BRITISH Another question (Phoenix, Tucson, Yuma: 2010, rent, hotels)

[british]

Planning the travelling and hotels is going really well but can anyone advise where would be a good place to see and stay overnight, after my visit to Tombstone prior to heading back to Phoenix.

Another one - If March April is off season in Arizona do any of you have an idea why the hotels are so busy?

Thanks again for all your help on previous thread, I wasnt to sure if I should have included this one with it,

[kdog]

Originally Posted by british

If March April is off season in Arizona ...

Where did you get that idea?

[british]

Kingman
Some of the hotels I have looked at especially around Flagstaff and further up to the Grand Canyon appear to be busy. HOwever, now I have thought about my question I can only imagine that the Canyon area is probably busy all year round.

Still a little stuck where to go after Tombstone on my way backto Phoenix any ideas?

[Searcher521]

This is the slow season for a lot of areas frequented by Arizonans escaping the heat for the high country. Conversely it is the start of the out of state seasons for tourists escaping winter weather to come to Arizona. The areas of the state affected are not the same so winter visitors may find things quite busy depending on where they are going.

[kdog]

Originally Posted by british

Still a little stuck where to go after Tombstone on my way backto Phoenix any ideas?

Old Tucson Studios ?

There's also Saguaro National Park in Tucson which is ok. Not great, but pretty cool if you haven't been around Saguaro cactii much.

If you can find an extra day, and you want to see something really amazing, you might consider White Sands National Monument in New Mexico. Rent a snow saucer there and slide down 50' tall sand dunes.

The thrill of victory,


and the agony of defeat.

[british]

Thanks guys, that White Sands National Monument looks amazing

[kdog]

Yeah, I wish I had some better shots of it. If you google around, you can find some really great ones I'm sure. Here's another one showing more of the area.

[british]

March 2010, in your opinion will there be any sporting events that a visitor should see?

Please advise what type of clothing I am likely to require from mid March to end of March 2010, I will be travelling from Grand Canyon to Tombstone and spending quite a lot of time in Phoenix. I know this may sound a strange question to Arizonans but please remember in England or Great Britain for that matter, no matter where you are in GB its nearly the same weather. For example in the winter you would have the same clothing requirements no matter where you were.

[xwideopenskyx]

Originally Posted by british

March 2010, in your opinion will there be any sporting events that a visitor should see?

Please advise what type of clothing I am likely to require from mid March to end of March 2010, I will be travelling from Grand Canyon to Tombstone and spending quite a lot of time in Phoenix. I know this may sound a strange question to Arizonans but please remember in England or Great Britain for that matter, no matter where you are in GB its nearly the same weather. For example in the winter you would have the same clothing requirements no matter where you were.

Weather in AZ is based on elevation. We also have 20 to 30 degree swings between day time high and night time low. The Grand Canyon will be much cooler than Phoenix. Clothing wise, be prepared for both warm and cold temperatures. It was so cold in the morning at the south rim of the grand canyon at the end of May one year that I could see my breath, but it warmed up very well and I was back into shorts in the afternoon.Enjoy your visit

[LordBalfor]

Originally Posted by british

Planning the travelling and hotels is going really well but can anyone advise where would be a good place to see and stay overnight, after my visit to Tombstone prior to heading back to Phoenix.

Another one - If March April is off season in Arizona do any of you have an idea why the hotels are so busy?

Thanks again for all your help on previous thread, I wasnt to sure if I should have included this one with it,

You might want to stop at Kartchner Caverns (near Benson) on your way back to Phoenix from Tombstone. It's more or less right along your way back.

Arizona State Parks: Kartchner Caverns: Home

You might also consider swinging down to Bisbee (near Tombstone). It's a fascinating old town with lots of character and sights to see.

http://www.discoverbisbee.com/

Plenty of things to see and do around Tucson:

Southern Arizona Attractions Alliance

Finally, as others have mentioned, March is not really "off season" in Arizona (far from it actually) - as many folks from colder climates head to Southern Arizona for some sun and an early taste of summer. It's off season at the Grand Canyon, but it's definitely tourist season in Southern Arizona. Keep in mind too that March is Cactus League Baseball season in Arizona attracting baseball fans from all over the country to watch the preseason games.

The important thing to keep in mind is that Arizona is not all of the same climate. It's not so much the difference between north and south parts of the state as it is, high elevation vs low elevation areas. When you consider that much of central/northern Arizona sits atop the 7,000 foot-high Colorado Plateau (which the Grand Canyon cuts through - how else are you going to get a 6,000 foot deep canyon unless you are starting out high up?) and that places like Phoenix and Yuma sit at 1,000 feet or below (Yuma is at around 200 feet) you can really understand that Arizona will have a wide range of temps. So - the area around the Grand Canyon will be quite chilly while Phoenix will be summer-like indeed (average high in Phoenix at the end of March is around 80 (55 for the low), while at the Grand Canyon it's only about 55 (26 for the low). These means that the overnight LOWS in Phoenix are about the same as the daytime HIGHS on the rim of the Grand Canyon.

Note that because in Southern Arizona the land generally rises as you head east from the California border towards the New Mexico border, it's generally cooler the further east you go. This is why Tucson (which sits at around 2,400 feet) will be a few degrees cooler than Phoenix (likely around 75 in Tucson vs 80 or so in Phoenix), and why Tombstone (which sits at 4,500 feet) will be a bit cooler yet (probably low 70's).

So - the key point here is that it's the ELEVATION (not the north/south relationship) that determines the temperature in Arizona - and since the places you are visiting are at substantially different elevations (ie way up at the rim of the Grand Canyon - and way down low in low desert of Phoenix - and in the middle elevations of SE Arizona (Tombstone) - you really need a variety of clothes.

I hope this helps clear things up a bit.

Ken