Mogollon Rim Drive
Mazatzal Mountain

The Mogollon Rim Road, at roughly 7,000 feet, is the longest "high road" in the state of Arizona. Late September is the ideal time for this day trip because the aspens are "at their golden peak, and the Bull Elk are bugling their challenges." Pass through small towns, head over the Sierra Ancha Mountains, ride next to the Tonto River and Roosevelt Lake, and over the Mazatzal Mountains on an unbelievably scenic journey. Once you're past the mountains, the Greater Phoenix area offers "some of the West's best hospitality and dining." Read more.

Monastery
Mesa

Although children are welcome (until 8pm), Monastery is "best described as a bar/restaurant." It's like "going over to a backyard cookout at your favorite uncle's." Located in "an old house with a big lot," there is a "huge deck" with "large, open grills " where you grill your own food "just the way you like it." The hamburgers, steak, pork chops, etc? are "served raw" for you to grill according to your taste. They only serve wine and beer, and it's "busiest for happy hour and weekends." In true summer bar-b-cue fashion, there is live music, sand volleyball, pool, ping-pong, and horseshoes, plus most of the seating is outside. Read more.

Ostrich Festival
Chandler

The Ostrich Festival is one of the most unique festivals in the entire country. "Hundreds of thousands of spectators" converge in Chandler to celebrate the city's "farming heritage." The main attractions are the "exotic-animal races," including camels, water buffalo, and hackney ponies. Not to mention ostrich races--"how often do you get to see grown men ride ostriches and race around a track?" Parades, entertainment, crafts, and more make this mid-March festival something to look forward to, year after year. Read more.

Pinnacle Peak
Tucson

Even though Pinnacle Peak Steakhouse seats 550, you're advised to go "before 7pm any evening" or else the "crowds start to come in for dinner, and the restaurant doesn't take reservations." The theme is unmistakably Old West, "set in a facade of an old-time mining town." The steaks are mesquite grilled and "enormous," go for the "Cowgirl" if you're watching your waistline, or if you're hungry, order the "Big Cowboy." Don't leave before watching the "Old West stunt shows" and browse some of the stores after dinner. Also, there is "a beautiful gazebo in the middle" that can be rented out for events.

The Dish
Tucson

"An amazing restaurant with perfect service," the Dish's small size makes reservations a must Thursday through Saturday. Even though it has no outside sign and is behind a wine store, lots of "locals and gourmets" fill this bistro. The Dish is hidden to most visitors, and there are only two ways to enter: "either walk through the wine store or through what appears to be the back door." It may be "expensive, but it's worth it."

Apache Leap
Superior

Legend has it that a group of Apaches jumped off of this cliff in the Sonoran Desert to avoid capture from U.S. troops. Although no proof exists to validate this legend, visitors will enjoy the rugged terrain and sweeping vistas. "It takes a short hike up, over boulders, and through brush to get to the top ledge, with views that take your breath away." Once at the top, "you are standing up to 1,000 feet, overlooking the area below." Read more.

Ash Canyon Bed and Breakfast
Hereford

Nestled in the Huachuca Mountains, Ash Canyon Bed and Breakfast is the ideal spot for bird-lovers. In fact, the National Audubon Society marked the area surrounding Ash Canyon as an important birding area (IBA). During spring and summer, the hummingbirds "are everywhere." This bed and breakfast is located "at a pleasant elevation," of nearly 5,000 feet, so "you can easily walk up the back of the property to a bench that is nearly at the mountaintop." From here, you'll "see a gorgeous, unobstructed view of Arizona and Mexico." What is unique about Ash Canyon Bed and Breakfast is that you can "stay in a real straw-bale casita!" Read more.

Eager Daze
Eager

Since 1985, the town of Eagar has been celebrating its rich logging heritage. The Eagar Daze Festival is held the first Friday and Saturday in August--"a great time of year because of the cool temperatures and afternoon rains." The community in this village nestled in the White Mountains of Arizona represents "small town America at its best." Activities and entertainment include: "children's games, logging contests, local singers, arts and crafts, food vendors, cowboy poetry, the citizen-of-the-year award, volleyball, basketball, and horseshoes." Each year the firemen also sponsor a "big bar-b-cue." Read more.

Exit 18 Road
Beaver Dam Mountain

Exit 18 off Interstate 15 "is a scenic driver's paradise," and it is the only road through this wilderness area in Beaver Dam Mountain. It is "a scarcely-traveled, not well-paved, two-lane road that winds through desert and mountain terrain." As you travel north, you'll see everything from "red cliffs and canyons to green forest at the foot of the cliffs along the Virgin River." If you follow this road further, it "takes you into St. George, Utah," "a quaint, small town with tree-lined streets and gracious residents." Plus, it's not far from Las Vegas, making this scenic trip is a "must-see." Read more.

La Grande Orange Grocery
Phoenix

La Grande Orange Grocery, with its outer garden, is a "much-need oasis in Phoenix." "Any time" is a good time to stop by: "mornings for coffee and sweets" and the "lunches and dinners are fabulous." The atmosphere is "eclectic, chic, and funky." And there is "great music for all moods and fun things to look at." It's a "quaint neighborhood, French-style bakery and grocery" where you can enjoy "amazing pizza, healthy sandwiches and salads, and desserts to die for."