Memorial Day weekend 2023: Last-minute ideas for a fun Arizona getaway
Each year, the summer road trip season kicks off with Memorial Day weekend. It’s the chance we’ve all been waiting for to get out and roam to the far corners of Arizona. Savor the sights, make some memories, maybe even jump into an adventure.
It's easy to default to the popular weekend getaway destination of Flagstaff, and if you're headed there we've got some tasty suggestions for you below. We also have a couple of farther-afield options that will put your three-day weekend to good use, as well as two fun reasons to drive south instead of north for your mini break.
Here are some ideas to inspire your Memorial Day getaway in Arizona.
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Eat at a Flagstaff restaurant that got big national attention this year
If you're Flagstaff-bound for Memorial Day weekend, why not sample the city's two restaurants that were semifinalists for James Beard Awards — the Oscars of the food world — this year?
Proper Meats + Provisions, a butcher shop and casual eatery, was a semifinalist in the Outstanding Restaurant category. Proper produces artisanal meats locally sourced from Arizona farms and ranches. All meat is raised sustainably and humanely.
The menu of made-to-order sandwiches includes a banh mi made with pork shoulder confit, pickled zucchini and carrot, and chili aioli on a hoagie roll. Another favorite is the warm pastrami, cured and smoked in-house, and served with grilled onions, Swiss cheese and Carolina mustard on grilled rye.
Over at Shift Kitchen, Christian Lowe was a James Beard semifinalist in the Emerging Chef category. She attracted notice for her elegant and creative use of local and seasonal ingredients and her artistic food presentation.
Here's a roundup of more favorite Flagstaff restaurants.
Details: Proper Meats + Provisions, 110 E. Route 66, Flagstaff. 928-774-9001, propermeats.com. Shift Kitchen, 107 N. San Francisco St., Suite 2, Flagstaff. shiftflg.com.
Find some new favorites: 100 essential restaurants in metro Phoenix
Verde Valley adventure: Tigers, a zip line and a historic train ride
Cottonwood and the Verde Valley are your destinations for an action-packed holiday weekend.
Nestled in the high desert of Camp Verde, Out of Africa Wildlife Park provides sanctuary for hundreds of exotic animals and features dozens of large predators. The preserve spreads across 100 acres of rolling terrain. Tiger Splash is the signature show. There is no training and no tricks. The daily program is spontaneous, just animals frolicking with their caretakers. Visitors can also take a narrated African Bush Safari and attend the Giant Snake Show.
Outside the park is Predator Zip Line, which offers a two- to three-hour zip line tour across five lines and a suspension bridge high above the animals. Tours are $99.95; you can save $10 by booking online.
For a ground-based journey, climb aboard the Verde Canyon Railroad and rumble into scenic backcountry. The train departs from the station in Clarkdale and travels into a high-walled canyon carved by the Verde River and lined by cottonwood trees. Such a rich riparian habitat lures a variety of wildlife, notably eagle, hawk, heron, mule deer, javelina, coyote and beaver.
Details: Verde Canyon Railroad, https://verdecanyonrr.com. Out of Africa Wildlife Park, https://outofafricapark.com. Predator Zip Line, https://predatorzipline.com.
More: Here are 3 of the most scenic drives in Arizona and how to do them
Bisbee Queen Mine Tour
Back in the days when copper flowed like a river from the hills of Bisbee, the Queen Mine was one of the richest producers in town. The mine operated for nearly a century before closing in 1975.
Today, retired miners lead tours 1,500 feet deep into the dark cool tunnels gouged from the Mule Mountains. Visitors outfitted in yellow slickers and hard hats with headlamps get an up-close look at mining conditions, techniques and dangers. You’ll emerge from the Queen Mine Tour with a whole new appreciation of your current job.
Tours depart several times throughout the day and reservations are required.
Details: 478 Dart Road, Bisbee. $14, $6.50 for ages 6-12. Children 5 and younger are not permitted underground. 520-432-2071, https://www.queenminetour.com.
Old Bisbee Ghost Tour
When you’re above ground again in this mile-high town, sign up for an Old Bisbee Ghost Tour.
The city's rowdy past led to some hard deaths among the citizenry and Bisbee maintains a healthy population of lingering ghosts. You’ll learn about them all on this tour that departs at 7 p.m. each evening and lasts about an hour and 45 minutes.
Guides dress in period garb and spin sinister tales of the restless spirits as you roam the twilight streets of Bisbee. Even ghostly skeptics will enjoy the great history and fascinating stories.
Details: $20 per person for age 6 and older. Not recommended for age 5 and younger. Save $2 by ordering online. 520-432-3308, https://www.oldbisbeeghosttour.com.
More: Why those TV ghost-hunting shows are transparently fake
Prescott: The best Western art plus free museum admission
The Phippen Museum holds its popular Western Art Show and Sale on Courthouse Plaza on Memorial Day weekend. About 125 artists from around the country will have work on display beneath the big shade trees. This is the 49th year for this Memorial Day weekend tradition sponsored by the museum, which preserves and promotes fine Western art. Admission to the museum, at 4701 State Route 89, is free all weekend.
Details: May 27-29. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday. Courthouse Plaza, downtown Prescott. Free. 928-778-1385, https://phippenartmuseum.org.
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3 ways to see Monument Valley: Hike, drive, guided tour
Straddling the Arizona-Utah border, Monument Valley draws visitors from around the world.
Within the tribal park are a restaurant, gift shop, campground and the Navajo-owned View Hotel. The rooms with private balconies are a great place to watch one of Monument Valley’s lavish sunrises.
Historic Goulding’s Lodge sits just outside the park and also offers a full range of services, including guided tours.
The scenic 17-mile drive that winds through the heart of the valley reveals stunning views of the buttes. If you want more of an outdoor experience, hike the 3.2-mile Wildcat Trail that loops around the West Mitten butte.
Yet the best way to experience the beauty of this iconic western landscape and learn about the culture and history of the people who inhabit it is by signing up for a Navajo-led tour. Tours leave daily from the View Hotel and Goulding’s Lodge. Tour operators are listed on the park's website.
Details: Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park is open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. daily (8 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 1-Dec. 31). Admission is $8 per person. 435-727-5870, https://navajonationparks.org.
Kayak Horseshoe Bend
For an unforgettable day, take a leisurely paddle trip down the Colorado River through Glen Canyon. Kayak Horseshoe Bend, based at Cliff Dwellers Lodge in Marble Canyon, makes it easy for travelers to have an amazing river experience with no permit and almost no planning.
They rent kayaks and provide shuttle service upriver all the way to Glen Canyon Dam, which is 15 miles from Lees Ferry. This section of the Colorado is all flat water, no rapids. Or opt for a shorter day if you prefer. The most popular drop-off destination is Petroglyph Beach, named for panels of ancient rock art etched into a nearby cliff face.
More: Now you can kayak Arizona's famous Horseshoe Bend. Here's how.
From wherever you’re dropped off it’s just river, soaring canyon walls and cradling stillness. Paddle when you want or just drift with the current. Slivers of beach and sandbars offer opportunities to pull over. You’ll even navigate the swooping curve of Horseshoe Bend. The water is clear so clear you can count the spots on trout.
Kayak and paddleboard rentals cost $35-$55. Kayak rental includes paddles and personal flotation devices. Backhaul service (a boat takes you and your kayak upriver) is $75 per person. Entrance fees apply to Lees Ferry, part of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. A vehicle pass costs $30, good for seven days.
Details: 928-355-2261, https://kayakhorseshoebend.com. 928-608-6200, https://www.nps.gov/glca.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Memorial Day weekend 2023: Best last-minute Arizona road trips