SUMMER

Photo by Abraham Karam

14. Lighthouse Hopping
Lake Havasu
From craggy coves along the Atlantic Ocean’s coastline to the once-harrowing entrance of the Erie Canal, lighthouses lit the way for seafaring vessels of old. For the past 12 years, the Lake Havasu Lighthouse Club has strategically placed baby beacon replicas along the curves and bends of Lake Havasu’s 30-mile shoreline. Some hearken to Colonial or Civil War eras, and they all generally retain a sense of scale (for example, the elegant black-and-white swirled, 30-foot-tall Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is the tallest on Lake Havasu, a nod to the impressive, 193-foot-tall Cape Hatteras Light in Buxton, N.C.). Ten lighthouse replicas can be seen by car, but the best way to see them is tooling around by boat.
ELEVATION: 450 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, one of several public boat ramps. (If renting a watercraft, visit golakehavasu.com/activities/boating/boat_rentals for a list of companies.)
DRIVING TIME: 3 hours, 20 minutes (200 miles)
LODGING: Visit golakehavasu.com.
INFO: lh-lighthouseclub.org
TRAVEL TIP: If you’re out at night, green beacons denote the California side of the lake, while red beacons illuminate the Arizona side.
KIDS: Take ’em.


15. Best Sleepover:
Mormon Lake Lodge
Flagstaff
An Arizona classic, Mormon Lake Lodge offers the same cool, crisp summer escape for Phoenicians today as it did for families of the men who built Phoenix in the 1920s. The lodge, constructed to house the wives and kids of loggers, offers a high-country getaway rife with recreational pursuits including horse, bicycle, ATV and canoe rentals. Make reservations early to snare the circa-1917 Zane Grey or Babe Haught cabins, which retain century-old charm with pine wood interiors and minimalist furnishings. It’s requisite to dine at the Steakhouse and Saloon; just steer clear of the Rocky Mountain Oysters, a euphemism for breaded – and pounded! – bull testicles.
ELEVATION: 7,000 feet
ADDRESS AND DIRECTIONS: 1991 Mormon Lake Rd. West Side, Mormon Lake. Take I-17 to Stoneman Lake Road; travel east for about 7 miles on the paved road to a T-intersection. Turn left at the yield sign onto an unpaved road (CR 462). Continue 8 miles to the next paved road, FH3 (Lake Mary Highway). Turn left and travel 7 miles to the south entrance of Mormon Lake Village. Turn left and travel 2 miles to the lodge.
DRIVING TIME: 2 hours, 25 minutes (135 miles)
RATES: $59-$345 per night, depending on selection of motel-style rooms or private family cabins.
INFO: 928-354-2227, mormonlakelodge.com
TRAVEL TIP: Mormon Lake is often dry, but nearby lakes offer water recreation.
KIDS: Take ’em.


16. Walk It Out:
Blue Ridge Trail
Pinetop-Lakeside
For easterners, the phrase “hiking the Blue Ridge Trail” probably conjures images of coal mines and isoprene-choked Appalachian skies. But Arizona has its own Blue Ridge Mountain, tucked into Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests near the scenic summer town of Lakeside. Trail No. 107, an 8.9-mile loop, punches through towering pines to scenic vistas of the largest ponderosa pine forest on the continent. Immerse yourself in the clean scent, the crackling sound of pine needles, and the sight of scattered wildflowers. From trailhead No. 2, hike about 1 mile to a fallen tree, whose gnarled, twisted trunk forms four perfectly contoured bucket seats – a quirky and scenic little spot for a family picnic or photo.
ELEVATION: 7,100-7,600 feet
DIRECTIONS: Take Highway 87 north to Payson. From Payson, take Highway 260 east to Lakeside. Past Lakeside, turn left on Buck Springs Road, left on FR 182 and travel 1.5 miles to FR 187 to Trailhead No. 2. (Note: In summer 2012, FR 187 was unmarked, so hit your trip meter at the onset of FR 182, and look left for the trailhead parking area and trail marker visible to the left at the 1.5 mile mark.)
DRIVING TIME: 3 hours, 40 minutes (190 miles)
LODGING: After a long day of hiking, settle into Kobey’s Cozy Cabin, located just off of Buck Springs Road (kobeyscozycabin.com).
INFO: fs.usda.gov/asnf (search Blue Ridge Trail 107)
TRAVEL TIP: Allow about 5 hours roundtrip.
KIDS: Take ’em.


