FALL

Photo by Abraham Karam

27. Scenic Drive:
Hart Prairie Road
Flagstaff
Soaring to 50 feet tall and glistening with a golden glow, aspens shake while you rattle and roll along rugged but passable Hart Prairie Road. From the shock-absorbed comfort of your high-clearance vehicle, consider this: The route, also called Forest Road 151, was once part of the 12-hour stagecoach route that shuttled Grand Canyon tourists from Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon’s South Rim. Just as then, the San Francisco Peaks stand sentinel above alpine meadows while elk, deer and prairie dogs make occasional cameos. Target late September to early October.
ELEVATION: 7,000-8,000 feet.
DIRECTIONS: Take I-17 north about 140 miles to Flagstaff; take Highway 180 northwest to the well-marked Forest Road 151, Hart Prairie Road. Follow Hart Prairie Road north to Forest Road 418, then turn left toward Highway 180. Turn left and return to Flagstaff.
DRIVING TIME: 2 hours, 40 minutes (160 miles) to Hart
Prairie Road turnoff
LODGING: Keep roughing it in a yurt or camper cabin at Off Grid Getaways (offgridgetaways.com).
KIDS: Leave ’em.


28. Moab
Soft adventure options radiate from this central Utah hub like spokes on a bicycle wheel. To the northeast is Arches National Park, a sienna Shangri-La graced with more than 2,000 sandstone arches. To the southwest stretches Canyonlands National Park, punctuated with hoodoos and crackled chasms. Rim Tours (rimtours.com) leads easy-to-advanced mountain-bike rides through both parks. To the northwest, river runners put in at the town of Green River to canoe or kayak the eponymous, vermilion-cliffed waterway. Tag-A-Long (tagalong.com) in Moab offers river tours and rents gear.
ELEVATION: 4,025 feet
DRIVING TIME: 7 hours, 45 minutes (467 miles)
LODGING: Northeast of town but smack on the Colorado River, Red Cliffs Adventure Lodge (redcliffslodge.com) arranges horseback rides, Jeep tours, and rafting trips that depart from the front door.
INFO: discovermoab.com


29. Best Sleepover:
Tavern Hotel
Cottonwood
Sleek, Euro-inspired decor defines the exquisite Tavern Hotel, a 10-room boutique inn nestled at the threshold to Old Town that signals Cottonwood’s rising chic factor. Owners and restaurateurs Eric and Michelle Jurisen – who also run Nic’s in Cottonwood, and Grapes and The Haunted Hamburger in Jerome – modeled the inn after the deluxe accommodation-and-service packages they experienced during their extensive travels. (Michelle will soon travel to Naples to learn the art of pizza-making in preparation for the couple’s newest Verde Valley eatery.) Expect clean lines, fine linens, and ambient lighting in romantic rooms featuring large walk-in showers and a pleasing palette of creamy colors.
ELEVATION: 3,300 feet
ADDRESS AND DIRECTIONS: 904 N. Main St., Cottonwood. Take I-17 north to exit 287; proceed on Highway 260 12.5 miles into Cottonwood. Turn left onto Main Street (Highway 260/89A) to the hotel.
DRIVING TIME: 1 hour, 45 minutes (103 miles)
RATES: $169-$199/night
INFO: 928-639-1669, thetavernhotel.com
KIDS: Leave ’em.


