First visit to Arizona from UK
 

I am visiting Arizona for the first time (from the UK) in August for 2 weeks. I will be staying in Scottsdale but want to see the wider area as well. Plan to visit the Grand Canyon while there, but would like other suggestions of things not to miss!

I will be travelling with my wife and our 17 year old son and we enjoy the outdoors, visiting historic sites, good food, generally try to being active with alternative days of relaxing!

All suggestions welcome, as we are currently trying to plan our trip!

Thanks,
Andy

It is going to be stinking hot but the 5* resorts are so cheap and lovely.
I wouldn't miss Sedona for some of the most stunning red rock.
Hiking is awesome and some good food too.
Maybe stay a night at the Sedona Rouge resort or Enchantment resort.
Jerome is about a half hour from Sedona..old mining town.
2 hours from Scottsdale to Sedona.
I like the Frank Lloyd Wright house in Scottsdale..Taliesin West.
Have dinner at T. Cooks at the gorgeous Royal Palms resort.
Keep hydrated and have a good time!

Where are you staying?

WATER, for G-D's sake, take water with you everywhere.

Brits in Arizona in summer, I'd like to be a lizard on a rock watching that. After all, so many Brits couldn't handle 65-degree heat in April in London (see 2009 London Marathon and news reports about same), how are you going to deal with 116 in the shade?

And go to a baseball game. The D'backs kinda stink this year, so you ought to be able to get decent tickets. Sporting events are interesting windows on the culture in another country.

Jerome is one of my favorite places in Az. A bit kitschy but the kids & I love it - www.azjerome.com We just went for Spring Break if you are seeking some places off the beaten path.

Andy - There are also several recent trip reports on here that may provide some ideas.

How many days are you planning to spend in Scottsdale? In 2 weeks, you could do a really nice road trip and see a great deal of the state. I recently did a 12 day road trip there and enjoyed every minute of it.

I agree you should spend a few days in Sedona, especially if you like to hike - although I can't imagine what it would be like in the August heat! Just stay in a place with a pool and always have water with you!

From the Grand Canyon you can drive up to Page, which is a lovely little town in beautiful surroundings. Lake Powell, Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend are some of the attractions. I took a smooth water raft trip on the Colorado that was very enjoyable. On the lunch stop you'll have an opportunity to go for a dip in the river.

Other places of interest are Canyon de Chelly - a mini Grand Canyon that was one of my favorite stops, and Monument Valley. MV is really in Utah, but it's an easy drive from Page. Both places also offer hiking.

BTW, most of the roads in AZ are incredibly scenic and free of heavy traffic. Driving there was a real pleasure.

I would not visit Arizona in August. It's just not that fun in the 43 C + heat.

Flagstaff area - Museum of Northern AZ, Lowell Observatory (where Pluto was discovered).
From Flagstaff loop to west entrance of GC, then exit to the east to Cameron - visit trading post (have some Fry Bread) and Navajo store, then continue thru Wupatki/Sunset National Monument back to Flagstaff.

Drive DOWN hwy 89A thru Oak Creek Canyon to Sedona.

Activities to consider in the Verde Valley area -
Tuzigoot National Monument
Montezuma's Castle (and Well which is a few miles away and is my favorite of the two, altho not as spectacular as the castle)
Jerome (a 'ghost town' but I think the state park there is closed so it is not as interesting - check with AZ state parks to be sure)
Verde Canyon Railroad - a very nice train trip thru the wilderness.

I met a girl in a bakery near Cambridge one year. Seeing my AZ Bicycle Club shirt, she asked if I was from AZ. When I said I had, she mentioned that she had vacationed in Phx the previous year in August and didn't mind the heat at all.

Have you by any chance been to Egypt in summer? Scottsdale in summer is like Luxor in summer. Some people tolerate it well, and some don't.

Northern Arizona near the Grand Canyon and Flagstaff is at a higher elevation and thus cooler. I would probably stick to Northern Arizona for the whole trip, maybe seeing Sedona as it has some elevation and isn't as hot - but it's still 100+ most days but somewhat cools off at night. Sunscreen and water are key.

Andy - you did not mention if you were going to stay the entire two weeks in Scottsdale - it will be hot - probably in the 100's f. Someone mentioned above going to Flagstaff - much cooler there and on to Page as well - I personally loved lake Powell - and staying in that area - you can rent a power boat - your 17 year old would love swimming in the warm waters of Lake Powell and going down slot canyons that no one but you would be there - or as someone else mentioned Colorado Float Trip - you can jump into the nice waters during break time - there is Antelope Canyon - upper and lower - not to be missed - there is the Glen Canyon Dam tour - the second largest dam in the United States and its free - and Horseshoe Bend hike - not too big of a hike - but bring lots of water - you can dehyrdate very quickly. I would caution you as we found out - that you HAVE to book reservations like now - most of the tourist areas hotels, bed and breakfasts, motels book up quickly - you can check out reviews of some of the places in the page lake powell on tripadvisor as a guide to cost and popularity. Enjoy the southwest - we always have.

