I’m not sure I can document all the many Day Trips, that I have taken, but I can try. Living in the Greater Phoenix Area puts me at the hub for lots of trips East, West, North and South. I know every state seems to have interesting places to go and see, but I think we are at a premium here in Arizona.
North – Day Trips
Going North gives us places that are cooler than Phoenix, which is known as the Valley of the Sun, with temperatures in the 100’s during June, July and August. I present these in alphabetical order, which is not necessarily distance.
Canyon Lake and Tortilla Flats
This is my very favorite trip of all. It is only about 1-1/2 hours of driving, although a portion of the trip is on a winding mountainous road. It is Route 88 (Apache Train) through Apache Junction. It takes you up to a beautiful lake, which is one of three man-made lakes off the Roosevelt Dam. The three lakes, Apache, Canyon and Saguaro, are set in a ravine and offer swimming and boating. On Canyon Lake there is a steamship called the Dolly that takes passengers down through the canyon to see the petrified logs and rock formations on the side of the canyon and the long-horned sheep above on the slopes.
Just beyond the lake, about a mile more there is an old stage coach town called Tortilla Flats, It has a restaurant, a store, and an old schoolhouse. The Restaurant has saddles for stools at the bar and has super Mexican lunches or burgers. After lunch, we always go to the store next door for their cactus (prickly pear) ice cream cone.
Grand Canyon
Of course, there is the well-known sight of the Grand Canyon, which is about a five-hour trip one way and it is north, which can be snowy in the wintertime. So this is usually an overnight trip.
Currently, due to the Dragon Fire, the North Rim of the canyon is closed. The historic inn on the North Rim was destroyed in this fire, which at the time of this writing, is still burning uncontained. However, the South Rim is still open, and Overnight accommodations are available. One is a quaint hotel in Williams, AZ, called the Railway Inn. An actual train pulls up adjacent to the hotel and takes passengers by train from Williams to the Rim, allowing time there to explore, and then returns to the hotel. Notice the doors on the right of the lobby opening to the rail car.
There are all kinds of ways to see the canyon. One just by walking along the barricade and looking down. It’s a long way down. If you are adventurous, you can hike or rent mules to ride down the bottom, or there are plane and helicopter tours offered.
Las Vegas
Mapquest shows three different route choices, which range from 4-1/2 hours to 6-1/2 hours. The longest time is on the freeways because it is less direcct. Also, your location within the Greater Phoenix area may add to the road time. But once there, you have wonderful places to stay and things to see. These northerly routes are further west than those taken to get to the Grand Canyon
Mogollon (pronounced Muggy-Own) Rim
Just a few hours north of here is Payson and the Mogollon (pronounded Muggy-Own) Rim and the beautiful lakes.
It is about a two-hour easy drive to Payson and then another hour up Route 360 to the top of the rim.
Of course, it will probably take longer with your stops to take in the view as you climb. Once at the top, you are 2,000-foot-high, with a view that goes on forever. Sightseeing is just one thing to do along this Rim. Tucked into the forest on the other side from the drop off, are several beautiful lakes with camp grounds for fishing, boating, hiking, picnicking, etc. So you can go up and back in a day, or plan to camp out overnight.
The Rim is an escarpment (a long, steep slope leading to a beautiful plateau) leading to spectacular high cliffs overlooking the valley below. It is an extensive Ponderosa pine forest on both the slopes of the Rim and on the plateau to the north.
The drive to the Rim is always a welcome 30 degrees cooler in the summer. So it is a popular summer get-away.
Painted Desert and Petrified Forest
This is really too far (approx. 150 miles) to do in a day. But a visit to the four corners – Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah holds some wonders that shouldn’t be missed.
The way I went was through Globe and Show Low on route 60 and then route 71 to Holbrook, where we stayed overnight. At a nearby park to the hotel, the Navajo’s put on a free evening performance, which was an added bonus. The next morning we drove up to I-40 and East to the Painted Desert and the four corners. We drove through the Desert and Forest and then home the same evening. It was about a 4-5 hour driving trip.
Sedona
Sedona is famous for its beautiful red rocks and its tourist products, particularly jewelry, art, and wine. There is an especially beautiful church built into the red rocks with an awesome window view. This is an easy day trip or a nice overnight destination as well.
South – Day Trips
South of us is the Mexican Border but there is lots to see on the way.
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
Set in the arid landscape just outside Tucson, the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum showcases the desert’s flora, fauna, and history through live-animal and multimedia exhibits. The museum spreads across 98 acres of natural desert landscape and contains more than 230 species of animals and 1,200 kinds of plants.
Bisbee and Copper Mine
Bisbee is a city in and the county seat of Cochise County in southeastern Arizona, United States. It is 92 miles southeast of Tucson and 11 miles north of the Mexican border. It is an interesting town with a lot of steep hills and historic buildings. In its peak, it was a copper mine town. The Copper Queen Hotel is still a refurbished building in town and still in business.
The Copper Queen Mine was a copper mine in Cochise County, Arizona, United States. Its development led to the growth of the surrounding town of Bisbee in the 1880s. Its ore body ran 23{0cdeda01f3f3bfc56e7a77b9bf298b3f7d32c3660f53c61fbe1a94dd1c6575f6} copper, an extraordinarily high grade. It was acquired by Phelps Dodge in 1885. The mine is no longer in operation, but they conduct tours daily into the mine. I’m a bit claustrophobic and was reluctant to do the tour, but I was finally convinced to do it. I’m glad I did. It was well lighted. We were in mining cars with protective clothing and head gear so we were safe enough, and seeing it was awesome. See it here for yourself.
