SAN DIEGO TO GRAND CANYON AND BACK: 1,870 MILES … · TALIESIN WEST GRAND CANYON EDITION 2019 RISING PHOENIX Get to know the cosmopolitan side of Arizona in Phoenix where there is

PH

OTO

S B

Y C

OU

RTE

SY

PH

OTO

S B

Y C

OU

RTE

SY

S O U T H W E S T H O T S P O T S

68 GRAND CANYON EDITION 2019

PH

OTO

BY

DE

PO

SIT

Discover the best of Arizona along this awe-inspiring 1,870-mile road trip.

PROOF


S A N D I E G O T O G R A N D C A N Y O N A N D B A C K : 1 , 8 7 0 M I L E S

GCJ2019_RoadTrips_SouthwestHotSpots_PROOF.indd 68 9/26/18 11:12 AM

MYGRANDCANYONPARK.COM 69

PH

OTO

S B

Y C

OU

RTE

SY

PH

OTO

S B

Y C

OU

RTE

SY

PH

OTO

BY

DE

PO

SIT

Yuma

Las Vegas

Phoenix

SedonaCottonwood

Jerome

Prescott

Flagsta�

C A L I F O R N I A

A R I Z O N AA R I Z O N A17

8

15

15

4040

San Diego

ScottsdaleGlendale

Petri�edForestNationalPark

Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge Saguaro

NationalPark

Walnut Canyon National Monument

Joshua TreeNational Park

10

Williams

TusayanGrand Canyon

South Rim

Death Valley National Park

10

Tucson

89

CATHEDRAL ROCK NEXT TO SEDONA,

ARIZ.

From surf to saguaros, this spec-tacular adventure starts in San Diego where you can sink your feet into palm tree-lined beaches, explore the Gaslamp

District’s boutiques and trendy restaurants and visit the San Diego Zoo.

Then leave the Pacific Ocean behind in your rearview mirror as you hit the open road to the gateway to the Southwest—Yuma, Ariz. Hailed the sunniest city in the world by Guinness Book of World Records, Yuma of-fers farm tours and incredible kayaking and tubing down the Colorado River.

Continue east to Saguaro National Park in Tucson to stroll among the Southwest’s iconic saguaros, some of which stretch 50 feet into the desert sky. Two hours north, get your city fix by exploring the incredible museums,

shops and sporting events in Phoenix and Glendale, Ariz.

Farther north lie towns like Jerome and Cottonwood where neat rows of deep green grapevines race up and down dry, rolling hills. Discover Arizona wines at one of the inviting tasting rooms there. In the distance, you’ll see the red rocks of Sedona, some of which are believed to have special energy fields. Hike to one of these vortexes in Sedona en route to the breathtaking Grand Canyon.

Then stop in Flagstaff, a vibrant university town where Pluto was discovered and great food awaits. As you drive from Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon, the soil turns to red, hinting at what's to come. With so much to see on this road trip, discover our top picks in the next several pages.




PH

OTO

CO

UR

TES

Y V

ISIT

YU

MA

As you make your way from San Diego toward the Grand Canyon, stop in Yuma, Ariz., where this city overlooking the Colorado Riv-er caters to foodies by hosting unique dining opportunities.

“Yuma is known for sunshine, outdoor activities and agri-culture, but it is also home to some outstanding, fresh, au-thentic local cuisine,” says Steven Hennig, marketing direc-tor of Visit Yuma.

Take, for instance, Date Night Dinners where the word “date” is a double entendre. With live music in the back-ground, you'll eat like a sultan in the heart of a date palm grove. Named by Fodor's Travel as one of the world's 20 most unique dining experiences, your dinner will be orchestrat-

ed by Chef Alex Trujillo, featuring dates, also known as the “fruit of kings,” from your appetizer to dessert. Unknown to many, Yuma is actually the world's largest producer of Med-jool dates, many of which are exported to the Middle East.

If you're interested in dining with a local farmer, make res-ervations for a Farmer's Wife Dinner, a series that features lo-cal female farmers who share their stories and recipes. Wine and beer are included with your meal. There's also the Savor Yuma Dining Tour, in which you embark on a progressive din-ner with stops at three local restaurants. Drinks and trans-portation are included.