17. Scenic Drive:
Box Springs Canyon
Santa Rita Mountains
The summer monsoon season is a gorgeous but tricky time to tackle Box Canyon Road between I-19 and Highway 83 across the northern shoulder of the Santa Rita Mountains. Though heavy rains bedevil this “all-weather” gravel road, the swooping storm clouds that touch the tips of the Santa Ritas make the little grassland-lined drive one huge photo op for those with courage, vehicle clearance, and common sense. Near Box Canyon’s deep mouth, the narrow, steep ribbon of road feels European in contour but distinctly Arizonan in atmosphere. Watered kelly green ocotillo, Mexican hedgehog and prickly pear share the landscape with grassy ranch lands leading to Sonoita.
ELEVATION: 2,900-5,200 feet
DIRECTIONS: Take I-10 east to Tucson; merge right with I-19. At Green Valley, exit east at Continental Road. Proceed to Forest Road 62 (follow signs to Madera Canyon). Follow FR 62 (Box Springs Road) past the Madera Canyon cutoff, where the road bears left and turns to dirt.
DRIVING TIME: 45 minutes (10 miles)
LODGING: The Sonoita Inn (sonoitainn.com)
INFO: fs.usda.gov/main/coronado
TRAVEL TIP: Box Canyon’s cottonwoods and sycamores make this a fetching fall excursion, too.
KIDS: Leave ’em.



18. Zip Lining and Tree Climbing
Flagstaff
Summon your inner Tarzan and play in the trees at Flagstaff Extreme, a new ropes course that monkeys through ponderosa pines at Fort Tuthill County Park. Spread across 12 acres, the course’s 72 high-flying obstacles – including a 400-foot zip line – require equal parts fancy footwork, upper body strength, and chutzpah. Of course, you’re harnessed and tethered to a main line, and rescuers are trained to reach you in four minutes or less if you fall. But with swaying log bridges, cargo nets, swinging ropes and zip lines suspended at a two-story vertical drop, you’ll discover that everyone’s a tree hugger at Flagstaff Extreme.
ELEVATION: 7,000 feet
DIRECTIONS: Take I-17 north to exit 337; turn left and follow well-marked signs.
DRIVING TIME: 2 hours, 5 minutes (140 miles)
FEES: $42/full course (ages 16 and up); $35/half course (ages 12 and up); $25/kids’ course (ages 7-11)
LODGING: Loving the outdoors? Travel about 10 miles south on Highway 89A to Pine Flat or Cave Springs Campgrounds. Visit fs.usda.gov to reserve a site.
INFO: 888-259-0125, flagstaffextreme.com
TRAVEL TIPS: Take gloves. And “go” before you go. There are no port-o-potties in the trees.
KIDS: Take ’em if they’re 7 or older.


19. Taos
July brings the annual Fiestas de Taos and Taos Pueblo Pow Wow to this artsy burg steeped in Native American and Hispanic traditions. Explore Taos Pueblo (left), a UNESCO World Heritage site still home to a living community after more than 700 years. Browse the art galleries and take a driving tour of the area’s historic churches. Want to pair your visit with a trip to Santa Fe? See Great Escapes, page 54.
ELEVATION: 6,967 feet
GETTING THERE: Driving time is 9 hours, or fly to Albuquerque and rent a car.
LODGING: Settle in with a margarita and live music at the adobe-style Taos Inn (taosinn.com), listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
INFO: taos.org


