What to do in AZ
If you want to explore the state, you might consider one (or part of one) of these trips:
TRIP 1: Sedona, Montezuma Castle, and Jerome (2 hours north)
TRIP 2: The Grand Canyon (4 hours north)
TRIP 3: Kartchner Caverns, Tombstone, and Bisbee (2-3 hours south)
TRIP 4: Biosphere 2, Tucson, and Nogales (2-4 hours south)
TRIP 5: Puerto Peñasco, Mexico (4-5 hours south)
TRIP 6: The Apache Trail (2-4 hours roundtrip)
(1) Sedona, Montezuma Castle, and Jerome
Sedona: Breathtaking, stunning, seriously unbelievable red rock scenery. And Hummer tours. About two hours from central Phoenix. Take I-17 North about 100 miles to exit 298. Turn west onto SR-179. Keep straight on SR-179 for about 14 miles, to SR-89A. Turn east onto SR-89A.
Jerome: a historic copper-mining town and America’s most vertical city. Watch for houses falling off cliffs and wacky craft projects. To see Jerome, take scenic route 89A back to Phoenix from Sedona.
Montezuma Castle National Monument: Prehistoric cliff dwelling of the Sinagua Indians. Exit Number 289 off I-17. The access road is 1/2 mile past Cliff Castle Casino.
(2) The Grand Canyon
To see this giant hole in the ground it’s a four to five hour drive north from central Phoenix. Take I-17 north to I-40. Take I-40 west to Highway 64. Take Highway 64 north directly to the South Rim. If you plan an overnight trip, consider staying in Flagstaff.
(3) Kartchner, Tombstone, and Bisbee
Kartchner Caverns State Park: stalactites, stalagmites, speleothems, and other fun geologic forms. Take I-10 South about two and a half hours to the Sierra Vista/Fort Huachuca exit #302 (State Highway 90). The entrance to the caverns should be about nine miles south of the Interstate on the west side of the road.
Tombstone: the site of the OK Corral gunfight and other old-timey western stuff. From Benson, continue south on Arizona SR-90 for about half an hour.
Bisbee: a funky ex-mining town with great hotels and lots of historic charm. Perfect for an overnight trip with stops along the way. From Tombstone, continue south for twenty minutes.
(4) Biosphere 2, Tucson, and Nogales
Biosphere 2: umm, yeah. Take I-10 south for, like, 90 minutes.
Tucson: Continue on I-10 to Tucson to eat at one of Ryan’s favorite restaurants: Cafe Poca Cosa. You can also visit an old Spanish Mission or the University of Arizona, Neil Godfrey’s alma mater (congratulations, Neil!)
Nogales, Arizona & Nogales, Mexico: Continue on I-10 south about 20 minutes to I-19 south. Mexico is a a short drive south from Tucson via I-19, just 63 miles or 100 km—all of I-19 is signed in metric.
(5) Rocky Point (Puerto Peñasco), Mexico
Rocky Point is a four to five hour drive south from central Phoenix. Take I-10 West out of Phoenix to State Highway 85 South. Follow 85 through Gila Bend, Ajo, and Why until you reach the Mexican border. Check out border crossing rules before you go – and if you do your homework and bring a couple friends you can probably rent a beach house.
(6) The Apache Trail
The Apache Trail is a 2-4 hour scenic drive on AZ 88 (depending on how far you go!), through the Lost Dutchman State Park, the Superstition Mountains, Tortilla Flat, and Tonto National Forest.
See this website for similar day trip descriptions: Phoenix Day Trips