Off The Beaten Path – Phoenix, AZ

As a native Arizonan I could sing the praises of many of the states amazing sights. However, having lived in Phoenix, AZ for the majority of my life I'm almost ashamed to say that I have never been to any of these off the Beaten Path places.

Cottonwood 
Just a little over an hour drive from Phoenix, this area immediately makes you feel like you are transported into another time after you reach the Old Town of this city...

Just follow the road out of Cottonwood and then you turn right when you see the Tuzigoot sign, and then there it is ----a stone structure looming on a hill in the horizon. This is the ultimate Sinaguan ruin left by a people that mysteriously disappeared from this area in the 1400s. Why? Famine, weather, boredom?

Once there, you go to the museum for $5 tickets for those 15 and up. 

In the Sinagua Museum, you find a room showing how these ancient people led their daily lives. These included grinding corn, cooking, weaving cloth, drying skins and making baskets. You will also notice the presence of the colorful Macaw bird – this meant that there was probably trading with Mexico and also some pottery trading from the north. Their pottery is notably undecorated and you will see several storage containers. 

And then you go up the trails going up to the structure. The trail is  a mile long, wheelchair friendly and kids will love following it!

The views around this 42 acre monument are spectacular, so get your cameras ready for the ultimate Sinaguan experience...

Taliesin West

Frank Lloyd Wright's Desert Masterpiece. It was designed to be, and still is, a living working educational facility. Taliesin West is a national historic landmark nestled in the desert foothills of the McDowell Mountains outside of Scottsdale, AZ. Wright’s beloved winter home and the bustling headquarters of the Taliesin Fellowship, Taliesin West was established in 1937 and diligently handcrafted over many years into a utopian world unto itself. It was built and maintained almost entirely by Wright and his apprentices, making it among the most personal of the architect’s creations.

Mystery Castle
Adjacent to South Mountain Park, Mystery Castle is a native stone castle that features 18 rooms, 13 fireplaces, parapets, many charming nooks and crannies, and is furnished with Southwestern antiques.

The Mystery Castle was built by the semi-reclusive Boyce Luther Gulley, who, having contracted tuberculosis, abandoned his wife & daughter in Washington state, reappearing in Phoenix in the 1930s. He settled on the side of South Mountain, near the site of what was then the town dump. From there he salvaged building materials, to build the castle he had always promised his young daughter. He ended up living a lot longer than he thought he would, so, room by room, the castle got larger & larger. Upon his death, Gulley's wife and daughter finally found out what had become of him and came to Phoenix. They discovered what he'd been up to in the years since their parting, liked it, and moved in. Mary Lou Gulley still lives in the castle to this day, giving tours of "Daddy Gulley's" castle. Be sure to take a guided tour and find out all the neat history about this castle made by hand out of recycled junk. Great to add into your drive up South Mountain.

Closed from July through September. 

Call Rawhide Travel and Tours and start planning that special vacation or event today. 602-843-5100 or visit our website rawhidetravel.com

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Rawhide Travel and Tours Inc
6008 West Bell Road # F105
Glendale, Arizona 85308-3793
(602) 843-5100
rawhidetravel.com