Shooting Star Inn: A stellar experience
Spend a relaxing night in a Flagstaff bed-and-breakfast where the emphasis is on astronomy.
Mount Lemmon's gorgeous vistas
A trip up the spiraling Catalina Highway (also known as General Hitchcock Highway) through the Santa Catalina Mountains to the tiny hamlet of Summerhaven is a fascinating, scenic journey and an object lesson in renewal.
Gringo cheerleads for all things Mexican
A foreigner's wide-eyed wonder is a hit with Mexican TV viewers.
3 travel deals: Canyon de Chelly, Los Angeles getaway, Mexican resort
Mini-airplane collection lands at Embry-Riddle
Some things were meant to be together. Peanut butter and jelly. Chips and salsa. The John W. Kalusa Miniature Aircraft Collection and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
Cibecue canyonering challenges hikers
There was a time you could go through Cibecue Canyon without a tribal guide. Experienced canyoneers remember those days fondly. But a few people abused the privilege. The tribe considered closing the canyon but instead arranged for guided treks.
Scenic drive: Wupatki, Sunset Crater
Driving Forest Road 545 through Wupatki and Sunset Crater national monuments.
Travel QA: Bus trips to Laughlin
Q: Do you know any company that still does the Laughlin bus tours from Phoenix?
4 travel deals: Canyon train, Las Vegas, more
Grand Canyon
Wine bars: Jerome, Sedona, Prescott, Flag
So you're off to the high country. Maybe you're going for a change of scenery in Jerome or Sedona, a pine-filled weekend in Flagstaff or a reprieve in Prescott. Why not enjoy some great wine as well?
5 high-country hikes for fall colors
When fall colors come to the high country, they don't stay long. Here are five hikes north of the Valley where you can see aspens and more.
Ways to protect yourself in case travel companies close
Although rare, travel-industry bankruptcies are growing in a tough economy. How do you protect yourself? The best step is to pay with a credit card. Never use cash, a check or a debit card to buy or make deposits on a flight, tour, hotel, cruise or vacation package.
Tusayan: Gateway to the Grand Canyon
Tusayan, just south of the South Rim, is a good place to stay overnight.
Phantom Ranch: The end of a long, beautiful, journey
Visiting Phantom Ranch at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
Skywalk: The view from above
Grand Canyon West and the Skywalk.
Directory: Phone numbers and Web sites
Grand Canyon directory
Scenic drive: Flagstaff to Valle
Driving U.S. 180 from Flagstaff to Valle
Oct. skywatch: 3 planets and a meteor shower
October skywatch: 3 planets, 2 crescent monos, 1 meteor shower
Drive to the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon
Driving to the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon .
Canyon's charms change with the seasons
Visiting the Grand Canyon, season by season.
4 scenic drives on the North Rim
Scenic North Rim drives
Canyon activities: As varied as the landscape
A roundup of don't-miss things to see and do all around the Grand Canyon.
Compass Points: Reader advice from Europe
Here are some reader tips I thought were worth sharing:
3 travel deals: Palm Springs, Barbados, Norway
$200 in beverage credits in Palm Springs
Make your own prickly pear juice, syrup
In late summer and early fall, prickly-pear cactuses grow heavy with edible, ruby-red fruit. Harvesting the pears can be tricky, and deciding what to do with them is just as problematic. Make prickly-pear salad? Pickled prickly pear? Prickly-pear margaritas? Yes, and then some.
3 travel deals: Las Vegas, Seattle and Belize
Last chance for Luxor deal
Scenic drive: U.S. 160 from Black Mesa to Four Corners
Driving U.S. 160 across the Navajo Nation, from Black Mesa to Four Corners
Compass Points: A teen in Paris, and where to get euros and pounds in the Valley
Q: I am taking my daughter to Paris for a week in late November to celebrate her 16th birthday. I have been there before, but this is her first trip. What activities or experiences would particularly appeal to a teenager? We are renting an apartment by the Opera area. Merci!
