WINTER

40. Best Sleepover:
DD Gamble Guest Lodge
Portal
The 325-acre DD Gamble Guest Lodge on the Arizona/New Mexico border was born from Tom and Alicia Davidson’s dream to help fund their nonprofit, DMD Hearts and Hooves, a program that gives new meaning to “mobile minis.” The equine therapy program brings pint-sized horses to sick and elderly patients, who spend hours petting, brushing and hugging the horses. Back on the DD Gamble ranch, with 33 miniature horses and an eagerness to share them, the Davidsons teach guests how to drive a carriage along desert trails. The ranch’s rock house accommodations are cozy, and the Davidsons’ storytelling is engaging. Tom is a retired military intelligence specialist who speaks German, Czech, Vietnamese, Spanish, and French.
ELEVATION: 4,150 feet
ADDRESS AND DIRECTIONS: 8374 E. Rock Spring Rd., Portal. Take I-10 east into New Mexico to Highway 80 south. Proceed past Rodeo, N.M., and back into Arizona just past mile marker 411 to Rock Spring Road. (When you pass Sky Ranch Road, you’re getting close). The DD Gamble is an old rock house and is the only driveway/house on the right side of the road.
DRIVING TIME: 4 hours, 25 minutes (285 miles)
FEES: $125-$240 per night, depending on meals and activities selected
INFO: 520-558-1088, ddgambleguestlodge.com
TRAVEL TIP: Want a more grown-up saddle? Check with the Davidsons about arranging a trail ride with Hideout Ranch, located a few miles away.
KIDS: Take ’em.


41. Scenic Drive:
Prescott to Jerome
This 35-mile asphalt slinky – one 12-mile section boasts 158 curves – requires the focus of a Zen master but rewards with epic views of Sedona’s rusty rocks, Mount Humphreys and the Mogollon Rim. The spin on Highway 89A begins in the chiseled sandstone spires of the Granite Dells. It’s game on as you enter Prescott National Forest, where the paved, two-lane road climbs 1,000 feet in 7 miles along hairpin curves occasionally fortified by Civilian Conservation Corps guard rails. Passengers can take in views of alligator junipers, ponderosa pines and the layer cake of rocky ledges. By mile marker 341, you’re up and over Mingus Mountain, perched above Northern Arizona’s geologic patchwork quilt before descending scenically into Jerome.
ELEVATION: 5,080-7,500 feet
DIRECTIONS: Take I-17 north to Highway 69 north. Near Prescott, take Highway 89 north to Highway 89A north (if you continue on Highway 89, you’ll end up on a much less scenic drive to Chino Valley) into Jerome.
DRIVING TIME: 1 hour (35 miles) from Prescott to Jerome
LODGING: The Ghost City Inn Bed & Breakfast, Jerome (ghostcityinn.com)
KIDS: Take ’em.

Photo by Abraham Karam

42. Walk It out:
Palm Canyon
Kofa National Wildlife Refuge
Secreted away in the deep gashes of Palm Canyon in the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge are Arizona’s only known native palm trees. These California Fan Palms either descended from the last period of North American glaciation or were unceremoniously air mailed centuries ago from bird excrement. The boulder-studded, steep ascent of Palm Canyon Trail is tricky in places, but it’s easy to follow and full of surprises – including Kofa Mountain Barberry bushes, found only in Southwest Arizona. The palms are best seen midday in direct sunlight.
ELEVATION: 1,400-2,300 feet
DIRECTIONS: Take I-10 west to Quartzsite; turn south on Highway 95. Continue about 18 miles south to the well-marked Palm Canyon turnoff. Follow the dirt road east for 9 miles to parking area.
DRIVING TIME: 2 hours, 30 minutes (154 miles)
LODGING: Best Western Desert Oasis, Ehrenberg (bestwestern.com)
INFO: fws.gov/southwest/refuges/arizona/kofapalm.html
KIDS: Take ’em.


43. Pole Knoll Recreation Area
White Mountains
Old logging roads pave the way for an 18-mile interconnected maze of cross-country skiing and snowshoeing trails at Pole Knoll Recreation Area. A powdery playground well suited for beginners, the trail system amounts to a tour of the knoll’s lilting topographical texture. Thick spruce, fir and aspen stands populate the north side, ponderosa pine and scattered oaks join in on the east, and meadows blanket the south and west slopes. The Red Tail/Osprey/Raven loop and the Meadowlark Loop offer entry-level trails that will assess your readiness for Summit Trail, a trickier track with rewarding views of Mt. Baldy and Greens Peak.
ELEVATION: 8,900-9,600 feet
DIRECTIONS: Take Highway 87 to Payson; turn right on Highway 260 through Show Low. Follow signs for Highway 60 to Eagar. From Eagar, turn right onto Highway 260 and proceed 13 miles to well-signed Pole Knoll turnoff.
DRIVING TIME: 4 hours, 25 minutes (240 miles)
LODGING: Hidden Meadow Ranch (hiddenmeadow.com)
INFO: fs.usda.gov, search “Pole Knoll Recreation Area”
TRAVEL TIP: The Sweat Shop in Eagar rents cross-country skis and snow shoes by the day (42 N. Main St., 928-333-2950). Also, take a camera to snap a photo of the map posted at the sign-in kiosk in case all the paper maps are gone.
KIDS: Leave ’em.