30. Walk It Out:
Groom Creek Trail
Prescott
A well-timed late October hike on Groom Creek Trail in the Prescott National Forest treats trekkers to fall-gilded Gambel oaks on the ascent through ponderosa pine and Douglas fir, culminating at the top of misnamed, spruce-tree-free Spruce Mountain. Serious hikers can tackle the 9-mile loop with a stop at the 3.5-mile mark atop the lookout tower, if it’s manned. Out-and-back beginners should amble at least a few hundred yards past a hitching post about 45 minutes from the trailhead, where westerly panoramic views open up above the tree line. Don’t miss the gravity-defying cluster of granite boulders about 10 minutes into the hike. Kids will love climbing through crevices and staking their claim to the top of the world.
ELEVATION: 7,651 feet
DIRECTIONS: Take I-17 north to exit 262, the Highway 69 exit. Continue north on Highway 69 to Prescott, where you will jog left on Highway 89 onto Sheldon Street. From Sheldon, turn left onto Mt. Vernon Avenue, which becomes Senator Highway. Continue 6.4 miles past the community of Groom Creek to the well-marked Groom Creek Trailhead on left.
DRIVING TIME: 1 hour, 50 minutes (110 miles)
LODGING: Groom Creek Lodge (prescottpines.org/home/groom-creek-lodge).
INFO: fs.usda.gov/prescott
KIDS: Take ’em.



31. Rock Art Ranch
Joseph City
Rancher Brantley Baird came to Rock Art Ranch in 1945 to herd cattle. Now he steers visitors to Chevelon Canyon, where Native Americans immortalized hunting scenes, dancing men and “Cinderella” – a lady in a dress – on their Coconino sandstone canvas. Baird’s slice of private petroglyphs is so archeologically significant that University of Arizona archeology students spend five weeks on-site for doctoral work. “I enjoy showing people this dang stuff,” Baird says in a good ol’ boy twang as authentic as his collection of Native American artifacts, which includes Anasazi arrowheads and Navajo and Zuni jewelry. “We have stuff that the people from the Heard Museum have never seen.” Visits are by reservation only from May 1 to November 1.
ELEVATION: 5,000 feet
DIRECTIONS: From Winslow, the ranch is about 15 miles away. Call for directions.
DRIVING TIME: 3 hours, 45 minutes (184 miles)
FEES: Depends on the number of visitors and activities desired
LODGING: La Posada Hotel and Gardens, Winslow (laposada.org)
INFO: 928-288-3260
KIDS: Take ’em (dogs can go, too!).


32. Meet America’s Toughest Sheriff
Douglas
No six-term, Tent-City-touting sheriff can out-tough John Slaughter, whose occupational surname did double duty on his 150,000-acre cattle ranch and during his “judge, jury and executioner” tenure as Cochise County sheriff during the post-OK Corral era. Slaughter Ranch, a small museum in the well-preserved homestead, traces Slaughter’s sawed-off-shotgun-toting life from a time when violent Apache raids, cattle ranching and outlaw living converged. Time it right, and a cascade of fall colors from the very cottonwoods pictured in Slaughter family photos will be the backdrop for your picnic near the pond.
ELEVATION: 4,000 feet
ADDRESS AND DIRECTIONS: 6153 Geronimo Trail, Douglas. Take I-10 east to Highway 80 east into Douglas. Turn left on Pan American Avenue, right on 16th Street, right on E Avenue and left on 15th Street. Follow until it becomes Geronimo Trail and continue 15 miles to a gate with the letter “Z” over it.
DRIVING TIME: 4 hours, 10 minutes (250 miles)
FEES: $8 entrance fee
LODGING: According to legend, Slaughter once confronted Pancho Villa, who, also according to legend, rode his horse up the steps at Douglas’ Gadsden Hotel (hotelgadsden.com). Check the chip in the seventh step – it’s famously from Villa’s horse.
INFO: 520-558-2474, slaughterranch.com
FUN FACT: Slaughter is buried at Calvary Cemetery in Douglas.
KIDS: Take ’em.