Learn more at the Visitor Center at the Yuma Quartermaster Depot, 201 N. 4th Ave., or go to visityuma.com.

FARM DINNER

SAN DIEGO TO YUMA ARIZ.

170 miles, 2 hours and 45 minutes

More on Yuma Discover the stories behind a jailed Mexi-

can revolutionary and a prisoner referred to as "The Bandit Queen" at the Yuma Territorial Prison State Historical Park. Opened in July 1, 1876,

this prison-turned-park holds a number of Wild-West stories locked inside its stone walls. Take your mug shot in the museum and explore what was

known as the "Dark Cell," if you dare. Outside you can climb an old guard tower to get views of the restored Colorado River that runs through town.

Cool down by renting a tube and catching a van ride up river to fl oat down.

Learn more at visityuma.com.

F O O D I E S T O PIn the land where 90 percent of the nation's vegetables are grown in winter, Yuma provides

a surprising number of unique culinary experiences.



YUMA VISITOR_GCJ_2019.indd 1 9/17/18 4:33 PM



PH

OTO

BY

DE

PO

SIT

(C

ATA

LIN

A),

SA

GU

AR

O (

SH

UTT

ER

STO

CK

)

YUMA TO TUCSON, ARIZ.

238 miles, 3 hours and 25 minutes

The saguaro cactuses that live in Catalina State Park and Saguaro National Park in Tucson only grow in the Sonoran Desert. Here are four things to know about them.

Saguaros usually grow at sea level to about 4,000 feet in elevation.

It takes a baby saguaro eight years to grow 1-1.5 inches.

A saguaro’s average lifespan is 150-175 years, and it can grow to be 50 feet tall.

The Tohono O’odham people have harvested saguaro fruit for centuries. It is essential for making ceremonial wine for the annual harvest ceremony, an ongoing tradition supported by the national park.

Source: National Park Service

People have been sleeping under the stars in Catalina State Park since at least 1000 B.C. And it's easy to understand why.

From breathtaking views of Santa Catalina mountains to ancient Native American ruins, Catalina State Park offers immaculate campsites, great hikes and even a concert series. As you walk by some of the park’s 5,000 saguaros, it may be hard to be-lieve you're just minutes from Tucson’s live-ly restaurant and shopping scene.

Choose from eight trails to explore this breathtaking area. The Romero Ruins Inter-pretative Trail is an easy .75-mile loop that leads you to the Romero Ruins, an ancient Hohokam village dating to 500 A.D. Moun-tain bikers should check out the 50-Year Trail, an 8.6-mile one-way trail that weaves up and down the foothills.

Back at camp, you’ll find Catalina’s campgrounds offer flush toilets, hot showers, picnic tables and grills. Equestrians can camp with their horses in a first-come, first-

served overnight area.Outside the park, visit the Arizona-Sonora

Desert Museum where 85 percent of your experience will be outdoors as you explore the zoo, aquarium, botanic garden and natural history museum. Or see a Wright Flyer and a 787 Dreamliner at the Pima Air & Space Museum, which boasts more than 300 historical aircrafts.

In nearby Oracle, Ariz., visit Biosphere 2, an enormous glass structure built in 1986 to explore what space colonization could look like in a closed system. Two mis-sions in the 1990s sealed scientists inside as an experiment in human behavior and survivability. Today, the University of Ar-izona uses the facility to research every-thing from climate change to the impact of drought on the rainforest.

Catalina State Park is located at 11570 N. Oracle Rd. For more information go to azstateparks.com or call 877-697-2757 to make camping or RV reservations.

CATALINA STATE PARK

S TA R R Y N I G H T SExperience the best of Tucson in and around Catalina State Park.

Prickly Facts

PH

OTO

CO

UR

TES

Y G

EO

FFR

EY

CA

MP

BE

LL



A L O C A L ' S T I P SHacienda Del Sol Guest Ranch Resort assistant general manager Geoffrey Campbell shares his favorite Tucson attractions.

