There are many places in the U.S. that you can go to for a winter vacation that does not include snow and temperatures under 35 degrees.
Our first look brings us to the southwestern part of the Country: Arizona.
Explore such places as Sedona, Casa Grande, Tucson, Yuma, Mesa, and the Organ Pipe National Park. If you like golf there are plenty of golf courses to choose in this part of the country as well as an abundance of casinos.
Apache Junction: Goldfield Ghost Town and Mine is an authentic 1890s ghost town and the gateway to Superstition Mountains. Nestled in the heart of the Superstition Mountains lies spectacular Canyon Lake, home of the Dolly Steamboat. You will marvel as you travel up the historic Apache Trail with its unique rock formations and beautiful scenery.
Benson: Kartchner Caverns State Park is another good place to visit in winter. Take a cave tour and experience a stunning limestone cave that boasts world-class features. This “live” cave, discovered in 1974, is host to a wide variety of unique minerals and formations.
Casa Grande: a must top includes a visit to the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, the largest remaining structure built by the prehistoric Hohokam Indians. It is four stories high and 60 feet long, and designed to align with the sun and moon at specific times.
Cave Creek: Cave Creek Mistress Mine is an old 1883 gold mine. It has a museum displaying antique mining tools and equipment. Mistress Mine is a working mine that still mines by hand, similar to how it was done in the 1880s.
Mesa: Here, the West is still alive and kicking with attractions that will take you back in time to Arizona’s Glory days. A visit to Rockin R Ranch will have you taking in gunfights and gold panning, while over at Rawhide Western Town you can hop aboard a train, stagecoach or a mule! Spend time in downtown Mesa and visit Mesa Temple, a historic landmark that features a cactus garden and large reflection pools.
Sedona: Spend a day hiking, biking, horseback riding or take Jeep tour and explore the beauty of the Red Rocks, visit Montezuma Castle, built by the Sinagua, gaze through the windows of the past into one of the best preserved cliff dwellings in North America, then go over to Tuzigoot National Monument and see an ancient village or pueblo built by a culture known as the Sinagua. The pueblo consisted of 110 rooms including second and third story structures. The first buildings were built around A.D. 1000. Go over to Jerome, an old copper mining town built on a hill. OR just relax and if interested, take a couple of scenic drives and tour at your pace. Sedona has unique shops, impressive art galleries and fine restaurants nestled in an unusually rugged canyon surrounded by an expansive national forest.
Tombstone: Walk the very same streets here in Tombstone that Doc Holliday, Wyatt Earp, Johnny Ringo, Ike Clanton and a host of other Western Legends walked over 130 years ago. You can just feel the history here! This is the most authentic Western Town left in the United States!
Tucson: Not far from Tucson lies Biosphere 2 located at the base of the Santa Catalina Mountains. This one-of-a-kind facility sits on a ridge at a cool elevation of nearly 4000 feet and is surrounded by a magnificent natural desert preserve. Time Life Books named this as one of the 50 must see “Wonders of the World”.
Wickenburg is the oldest town north of Tucson, and the fifth oldest in the state (established in 1863). In its heyday, Wickenburg was the third largest town in Arizona. In 1866 it missed becoming the territorial capital by two votes. Self-guided tours available of the downtown area that includes the jail tree that once served at the town jail and 23 structures that are on the National Historical Register.
Yuma: Explore Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park, Quartermaster Depot State Historic Park and the Historic North End. Learn more about the Native American culture with a visit to the Cocopah Museum and Cultural Center where you can learn about their way of life and traditions. Want a little more adventure? It’s TUBING time – yes you can rent a tube and go float down the Colorado River. Rent an ATV or dune buggy and spend the day riding the sand dunes.
Wherever you go in Southwest Arizona, there is something for everyone. RV Adventure-USA is here to help you plan a wonderful winter vacation.
Check out other winter adventures – A RV trip to Texas and RV Trip to Florida.