Bisbee was also interesting for me because I am an avid reader. One of my favorite authors, J. A. Jance has a series – the Joanna Brady Series – that is set in Bisbee and the area. The author herself was raised in Bisbee, and for a time her father worked in the mine.
SkyVenture Arizona. This is in Eloy. It is an Indoor skydiving arena with a huge wind tunnel.
Maybe not for everyone although they do cater to all ages, so if you have ever wanted to fly or try to fly why not?
Titan Missile Museum
Visit the last of the 54 Titan II missile sites that were on alert from 1963 to 1987 near Tucson, Arizona. Learn about the technology, the crews, and the Cold War history of this National Historic Site.
Tombstone
Tombstone is a good five-hour drive, so seeing the sights means an overnight stay. We chose to go on to Bisbee afterward, which was only a little further down the road. We had reservations at a B&B in Bisbee.
The sights in Tombstone are what you would imagine. A saloon, a staged street gun fight, and some historic buildings where movies had been made, etc.
It was one of the last boomtowns in the American frontier and It is best known as the site of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
Tucson
The guide book shows 15 areas of interest to visit in Tucson from ancient Missions to Historic Downtown East
East – Day Trips
There really isn’t anything much of interest directly east of here, just the towns of Globe, Superior, and Miami. We did drive through there on our way north to the Painted Desert.
West – Day Trips
Going west from here, we are heading toward southern California, and there are stops along the way. San Diego is the final destination in that direction, and about a five-hour drive on Route 8, which runs near to the Mexican border.
And if you long to see the Colorado River, you can do a day trip to the West clear to the California border. I went to a rock show out there once. A town called Quartsite. Quartzsite is located in western Arizona, just 20 miles east of the Colorado River on I-10. It’s been a rockhound’s paradise since the 1960s. These days, it’s also a mecca to well over a million visitors each year, most of whom converge on this small town in a wave of RVs during the winter months.
Los Algadones
Los Aladones is just a short trip through Yuma and is a delightful small border town. It is famous for a great cantina, but is also home of quality dentists and physicians and medical supplies at saving prices. Dental Implants cost in Los Algodones, Mexico ranges from $790 to $1,250, compared to $3,000 in the U.S. These are well-qualified personnel some American.
There is also quality shopping. I am particularly fond of the leather goods store for quality all leather purses and briefcases.
Crossing into Mexico here can be done on foot. There is a safe parking lot just before the crossing. Park and walk across. Returning, you will need your passport, and there is sometimes a waiting line for the return so be sure to get there early.
Puerto Peñasco (A.K.A Rocky Point), Sonora.
Puerto Peñasco is a small city located in Puerto Peñasco Municipality in the northwest of the Mexican state of Sonora, 100 kilometres from the border with the U.S. state of Arizona.
Desert meets sea in Puerto Penasco, a California Gulf getaway. With its seafood markets, sleepy streets, and sandy beaches, it’s easy to see how this port town has retained its traditional charm. There’s something for everyone, from nature parks and water sports to upscale resorts.
Drive time from the U.S. border is about 1 hour 10 minutes. Getting to the border crossing, head west to Gila Bend and then south through Ajo to the Sonoita crossing. This adds another couple of hours to the trip. While it is safe to drive one’s own car across the border here to a hotel, special insurance available in Ajo is advised.
Our hotel was right on the water. When I went there several years ago, the city street ended, and we actually drove across the sand to get to the hotel. My cousin, a US engineer, was in awe of what he called the “Mexican stairs”. No two steps were exactly the same height, width, or length. Years later, when I built my latest house here in Queen Creek, I had a Mexican guy do my front patio. I have “Mexican stairs” leading down from it.
Quartzsite
If you long to see the Colorado River you can do a day trip to the West clear to the California border all on I-10. I went to a rock show out there once. The town is called Quartzsite and is located in western Arizona, just 20 miles east of the Colorado River. It’s been a rockhound’s paradise since the 1960s. These days, it’s also a mecca to well over a million visitors each year, most of whom converge on this small town in a wave of RVs during the winter months.
San Diego
The trip to San Diego is a good five-hour drive and we usually add time to that by stopping for lunch on the way. Once in San Diego, the things to do are abundant, from the beach itself, touring the Midway naval ship, the zoo, and the SeaWorld with the water show with the whales and dolphins. You can also go to the ballpark for a MLB game.
I’ve gone to San Diego to board a cruise ship. We went the day before, stayed at a hotel right at the pier and the hotel took us over the next morning to board. We were able to leave the car in the hotel parking garage for the 7 days we were gone.
One mistake we made when we came back though was me walking back to the hotel to get the car and expecting to drive back to the pier to pick up my travel companion and the luggage. Driving back put me in a traffic jam with people arriving to board the next cruise. When I got to the pier gate, they weren’t going to let me in to get my companion. A bit of panic and tears finally got me through to pick her up, and we were finally on the road home. Next time, all of us should take a cab back to the hotel with our luggage and then claim the car.
Final Thought – Some Savings for your Trip
If you are planning a visit to Arizona or already live here and are planning any of the trips above, please know that there are discounts available for some of the amenities and also for the restaurants along the way. A small membership at this great sight can save you even on gasoline. Go here to check it out.