44. Tubac Festival of the Arts
Tubac
Quality paintings and leather, glass and metal works share the road with urns of kettle corn and handmade soaps at this free festival, which showcases local shops along with hundreds of visiting artisans who prop wares under rows of white tents along pocket-sized pathways. Trail rides through town seem over the top, but they do pique the art-lite crowd. Point your car south, pronto: This year’s 54th annual festival is scheduled for February 6-10.
ELEVATION: 3,200 feet
DIRECTIONS: Take I-10 east to I-19 south (exit 260) and continue south to Tubac, exit 34.
DRIVING TIME: 2 hours, 30 minutes (158 miles)
LODGING: Walk from the white tents to a boutique B&B, Tubac Country Inn (tubaccountryinn.com).
INFO: tubacaz.com
KIDS: Leave ’em.


45. Field to Feast Tours
Yuma
“Eighteen million pounds of lettuce are harvested in Yuma for salad [packing] plants every day,” says Kurt Nolte, Ph.D., director of the UA Cooperative Extension for Yuma County, and guide for Yuma’s Field to Feast tours. That’s a lot of lutein. Strengthen your connection between plow and palate by scouring rows of romaine and arugula, kale and cabbage to pick assigned ingredients, which Arizona Western College culinary students transform into a scrumptious, vegetarian lunch while tour participants take a narrated drive along working lettuce fields. You can even take some of the produce you pick home.
ELEVATION: 120 feet
DIRECTIONS: Tours depart at 8:30 a.m. from the Yuma Quartermaster Depot. Take I-10 east to I-8 toward San Diego. In Yuma, take exit 1, Giss Parkway. Remain on Giss Parkway until it turns into W. Third Street. Turn right onto S. Fourth Avenue to the depot.
DRIVING TIME: 3 hours (186 miles)
FEES: $40 per person
LODGING: Best Western Coronado (bestwestern.com) is a few blocks away, or check visityuma.com.
INFO: Tours are scheduled January-March; see visityuma.com/field-to-feast-agriculture-tour.html.
KIDS: Leave ’em.


46. Wa:k Powwow
Tucson
In the O’odham language, Tohono O’odham translates to “desert people.” And these desert people can dance. If you’ve never visited the architecturally intricate and ornate San Xavier del Bac mission, the 31st annual Wa:k Powwow ratchets up your reasons to go. The large, open plaza in front of San Xavier rocks with intertribal dancing, hoop dancing and drumming – all of which can be photographed, a seldom-allowed option for shutterbugs wishing to capture native dress and dance. The mission is open daily 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.; the powwow generally lasts all day on Saturday and Sunday the second weekend of March (March 9-10 this year).
ELEVATION: 2,390 feet
DIRECTIONS: Take I-10 east to Tucson; merge with I-19 south. Continue 6 miles to San Xavier Road, exit 92. Turn right and follow signs to San Xavier.
DRIVING TIME: 2 hours (123 miles)
FEES: $9/adults, $7/kids; $3 parking fee
LODGING: Nestled in nearby Tucson Mountain Foothills is JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort and Spa (jwmarriottstarrpass.com).
INFO: 520-294-2624, sanxaviermission.org


47. Cut Your Own Christmas Tree
Arizona’s National Forests
Pack your kids (and a hand saw, axe and rope) in the car and inaugurate a new holiday tradition by cutting your own Christmas tree in one of Arizona’s national forests. Decide whether spruce, piñon or fir fits your fancy and pick your woodlands accordingly. In 2012, of 5,225 permits available, 3,400 were for the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests. Other participating forests include Coconino, Kaibab, Prescott and Tonto. In 2012, permits were available at Valley Big 5 stores starting October 27.
FEES: $15 permit fee
INFO: Visit fs.usda.gov/asnf and click the “Christmas tree permits” link or call the Christmas tree permit hotline, 928-333-6267.
KIDS: Take ’em.

Photo by Abraham Karam

48. Nellie E. Saloon
Parker
Crossing a covered bridge into the entrance of Nellie E. Saloon, you half expect a Mos Eisley-esque bartender to snarl, “We don’t serve your kind” while you catch a Han Solo-blasts-Greedo reenactment in a shadowy corner. No, this isn’t Tatooine – although a landspeeder would simplify the dusty, narrow dirt road leading to ole Nellie. It’s the base of the Buckskin Mountains, where Ken Coughlin has struck gold with his solar-powered saloon. The crowded energy, live music and look-we-found-it feeling at this desert watering hole make it a must-do destination. Hours of operation are way more complicated than the menu (the bar is closed during the week), so visit thedesertbar.com before you go.
ELEVATION: 400 feet
DIRECTIONS: Go west on I-10 125 miles to Highway 95 north (exit 19). Continue past Parker approximately 5 miles to Cienega Springs Road. Exit there and drive 5 adventuresome miles to the Nellie E. Saloon, aka the Desert Bar.
DRIVING TIME: 2 hours, 45 minutes (170 miles)
LODGING: Bluewater Resort & Casino, Parker (bluewaterfun.com)
INFO: thedesertbar.com
TRAVEL TIP: Take cash. No credit cards are accepted.
KIDS: Leave ’em.