PH

OTO

BY

DE

PO

SIT

(C

ATA

LIN

A),

SA

GU

AR

O (

SH

UTT

ER

STO

CK

)

Walk past 4,000 years of food history when you visit Mission Garden. It's a living agricultural

museum showcasing the region's rich agricultural heritage.

A hike to the top of Mount Lemmon [elevation 9,159 feet]. It starts at Romero Canyon and climbs over 7,000 feet to the summit. There is something

magical about hiking from Mexico to Canada, climate-wise, within the same day hike.

It’s time to see Tucson's cultural offerings. Where do you go?

Your perfect day includes

At the Presidio San Agustín del Tucson Museum, the most interesting things to me are the

"luxuries" in the offi cer quarters, which included an extra chair and a little more space.

Our “Valleys, Vaqueros and Vineyards” excursion, which includes the historic Empire Ranch, Las Cienegas National Conservation Area, Nature

Conservancy’s Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve, the Sonoita/Elgin Wineries and more.

LOCAL SPOTLIGHT: Read the rest of the interview at mygrandcanyonpark.com/road-trips/insider-tips-tucson

NATURE CULTURESpecial fact: The Sonoran Desert is the hottest and

most bio-diverse of the North American deserts. It receives more rainfall than any other desert –

approximately 10 inches a year on average.

How would you describe Tucson?

Mountains in every direction, not a bad tamale in town, a little grit and a lot of class and never

pretentious.

PH

OTO

CO

UR

TES

Y G

EO

FFR

EY

CA

MP

BE

LL




PH

OTO

S B

Y J

AN

ET

PH

IL/F

LIC

KR

(C

AC

TUS

), B

ELL

AE

AS

TBO

OK

S/F

LIC

KR

(TA

LIE

SA

N W

ES

T), W

IKIM

ED

IA C

OM

MO

NS

(P

HO

EN

IX A

RT

MU

SE

UM

)

TUCSON TO PHOENIX

113 miles, 1 hour and 45 minutes

1. TALIESIN WESTWHY GO: Walk around architect

Frank Lloyd Wright’s winter home where he spent time from 1937-59. TIP: Tours book up fast, so reservations are strongly recommended for all tours.

2. DESERT BOTANIC GARDENSWHY GO:

Stop here to stroll the gardens.

To see night-blooming plants, do an evening Flashlight Tour.TIP: Bring your own fl ashlight or

buy one at the Garden Shop and then hit the trails at your own pace.

3. PHOENIX ART MUSEUMWHY GO: Home

to the works of Ansel Adams, Frida Kahlo and Claude Monet, this is the largest fine art museum in the Southwest.TIP: Don't miss the Dorrance Sculpture Garden.

4. CAMELBACK MOUNTAINWHY GO: Hike up 1,200

feet for fantastic views of the city and Phoenix Mountains Preserve. TIP: Get started really early in the morning and bring

sunscreen, lots of water and a hat to beat the heat.

5. HEARD MUSEUMWHY GO: Discover engaging Native

American stories and world-class collections.TIP: Allow time to relax in the courtyard and coffee shop. The museum is a short distance from the light rail in downtown Phoenix.

6. MUSICAL INSTRUMENT MUSEUMWHY GO:

Create your own tour of the world and its people through the lens of music at this amazing

museum.TIP: Wear the museum's headphones to get the most out of your experience. The audio accompanying each display plays automatically as you approach an exhibit.

7. CHASE FIELDWHY GO: Catch a game with the Arizona

Diamondbacks in this facility that is air-conditioned when the roof is closed. Yes, the stadium's roof is retractable! TIP: Check the team's website to fi nd out if the roof will be closed. The state-of-the-art roof opens and closes in a little over four minutes.

TALIESIN WEST


R I S I N G P H O E N I X Get to know the cosmopolitan side of Arizona in Phoenix where there is an activity for every

interest. Here are the top seven things to do.

PHOENIX ART MUSEUM


Dead horse ranch State Parkazstateparks.com | 877-MY-PARKS

Take a trip south to explore amazing Arizona! From camping and hiking to fishing and stargazing, Arizona State Parks and Trails offers an adventure of a lifetime!

