Compass American Guides: Arizona, 6th edition

Rating:
Summary: Visit this beautiful state with a good guide
Review: The Fodor Compass America Guide on Arizona was excellent. The book was uniquely organized with the first three chapters devoted to the dramatic Arizona landscape of deserts, mountains, and canyons. There are two chapters on the history of Arizona, honoring the early people who inhabited the area as well as recogizing the Hispanic missionaries, priests, and settlers. Because vast parts of Arizona belong to the Navajos, Apaches , Yavapais, Hopis, and smaller tribes, the book includes plenty of information about the native American people in this state. The book then covers the two large inhabited areas, Phoenix and Tucson. I found the book to be full of useful tips and practical information. The maps were very good, showing the deserts, the grand canyon, the Spanish Colonial settlements, the Native American reservations, and the larger cities. Also included was a section on the desert plants. The sections on the Grand Canyon were very helpful. We decided to hike to the bottom of the Canyon on the Bright Angel trail. We spent the night at the Phantom Ranch (which had hot showers). The following morning we hiked back up the Kaibab trail. This was an amazing experience. The book was very helpful as we explored Frank Lloyd Wright's home and architectural school/business in Scottsdale. This compound of buildings hugging the desert floor is worth a visit. Hold onto the steering wheel of your car on the twisting roads in the copper mining towns like Bisbee and Tombstone. I bought superb copper ore specimens - beautiful greens and blues. The Mexican atmosphere of Nogales, a border town, is nice. Nogales means "walnut" in Spanish but unfortunately the old walnut groves have long been chopped down. A special city is my opinion is the the wonderful multi-ethnic college town of Tucson. You might be surprised at the dramatic differences between Phoenix and Tuscon. It is hard not to fall in love with Tuscon with its mixture of cultures and peoples in a relaxed atmosphere. Whereas in Phoenix you see sprinklers trying to water struggling lawns, in Tucson the inhabitants are more likely to have desert gardens which waste far less water. I found the Fodor guide to be excellent and would strongly recommend it.