33. Shout ‘Stop the Presses!’
Tubac
Kick your Kindle to the curb and turn back to a time when publishing was an art form, not an app. Printer and teacher James Pagels leads regular demonstrations on the frontier printing press used to produce Arizona’s first newspaper, The Weekly Arizonan, in 1859. On display at Tubac Presidio State Historic Park, the press is still operational, and volunteers can print you up a commemorative edition of the paper. The press required manually mocked-up type slathered in ink (upper case letters literally are found in the wooden upper case, lower case letters in the lower case). Call or check the website for demo dates and times.
ELEVATION: 3,200 feet
DIRECTIONS: Take I-10 east to I-19 south (exit 260) and continue south to Tubac, exit 34. Turn left onto Aliso Spring Road, which becomes Calle Barrio de Tubac. Turn left on Calle Acequia. Turn right onto Avenida Urritia.
DRIVING TIME: 2 hours, 15 minutes (155 miles)
FEES: $5/adults, $2/kids ages 7-14
LODGING: Step farther back into 18th-century Spanish, church and military history at the Tubac Golf Resort and Spa (tubacgolfresort.com).
INFO: 520-398-2252, tubacpresidiopark.com
KIDS: Take ’em.


34. Go Ghost Busting
Bisbee
The folks who brought you Bisbee’s hearse tours are back at it – this time, with hands-on paranormal apparatus training for ghost-busting buffs. Every Thursday night, the Copper Queen Hotel Ghost Hunt offers a spirited paranormal overnight scavenger hunt through the haunted hotel’s hallways. Renee Gardner of Old Bisbee Ghost Tours equips guests with EMF detectors, dowsing rods and other tools for investigating apparitions; ghost hunters should bring a notebook, pencils, voice recorder, camera, tripod, pendulum, infrared thermometer, and bait (coins, balls or anything small and shiny) to lure the haunted out to play.
ELEVATION: 5,520 feet
DIRECTIONS: Take I-10 east to exit 303. Proceed east on Highway 80 past Tombstone. Approaching Bisbee, take the Old Bisbee exit, turn left on Main Street, then turn right on Brewery Avenue. Take an immediate left to The Copper Queen Hotel, 11 Howell Ave.
DRIVING TIME: 3 hours, 15 minutes (210 miles)
FEES: $257 double occupancy
LODGING: Copper Queen Hotel, copperqueen.com (Thursday night booking required)
INFO: 520-432-2216, oldbisbeeghosttour.com
KIDS: Leave ’em.

Photo by Abraham Karam

35. Cowboy Way Adventures
Wickenburg and Prescott
Whether exploring the final frontier in the sandy washes and steep canyons outside Wickenburg, or sloshing across the Verde River near Prescott, Cowboy Way Adventures tackles terrain steeped in history – without the steep price. While all-inclusive dude ranch rates can soar to $500 per person per night, CWA offers à la carte horseback fun, with by-the-hour pricing for rides lasting one to four hours. Wickenburg rides originate at Calamity Ranch, while Prescott rides embark from trailheads near the Verde River. At press time, a Sedona ranch was scheduled to open soon.
ELEVATION: 2,390 feet (Wickenburg); 5,360 feet (Prescott)
DIRECTIONS: Take U.S. 60 west to Wickenburg, where the road becomes Wickenburg Way. The ranch is located at 800 E. Wickenburg Way. Call for directions to Prescott riding location.
DRIVING TIME: 1 hour, 5 minutes (58 miles) to Wickenburg; add 1 hour, 15 minutes (60 miles) to Prescott
FEES: $40 for one hour, $65 for two hours, $85 for three hours, $110 for four hours
LODGING: Soak in more of Mother Nature on the banks of the Hassayampa River at Rio Tierra Casitas (riotierracasitasaz.com).
INFO: 928-277-9398, cowboywayadventures.com
TRAVEL TIP: Wear jeans, a long sleeve shirt and closed-toed shoes.
KIDS: Take ’em if they’re 5 or older.


