Do you have someone from out-of-state visiting soon? If you have a visitor who wants to see more of the local culture and attractions off the beaten path, you will want to take them on trips to these places that most people outside of Arizona don’t see often. Check out some of our recommendations:
- Apache Trail
Alan Stark/Flickr If you live in the Phoenix area, a drive along Apache Trail is a must to show off the Sonoran Desert’s landscape and give your visitors a thrill ride.
- Biosphere 2
Rumolay/Flickr Does your guest have an interest in biology or space colonization? Check out Biosphere 2, a research facility in Oracle that was partly founded to explore the potential for humans to live in enclosed biomes in space. A tour will let you know how well that worked out. Address: 32540 South Biosphere Road, Oracle.
- Any food festival
Habib Obi/Flickr Do you know how many food festivals Arizona hosts every year? A LOT and they all cover a wide range of cuisines: Asian foods, Hawaiian foods, Greek foods, food trucks, vegetarian, tamales, and beers. You’re bound to find one happening near you.
- Lowell Observatory
InSapphoWeTrust/Flickr For all things space-related, a visit to Lowell Observatory should be on your list. Check out the massive, antique telescope, the slides that show when Pluto was first spotted, and learn about the current research that is being conducted at the observatory. Address: 1400 West Mars Hill Road, Flagstaff.
- Navajo Nation Museum
Navajo Nation Museum/Facebook Located in Window Rock, the Navajo Nation Museum hosts a wide range of exhibits and cultural events that represent the Navajo people. Location: Highway 264 and Loop Road in Window Rock.
- A rodeo
Marksontok/Flickr Rodeos are a Western tradition, so a visit to one is something that should definitely be on the list of things to do for out-of-towners. You can find these happening at county and state fairs, but many of the rural areas also host rodeos.
- Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art
Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art/Facebook For the visitor who wants to see modern art in the Southwest, make sure they stop at SmoCA. They regularly rotate their exhibits, so you will always find something new here. Address: 7374 East 2nd Street, Scottsdale.
- Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum/Facebook Part museum, part botanical garden, and part zoo, this unique location is one of the best locations to learn about the desert many Arizonans live in. Address: 2021 North Kinney Road, Tucson.
- Walnut Canyon
Jerry/Flickr For the active guest who also happens to enjoy history, this is a unique place to take them. The trails here not only have beautiful canyon views, but they also lead you right up to old ruins.
- Any of Arizona’s wine trails
Alan English CPA/Flickr Arizona and wine trails initially don’t sound like they belong in the same sentence, but the state actually produces some amazing wines. There are three major wine trail locations: Sonoita, Willcox, and the Verde Valley.
What is your favorite place to take out-of-state visitors? Share your suggestions in the comments section below or on our Facebook fan page!
Alan Stark/Flickr
If you live in the Phoenix area, a drive along Apache Trail is a must to show off the Sonoran Desert’s landscape and give your visitors a thrill ride.
Rumolay/Flickr
Does your guest have an interest in biology or space colonization? Check out Biosphere 2, a research facility in Oracle that was partly founded to explore the potential for humans to live in enclosed biomes in space. A tour will let you know how well that worked out. Address: 32540 South Biosphere Road, Oracle.
Habib Obi/Flickr
Do you know how many food festivals Arizona hosts every year? A LOT and they all cover a wide range of cuisines: Asian foods, Hawaiian foods, Greek foods, food trucks, vegetarian, tamales, and beers. You’re bound to find one happening near you.
InSapphoWeTrust/Flickr
For all things space-related, a visit to Lowell Observatory should be on your list. Check out the massive, antique telescope, the slides that show when Pluto was first spotted, and learn about the current research that is being conducted at the observatory. Address: 1400 West Mars Hill Road, Flagstaff.
Navajo Nation Museum/Facebook
Located in Window Rock, the Navajo Nation Museum hosts a wide range of exhibits and cultural events that represent the Navajo people. Location: Highway 264 and Loop Road in Window Rock.
Marksontok/Flickr
Rodeos are a Western tradition, so a visit to one is something that should definitely be on the list of things to do for out-of-towners. You can find these happening at county and state fairs, but many of the rural areas also host rodeos.
Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art/Facebook
For the visitor who wants to see modern art in the Southwest, make sure they stop at SmoCA. They regularly rotate their exhibits, so you will always find something new here. Address: 7374 East 2nd Street, Scottsdale.
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum/Facebook
Part museum, part botanical garden, and part zoo, this unique location is one of the best locations to learn about the desert many Arizonans live in. Address: 2021 North Kinney Road, Tucson.
Jerry/Flickr
For the active guest who also happens to enjoy history, this is a unique place to take them. The trails here not only have beautiful canyon views, but they also lead you right up to old ruins.
Alan English CPA/Flickr
Arizona and wine trails initially don’t sound like they belong in the same sentence, but the state actually produces some amazing wines. There are three major wine trail locations: Sonoita, Willcox, and the Verde Valley.
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