Handbook: Arizona

A state that shows the diversity the desert can hold, Arizona is sprawling massive cities and some of the smallest, most authentic towns you’ll ever find. It’s ponderosa pine forests and scrubby brush plains. It’s home to a petrified forest and one helluva hole in the ground. They’ve even got their own, authentic, London Bridge.

Our favorites? The small towns of Bisbee and Tombstone, in the southeast corner of the state. Flagstaff, Sedona and Jerome are sights to behold, more interesting and typically progressive towns surrounded by national forest and BLM land to explore. Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is nearly as interesting as the Grand Canyon, and Petrified Forest is certainly something to see (just make sure you bring plenty of gas).

Start from there and find your own corner of the Copper State to love.