Sightseeing in Arizona - what to see. Complete travel guide

Most tourists traveling to Arizona pay their attention to the only one attraction, the world famous Grand Canyon. However, there are many notable places in the state, including arid deserts and verdant oasis, spacious plateaus and high mountains; they are very close and form a landscape of indescribable beauty.

The Grand Canyon is called the most striking attraction of this place for a reason; the area of the national park is more than 5000 square kilometers. River Canyon is the largest in the world; tourists have an opportunity to admire its beauty during a walk or take a helicopter tour along Colorado River. The Archaeological Museum of Tusayan storing thousands of priceless artifacts is situated in the park. Near the museum there are observation towers, from which you can also enjoy the splendor of these places. In 2007, one of the most unusual attractions, Grand Canyon SkyWalk glass bridge, was opened. It is located just above the bottom of the canyon at an altitude of 1.2 km. It resembles a huge observation deck in a horseshoe shape with a radius of 21 meters.

There is another natural attraction near Grand Canyon, the huge Barringer Meteor Crater. Diameter of the crater is 1,250 meters and the depth is 174 meters. Near the crater there is a museum with an exhibition devoted to meteorites. During the tour, you can learn a lot about the development of American astronautics. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Arizona has dozens of beautiful natural parks and reserves: Painted Desert Park, Rainbow Forest Reserves and Petrified Forest, Lake Powell and the lovely picturesque foothills of Santa Catalina. The capital, Phoenix, is a city located in the southern part of the state. Here visitors can see unique architectural monuments, visit a variety of museums and exhibition centers, as well as stroll through its amazing old streets. The city has a zoo, a botanical garden and Scottsdale settlement that is a real historical museum under the open sky. Arizona offers travelers a lot of prospects for an exciting and memorable stay.

Every city of the state has its own inimitable historical and cultural symbol. In Tucson, there are a lot of interesting museums, including the Arizona State University Art Museum. When walking along the city, you can admire beautiful historical constructions. The atmosphere in some streets has not changed for over a hundred year.

The reservation San Javier located in the city surroundings is very interesting from the historical point of view. Here, you can admire constructions built in the colonial period by Spanish settlers. In the colonial epoch, a lot of luxurious residences and palaces were built here. They look really impressive in the midst of natural landscapes.

The tiny town of Flagstaff can really surprise its guests too. It is located in the very beautiful submontane area, at the height of 2 000 m above sea level. In this city, there is the historical observatory that has turned into one of the largest research centers in the USA for the years of its existence. Nowadays, you can take interesting excursions around the astronomical center where you can learn about the studies conducted here and look at the starry sky through powerful telescopes. The other unusual city attraction is the “Museum” Club opened in 1931. Since that time, the club has not changed at all. Even items did not change their “location”.

In Arizona, the very interesting historical festival called “The Renaissance” is annually held. It is celebrated in February. The place of the never-ending holiday is the picturesque valley located in the surroundings of Phoenix. The festival lasts for over a month. Its guests can see different historical installations, visit noisy fairs, and enjoy street musicians’ performances. The important attributes of the festival are food entertainments. You can taste here dishes cooked according to the old recipes.

In late March, the Ostrich Festival is held in Arizona. The main event here is ostrich races. The festival also includes interesting music performances. Its visitors can visit an exotic zoo here. There are different rides and playgrounds for children, so it can be interesting for the whole family.