Favorite Places around AZ

I will be traveling to Phoenix for work in late May, and I'm planning to take a week off and wander around some.

Looking for some suggestions on places to photo around that area. I could just head straigt up to Utah, but thought it might be fun to check out some new stuff. Doesn't have to be within AZ borders, I'm not scared of a little road trip...

Any ideas are greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Kevin

Well, here are things on my wish list and places I've seen: Organ Pipe down south (May might be late for blooms, but maybe you'd luck out), Tombstone (touristy but would be fun to see it), over in the SE corner there is Fort Bowie Nat. Historic Site outside Wilcox, AZ...you have to hike in, there's a national monument down there too forgotten the name starts with a "C" (rock formations), Kit Peak observatory (south central), and of course if you haven't seen the Grand Canyon that would be first on my list, Canyon de Chelly, and though it's not cheap to get in the meteor crater off I-40 is pretty cool. Also, Petrified Forest National Park off I-40, and don't know the name but there is a Saguaro (sp?) cactus park near Tuscon. Over off of I-40 in New Mexico is El Morro Nat. Monument which is an interesting place and La Ventana Arch in the conservation area. And almost forgot...Gila Cliff Dwellings and the Gila Wilderness outside Silver City, NM (southwest corner) is wonderful...I had fun just driving the 40 miles into the area.

You could make a loop drive out of some of these areas.

Cynthia gave quite a list. The question marks are

chiricahua national monument

and

Saguaro national park (east and west, both in Tucson).

May will be late for blooms as summer will be going strong down south. Take plenty of water with you all of the time.

Kevin, closer to base are Camelback Mountain and Piestawa Peak (see http://www.phoenix.gov/PARKS/hikephx.html) particularly if you like hiking as well as photography. By the end of May I suggest you tackle those early am and with plenty of water. Further North on the I17 towards Flagstaff there's Sedona of course. Hope this helps. Cliff

We were in Tucson at the end of March last year and thought that the east side of the Saguaro NP was terrific. If you make it up to Petrified Forest NP, the Painted Desert is just on the other side of I-40--amazing vistas there, too.

Thanks for the tips so far, keep them coming.

I'm definitely interested in hiking, as well as camping if possible.

More I've thought of...there's Antelope Canyon near Page, AZ. You need a permit, but you can backpack in and camp in Painted Desert of Petrified Forest Nat. Park. There is also Kartchner Caverns near Benson, AZ that opened in 1999 that are suppose to be huge. I've done some cavern shooting before at Carlsbad and it's fun and challenging to see what you can get (may need a cable release). www.azparks.gov/Parks/KACA/index.html

Kevin, you have quite a list from which to make a plan. As you consider the distances from one great location to the next, you might want to exhaust your Phoenix metro options first and then choose to go north toward the Grand Canyon; with stops along the way. Or choose to go south toward the Tucson metro area; with stops along the way. Whenits time to head home, pick some stops along the way. You have lots of choices both natural and man made. When your trip is finished, you will want to go back again and again.

Bill Brennan

'Photographing the Southwest-Arizona'.

'Nuff said.
That'll keep you busy! Half the fun will be making plans using this superb book.

No photography allowed at Karchner Caverns.

Kevin, if you make it down Tucson way, give me a holler

I second Johns recommendation...
I'm also quite surprised no one mentioned Monument Valley...