxurious Ahwahnee (yosemitepark.com/the-ahwahnee.aspx), in Yosemite Valley, has hosted presidents and royalty.
INFO: nps.gov/yose


For more of PHOENIX magazine’s '52 Weekend Adventures', check back soon, find us at newsstands Valleywide or call 480-664-3960.  Subscribe today so you don’t miss another issue!


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