ARIZONA STATE PARKS_GCJ_2018.indd 1 8/13/18 12:09 PM



PH

OTO

CO

UR

TES

Y V

ISIT

GLE

ND

ALE

PHOENIX TO GLENDALE, ARIZ.

9.5 miles, 22 minutes

If Glendale was a person, she would be a fun-loving woman who e� ortlessly throws the most elaborate of parties—ones with 1.6 million holiday lights—but

can get downright sporty hosting a Super Bowl. Either one leaves guests vying to get on the invite list for next year.

That red carpet also includes camps for adults to live out their dreams to be pro-fessional athletes. Just nine miles north-west of Phoenix, Glendale has hosted the 2008 and 2015 Superbowls, the Fiesta Bowl and is home to the NHL Phoenix Coyotes and the NFL Arizona Cardinals. Glendale’s University of Phoenix Stadi-um will be hosting the NFL Super Bowl LVII in 2023.

But before mega arenas and glittering festivals, Glendale was a patchwork of cot-ton fields and ranches. Catch a glimpse of this history at Sahuaro Ranch, founded in 1886, where visitors and peacocks roam 17 acres of orchards, historic buildings and picnic areas. Or head to the Thun-derbird Conservation Park to hike on its 15 miles of footpaths and trails.

Don't miss Glendale’s charming histor-ic downtown where almost every business is locally owned and antique shops, bou-tiques and restaurants reside in and be-side Craftsman-style bungalows of yes-teryear. Historic downtown Glendale has been named by USA Today and Sunset magazine as one of the country’s 10 best places for shopping in recent years.

It also has 20 listings on the Nation-al Register of Historic Places, including nine historic districts. The preserved brick walkways and gaslight lamps lead you through rows of historic houses with lush gardens and trees.

Stop by the Glendale Visitor Center, 9494 W. Maryland Ave., Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or go to www.VisitGlen-dale.com.

Shopper's Paradise Choose between boutiques and chain stores at these three Glendale venues.

T H E U N E X P E C T E D Sports and shops dominate the horizon in Glendale,

just northwest of Phoenix.

Catlin CourtDiscover shops and restaurants in converted Craftsman-style bungalows. Don’t miss Bears & More, a mix of contemporary and vintage treasures and toys. For free covered parking, park at 5835 W. Palmaire Ave.

Old Towne Stroll brick-trimmed sidewalks, explore antique stores and dine at ethnic eateries in this charming section of historic downtown. For free covered parking, park at 5835 W. Palmaire Ave.

Arrowhead Towne CenterFrom Dick’s Sporting Goods to Coach, Arrowhead Towne Center, one of the region’s largest malls, is a true shopper’s paradise; 7700 W. Arrowhead Towne Center;arrowheadtownecenter.com.

EXPLORE THE STUNNING GROUNDS OF SAHUARO RANCH


See why Glendale was named the #1 Emerging TouristDestination in the U.S. by Trivago.

7:05 a.m. 11:45 a.m. 3:30 p.m. 7:15 p.m.

Bring this ad to the Glendale Visitor Center and pick up a free toteto fill with all your great finds from Glendale, Arizona.

9494 W. Maryland Ave., Third Floor | Glendale, AZ 85305877.800.2601 | VisitGlendale.com | #VisitGlendaleAZ

/VisitGlendale /VisitGlendaleAZ

GLENDALE, ARIZONAYou'll love every moment!

VisitGlendaleAZ

GLENDALE CONVENTION_GCJ_2019.indd 1 9/11/18 4:12 PM



FOUR GEMS TO EXPLORE

Slide Rock State ParkWear your jeans to slide down a slick natural water chute or wade in the creek seven miles north of Sedona in Oak Creek Canyon.

Dead Horse Ranch State ParkStay the night in one of the park's eight log camping cabins or spend the day fi shing or on a horse trail ride in Cottonwood, Ariz.

Red Rock State ParkGo on a full-moon hike, bird walk or spot monarch butterfl ies at this hidden gem just outside Sedona.