49. North Pole Experience
Flagstaff
Arizona’s surreptitious “Area 47” teems with little green men and operates deep within the Coconino National Forest. All right, so maybe the little men are, in fact, green-jacketed elves, and Area 47 is only Santa’s top-secret, radar-ready sleigh hangar at North Pole Experience. The main NPX attraction is Santa’s workshop, where participants roll up their sleeves to build toys alongside Santa and his elves. After a swing through Santa’s Toy Hall of Fame and Elf University, participants are shuttled to Little America Hotel (also the starting point), where kids settle in for story time with Mrs. Claus while adults enjoy a nightcap.
ELEVATION: 7,000 feet
DIRECTIONS: Take I-17 north to Flagstaff; merge onto I-40 east to exit 198, Butler Avenue. Exit right.
DRIVING TIME: 2 hours, 20 minutes (145 miles)
FEES: $55/adults, $47/children 18 months and older
LODGING: Little America Hotel (flagstaff.littleamerica.com)
INFO: 480-779-9679, northpoleexperience.com
KIDS: Take ’em.


50. Amerind Museum
Dragoon
A startling, peach-painted rejoinder to the boulders of Texas Canyon in Cochise County, the Amerind Museum (“Amer” for American and “ind” for Indian) houses a world-class collection of Western Hemisphere Native American art and artifacts. View impeccably preserved Native American moccasins, ceramic figurines, pottery, jewelry, and knife sheaths. A glass enclosure in the main gallery protects the pièce de résistance, the oldest intact Chiricahua-Apache basket on display in America. The basket was found in a cave on the Mexico-Arizona border in 1910 by a 10-year-old boy and preserved for his lifetime before coming into the museum’s collection. Don’t miss the bow and arrow that belonged to Geronimo.
ELEVATION: 4,630 feet
ADDRESS AND DIRECTIONS: 2100 N. Amerind Rd., Dragoon. Take I-10 through Tucson and Benson to exit 318, Dragoon Road. Proceed east one mile to the well-marked Amerind Museum turnoff.
DRIVING TIME: 2 hours, 30 minutes (175 miles)
FEES: $8/adults, $7/seniors, $5/youth ages 12-18 and college students
LODGING: Settle into the historic Triangle T Guest Ranch (azretreatcenter.com), less than a mile away from the Amerind.
INFO: 520-586-3666, amerind.org
KIDS: Leave ’em.



51. Rhythm on the Rails
Verde Canyon
If your ultimate road trip involves great tunes, sensational scenery and a designated driver, Rhythm on the Rails aboard the Verde Canyon Railroad is your ticket. On this one-day diddy that hems the high cliffs of Verde Canyon, musicians playing various genres of music rove among the cars giving private concerts, while passengers enjoy fine wines and appetizer spreads that prove this choo-choo knows chow. Engineer your trip today – this year’s event is scheduled for Sunday, February 10.
ELEVATION: 3,750-3,825 feet
DIRECTIONS: Take I-17 north to Highway 260; turn west and continue 14 miles to Highway 89A (Main Street). Drive through Old Town Cottonwood past the turnoff for Tuzigoot. Turn right on Broadway, cross the bridge and proceed to the depot.
DRIVING TIME: 2 hours (107 miles)
FEES: $125/person
LODGING: Explore lodging packages in Sedona, Cottonwood and Jerome at verdecanyonrr.com/packages.
INFO: 800-582-7245, verdecanyonrr.com
TRAVEL TIP: Can’t make Rhythm on the Rails? October’s Ales on Rails showcases Arizona brews.
KIDS: Leave ’em.

Photo by Abraham Karam

52. Cycle Patagonia
Patagonia
Bring your two-wheeler or rent one at Patagon Bike Rental (patagonbikerental.com), where you can pick up a map of Mountain Empire area cycling routes including Harshaw Loop (an easy 13 miles), San Rafael Valley Loop (a moderate 26 miles), and Kentucky Camp (an 18-mile trail to the remains of an 1800s mining camp). You’ll pedal both paved and dirt routes through lush forests and golden grasslands with views of sky islands.
ELEVATION: 4,044 feet
DIRECTIONS: Take I-10 south to Tucson. Merge onto AZ-83 and drive south to Sonoita. Turn right on AZ-82 and continue about 12 miles to Patagonia.
DRIVING TIME: 2 hours, 50 minutes (175 miles)
LODGING: Duquesne House (theduquesnehouse.com)
INFO: patagoniaaz.com/itineraries_3.html
KIDS: Leave ’em.


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