Sedona, Flagstaff, the Grand Canyon… what do these places have in common? All are great destinations for Arizona summer road trips. But our state is large and varied, so why not explore places off the beaten path! With this in mind, we decided to do some research, and found a few spots that we’ve been to and a few that we definitely need to visit. Ready. Set. Let’s start planning an Arizona road trip!
Mt. Lemmon & Summerhaven
Just a one-hour drive north of Tucson, you’ll find the charming ski town of Summerhaven. With a few restaurants and cafes, small shops, a hotel, and cabins for rent, as well as gorgeous scenery, this should be on everyone’s summer road trip list. And just about the best part is… Summerhaven is a delightfully refreshing 10+ degrees cooler than Phoenix!
Cottonwood & Verde Valley
With Verde Valley wine tours – some you can even kayak through – brewery tours, and a quaint Old Town filled with shops and restaurants, visiting Cottonwood is a great wat to spend a day. At less than two hours from Phoenix and more than 10 degrees cooler, it’s definitely a trip worth making.
Jerome
Just a couple of hours from downtown Phoenix, Jerome is always on our list of fun places to visit in Arizona. This ghost town turned artist community has everything you could ever want in a weekend. With striking scenery, charming shops, seriously delicious restaurants, live music, great bars, and bed and breakfasts, it’s a walkable town that you just might never want to leave!
A Few More Places to Check Out
Because there are almost endless options for Arizona summer road trips, we thought we’d list a few more for you to consider.
-Winslow
-Pine and Payson
-Pinetop and Lakeside
-Bisbee
All of the above are great options for a quick getaway!
We hope this list inspired you to take a trip to a place you haven’t visited before! We’re always on the lookout for new spots to explore and would love to hear from you. So, what are your favorite AZ cities for a quick get away? Tag us on Instagram in all of your Arizona adventures and we’ll make sure to check out those spots too! @urbanconnectionphx
P.S. Remember to keep an eye on future Urban Connection blog posts to stay up to date on all the cool happenings in downtown Phoenix!