Rockin' River State ParkOpening in spring 2019, this Camp Verde spot will feature horseback riding and tent camping.

For more information go to azstateparks.com. P

HO

TO B

Y L

EA

R M

ILLE

R P

HO

TO C

OU

RTE

SY

SE

DO

NA

CH

AM

BE

R O

F C

OM

ME

RC

E &

TO

RU

RIS

M B

UR

EA

U, D

ON

GR

AH

AM

/FLI

CK

R (

SLI

DE

RO

CK

), A

LHIK

ES

AZ

/FLI

CK

R (

DE

AD

HO

RS

E),

GE

OFF

LIV

ING

STO

N/F

LIC

KR

(R

ED

RO

CK

S)

GLENDALE, ARIZ. TO SEDONA, ARIZ.

111 miles, Almost two hours

While everyone is hiking Se-dona’s vortexes—the iconic rock formations believed to be special energy centers—we have a tip for you.

Follow the locals to Sedona’s secret seven, a collection of stunningly beautiful hiking trails with all the solitude but none of the traffic of the vortexes. For starters, hike the Chimney Rock Loop, an easy 2.6-mile walk, that offers great sunset views.

Then pack water and sunscreen the next morning to hike the 2-mile out-and-back Schuerman Mountain Trail, one of Sedona’s oldest trails. You'll head up the flanks of an extinct volcano, gaining 350 feet to spectacu-lar panoramic views.

Then head to town for some of the best food in the Southwest followed by a stroll in and out of the 80 vibrant art galleries lining the streets of this town of 10,000.

“We have a lot more than just the out-doors,” says Michelle Conway, director of marketing at Sedona Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau. “It’s a great place to re-lax and reconnect.”

Its artsy roots stretch back thousands of years. Stop at V Bar V Ranch, the area's largest rock art site with more than 1,000 petroglyphs.

Learn more at the Sedona Visitor In-formation Center, 331 Forest Rd., or at sedonasecret7.com.

SEDONA LANDSCAPE

C E N T E R E D I N S E D O N ADiscover Sedona's seven secrets to a fantastic getaway.

PH

OTO

CO

UR

TES

Y L

OW

ELL

OB

SE

RA

VTO

RY

(C

LAR

K T

ELE

SC

OP

E),

BIG

MA

N/F

LIC

KR

(M

US

EU

M C

LUB

), C

OU

RTE

SY

AZ

SN

OW

BO

WL



PH

OTO

BY

LE

AR

MIL

LER

PH

OTO

CO

UR

TES

Y S

ED

ON

A C

HA

MB

ER

OF

CO

MM

ER

CE

& T

OR

UR

ISM

BU

RE

AU

, DO

N G

RA

HA

M/F

LIC

KR

(S

LID

E R

OC

K),

ALH

IKE

SA

Z/F

LIC

KR

(D

EA

D H

OR

SE

), G

EO

FF L

IVIN

GS

TON

/FLI

CK

R (

RE

D R

OC

KS

)

TOURIST HOME URBAN MARKETWHY GO:

Opened in 2014, this fabulous spot still has an old outdoor neon sign from the days it served as a hostel for sheepherders, beginning in 1926. Today, this hip counter-service restaurant is a gourmet food hot spot. TIP: Have breakfast or lunch, pick up specialty foods and sample the delicious pastries baked fresh daily. Try the quiche followed by the double choco-late espresso cookie.

2. FAT OLIVESWHY GO: Opened more than 25 years

ago by award-winning chef John Conley as a mobile catering company, this popular restaurant serves authentic thin-crust pizza.TIP: Order the Belgio Dolce pizza with a white base, shaved brussels sprouts and more.

3. SIX NEARBY NATIONAL MONUMENTS

WHY GO: There are six national monuments and Grand Canyon National Park within two hours

of Flagstaff, each offering some-thing different. TIP: Head to Walnut Canyon National Monument 10 miles southeast of downtown Flag-staff. The one-mile roundtrip strenuous Island Trail will take you past 25 ancient cliff dwell-ing rooms.

