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The year-round warmth of the desert, and plenty
of time to relax and enjoy it, await visitors at the Desert Vista
RV Resort in southwestern Arizona. During your stay you’ll
certainly want to travel west to the unique town of Quartzsite,
home of the internationally famous gem and mineral shows. Since
their inception in 1965, the January and February shows have attracted
as many as a million tourists each year.
Just to the south of town, off I-10 and US 95, are the Kofa and
Castle Dome mountains, surrounded by the Kofa National Wildlife
Refuge. You’ll have to use a 4-wheel-drive or high clear vehicle
in order to drive through the refuge to see desert bighorn sheep.
For a fantastic view of the Buckskin and Rawhide mountains and the
opportunity to do some fishing or hiking, travel northeast of the
resort to the Alamo Lake State Park. Continue east on US 60 to Wickenburg
and its many surrounding dude ranches. In town, the Desert Caballeros
Western Museum contains stories of Wickenburg’s history, native
artifacts, and an art gallery of famous Western painters. Southwest
of town is the Vulture Gold Mine, which produced more than $20 million
in gold during the late 19th century.
You want to take at least a day to visit Phoenix, the state’s
capital. Stop at Heritage Square where eight of the 19th-century
buildings from the original city are still standing. Antique dolls
and toys are on display at the Arizona Doll and Toy Museum in the
Stevens House while the Rosson House, a restored elaborate Victorian
mansion, features period furniture.
If you’re interested in touring museums, begin with the Arizona
State Capitol Museum, a four-story tuff stone and granite building
filled with historical exhibits, political memorabilia, and a USS
Arizona exhibit among other interesting displays. Continue by seeing
the basketry, jewelry, pottery, and kachina dolls made over the
centuries by Southwestern Native Americans displayed at the Heard
Museum.
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