Arizona In Winter: Day Trips

Extraordinary places abound in Arizona, also known as the Grand Canyon state, and many attractions, such as the Grand Canyon, Sedona, Phoenix and Oak Creek Canyon, are within a day's drive of one another.

At the Grand Canyon, the sun glistened off the distant rock walls as we pulled our coats tight against us in the crisp wind. It was January. We were the only visitors at most of the lookout points. The sense of solitude and peacefulness enhanced the experience and the canyon's beauty. When someone else would come along, it was jarring to suddenly hear the chatter. We were thankful we skipped visiting the canyon in the summer. That's the peak of the touring season, and there are crowds and hot weather.

Driving along the scenic route along the South Rim, with an elevation of 7000 feet, we seldom saw another car. The North Rim road, with an elevation of 8,803 feet, is closed during winter, and tours are shut down for the season. We enjoyed the beauty of snow-covered trees and stopped to watch the deer and elk graze.

There's more to see than the Grand Canyon

On another excursion, we traveled the famed Route 66. Williams, a town that prides itself on 1950s and 1960s ambience, was a worthy stop. This historic route was a special treat for us. It had an authentic look to it, as we remember it from parts of the old TV show. It was quaint. The trip takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes. It's south of the Grand Canyon and colder at an elevation of 6,780 feet.

Visitors also can take the train to the Grand Canyon from Williams, a 58- mile trip, passing through towns of Parks, Bellemont and Tusayuan. You have the option of driving to the train station to head to the rim or go hiking through the canyon. A quick trip around the bend takes you on a nostalgic tour of historical landmarks.

We paused for a hot lunch at an inviting little diner in Williams before heading for Oak Creek Canyon. Beautiful mountains, snow-capped trees, cactus and other species of trees and plants made it come alive. A little bit southwest from Williams, Oak Creek Canyon has an elevation of 5,200 feet.

We passed towering cliffs and trees, while traveling a road as crooked as Lombard Street in San Francisco, California.

Recent heavy rains had caused a swift flow in the creek.

Minutes after leaving Oak Creek Canyon, we entered the Mecca of Sedona. During the peak tourist season, the shops would be packed with people buying souvenirs and the restaurants busy. But in January, it wasn't crowded. We were able to enjoy the sights and sounds without waiting in long lines.

A road overlooking the town allowed us to take in the vista of the fabulous red rocks that surround the area. It's east from Oak Creek Canyon and warmer. It's a 54- mile trip, and a little more than an hour. The Church In The Rocks is a small Catholic church, which welcomes visitors to buy souvenirs. Here you'll find another fantastic view of Sedona's famous rocks dressed in arrays of pink and red. Elevation here drops to 4,500 feet. By that point, we had dropped 2,500 feet since leaving the South Rim.

From Sedona, we traveled on the I-17 highway to Phoenix.

From region to region within each season, Arizona's temperature and weather vary. While we needed our winter coats at the Grand Canyon, we removed them and put on sweatshirts and sweaters as we moved south through Sedona and on to Phoenix. The temperatures varied as much as 30 and 40 degrees. This significant difference is mirrored in the summer season.

Driving along, we saw signs advertising Montezuma's Castle National Monument in Yavapai County, located between Lake Montezuma and Cape Verde. It's about 30 miles from Sedona; and we were now at 3,618 elevated feet. Checking our guidebooks, we decided this was a must see.We were intrigued by what we saw. This amazing ancient site allows visitors to glimpse cliff dwellings built by some of the first indigenous peoples. It's a stop I whole-heartedly recommend. There's a path that goes to a lake, and another path you can take halfway up to the caves. All sorts of plants and trees are seen along the pathways to the top of the walkway. When you look up, the cave really sit up on top of the rock formations in the mountain-like foundation.

We were able to take our time and thoroughly enjoy each locale and still were able to visit each and every place in one day.

With such spectacular scenery, ranging from the Grand Canyon to the red rocks of Sedona, to the running waters of Oak Creek Canyon on the horizon-- I found myself stopping in almost every locale to sightsee and take another picture.

Sidebars:

Contact info:
Grand Canyon National Park,
P.O. Box 129,
Grand Canyon, AZ 86023
Website: http://www.nps.gov/grca
Phone number: (918) 638-7888

Grand Canyon Chamber of Commerce
P.O. Box 3007
Grand Canyon, AZ 3007
Website: http://www.grandcanyonchamber.org
Email: info@grandcanyonchamber.org
Phone Number: (928) 623-2901

Arizona Office of Tourism,
1110 W. Washington, #155,
Phoenix AZ 85007
Website: arizonaguide.com/home.asp
Phone Numbers: 1-866-275-8516 for visitor information,
or 1-602-364-3700 to ask administrative questions

Details:

Local visitor centers: free 24/7
Local restaurants: Route 66 Diner
Getting there: From the Grand Canyon, take U.S. 180 South to Williams. From there, head east to Flagstaff to connect to I-17 South en route to Phoenix to reach Oak Creek Canyon through a principal highway. Go easst to Sedona, and then south to Montezuma's Castle.