During spring break, my oldest sister, Lucy Mae, moved across the country to Picture Rocks, Arizona. Lucy has always talked about how fun and exciting Arizona is, but I never believed her because of the numerous scary animals like rattlesnakes, scorpions, and more….not to mention the casual 100 degree weather southern Arizona gets on a regular basis. However, I recently got to visit Lucy in Arizona and discovered why she loved the place she now calls home.
My trip to Arizona started off with sight-seeing the Grand Canyon in Grand Canyon Village. The Grand Canyon was beautiful this time of year. The leaves are starting to change colors, and it was the perfect temperature with no fog, so we could see across the eighteen miles that the Grand Canyon spans. We also got to see the Colorado River at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, along with the Havasupai Gardens at the base of a ridge in the canyon. Because the Grand Canyon is in northern Arizona, we had a long drive back to southern Arizona where Lucy lives.
While driving to Picture Rocks, we stopped in Sedona to see the beautiful landscape it offers. Sedona is one of the most scenic places I have ever driven and walked through. The countless mountains with bright green trees along with quaint gift shops makes picture-perfect scenery. Our time in Sedona was very minute, but my days in Picture Rocks definitely made up for it.
While in Picture Rocks, my family and I tried many new places and saw many new sights. Lucy was the best tour guide my family, and I could have asked for. She managed to take us to unique places while also keeping in mind we are not used to the Arizona heat. We visited countless State Parks like the Saguaro National Park, Montezuma Castle National Monument, Coconino National Forest, Phoenix Botanical Gardens, and the Sonora Desert Museum. My personal favorite was the Sonora Desert Museum.
The Sonora Desert Museum houses a vast majority of plant wildlife and different species of animals. There were many animals inhabiting the museum that I had yet to see in person like a mountain lion, mule deer, Mexican gray wolves, a Black bear, different types of exotic fish, rattlesnakes and garden snakes, scorpions, and tarantulas. The museum allowed me to get a sense of the different wildlife that inhabits the different regions of Arizona. There were also different types of cacti and flowers lining the dirt trails of the museum. Besides seeing the vast majority of plants and animals, I loved that I could see mountains in Mexico from the museum.
Other than hiking and sightseeing, we also got to relax by going out to eat and going to Top Golf. Lucy loves Mexican food, so we tried many new Mexican restaurants. We also tried a chain local to Arizona called Eegee’s. My mom fell in love with Eegee’s while we were in Arizona because of the delicious frozen fruit drink they specialize in and offer. Eegee’s is near and dear to Arizona so I was glad I was able to enjoy it throughout the week.
After my trip to Arizona, I can see why Lucy loves to call Picture Rocks her home. Despite the hot temperatures and eerie animals, there are many wonderful places to explore and see. I am sure I will make many more trips to Arizona to visit Lucy and continue to see the landscapes and beautiful Arizona sunsets.
