THE BEST TRIPS FROM THE PARKS
We wanted Naylor’s advice as to where someone living in the parks might go to explore. Here are his edited comments on his two favorite suggestions:
MIAMI-GLOBE
“I spent a wonderful weekend in Globe back in the spring. Miami-Globe is just a fascinating little area. There’s the historic district, including the old jail. There are some wonderful little parks around. Some great hiking trails. The old historic concrete staircases that the miners used to get around town. They’ve done all this public artwork and turned that into a little urban trail system. It’s a wonderful little day trip, with some great galleries and museums to explore, as well as beautiful scenery on the drive. “
ORACLE
Another option Naylor recommends when traveling from the East Valley is to go south…
“Go down to Oracle and while around there, visit the Biosphere which is a really fascinating place. It started out as sort of a rich man’s experiment, almost like a kind of a reality show where they’re gonna seal people up for two years. It didn’t pan out because of all the squabbles and some of the technology didn’t work so well; so, it ended badly. But then it was taken over by the University of Arizona and turned into a research project. Now they do tours and it’s really fascinating because inside this giant greenhouse you get to experience all these different life zones from around the world. Also, you’ve got Oracle State Park right there. It’s got beautiful hiking trails; but even if you’re not a hiker, the centerpiece is an old Mediterranean style ranch house — it looks like an Italian villa, built back in the 1920s by the brothers and sisters who lived on that property, with the original furnishings from the family and some of the artwork from one of the brothers who went to World War One suffered nerve damage from mustard gas and started painting as therapy. And, if you’re looking for some adventure, there’s the Peppersauce Cave there for folks who want to do a little cave exploring. And they’ve got a zip line there for folks that are feeling up to another little adventure.
ROUTE 66
With Naylor having devoted one of his books specifically to the Arizona portion of Route 66, (Arizona: Kicks on Route 66), we also wanted his advice on the best place to start a trip down that memory lane.
“The best introduction? They’re all great, but Williams is the town that has made the biggest comeback. It still retains such a wonderful section of Route 66 through the heart of town — they’ve got historic buildings and it’s a very walkable downtown. During the warmer months, the shops stay open late, the music plays, and the bars and saloons and the neon are all lit up. It’s just a really nice step back in time. They’ve also got some great attractions — very family friendly if you’ve got kids or grandkids. They’ve got the Canyon Coaster Adventure Park right there in town; they’ve also got Bearizona, a drive-through wildlife park that’s wonderful any time of year. And one of the newest additions is the Poozeum — it’s the world’s largest collection of fossilized dinosaur poop. Just a great quirky roadside attraction just like the old days of Route 66. You know kids – if it’s dinosaurs and poop, what’s not to like? They’re going to have a great time.”
Lastly, in reading Naylor’s books, we know he loves a good hike, so we asked him to conclude with a pitch to get out on foot and walk into the Arizona scenery:
“Hiking keeps me healthy. It grounds me spiritually. I need that peace and quiet. I need to connect to nature. I want to I want to feel everything around me. I want to be able to listen to the scurry of lizards and the trilling of bird song and I want to watch the butterflies wobble past me. That way I’m connected to the day and I’m connected to the seasons. I need that reality of nature.” |