36. Panic in Old Pueblo
Tucson
Nightfall at Old Tucson transforms Tucson’s “Hollywood in the Desert” into a sprawling haunted house featuring live shows, a terrifying trek into a maze of tunnels haunted by cursed miners, and a Mayans-were-right, end-of-the-world cesspool where death, brutality and disease govern. Guests with heart disease or incontinence – no kidding – are cautioned from even entering. Open late September through late October.
ELEVATION: 2,390 feet
ADDRESS AND DIRECTIONS: 201 S. Kinney Rd., Tucson. Take I-10 east to exit 252; proceed west on El Camino del Cerro. Turn south onto Silverbell Road, west on Sweetwater Drive and follow as it becomes Camino de Oeste. Turn west on Gates Pass Road and south onto Kinney Road into Old Tucson Studios.
DRIVING TIME: 2 hours (120 miles)
FEES: $25/adults, $20/children ages 4-11
LODGING: Wind down in western, but refined, surroundings at the nearby Paniolo Guest Ranch (thepanioloranch.com).
INFO: 520-883-0100, nightfallaz.com
KIDS: There is a kids-only walk-through, but ample numbers of taunting fiends roam the property, making this a strongly objectionable outing for many families.

Photo by Tabitha Peterson

37. Late Leaf Peeping
Superior
If you hit the snooze button on fall colors a few too many times, Boyce Thompson Arboretum offers Arizona’s foliage finale. Peak autumn color occurs November 20-30, long after Northern Arizona’s aspens have disrobed. The 3-acre cactus garden has garnered a reputation as a haven for upland Sonoran desert plants, but golden honey locust trees and sycamores, blushing red Chinese pistachios and clusters of pyracantha berries lavish the supremely photogenic landscape with exciting hues. The suspension bridge over Queen Creek basks in the best color.
ELEVATION: 2,400 feet
ADDRESS AND DIRECTIONS: 37615 U.S. Hwy. 60, Superior. Take U.S. 60 east to mile post 223, Boyce Thompson Road.
DRIVING TIME: 1 hour, 10 minutes (60 miles)
FEES: $9/adults, $4.50/children ages 5-12
INFO: 520-689-2811, arboretum.ag.arizona.edu
TRAVEL TIP: Pack a picnic; there is no restaurant at the arboretum.
KIDS: Take ’em.


38. Race through Space
Safford
Punch your (free) round-trip ticket to Pluto on Space Shuttle Polaris at Eastern Arizona College’s Discovery Park. À la Disneyland’s Star Tours, a flight simulation ride slingshots around the solar system with jostling drops and pithy narration. Go on a Saturday afternoon and stay through nightfall to peer through Discovery Park’s telescope. Built for the Navy in 1963, the Cold War spy cam couldn’t keep pace with the orbiting satellites it was supposed to track, so the military mothballed it. The telescope now sits in the shadow of Mount Graham’s Large Binocular Telescope, where world-class scientists peer back 15 million years in time.
ELEVATION: 3,180 feet
ADDRESS AND DIRECTIONS: 1651 W. Discovery Park Blvd., Safford. Take U.S. 60 east to Globe; follow signs for Highway 70 to Safford. In Safford, turn south on Highway 191 and continue to Discovery Park Boulevard. Follow signs to EAC Discovery Park Campus.
DRIVING TIME: 3 hours (170 miles)
LODGING: Cottage Bed & Breakfast (cottagebedandbreakfast.com)
INFO: 928-428-6260, eac.edu/discoverypark
KIDS: Take ’em.


39. Telluride
The quintessential Western mountain town (it was a haunt of Butch Cassidy’s), Telluride is a laid-back alternative to posh Aspen. You can bomb some of Telluride Ski Resort’s 125 downhill ski trails, or play it cool with Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, ice climbing, and ice skating. Après-ski, thaw out at the buzzing bars and bevy of haute and homey restaurants.
ELEVATION: 8,750 feet
GETTING THERE: Driving time is 8 hours, 30 minutes, or fly to nearby Montrose, Colorado and rent a car.
LODGING: The luxe Hotel Madeline (hotelmadelinetelluride.com) boasts ski-in/ski-out convenience, two acclaimed restaurants, and a spa.
INFO: telluride.com, tellurideskiresort.com


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