2013 Arizona Official State Visitor Guide - (Page 54)
A. T. WILLETT
Tucson & Southern Arizona
Southern Arizona’s native and migratory avian species draw birders from around the nation.
A. T. WILLETT
BIRDWATCHING
With almost 500 migrating species making rest stops at its ecologically diverse Sky Islands, southeastern Arizona ranks as one of the United States’ top five birdwatching spots. Top avian havens include Madera Canyon Recreation Area, featuring some 200 miles of scenic trails; Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve, protecting a rare waterside habitat; Ramsey Canyon Preserve, known for its hummingbirds; and Willcox Playa Wildlife Area, with its annual sandhill crane gathering. The Kino Springs Golf Course in Nogales also attracts many species of waterfowl. Sierra Vista makes a great base for birding day trips—several nearby B&Bs are especially birder friendly.
COURTESY KARTCHNER CAVERNS
Southern Arizona’s Hispanic heritage is evident in Tucson’s festivals, such as the Dia de San Juan Festival (above), and architecture, including the beautiful Mission San Xavier del Bac (right).
SPANISH HISTORY
The Spanish past is very present—and very scenic— in southeast Arizona. The spectacular desert overlook at Coronado National Memorial near Sierra Vista commemorates Francisco Vásquez de Coronado’s gold-seeking journey through the state in 1540. Links in the chain of 24 missions that Father Eusebio Kino established in the late 1690s include three at Tumacácori National Historic Park, as well as the lovely Mission San Xavier del Bac near Tucson, which is still an active parish and offers docent-led tours. That not everyone was pleased by the padres’ presence is evident at Tubac Presidio State Historic Park, which showcases the military post established in 1752 to protect Tumacácori from a Pima Indian uprising. Juan Bautista de Anza stopped in Tubac to prepare for his 1,200-mile journey to San Francisco, a trip commemorated by the National Historic Trail that starts in Nogales, Arizona.
OFFBEAT AZ
The Border Air Museum in Douglas showcases the city’s rich aviation history. Douglas had the first international airport in the Americas—flights could taxi between the US and Mexico—and Arizona’s first airplane, a glider made from mail-order plans and pulled into the air by two horses.
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Explore a living cave at Kartchner Caverns State Park.
UNIQUE LANDSCAPES
The Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts converge in this region, as do the foothills of the Sierra Madres and the Rocky Mountains. The resulting ecologically diverse zones, called Sky Islands, host an impressive array of plant and animal life. They include the Chiricahuas, dubbed “Land of Standing up Rocks” by the Apaches because of the eerily balanced
Arizona 2013 Official State Visitor’s Guide
RICK & NORA BOWERS
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of 2013 Arizona Official State Visitor Guide
2013 Arizona Official State Visitor Guide
Arizona State Map
Contents
Authentic Arizona, A to Z
Tastes on Tour
Make a Splash
Centers of History & Craft
Statewide Calendar of Events
Phoenix & Central Arizona
• Regional Map
• Resource Guide
• Activities & Attractions Listings
• Accommodations
• Golf Courses
• RV Parks
Tucson & Southern Arizona
• Regional Map
• Resource Guide
• Activities & Attractions Listings
• Accommodations
• Golf Courses
• RV Parks
Northern Arizona
• Regional Map
• Resource Guide
• Activities & Attractions Listings
• Accommodations
• RV Parks
Arizona’s West Coast
• Regional Map
• Resource Guide
• Activities & Attractions Listings
• Accommodations
• RV Parks
North Central Arizona
• Regional Map
• Resource Guide
• Activities & Attractions Listings
• Accommodations
• Golf Courses
Smart Traveler
Arizona Visitor Centers
Arizona Mileage Map
2013 Arizona Official State Visitor Guide
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