4. THE MUSEUM CLUBWHY GO: One of the only

original Route 66 roadhouses still standing, this log cabin attracts national acts like Willie Nelson, features two bars and is home to one of the largest wooden dance floors in the state.TIP: Check out the various animal mounts hanging on the walls. Before it became a bar,

The Museum Club was a taxi-dermy. It’s located at 3404 East Route 66.

5. LOWELL OBSERVATORY WHY GO: This

world-class observatory is where Pluto was discovered and the moon was mapped for early NASA astronauts.TIP: If you go in the evening, you can get up-close views of planets, stars and the moon through Lowell’s telescopes.

6. ARIZONA SNOWBOWLWHY GO: In summer take a

scenic chair lift to 11,500 feet at this ski area located in the San Francisco peaks. TIP: At the top, you’ll see the red rocks of Sedona and the walls of the Grand Canyon in the distance. Bring layers, sunscreen and water because temperatures are chillier up high and the sun is extra strong.

SNOWBOWL

CLARK TELESCOPE AT LOWELL OBSERVATORY

P H E N O M E N A L F L A G S TA F FLocated two hours from six national monuments and Grand Canyon National Park, Flagstaff is

a t hriving university town with a charming historic downtown. Here are six things to do.

1.

PH

OTO

CO

UR

TES

Y L

OW

ELL

OB

SE

RA

VTO

RY

(C

LAR

K T

ELE

SC

OP

E),

BIG

MA

N/F

LIC

KR

(M

US

EU

M C

LUB

), C

OU

RTE

SY

AZ

SN

OW

BO

WL

The Museum Club was a taxi-dermy. It’s located at 3404 East Route 66.

5. LOWELL OBSERVATORY

Located two hours from six national monuments and Grand Canyon National Park, Flagstaff is a t hriving university town with a charming historic downtown. Here are six things to do.


tall peaks | deep canyonA P E A K 1 2 , 6 3 3 F E E T I N E L E V A T I O N A N D H I G H E S T P O I N T I N A R I Z O N AA C A N Y O N 6 , 0 0 0 F E E T D E E P A N D O N LY 8 0 M I L E S F R O M F L A G S T A F F

flagstaffarizona.org

S A N F R A N C I S C O P E A K S - O N LY 1 0 M I N U T E S A W AY

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK - ONLY 80 MINUTES AWAY

PICK UP A FREE VISITOR GUIDE AT THE FLAGSTAFF VISITOR CENTER, 1 E. ROUTE 66

Flagstaff

Phoenix

Grand Canyon National Park

FLAGSTAFF_GCJ_2019.indd 1 9/17/18 10:48 AM


F E A T U R E

When Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin set foot on the moon with their cumbersome white moon boots on July 20, 1969, they became the � rst people to visit the moon.

It must have been extremely humbling to tread on a place so powerful it gives us light in the night, moves our oceans’ tides every day and is the foundation for the length of our months. When Armstrong stepped down the ladder to walk on the surface of the moon, he uttered words that would be repeated over and over in history books.

“That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for man-kind,” he said slowly across the radio waves to Earth.

The mission from launch to landing lasted precisely eight days, three hours, 18 minutes and 35 seconds. But the Amer-icans’ race to the moon started eight years earlier when Pres-ident John F. Kennedy announced on May 25, 1961, that the U.S. would put men on the moon by the end of the 1960s. It was a bold goal, especially considering the fact that even our unmanned photographic moon missions had failed, not to mention the fact no one had a detailed map of the moon.

So how do you plan a mission to a place no human has vis-ited? You get creative.

To make maps, NASA turned to the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Ariz., home of the Clark Telescope built in 1896. Working feverishly for 10 years, teams of scientists and air-brush artists used telescopes at the Flagstaff observatory, in-cluding the 24-inch Clark refractor, to view the moon and hand-draw exquisitely detailed maps of its surface. One of the artists was Patricia Bridges, an illustrator who still lives in Flagstaff today. As early Apollo missions succeeded in get-ting images of the near side of the moon (the far side was in

a dark shadow), they also used those images to map the to-pography of the moon.

