Arizona, the land of red rocks

Arizona is known for very hot summers and mild winter climate, which still doesn’t necessarily exclude snow. The northern part of the state is made up of some hills and pine trees, with even some known skiing resorts. But the most surprising is the Grand Canyon, if visited during winter. Endless straight roads can be tiresome in warm summer months. There’s just no end to them, and being in the sun can cause the temperatures to raise sky high. There are several national parks in Arizona, making the state a developed touristic destination. It also gets its charm by many tribes that live here, although their lives no longer resembles the former lifestyle, as they have accepted modernizations as well. It’s sometimes hard to find a native show even if for tourist promotion only. 

Most of you will have heard of the most famous snake of this part of the States – the rattler. There are many accounts about them and with some luck you can see them in nature as well. There are places especially known for large populations of these poisonous reptiles. In the summer months there are warnings about the possible encounters with the snakes. Although we visited Arizona in May, it was already hot enough for them. It’s got a typical motion of raising the head if it feels threatened, so you can get to know it by that as well, not just by the rattling tail it’s got. So I’ve noticed one while driving a car down the road of one of the national parks. I’ve stopped and grabbed my camera. As a snake fan I couldn’t stand still, so I rushed out to find it. I guess it was mostly lucky for me, the snake got scared and got out of the way. I rushed after it, but was too late to get a photo of it. In the end I started thinking about it and maybe it wasn’t my bad luck I didn’t get to see it up close, as the venom of these reptiles kills a few people each year. 

The most visited canyon is definitely worth a visit every time you’re there. It seems as if all the canyon would join up to form one grand canyon and this makes for the grandest view in the world. You can’t capture the whole of it with your camera as it is 29 kilometres wide and 1,6 kilometre deep valley through which the famous Colorado river flows. The canyon took 10 million years to form. There is no bridge crossing it as even the most narrow part takes up 6,4 kilometres. You can come to enjoy the canyon by a car and stop at various points from which you get a great view. If you want you can also go down to the river, with a narrow path along the rocks of the canyon. If you don’t feel like walking, you can get there on a mule’s back. If you love geology, you’ll love the trip as you get to see 12 layers of rocks from different geological periods. Thus you get to see everything from limestone left by the sea eons ago, to red sandstone, older magmatic rock and so forth. But the descent is nothing to sneeze about. Due to high temperatures several people have died in the canyon. This time we tasted the American way and decided to enter the canyon by car. Upon entering we had to pay admission, which is paid by a car, no matter how many people are in it. With the ticket you also get the map as the area really covers a lot of space. It was a typical American drive by visit as we used the map to reach every point with a good view. At first we got out of the car to make photos, by the end we just took them from the car. Anyway, the canyon really deserves the adjective grand as it’s only name.

Even if the canyon is only 300m long it’s for many the biggest natural wonder, sometimes even before the Grand Canyon. In the history of Navajo tribe it represented a place of refuge many times and is a great tourist attraction today. It’s the Navajo tribe that organizes visits, but only if you make the booking in advance. On the way to the entrance of the canyon you’ll get a bit of an adrenalin rush. First there’s the wild drive with off road vehicles – both on and off road. But all the bother you might have getting there is paid off at the first sight of the canyon. It’s hard to imagine water made all those shapes. With a bit of imagination you’ll get to see special shapes in the rock formations – but usually the guides mention them in advance. There is no way of visiting the canyon without a guide. The red sandstone – in combination with the natural light – gives the special shades of colours to the canyon, that are part of its magical charm. We were all surprised at the information our Navajo guide gave us, about the canyon being closed off to public if there’s rain, as water can flood the area, which caused the lives of several tourists. That’s the reason visiting the canyon depends on the weather and naturally if you’ve made the arrangements beforehand.

After a few hour’s drive on endless roads of Arizona the view hasn’t changed. The landscape is bare and poor, with just a few red rocks sticking out. Getting from one attraction to the next is usually dull, but the attractions are so much grander they make up for it. And there are, here and again, some giant cacti to break the same old view of the landscape. The state offers many natural attractions, has many parks and even the meteoric crater, and other things to offer. The most visited place is still the state capital – Phoenix, which still isn’t overcrowded despite its large population. And the traffic is not bad at all. The most interesting town for visitors has got to be Wickenburg, since it makes you feel like you’re entered an old western flick. The old buildings with typical entrances, saloons, large cacti… the only thing missing are riding gun slingers. For bikers this is the state where you simply got to ride along the famous ROUTE 66. A good portion of the rout goes through Arizona, but only a part of the original road is still preserved.

Nature made the real world wonder in Arizona. Arizona, along with neighbouring Utah and California, is known for the most beautiful national parks in the world. You should definitely visit it and you’ll bound to find something you’ll like – especially if you love wonders of the nature.

The Arizona roads will not test your nerves with dense traffic and long jams. You won’t even find those in the state capital – Phoenix. The best months for visiting natural parks are between June and September, as the weather is sunny and stable, but extremely hot. It’s best to explore the state on your own, with a rented car or bike, or if you have enough time maybe even a bicycle. Otherwise Arizona is a typical part of the US when it comes down to easy access by car and fast food. There’s great coverage with the GPS and the roads are well marked, with many restaurants and places to sleep over along the way. Above all, the state is even safe. If you plan to sleep over in Phoenix I suggest you look for a hostel at the following web site: www.hiusa.org/arizona/phoenix/the-metcalf-house.