20. Rainbow Rim Trail
Grand Canyon
The only single-track along the North Rim open to biking, the Rainbow Rim Trail is an 18-mile connect-the-dots kaleidoscope alongside the Grand Canyon’s palimpsest panorama. Flanked by grassy meadows and traversing through an isolated stretch of Kaibab National Forest’s ponderosa pine and aspen groves, Rainbow Rim’s winding pathways connect five points – Timp, North Timp, Locust, Fence, and your starting point, Parissawampitts. Keep your eyes peeled for wild turkey or deer.
ELEVATION: 8,250 feet
DIRECTIONS: Take I-17 north to Flagstaff; exit I-40 east and continue 5.5 miles to Highway 89 north. Continue 105 miles to Highway 89A turnoff; proceed 55 miles west to Jacob Lake. Once there, turn south on Highway 67 and go 26.5 miles to Forest Development Road 22. Turn right and continue 10.5 miles to FDR 206. Turn left; continue 3.5 miles to FDR 214. Turn right and go 8 miles to Parissawampitts Viewpoint.
DRIVING TIME: 6 hours (355 miles)
LODGING: Primitive forest camping is free, or book a room at the Grand Canyon Lodge at the North Rim (grandcanyonlodgenorth.com).
INFO: www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/kaibab/recreation/camping-cabins/recarea/?recid=32207&actid=50
TRAVEL TIP: Pack food and water, and tell someone where you’re going. There are no services on this trail, and it’s outside of the Grand Canyon National Park boundary. Pick up a National Forest map at the Kaibab Plateau Visitor’s Center at Jacob Lake.
KIDS: Leave ’em.


21. Performances in the Plaza
Flagstaff
In the summertime, there’s no place quite like Flagstaff’s Heritage Square, where artistic talent performs at Flagstaff’s only open-air theater for free. At this bustling community living room at the corner of Aspen and San Francisco streets, music fans enjoy indie grooves, folk guitar, reggae and rock on Thursday nights, while art/theater/dance performances set the table for a cultured high-country weekend on Fridays. And with popcorn and lawn chairs – some even bring sleeping bags – movie nights on Saturdays are like giant slumber parties.
ELEVATION: 7,000 feet
DIRECTIONS: Take I-17 north to Flagstaff; merge straight onto Highway 89A North, which becomes Milton Road. Approaching downtown, Milton turns east into Santa Fe Avenue. Go four blocks and turn left on San Francisco Street to Heritage Square.
DRIVING TIME: 2 hours, 15 minutes (145 miles)
LODGING: Walk across the street to Hotel Monte Vista (hotelmontevista.com).
INFO: 928-779-2300, heritagesquaretrust.org
TRAVEL TIP: Get the most bang for your buck by timing your trip with Downtown Flagstaff’s First Friday ArtWalk.
KIDS: Take ’em. All movies are G or PG-rated, unless noted.

Photo by Brian Lilley

22. Orchard at Charlie Clark’s
Pinetop
Liberate yourself from the climate-controlled confines of your casa this summer and escape to the 2.5-acre shaded oasis of the Orchard at Charlie Clark’s Steakhouse. All gussied up this year for its 75th anniversary, the steakhouse is a landmark in its own right, having once poured White Lightning for Prohibition patrons. In summertime, the Orchard is the real reason to stay and play. Pass an afternoon sipping suds at the barn-to-bar conversion. Play horseshoes, then cut a rug on the outdoor dance floor. Or simply sit in an Adirondack chair and count the number of times Valley residents walk in and exclaim, “It’s so green.” Open 4 p.m. to close Wednesday through Saturday, May through September.
ELEVATION: 7,200 feet
ADDRESS AND DIRECTIONS: 1701 E. White Mountain Blvd., Pinetop. Take Highway 87 to Payson; turn east onto Highway 260 and drive past Show Low into Pinetop. Turn right just before Pinetop’s stoplight, at Penrod Lane.
DRIVING TIME: 3 hours, 30 minutes (190 miles)
LODGING: Take in more White Mountain air at Lake of the Woods cabins (lakeofthewoodsaz.com).
INFO: 888-333-0259, charlieclarks.com/visit-the-orchard
TRAVEL TIP: Call before you go; the Orchard is a popular venue for weddings and other private parties.
KIDS: Take ’em or leave ’em.