Greer's crisp air beckons
At any time of year, but especially in summer, Greer and the White Mountains beckon visitors.
On the AZ Trail: The Santa Ritas
Pleasant stroll on Arizona Trail takes in the beauty of the Santa Rita Mountains
Shopping, hiking, fishing and more near Payson
Payson, 90 scenic miles northeast of the Valley, has plenty of activities for visitors, whether you're interested in learning about local history (and prehistory), exploring the area on foot, sightseeing through the windshield or shopping and dining. Here are some suggestions for those who have one day or several.
Military history at Fort Whipple Museum, Prescott
The Fort Whipple Museum stands out among the buildings at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center because it's green and yellow, and all the other buildings on the grounds are white. This serves a dual purpose.
Compass Points: Fun for kids on the East Coast
Q: We're going to Connecticut, Rhode Island and New York City this October. What activities there would appeal to our sons, ages 7 and 10?
Compass Points: Renting in San Diego
Q: My husband and I are thinking of renting a condo for a month next summer in the San Diego area. We are not necessarily looking for a beach location; inland locations such as San Marcos or Oceanside will work for us. Do you know of any rental site that we can use for this search?
Scenic drive: U.S. 160 on the Navajo Reservation
Driving U.S. 160 across the Navajo Nation, from U.S. 89 to Red Lake
3 great deals: Grand Canyon, San Diego, Colorado
Grand Canyon winter rates
Off-the-beaten-path B&Bs are worth the trek
Arizona is blessed with many distinctive B&Bs, and some of the most delightful are in unexpected places. Staying in one of these hidden gems allows travelers to savor natural beauty and man-made comfort while dodging tourist hordes.
3 travel deals: Hawaii, Las Vegas, Nevis
Fly to Hawaii
Scenic drive: Flagstaff to Cameron
Driving from Flagstaff to Cameron
September skywatch: Equinox, Sagittarius, Jupiter
Skywatch for September: Sagittarius, Jupiter, equinox.
Scenic drive: Fountain Hills, Fort McDowell
Driving around Fountain Hills and Fort McDowell
Hike the Ford Canyon Trail in the White Tanks
Hiking the Ford Canyon Trail in White Tank Mountains Regional Park.
Fall fun: Train ride, backpack, hot-air balloon
Four fall activities to look forward to. Make your plans now.
Canyon de Chelly: Sandstone echoes of the past
Canyon de Chelly is lined with towering red sandstone. But the physical landscape is only part of the draw. The canyon, with thousands of ruins, carvings and paintings on stone, is revered by the Navajo people.
3 great deals: Phoenix, Grand Cayman, Bahamas
3 great deals: Phoenix, Grand Cayman, Bahamas.
AZ Trail highlights: Huachucas, wildlife
The Huachuca Mountains segment of the Arizona Trail, from the Mexican border to Parker Canyon Lake, is 21.7 miles of hills, climbing to 6,500 feet after 6 miles and 8,800 feet after about 12 miles.
Compass Points: Italy, and more cruise parking
Compass Points travel Q&A: Italy, and San Diego cruise parking
No sightings on rez safari, but plenty of insights
Manuelita Canty steers and scans the hills and meadows of the Fort Apache Reservation, where the land braces for winter. An early snow has fallen and melted on the reservation, where Canty lived as a child. She recalls waking up in her aunt's wickiup and getting water on cold mornings. Her life took her away from this land in the years that followed, but it has brought her back and she says she can't see leaving it again.
Managing your euros; tell us your worst trip
I'm playing hooky this week but will return next week with reader questions, including the perils of traveling south of Rome and where to park when embarking on a cruise out of San Diego. Until then, here's some money advice from a reader.
Scenic drive: FR 64 beneath Mogollon Rim
Driving Forest Road 64 across the base of the Mogollon Rim
Compass Points
Buying gems in Thailand and train tickets in Italy.
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