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Accessible RV Checklist
Access Travel Rights
Handicapped Travel Club
Rolling Down The Trail
Family RVing
Schooling Options for RVers
Kartchner Caverns State Park
Oscar Scherer State Park
10 RVing Tips for Newbies
The Accessible RV Site
Riding The Rails
The Enabled RVer Resources
Access Travel Guides
Selecting a Cane for Travel
Fulltime RVing Challenges
Campground Access
HTC Accessible Park List
Arizona Day Drive
Touring Arizona
Columbia River Region
RVing with Kids
Volunteering and RVing
RVing and Children
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| Touring Arizona |
| Viewing Arizona By The Day May Tempt You To Visit Longer |
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| Editor's Note: Whether you are on a budget and need to start your RVing adventures not far from home or if you're looking for some interesting side trips in Arizona, this article by James Nicholson should get you started. Beautiful Arizona By James Nicholson Most people have heard of Sedona with its beautiful red coloring and majestic rock formations. As spectacular as Sedona is, there is much more to do and see in the surrounding area. Four lanes of Highway 17 speeds you between Flagstaff and Phoenix at 70 m.p.h. A few miles west, Alternate 89 leisurely winds through the hills offering views and sights not available from the interstate. Rig towing is easy from Flagstaff south to Clarkdale. The road south of Clarkdale through Jerome to Prescott calls for stout nerves for the driver towing a rig. There is no problem for a shorter, lighter vehicle. Just south of Flagstaff Alternate 89 is Oak Creek Canyon, offering cool temperatures and a panorama of majestic rock formations. Oak Creek has fishing, camping, hiking, and water rock slides for the more adventurous. Continuing south finds the road in the heart of Sedona's red rocks and trendy shops. Another 20 or so miles leads to the Verde Valley and Cottonwood. This is a good place to spend a few days and take trips to surrounding sights. The area sports many motels and campgrounds. The Verde Valley Fair Grounds located on Historic 89 in Cottonwood has several RV Parking sites and charges minimal fees with water and electrical hookups. There are two fairly accessible dump stations. Restrooms are clean and usable for a wheelchair. The first permanent settlers in the Verde Valley were the Hohokam Indians who arrived in about 600 A.D. They irrigated crops and built houses of sticks and mud. About 500 years later, other people started building homes of stone placed on hill tops or on cliffs. Examples of these societies can be seen around Cottonwood. Montezuma Castle at the Intersection of 117 and 260 can be seen in the distance. Close by is the Montezuma Well. Both sites are interesting to see from an automobile, but are not accessible. For the person looking for accessibility, Tuzigoot offers trails to the Visitor Center's exhibits, a wildlife viewing area, and the excavated ruins. Tuzigoot is northwest of Cottonwood on 279. A few more miles on 279 is Clarkdale which is home to the Verde Canyon Railroad. The train goes through what is called "Arizona's other Grand Canyon." Eagles can sometimes be seen nesting and flying along the route. The railroad has cars which are both open-air and closed. Coach or First Class cars are available. Prices run about $35.00 to $55.00 for the four hour ride. According to train station personnel, "the passenger cars are climate-controlled with restrooms, meet ADA requirements, , provide convenient access to open-air viewing cars, and they feature strolling musicians and live narration." More information may be found at 800-293-7245. The last side of the trip is a few more miles down Alternate 89 to Jerome. It is a copper mining town which ceased production decades ago. The town is built on a hillside with hardly room for house and road along its terraces. Consequently accessibility is poor except for the State Mining Museum. The roads lead to several curious sights for the curious traveler. Several more days could be spent auto touring such towns as Prescott and Wickenburg. Whether for a day or a few days, Arizona's Alternate 89 is unexcelled. Reprinted with permission. Handicapped Travel Club. H.T. C. News. For information about membership in the Handicapped Travel Club, you can contact: The Handicapped Travel Club, 12555 Lantern Rd., Fishers, IN 40638. Merle Young,Secretary. His e-mail is KB9PDM@ARRL.net. |
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