See red, and other fall hues, in Arizona
Q. I have been reading your travel column for a long time. I now have a place I would like to go. I am going to see my daughter in Mesa, Ariz., and we are going to drive up to Flagstaff and drive around the Coconino National Forest and the surrounding area. I thought perhaps you could give me some places to see so we won't waste our time deciding if we should take a right turn or a left turn. I hope to see some fall colors. Thanks for any help you might be able to give me.
A. You've picked a good spot to visit, because there is much to see and do in Coconino Forest and the surrounding area. You say you are driving to Flagstaff, so I assume you'll stop in the forest on your way back south to Mesa.
So let's start in Flagstaff and head south -- not on I-17, but on scenic Arizona Route 89A about 25 miles to Sedona. You're in the heart of the forest there, and you can take time to see the red-hued rocks of Oak Creek Canyon. Overlooking the canyon, the buttes provide a startling contrast with the lush forest below.
Sedona is a center for traditional and contemporary art, and galleries can be found throughout the town and in Tlaquepaque, a Spanish/Mexican-style village a half mile south of town on Route 179. It's said to be home to several vortexes, electromagnetic energy fields emitting upward from the earth. These fields are thought to energize and inspire visitors, so you might want to give one a try if you get tired of driving and shopping.
Sedona also is considered the starting point for scenic drives through the rugged Red Rocks area. Continue on Route 179 about three miles to the Chapel of the Holy Cross, which stands on a small mountain of the area's noted red rock. A 90-foot cross dominates the structure.
Fort Verde State Historic Park, off Route 260, is a monument to the military base that played a key role in subduing the Apache Indians in the 1870s. Near the fort is Montezuma Castle National Monument, the ruins of Sinagua Indian cliff dwellings.
Over on Route 89A you can stop in Red Rock State Park within Oak Creek Canyon. At this point you are actually in Prescott National Forest, so if you would like to get back to Coconino there is a mountain road that curls from Sedona across I-17 to Mormon Lake. Head south through Happy Jack until you arrive at Arizona Route 87, then through Strawberry to Tonto Natural Bridge State Park. The rock reaches a height of 183 feet. The opening beneath is 150 feet wide and 400 feet long.
From Mormon Lake to Tonto Natural Bridge you'll find about 60 miles of breathtaking scenery along Route 87 that will take you back to Mesa.
For more information on the area's byways and highways, call (888) 520-3434 or go to www.arizonaguide.com.
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