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Tags: Fall Travel / Surveys / Travel News / Tourism / Arthur Frommer / Arizona Travel / → All Tags
Frommer's Arizona Boycott Can't Keep This State Down
Despite Arthur Frommer’s feelings about the Grand Canyon State, people seem to be ready to head out to Phoenix this fall. It is possible that his opinion might not have made it through to everyone yet, or it’s possible that nobody cares what Frommer thinks. Even though things are slow due to the economy, the Valley of the Sun appears to keep drawing the crowds into town.
According to the 2009 Travel Leaders Fall Travel Trends Survey—catchy name—the Phoenix and Scottsdale area sits just outside the top ten at number 11 among destinations booked throughout the rest of the year. People must want to avoid the cool crisp days of autumn at any cost. About 75 percent of those asked said that trips were down compared to last year overall, and about 60 percent said they had a good feeling about the strength of the fall travel season. Let's just hope the travel season isn't too strong, we're getting used to all the great deals.
Tags: Open Threads / Dangerous Travel / Arizona Travel / Arthur Frommer / Travel Boycotts / → All Tags
Frommer Announces Arizona Travel Boycott; Do You Agree?
Travel guru Art Frommer proclaimed on his blog recently that he's putting a moratorium on vacationing in Arizona because of its lax gun laws. To clarify his position, Frommer said he was alarmed that the state's gun statutes allowed about a dozen armed people, including one toting an assault rifle, to sit outside a place where President Obama was speaking to the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He said:
I will not personally travel in a state where civilians carry loaded weapons onto the sidewalks and as a means of political protest. I not only believe such practices are a threat to the future of our democracy, but I am firmly convinced that they would also endanger my own personal safety there. And therefore I will cancel any plans to vacation or otherwise visit in Arizona until I learn more.
Tags: Obama-Around-The-World / Presidential Travel / Barack Obama / National Parks / Arizona Travel / Grand Canyon / → All Tags
The Obamas Show Us How A National Parks Vacation Is Done
With vacation destinations like Miami Beach or Las Vegas, one wonder if American families are still game to take in natural sights at the once-popular National Parks. Well, there's at least one family that kicked off their summer vacation with little good old road tripping out west, and that's the Obamas. Before they head to Martha's Vineyard for some well-deserved down time, the first family spent this last weekend admiring the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone National Park.
Alright, so it wasn't exactly a road trip in the traditional sense, since the family took the Marine One helicopter from the White House to Air Force One to reach the west, but they did hop from one park to another in one weekend, and Obama even brought along his half-sister and her family.
Tags: Rock Slides / Water Sports / Active Travel / Arizona Travel / State Parks / → All Tags
Slide Yourself Silly At Sedona's Natural Rock Waterslide
If you need to beat the summer heat of the Phoenix desert, hop in your car and head north towards Sedona. Not only will the weather be slightly cooler, but you’ll also be able to take a trip down a waterslide custom built by Mother Nature. Slide Rock State Park will entertain you with beautiful views of the area’s red rocks as well as provide a little thrill as you slide down the stream.
In the olden days, the park and surrounding area served as an apple farm, but now it greets visitors daily. Right next to the original homestead sits Slide Rock, a slippery bottom creek that serves as a water chute for those looking to get wet. Remember to tell your grandparents that you checked out this place; they’ll love hearing that James Stewart, Rock Hudson, and John Wayne all shot moves here in the 1950s.
For most of the year the fee for carloads to enter the park is $8, but until Labor Day the summer fee will set you back $10. It seems like a pretty good deal to enjoy an afternoon of hiking, sightseeing, and splashing around. Just remember to start your day here early, otherwise you’ll be hovering around looking for a parking spot. They often have to close the lot on weekends, because it’s just so darn popular.
Related Stories: [Photo: edwindavila]
· Slide Rock State Park [Official Site]
· Cool Off In North Carolina With Nature's Own Water Slide [Jaunted]
· Active Travel coverage [Jaunted]
Tags: Volunteer Travel / Tucson / Arizona Travel / → All Tags
Save Big Bucks (and Help Big Pigs) in Tucson This Summer
A common misconception about volunteer vacations is that they can quickly get to be expensive endeavors. A new travel guide, "Volunteer Vacations Across America" by Sheryl Kane, however explains how you don’t have to shell out big bucks or travel half way around the world to get the satisfaction of helping others. "The biggest misconception about volunteer vacations is that they have to be very pricey, which isn't always the case," Kayne says. In the book, Sheryl lists more than 200 inexpensive volunteer programs right here in the U.S.
The opportunities for volunteering include outdoorsy destinations like national parks, summer camps for kids and animal sanctuaries like the Ironwood Pig Sanctuary in Tucson, AZ.
Tags: Gold-Mining / Gold Mines / Treasure Hunting / Adventure Travel / Pioneer Travel / Phoenix / Arizona Travel / → All Tags
Pining for Gold Mining: Heli Between Prospects in Arizona
It's a whole new type of laid-off travel; gold mining is back with a vengeance and oftentimes, the richest veins are closer than you think. All this week we'll be digging deep into the USA's dirt to uncover the best spots for sifting your way into a small fortune, or at least one month's rent. Any suggestions or questions? Let us know.
We've covered gold mining the old fashioned way, of panning beside a river, and even a more current version involving Hummers out of Las Vegas, but what about the future of prospecting?
If the streams all get picked over during this recession, we may see more and more helicopter tours departing to harder-to-reach areas, ever in search of a record find. For $4,000 per couple, you can hop such a chopper at Phoenix's Sky Harbor Airport for a 5-day vacation of flying over mesas and setting down for a little private claim digging—after instruction on the best methods, of course.
There are longer and further trips available for the hardcore treasure hunters, but we'd think that 5 days working hard for the money (er, gold) in the hot Arizona sun should be plenty to satisfy your curiosity about heli-gold-digging. -
Related Stories:
· Arizona Gold Adventures [Official Site]
· Panning For Gold Makes a Comback [Jaunted]
· Gold Mining Coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: wharman]