Arizona has a population of over six million, and somehow they all manage to survive during the summer months.

Prepare for the heat, exercise common sense, and you should be OK. Sunscreen, hats and lightweight protective clothing are de rigeur. The humidity level is usually so low around here that 115F doesn't feel that bad..IF you keep yourself properly hydrated. I ride a touring bicycle on the streets of Scottsdale and Phoenix every day in the summer, and as long as I keep watered and moving (stoplights can be a bit trying!), don't find it particularly uncomfortable.

The town of Jerome is named for family of Winston Churchill's mother, Jenny, for what it's worth.

If you're up Sedona way (and you should be) visit Flagstaff. It's a charming old railroad town and lots cooler than the Phoenix area.

In the mood for something different? Go tubing on the Salt River. It's a mobile, floating party, and a lot of fun. Tends to be a preserve of the young set, but they don't check ID. Your son should love it. Take a cooler and lots of cold beer. Designate a driver - DUI checks of people coming off the river are pretty routine.

The Phoenix Zoo is quite good.

Here's a uniquely American experience. Go the Scottsdale Gun Club and do some supervised target shooting. One can rent guns at the range, including, I believe, machine guns.

If you're an early morning person, take a hike in one of Phoenix's mountain parks. Great views of the city once you're at the top of the hill. I wouldn't care to do it any time after about 10AM, though.

Bear in mind that August might put you into the monsoon season. You might get some heavy thunderstorms in the afternoons. If you're up north in the Flagstaff or Sedona areas, you certainly will.

<grin> Our new immigration-enforcement law goes into effect in July. Keep your passport to hand.

August is monsoon season and some of the best storms and the deadliest come barreling through.
Be very careful of the 'washes' which are dried up river beds and roads with lots of dips since they will fill up in minutes.
Humidity will be more prevelant in August because of the monsoons.
Love the electrical storms.

In the Phoenix are, is will undoubtedly be over 105F during the day and even at night it barely gets down to 90F. So even early in the day it is very hot for outdoor activities. There is a reason all the resorts have dirt cheap rates.

I would suggest you confine your travels to the northern / higher elevation part of Arizona. Personally, I would spend a lot of time in and around Sedona. At the higher elevation (4,500 feet), it is usually in the high 90's during the day and much cooler (70's) at night. Cool enough for vigorous hiking early in the day and not too hot for leisurely sightseeing in the afternoon. From there, do try to spend a couple of nights at the Grand Canyon (elevation 7,000 feet, much cooler), inside the park, if you can find a room there. Try to get in at one of the rim lodges -- El tovar, Kachina, Thunderbird, or Bright Angel:

http://www.grandcanyonlodges.com/lod...88750-411.html

Do also go to Page for the attractions previously listed, as well as Flagstaff. Near Flagstaff (also elevation around 7,000 feet, so nice and cool) are Walnut Canyon, Wupatki National Monument and Sunset Crater.

Do a jeep tour in Sedona (http://www.pinkjeep.com/) was the company we used. We stayed in Oak Creek Canyon at the Junipine something or other - right on the creek and we had a two bedroom "cabin" with a kitchen. It was so nice and green - made you feel cooler just looking around! Our boys were a lot younger then, but we all enjoyed Slide Rock State Park (http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/rec...rock-pic.shtml), From there we went north to Sunset Crater National Monument and Wupatki National Monument and entered the Grand Canyon from the eastern side. That had been recommended on a Fodor post - it was very scenic - mcuh better then the main entrance (we left that way). If you could spend a night at the Grand Canyon - do! I am NOT a morning person, but even I said it was worth it to get up early and watch the canyon as the sun came up. (I was much happier watching it as the sun went down, though!) Arizona is hot, but it is dry heat. It was 115 when we got off the plane in Phoenix, but it felt way cooler than the nigh 80s we left in Florida - and the higher elevations are cooler. Just be sure to drink plenty of water.

Arizona has over 6,000,000 people? Wow, when I first moved there, it had just reached the 1,000,000 mark. It's getting crowded.

Whatever the population, while they survive the summer months, very few of them particularly enjoy it and they don't go out vacationing during the day. Along with many others, I also recommend going north and spending most, if not all, of your vacation where it's cooler.

You can also take a trip north to Utah to visit Bryce and Zion Canyons,North Rim of the Grand Canyon beautiful National Parks.Buy a case of bottles of water and keep it in your car when you travel about. It is a health issue, yo must drink lots of water in this hot dry climate or youo will beocme dehydrated, dizzy, headaches, etc.
Tucson is cooler thatn Phoenix as it has a higher elevation..Sabino Canyon, Arizona Sonora-Desert Museum, Mission San Xavier.. Benson..cool temps in karchner Caverns..tourists usually like to vist Tombstone but it is pretty touristy. Bisbee, mining town, now artsy.