“Imagine going to a foreign country without a map,” says Kevin Schindler, Lowell Observatory’s historian. “These maps helped astronauts figure out where they were going to land.”

Knowing the topography was key because no one want-ed the shuttle to land at the bottom of a crater. One of the cartographers who worked on these maps was Ray Jordan, who moved to Flagstaff from St. Louis in 1966 for the job. For the next three years, he used images transmitted from unmanned Apollo missions to map the surface of the moon.

“I wanted to do something really exciting and the President had just talked about going to the moon,” recalls Jordan who is 81, still lives in Flagstaff and is an avid outdoorsman. “And Flagstaff. God almighty, I love it here.”

There was other work to be done in the Flagstaff area. The astronauts had to learn how to drive lunar roving vehicles in a crater-speckled landscape. They also needed to learn how to pick up rocks in confining space suits. And there were few better places than Meteor Crater to do this. Located 37 miles east of Flagstaff, the crater gave every Apollo astro-naut a preview of what they might see on the moon. As deep as a 60-story building, it formed about 50,000 years ago when a fiery asteroid crashed into the Earth, going 26,000 miles per hour.

Dressed in space suits, the astronauts walked down a mule trail to the crater’s bottom, learning how to identify impact craters and rocks. Dwayne Virgint, general manager of Mete-or Crater, likes to tell the story of the astronauts’ early ward-robe malfunction, which occurred when the men tore their space suits on some of the crater’s rocks. It was an eyeopener

O N E G I A N T L E A PFifty years ago, Americans landed on the moon. Few know the important role the Grand Canyon

area played in helping them achieve this seemingly impossible goal. BY TORI PEGLAR

HARRISON "JACK" SCHMITT

PH

OTO

CR

ED

IT:

NA

SA

PH

OTO

AS

17-1

34-

203

8



for everyone and led to the critical redesign of the suits to pro-tect the astronauts from a similar occurrence while in space.

Today, you can visit Meteor Crater and see the trail the as-tronauts took as well as their training ground at the bottom. It’s still an active research site, giving scientists clues to ques-tions they have as they receive images transmitted from oth-er planets like Mars.

“What’s most interesting is taking a look at something that happened 50,000 years ago and learning that scientists can dig around here today and get perspective on what they found on another planet,” Virgint says.

At Lowell, you can look through the 32-foot-long Clark Telescope, the same one that Bridges and others looked through to draw the moon’s surface. If it’s a clear night, you will spot Saturn’s rings through it.

While you are peering through the telescope or looking down at the vast Meteor Crater, you may wonder how in the world Americans, with such limited tools, were able to cata-pult themselves to the moon.

For those who worked hard to make it happen, it’s always an inspiring memory. When the men landed on the moon, Ray Jordan was at home in Flagstaff.

“I was sitting listening to the radio” he recalls. “And my palms were sweating. But Neil Armstrong, that guy really had the right stuff.”

Tori Peglar is editor-in-chief of National Park Journal and was really inspired by the different folks she spoke to about the lunar legacy in the Flagstaff area.

PH

OTO

CR

ED

IT:

NA

SA

PH

OTO

AS

17-1

34-2

038

The Most Place on Earth

ARIZONA

ARIZONA

VisitSedona.com

The Grand Canyon and Sedona are truly two of the most magnificent natural wonders of the world.

If a visit to the Grand Canyon is on your bucket list, Sedona is a short drive away, and is the perfect place to start your

journey. Stay in one of our many accommodations from bed and breakfasts to world-class resorts. Then, after

your day trip to the Grand Canyon, continue your adventure in the wonderland that is Sedona, where you’ll find plenty

of restaurants, shops, spas, galleries and more, just outside your door. Plan your trip today at GrandCanyonTips.com

Open Year Round

Rubysinn.com 800-468-8660

Ruby’s Inn

Closest Accommodations TO

Bryce Canyon


Documents

SAN DIEGO TO GRAND CANYON AND BACK: 1,870 MILES … · TALIESIN WEST GRAND CANYON EDITION 2019 RISING PHOENIX Get to know the cosmopolitan side of Arizona in Phoenix where there is