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Arizona desert - courtesy http2007 - CC-BY

Do you want to go someplace where the weather is most always good?  Well then, Arizona is made for you.

Arizona covers 113,909 square miles, including 350 square miles of water surface with Lake Havasu, Lake Powell, Lake Mead and the Colorado River.  Arizona gets its name from the Native American word arizonac, believed to mean ‘place of the small spring.’

Arizona has three major regions. You will find high plateau in the northeast of the state, averaging between 5,000 and 7,000 feet, a mountainous region which runs from the southeast to the northwest with highest elevations between 9,000 and 12,000 feet; and a series of low mountain ranges and desert valleys in the southwestern part of the state.

One will find the Grand Canyon in the north and the Sonoran Desert to the south.  You will find greatly varied features such as the red rocks of Sedona, the tall rock towers of Monument Valley and the saguaro-filled desert valleys around Phoenix and Tucson.

The state offers big city nightlife, excellent museums and historic attractions.  Two museums of historical interest are the Navajo Tribal Museum, in Window Rock, and the Colorado River Indian Tribes Museum, in Parker.  And of course, don’t forget the Arizona State Museum which is part of the University of Arizona.  It features exhibits such as collections of artifacts and items related to the history of the peoples of the Greater Southwest.  The archaeological and cultural anthropology exhibits are spectacular.

A major reason for visiting is the state’s mild climate during the fall, winter and spring, especially around Phoenix and Tucson. At higher elevations during the winter, snowfall allows visitors to enjoy winter sports such as sledding, tubing, and cross-country skiing.

This article only skims the surface of things to see and do while vacationing in Arizona.

For more information about Arizona travel and tourism