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Published Jan/Feb 2006

Left: Stunning dunes and monoliths at Monument Valley.
© Arizona Office of Tourism photo

Below: Some Navajos live in hogans throughout the Navajo reservation. © Arizona Office of Tourism photo

inspiring natural beauty combines with Native American culture for a memorable journey through Arizona and Utah.
By Allan A. Swenson

America’s Southwest is sensational and is one of the most beautiful parts of the country. More than 50 years ago, I discovered Monument Valley, the Grand Canyon, Bryce and Zion National Parks.

But my wife had never been beyond the Mississippi River, so it seemed time to show her this extraordinary part of our country. Come along on our adventure and discover glorious natural horizons.

Amazing Arizona

For convenience and to see the widest area, we picked a motorcoach tour that departed from Scottsdale, Ariz., near Phoenix. After a restful night at the Renaissance Scottsdale Resort–a AAA three diamond hotel–the tour traveled through cactus-studded scenery to Sedona, worthily named “Arizona’s Scenic Sensation.” Buttes and mesas rose from the desert in a dazzling display.

From Sedona, you can enjoy one of the most beautiful drives along state Route 89A through dramatic Southwestern landscapes. Find brilliantly hued cliffs and rugged spires of sandstone carved into fascinating shapes in Oak Creek Canyon.

The tour continued on to Flagstaff heading north on U.S. Highway 180 to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Eagerly anticipating the first views of one of the natural world wonders, we heard audible gasps from many in our group. It’s difficult to describe the grandeur that greets you. What you see stretching for miles is truly grand canyon land.

Try to watch and photograph both the sunset and especially the sunrise. The rising sun seems to open the world, illuminating cliffs that are a million years old, and dazzling the senses with brighter beauty and multicolored scenes as the dawn grows and glows brighter.

The Southern Rim has the most facilities, including lodges and restaurants. Before embarking on any walks or guided excursions, be certain to see the Grand Canyon movie at the nearby gigantic screen IMAX theater.

For the adventuresome, try the mule trip to the bottom of the canyon. Every mule step is a moving experience as you scan the enormous scenes. For more thrills, consider a white-water rafting trip along the Colorado River that carved this canyon during millions of years. Other options include sightseeing via a light plane or helicopter. Prices are reasonable for what those in our group called “the ultimate thrill.”

Inspiring Indian country

Leaving the Grand Canyon, the tour continued on via state Route 64 to U.S. Highways 89, 160 and 163 to Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park.

The Navajo Reservation contains almost 30,000 square miles. Buttes, mesas and obelisques abound. This area–which comprises northeast Arizona, New Mexico and Utah–is so appealing that it has been the site for film making of many western movies, including “Fort Apache,” “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon” and “How the West was Won.”

But of course the cavalry and cowboys weren’t the first to occupy these lands. The earliest known inhabitants of Monument Valley were the Anasazis, a Navajo word for “Ancient Ones,” who constructed magnificent cliff dwellings. Thousands of these ancient pueblo sites dot the Southwestern landscape. The Arizona Office of Tourism Web site (www.arizonaguide.com) has informative links to the many Native American nations within the state.

Before leaving this area, we opted for a tour that included a Navajo supper cooked in the desert. We savored the food and vistas, watching the monoliths change colors as the sun rolled across the horizon. Our Navajo guide offered historical facts and shared information about tribal customs.

Beautiful Lake Powell

From Monument Valley, the tour headed north on state Route 98 to delightful Lake Powell in Page, Ariz. This tremendous manmade lake, more than 180 miles long, features sparkling blue water and sandy beaches.

There are campgrounds, lodges and dining options. One big attraction is the boat trip from the Wahweap Marina area. We marveled at the towering, sheer red-rock canyon walls. The tapestry walls of Antelope Canyon were especially impressive.

From Lake Powell, try a float trip down- stream on the Colorado River in a comfortable inflatable raft that seats about 15 to 20 people. You’ll drift slowly along the river through towering walls of Glen Canyon.

At one point, our Navajo guide walked us back 4,000 years. He showed us ancient petroglyphs made by an unknown people. This was one of those most memorable events in our Southwestern adventure.

Hoodoos and high-rise hotels

Once you land at Lees Ferry, there are two more dramatic destinations ahead. Follow Highway 89 into Utah and Bryce Canyon National Park, which boasts magnificent contrast of red, yellow and pink pillars called “hoodoos.” Years of erosion have carved this colorful sandstone into thousands of arches, mazes and spires. Have the camera ready to capture the sun moving across the hoodoos, which creates constantly changing colors.

Next on the adventure, head west on state Route 9 to Zion National Park with massive stone formations that also change colors with the light of day and during passing storms. The Mormons found these a unique haven of beauty. These formations resembled natural temples and cathedrals, thus deserving of the name of Zion.

There’s more to see along every stop in the Southwest. You may wish to spend several days in one area and just drive through another. How you link with this remarkable part of America is your choice.

Once we had absorbed our share of truly grand natural beauty, we headed to a different canyon land, this one created by high-rise resort hotels. Las Vegas, the nation’s desert gambling mecca, was worth the brief stop.

We walked the streets, explored a casino and then tucked ourselves into sleep to dream of the natural glories we discovered in the sensational Southwest.

Allan A. Swenson is a new contributor from Kennebunk, Maine.
Before You Go
Before you go
AAA Travel has a variety of tours to the Southwest, including the six-day Strip to the Rim tour featuring a stay in Las Vegas, first-class train travel via the historic Grand Canyon Railway and two days at the Grand Canyon. A 15-day Western Discovery escorted motorcoach tour takes in Los Angeles, San Diego, Scottsdale, the Grand Canyon, Lake Powell, Bryce Canyon and other sites, including Yosemite National Park. Call 1-888-366-4222 for a AAA Travel agent.

Stop by your nearest AAA service office for maps, reservations, TripTiks and TourBook guides. View a list of offices.

Order free information through the Reader Service Card online. Click on Reader Resources.

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