23. Zoo by Moonlight
Prescott
Nocturnal or crowd-shy zoo denizens often don’t play during the day, meaning an empty cage is all you’ll likely see. Enter Zoo by Moonlight, held at 8 p.m. on full moons during summer at Heritage Park Zoological Sanctuary in Prescott. Bring flashlights and glimpse the sanctuary’s rescue animals, including a gray fox who irreparably damaged her feet while protecting her young during the 2003 Aspen Fire atop Mt. Lemmon, and “Cake Bear,” a cub who recently gained notoriety in Sonoita for breaking into somebody’s kitchen and chowing down on chocolate cake. Don’t miss the creepy-cool tarantula, scorpion and cockroach habitats.
ELEVATION: 5,360 feet
ADDRESS AND DIRECTIONS: 1403 Heritage Park Rd., Prescott. Take I-17 north to Highway 69 north. Proceed 21 miles; merge right onto Fain Road. Take a slight left on Highway 89A, which turns into Pioneer Parkway. Turn left on Willow Creek Road and proceed to the zoo.
DRIVING TIME: 1 hour, 50 minutes (100 miles)
FEES: $5 for non-members
LODGING: Stay within walking distance of Prescott’s other nightlife, Whiskey Row, at The Motor Lodge (themotorlodge.com).
INFO: 877-778-6008, heritageparkzoo.org
KIDS: Take ’em.


24. Sound Bites Grill
Sedona
Sedona has a new Uptown Girl. With live jazz, blues, funk and rock music, Sound Bites Grill props Sedona’s sleepy eyelids open late into the night. The restaurant also dishes up fresh, healthy entrées (try the scrumptious Red Rock chicken with spicy mango habanero) paired with an extensive wine list that includes a local favorite, Cornville’s Javelina Leap label. Go early in the evening to watch the sun set against the patio’s red rock backdrop. Take a tour of the guitar gallery, which features high-end six-strings signed by Bono and the Rolling Stones. Then settle in on Thursday through Sunday nights for live music.
ELEVATION: 4,500 feet
ADDRESS AND DIRECTIONS: 101 Hwy. 89A, Sedona. Take I-17 north to Highway 179 north into Sedona. Continue to the Y intersection where Highways 179 and 89A meet; turn right onto Highway 89A. Sound Bites is located in The Shops at Hyatt Pinon Pointe.
DRIVING TIME: 2 hours (115 miles)
LODGING: Walk to Hyatt Pinon Pointe (hyattpinonpointe.hyatt.com).
INFO: soundbitesgrill.com
KIDS: Leave ’em.


25. Dinner and a Show
Tusayan
The Grand Canyon Dinner Theatre’s madcap comedy Miss Kitty’s Grand Adventure is purring its way into the town of Tusayan. Set in the early 1900s, the curtain rises on an aspiring Harvey Girl who unwittingly triggers a diabolical money-skimming scheme, budding love, and a case of mistaken identity. As subplots converge, the devious and sultry Madame de Murska steals the show by going off-script and into the audience. “Don’t be jealous,” actress Evelyn Connors (de Murska) quips to the wife of a patron while lounging on his lap. “I’ve been on more laps than a napkin.” In the pre-show documentary, look for scratchy stop-action footage of an 1898 Hopi tribal dance filmed by none other than Thomas Edison.
ELEVATION: 6,612 feet
DIRECTIONS: Take I-17 north to Flagstaff; exit west onto I-40. Continue 28 miles; exit north onto Highway 64, continuing to 395 Highway 64 in Tusayan.
DRIVING TIME: 3 hours, 20 minutes (220 miles)
FEES: $59.95/adults, $29.95/children
LODGING: Grand Canyon Squire Inn (grandcanyonsquire.com)
INFO: 928-638-0333, grandcanyondinnertheatre.com
KIDS: Take ’em or leave ’em.


26. Demolition Derby
Payson
Payson’s rolling, pine-shrouded surrounds provide a serene backdrop for the metal-twisting, mud-flying, all-out auto annihilation of the Payson Demolition Derby. Contestants spend hours tricking out junk cars in hopes of being the last one revving. If you’ve never watched a derby, it’s pure fun, and just about the only place you’ll ever see a “Most Aggressive Driver” payout.
ELEVATION: 4,980 feet
DIRECTIONS: Take Highway 87 north to the first stoplight in Payson; turn left. The Payson Event Center is at 1400 S. Beeline Hwy.
DRIVING TIME: 1 hour, 30 minutes (90 miles)
FEES: $12/adults, $6/kids ages 3-11, free for kids 2 and younger
LODGING: Majestic Mountain Inn (majesticmountaininn.com)
INFO: Check paysonrimcountry.com for 2013 dates.
KIDS: Take ’em.


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