The World Is Just Outside Your Door

There's a book out called "1000 Places to Visit Before You Die".  I saw it at the Half Price Bookstore the other day and quickly flipped open to a random page.  Apparently, I'm supposed to visit Geirangerfjord in Norway.  I remember rolling my eyes and thinking. "There is no way I'll ever make it there in my lifetime!" Needless to say I didn't buy the book.  It would just frustrate me.  I would either have to live a very long time or die disappointed.

There are so many people that just can't do it.  They don't have the money or the means (which usually means money) or the courage to travel to places like Kenya or Mongolia.  I'm sure if we stayed in our country we can find a thousand places to see.  I'm sure we'd have a pretty sizable list of places to see just in our state!

When I left San Francisco, I kept thinking of the places I never visited.  In my 30 years there, I have only been to Alcatraz once.  I've never been to Angel Island, the island where many of the Chinese immigrants were held in barracks until they could prove they had family in the U.S.  It was like the Ellis Island of the west.  I'd like to see the poems that these immigrants etched on the walls of the barracks as they waited months, sometimes years.  I'd also like to hike Mount Tamalpais in the Marin Headlands, and not to mention all those Napa and Sonoma wineries I never had a chance to visit! It's a shame!

That's why when I moved here to Arizona, I wanted to explore the state like a tourist.  I wanted to take advantage of the state while I'm here.  Who knows how long I'll stay and I don't want to regret missing out on anything.  I've met several native Arizonans that have never been to the Grand Canyon or Sedona.  I'm sure the Canyon will "always be there".  But the truth is, we won't.  That's why I'd like to urge you to get out and see what else is around you.  Maybe you'll be able to make a list of the 1000 places you've already visited here in Arizona.

One such place I can cross off my list is Lake Powell and the city of Page, Arizona - just on the North Eastern border near Utah.  In fact, we rented a boat and our cell phone time kept switching between Arizona and Utah time depending on which tower it was using.  The lake itself is huge.  One of the largest man-made lakes in the Country.  It boasts more shoreline than the entire West Coast of the US.  The landscape is amazing with monuments and mesas that seem to just rise high above the lake level.  You can find yourself in a finger of the lake with smooth, high canyon walls on both sides.  The landscape is definitely unique and almost out of this world,  Apparently, Hollywood thought so, too, since they used this area in The Planet of The Apes movie.

Not too far from the Lake, you'll find Antelope Canyon which is a slot canyon.  Slot canyons are formed by the wear and erosion of water rushing through a rock.  Because of this, a slot canyon can be very narrow and the red sandstone walls swirl and curve like water flowing.  This makes many photographers flock to the canyon daily.  There are guided tours every day.  Since it is on Navajo land, you're required to take their guides.  The tours leave frequently, however there are one or two tours a day strictly for photographers. Those tours are reserved for the time of day when the sun shines directly into the canyon slots which make for some pretty amazing pictures.  i didn't happen to go at that time, but anytime of day, you're sure to capture some pretty cool pics.

Another cool place to check out in Arizona is the Tonto Natural Bridge.  It's only 90 minutes from Phoenix, so it's a simple day trip.  The bridge is believed to be the largest natural travertine bridge in the world.  It's ceiling is 183 ft high and the tunnel is 400 feet long and 150 feet at it's widest point.  You can stand atop the bridge or it's about 1/2 mile down the to get under the bridge to admire the size of it.  There are some natural springs that flow through the land there so once your under the bridge water from the bridge above you is actually raining down on you.  This is a great way to cool off after your short hike on a hot Arizona summer day.

I found this nice list of ideas here in http://www.placestoseeinarizona.com.  I've done some editing, removed any duplicates and added my own ideas here.  So, now it's a list of 85 - still a long way to go to get to 1,000, but it's a start.  I've already done 30 from the list.

I hope this gives you some motivation to explore this amazing state we live in.  Or your own state.  You don't need to travel thousands of miles to see the world.  The world is just outside your door.  Go ahead and create your list, but don't forget the most important thing:  Get out there and start crossing things off!