Arizona - One State, Two Destinations

Leisure travelers usually fall into one of only two categories. First, there is the one who says, “OMG, I have been working so hard that all I want to do is just sit somewhere for as long as possible.” They usually plop down at a resort for two weeks or, if they are slightly adventurous, take a cruise and unpack only once.

The second type of leisure traveler declares, “I want to see things and I’ve got this list that I’ve been keeping for years!” The list usually consists of “destinations.” A destination is somewhere that is so special that vacationers go out of their way to see and then immerse in it.

Examples of large destinations might be Disney World, the Grand Canyon or New York City. But, there are also smaller places that are classified as destinations. These certainly include Niagara Falls, the Eiffel Tower or The Dali Museum, right in our own backyard, in St. Petersburg.

Arizona was the latest stop on our “America(s) the Beautiful” series of great destinations in Mexico, Canada and our own United States. Surprisingly, Arizona has two places that are relatively unknown but certainly should be classified as destinations. One of these is above the ground and the other is deep inside the earth.

Let’s dig deep first and take you to the relatively unknown Kartchner Caverns State Park, located less than an hour’s drive southeast of Tucson, Ariz.

This unique and traveler-friendly cave complex (it is indeed a “complex”) was accidentally found in 1974 by two amateur spelunkers, who literally “fell into it” through a small hole in a sprawling area of the desert. Remarkably, they kept their discovery a secret for four years, when they finally confided in the property owners. Because of concern about possible damage to unprotected caves, this small group continued to keep the secret for another six years. After considering options to develop this unique property, they disclosed their find to the Arizona State Parks Office in 1984. Further negotiations are rather fascinating, but too long for our brief article and are revealed in detail on the Kartchner Caverns website, apd-kartchnercaverns.com.

Ranked as one of the top 10 caves in the world, the state has done a remarkable job of turning this huge and beautiful underground complex into an easy-to-view memory. Your visit starts with a tram ride to an entry at the top; downward sloping ramps make the walk through the caverns easy for all. The walks are wheelchair-accessible and are available for those who think they might need one. Guides are superbly trained, friendly and accommodating. Visitors will learn a great deal about the remarkable evolving environment of caves. Surprisingly, visitors will find out about the beneficial culture of bats and how they are quite harmless.

Reservations are highly recommended for a variety of tours. Kartchner Caverns is a true “destination.”
From a beauty created by nature, we go to a beauty created by man: The Musical Instrument Museum, in Phoenix, whose tagline is: “The most extraordinary museum you’ll ever hear.”

In the interest of full disclosure, we resist the use of prerecorded programs and earphones in most other museums that require you to follow a controlled path and sequence. There is nothing like that in MIM. The earphones and small control box allows the visitor to wander anywhere in the multiple rooms that have about 400 individual panoramas featuring the music of specific countries or types of instruments. As you approach any display, the music starts automatically. MIM is the successful creation of visionaries led by a former chairman of Target stores and has only been open for about a year.

In addition to the areas devoted to countries, other galleries feature specialized instruments or performers. The Mechanical Instrument Gallery features a most fascinating collection of self-playing instruments and bands. Listen to the classics of musical legends, such as The Beatles, in another hall.

The array of instruments, music, songs and cultures of so many countries and areas is a mind-opening experience.  Most important, it’s just plain fun. Friends who visited the museum had told us  that they were there for an entire day and planned to return again. We were skeptical before we visited but now understand how that it is possible.

Arizona and the Southwest have much to offer, but these two relatively unknown destinations are worth a detour and should be at the top of your list.

Correction and apology: In a recent article, we extolled the fascination of a trip to the Middle East, including Abu Dhabi, Dubai and some adjacent countries. We emphasized that all were safe. Our comment about Bahrain was, “It’s interesting, but only worth visiting as part of an overall tour of the area.” Well, recent news shows that our inclusion of Bahrain was a major blunder, which we believe is our first in 10 years of writing. Cruise lines have omitted a stop in Bahrain but maintain all others. We are still quite confident of our recommendations of other countries in the region, but Bahrain is and will be off limits.

Stuart and Lois Scheyer bracket the 80-year mark and are residents of Longboat Key. They each log more than 100,000 air miles a year. They will be pleased to answer any travel questions and can be reached by email at [email protected].