10 Reasons why Arizona will Rock your World
~ Words by Vickie Sam Paget, Sky Blue Content ~
Looking to rock your world? You need look no further than Arizona…
1. BECAUSE THERE AIN’T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH
Arizona has an incredible 3,928 mountain peaks and summits—that’s more mountains than any one of the other Mountain States.
2. BECAUSE IT HAS ADOPTED ITS NEIGHBOUR’S FIREWATER
Arizona honours its Mexican heritage with its great appreciation of tequila and mezcal. At least half a dozen restaurants claim to offer the most types of tequila in the state, including the Old Town Tortilla Factory in Scottsdale.
3. BECAUSE IT IS THE HOME OF FRY BREAD
First Nations fry bread is made of flat disks of deep-fried dough that come topped with everything from honey to beans, meat, salad and cheese. This delicious treat can be found at First Nations fairs and festivals, as well as at the San Xavier Plaza in Tucson, the Cameron Trading Post near the Grand Canyon’s South Rim, Four Corners Monument Navajo Tribal Park and Phoenix’s Fry Bread House.
4. BECAUSE IT CAN’T MAKE UP ITS MIND
Arizona’s disparate climate can yield both the highest temperature and the lowest temperature in the country on the same day. Tip: Pack for all seasons!
5. BECAUSE IT HAS A ROMANTIC SIDE
In 1912, President William Howard Taft was ready to make Arizona a state on February 12, but it was Lincoln’s birthday. The next day, the 13th, was considered to be bad luck, so they waited until the following day. That’s how Arizona became known as the ‘Valentine State’.
6. BECAUSE IT LIKES TO MIX THINGS UP
Question: What do you get when you mix Native American, Mexican and Old West cooking traditions with creative chefs trained in the classical mode? Answer: New Southwestern cuisine. Culinary innovators include Kai in Greater Phoenix, Vincent’s on Camelback in Phoenix and Roaring Fork in Scottsdale.
7. BECAUSE YOU NEED A PASSWORD
Join the Roaring ‘20s in the Arizona Biltmore’s original ‘Mystery Room’, the resort’s secret speakeasy which re-opened in July 2013. In true Prohibition-era style, you’ll need a password to enter this Frank Lloyd Wright-designed room. Jazz, signature bourbon and gin-based cocktails served by period-clothed servers transform the room to its former glory.
8. BECAUSE IT’S SO HIP IT HAS ITS OWN OFFICIAL NECKWEAR
From 1973 to 2007, Arizona was the only state with its own official state neckwear: the bola tie. In 2007, New Mexico also adopted the bola tie as the official state tie.
9. BECAUSE IT TAKES ITS CACTI VERY SERIOUSLY INDEED
If you cut down a protected cactus in Arizona, you could spend more than a year banged up in prison. Consider this a warning.
10. BECAUSE THE SKY WILL ROCK YOUR WORLD
Want to rock the very foundations of your day-to-day existence? Nothing will rock your world more than gazing and the stars—and Arizona’s Kitt Peak National Observatory is home to the world’s largest solar telescope.
Image: Kelli Klymenko, Sedona Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau 2014
This marketing magazine was a special supplement in Canadian Traveller and CT magazine.
