Snow In Arizona, So Far

Above, a nice roaring fire at the El Rancho Hotel on Sunday. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It appears that we may be getting some snow this afternoon. But that's only a 10% chance according to the National Weather Service. That will increase to 50% tonight.

On their opening page: 

A slow moving storm is pushing east from Southern California into the Southwest bringing light, but continuous snow.

Already Prescott, Flagstaff and Sedona in Arizona had been getting snow. Jack Rabbit Trading Post in St. Joseph, Arizona reports none, so far. 

The forecast now stands for Gallup/Jamestown, New Mexico:

 Today

A chance of sprinkles between 11am and 5pm, then a chance of rain and snow showers after 5pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 46. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 10%.

Tonight

A 50 percent chance of snow showers, mainly after 8pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 19. South wind around 5 mph. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Wednesday

Snow showers likely. Cloudy, with a high near 31. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of around an inch possible.

Wednesday Night

Snow showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 17. West wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Thursday

A 30 percent chance of snow showers before 11am. Cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 38. West wind 15 to 20 mph.

10 Unique Arizona Road Trip Ideas

Above, red rock formations can be visited near the town of Sedona. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Where I live near Gallup, New Mexico is reasonably close enough (40 miles) to cross over the state line into Arizona for exploring the "Grand Canyon State". 

Arizona has many places to see and enjoy and TheTravel has listed ten unique Arizona road trip ideas.

They begin with:

Nicknamed the Grand Canyon State, Arizona is best known for its mild winters, hot summers, and desert-like climate, featuring lovely towering pines, evergreen trees, deep canyons, cactus blossoms, and glorious landscapes. What makes Arizona even more tempting to visit is the Grand Canyon, which is considered the top tourist attraction in the United States and is worth the drive, too! It's one of the seven wonders of the world, carved by the Colorado River within the Grand Canyon National Park.

But it's not just the Grand Canyon that lures travelers to embark on a scenic road trip to Arizona. The state also promises historic landmarks and scenic byways that offer immaculate views and a unique experience for globetrotters. For those who are planning on taking a trip to the Grand Canyon State, here are the 10 unique Arizona road trip ideas!

TheTravel has also posted a 10-day Arizona travel itinerary. I summarize it here.

To read more, go here. 

"Stagecoach" (1939) Filming Locations

Above, the East and West Mittens and Merrick Butte in Monument Valley. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Stagecoach (1939), directed by John Ford, is one of those seminal movies that has become iconic in American movie history.

It was the movie that made John Wayne a star after he spent most of the 1930s in B movie purgatory. But, those years enabled him to hone his acting skills. 

Stagecoach, as most of us are aware, was the first movie to take advantage of the vistas of Monument Valley. Ford was going to film Stagecoach somewhere else until Harry Goulding of Goulding's Trading Post arrived in Hollywood with a binder of photographs of Monument Valley that convinced Ford to shoot the movie there. 

The Enlightened Mindset website has posted an article by Happy Sharer on filming locations for Stagecoach. I have some doubts over some of them, such as Sedona, Arizona, Durango, Colorado and Old Tucson studios. I have seen the movie many times and I've not seen anything in it that would identify those sites. Perhaps a more learned movie scholar can post a comment below pointing out where in the movie those and other locations appear. Unfortunately, the article does not elaborate where in the movie the sites cited appear.

All in all, the article is a bit of a disappointment, but is worth taking a look. There are few photos with the article and the ones in it are not helpful.

The article begins with:

Introduction

The 1939 classic Western movie Stagecoach is one of the most iconic films of all time. Directed by John Ford, the film features an ensemble cast including John Wayne, Claire Trevor, and Thomas Mitchell, and tells the story of nine strangers who find themselves on a stagecoach ride through dangerous Apache territory. The movie was a commercial and critical success, and it helped launch John Wayne’s career as an action star.

This article explores the historic setting of Stagecoach, taking a look at where the movie was filmed. It will revisit the iconic locations of Stagecoach and uncover the movie’s filming locations. Finally, it will trace the path of Stagecoach’s filming locations from Monument Valley to Durango, and revisit the filming locations of the movie.

To read more, go here. 

Key West Makes Tripadvisor's Top Ten List

Above, author Ernest Hemingway's office in Key West. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Tripadvisor has put out their top ten list of U.S. destinations.

Annually, Tripadvisor puts out their Travelers' Choice Awards. This is for 2022.

CBS Miami reported:

MIAMI (CBSMiami/CNN) – Congratulations to Miami Beach and Key West. They’ve made Tripadvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Awards for 2022 for two of the best destinations in the U.S.

Las Vegas came in at number one, followed by Hawaii’s Oahu and Maui.

Key West was listed as America’s fourth most favorite city to visit. Miami Beach came in eighth.

Other cities in the top 10 were New York City, New Orleans, Nashville, Savannah, and Sedona, Arizona.

To read more, go here.

T + L: Best Sedona Resorts

Above, Sedona is famous for its red rock mountains. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A couple of years ago, while on my way to a group (around 150 people) campout near Prescott, Arizona, I drove through Sedona. It had been years since I last been there and was amazed at how it had grown.

Prior to this, it was a nice, quiet town with no traffic to really speak of (this was back in the early 1980s). Now, it is a big tourist draw.

Travel + Leisure has an article on the best Sedona resorts for travelers.

They start it with:

While much of Arizona is known for drawing adventure travelers, Sedona’s pull has long been to a crowd more focused on luxury and wellness.

Maybe that’s why it has some of the best resorts in the area — though there’s no doubt Sedona has plenty to offer in the way of natural beauty, too. If you’re in the mood for hikes, horseback riding, or even skiing, there are options nearby. But one of the best parts of Sedona is its laid-back vibe and the consistently stunning sunrises and sunsets on the red rocks surrounding the town.

Tucked between two state parks and a national forest, and just an hour’s drive southwest of Flagstaff, the town is close enough to major transport to be convenient and far enough to be a true escape. Book a room at one of these beautiful Sedona resorts when you really want to unwind and recharge.

 

Above, I took this shot of the main street of Sedona after pulling to the side (AZ Hwy. 89A). Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To read more, go here.

New Arizona "Welcome" Signs Unveiled

Above, the red rocks of Sedona, Arizona is one of the designs of the new "welcome" signs. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The state of Arizona will be putting up new "welcome" signs featuring six different landscapes.

According to AZCentral:

The Grand Canyon is among six iconic Arizona landscapes that will appear on new signs welcoming visitors to the state. 

Gov. Doug Ducey, the Arizona Office of Tourism and the state Department of Transportation Wednesday unveiled designs for new “Welcome to Arizona" signs that will replace nearly 3-decades-old signs along highways near borders with other states. 

According to Ducey's office, other landscapes that will appear on the the new signs include Saguaro National Park in the Tucson area, Sedona's Red Rocks, Horseshoe Bend on the Colorado River, the San Francisco Peaks overlooking Flagstaff and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument along the U.S.-Mexico border.

To read more and see some of the designs, go here.