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LOL, there's adventure. And then there's death wish.
Seriously......As for another whitewater rafting option in NY, the Black River near Watertown/the 1000 Islands would be a good choice: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tbfHk-sd1bs
Anyone saying "they are both great but Arizona has the desert and New York doesn't"... well New York has the ocean/a coastline and Arizona doesn't so won't this kind of make them more equal?
Yeah, I think the desert versus water(ocean and lakes) cancel each other out, really.
I didn't vote because I've only been to NYC and to Albany via Amtrak up the Hudson. But I can speak to AZ, having taken a 1,500+ driving trip from Phoenix up to Zion and back last May.
Lush greenery is more of an anomaly for Arizona compared to states back east, so lets try not to pretend it's a common thing there by posting a few pictures of it.
I didn't vote. I've lived in both places and like them both.
The west is "far away beautiful" and the east is "close in beautiful" as I see it. Or put another way, in terms of majestic sweeping scenery, Arizona wins over New York. But in terms of flowers and plants and babbling brooks, New York wins. There are exceptions where New York has some beautiful scenery and Arizona has some babbling brooks.
The "desert" conception of Arizona is not entirely true. Arizona is mostly desert, but there is a lot of forest. There are large extensions of ponderosa pine (largest in the world? not sure) which is kind of like a savanah in many places, and as you go up in elevation the conifers change and get thicker and you might as well be in Canada eventually. There are large herds of elk and other wildlife in the ponderosa pine forest. The Arizona forest is not a small thing. You can hike for days and days and days.
I found this on youtube, about a hike up Humphrey's Peak outside Flagstaff. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrcPPvim8NE Up here they are hiking through aspen and whatnot. I've been up on the summit of Humphrey's Peak myself, but in pre-Internet days and I didn't get a video.
Try googling West Clear Creek and Wet Beaver Creek. These are Oak Creek-like places, but without the city of Sedona on them. Again, you can hike for days and days through scenery like this. Most people do West Clear Creek in a week from top to bottom. I can't help but think that there are many garden variety places in Arizona that would be national parks if you could pick them up and put them down on the east coast. EDIT: Found this video about the top of West Clear Creek Canyon. I've also been on this trail. This is where people start downstream for a week long hike, or just do a day trip in and out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unVYtMmS9wI
With that said, I miss the deciduous forests of the east coast, and the bass ponds, and the incredible fertility and variety of life. It's that whole majestic-close in thing again. Arizona has herds of elk; New York has red efts and skunk cabbage and fiddleheads. However, surprisingly, on the whole Arizona is one of the most biodiverse states. There is more here than people think.
Thank you for the best post on this thread! You really provided a lot of balance! I agree whole heartedly. Western states are more of an actual destination. NYS has beauty to it, that can be just as beautiful as AZ, but its not stuff that is necessarily specific to NYS. Whereas the west is known for its iconic sweeping vistas, and diversity of climate zones and ecosystems. But yeah, if you are looking at say a single acre of land, or even a single 40 acres I could see nature of eastern states winning.
Some things IMHO that make New York unique are that the state borders TWO Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean. That is pretty cool and unusual!
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Arizona
