In Arizona, the Grand Canyon, one wonder of the World exists among lush desert landscapes, crystal-clear waters and breathtaking mountain peaks. From small communities to one of the fastest growing cities in the United States, Arizona offers travelers unique experiences packed with hospitality, adventure, and stunning sights. Use this guide to start planning your Arizona vacation today.

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The Empire Ranch is magnificently situated in the high Sonoran Desert and rolling grasslands of Arizona, approximately 50 miles southeast of Tucson. The Empire Ranch House, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is an extensive 22-room adobe and wood frame building, constructed additively over the period 1871-1886 both to serve as the owner family’s residence and to house ranching operations and staff. The ranch sits at the heart of the 42,000-acre Las Cienegas National Conservation Area, on public lands acquired and administered since 1988 by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Tucson Office. More about the Empire Ranch in the Sonoran Desert

The oldest and largest anthropology museum in the state, the Arizona State Museum is a Smithsonian Institution affiliate. “Paths of Life: American Indians of the Southwest,” is the permanent exhibit and focuses on 10 tribes of Arizona and northwest Mexico. At Arizona State Museum you experience the vibrant indigenous cultures of Arizona and northern Mexico through exhibitions, educational programs, a research library, and a museum store. The museum’s scholars and extensive collections are among the most significant resources in the world for the study of Southwest peoples. More about the Arizona State Museum

Out of Africa Wildlife Park began as a research project, which Dean and Prayeri Harrison initiated in their own home over twenty-five years ago. Today, Out of Africa is a successful wildlife park visited by thousands each year. You can feel the adventure from the minute you drive through the front gates. Nestled in the pristine Verde Valley in northern Arizona, the Park is very similar to the African environment known as "the bush". More about the Out of Africa Wildlife Park

Few people think of snow and skiing when they think of Tucson. Cactus, desert, and diamondbacks more readily come to mind. The Santa Catalina Ranger District, however, is home to the southernmost ski area in the United States, which is perched near the 9,157-foot summit of Mt. Lemmon. Ski runs are usually open from mid-December to early April, depending on winter weather and snowfall. More about the Mt. Lemmon Ski Valley Snowboarding

Arizona's wide open spaces are home to a wide array of farms, orchards and agricultural experiences. Visitors will love tasting the fruits of the state at local farmer's markets or at U-Pick orchards across the state. Farm tours, like the ones at Schnepf Farms in Queen Creek or Shamrock Farms west of Casa Grande, allow families to learn about working farms and enjoy annual festivals. A new addition in Queen Creek also lets visitors press their own olive oil, for a great tasting Arizona souvenir when they return home. More about Agritourism

Located in the heart of downtown Phoenix, the Arizona Center is an open-air oasis of dining, shopping, ponds and gardens in a unique urban setting. Go to any major city's downtown area and you'll find one spot that seems to give the whole place its power. It's electricity. In Phoenix, that place is Arizona Center. Here you’ll find great Phoenix dining, unique shopping at a variety of specialty retailers and above all, beautiful gardens to enjoy. More about Shopping at Arizona Center

The Grand Canyon is more than a great chasm carved over millennia through the rocks of the Colorado Plateau. It is more than an awe-inspiring view. It is more than a pleasuring ground for those who explore the roads, hike the trails, or float the currents of the turbulent Colorado River. More about the Grand Canyon

Route 66 became known as both the “Main Street of America” and the “Mother Road”. In Arizona, Historic Route 66 begins its original 376-mile journey west across the state at Lupton, near the New Mexico-Arizona border. Scattered across the colorful sandstone of the Navajo Indian Reservation are the small hamlets of Allentown, Houck, Sanders, Chambers and Navajo. Also along the road are colorful Indian trading posts where you can buy postcards of "jackalopes" (the horned mythical offspring of a jackrabbit and an antelope), cactus candy, Indian goods and, of course, Route 66 souvenirs. More about the Historic Route 66 (Lupton to Ashfork)

Arizona is home to many cultures and just as many ways to spend your evenings out on the town. Sample some home-grown Arizona wine at any one of Arizona’s unique wine bars, spend the evening watching the game and enjoying great drinks at a local brewery or sports bar or catch a show at a live music venue (the Greater Metro area has everything from live music in small coffee shops to large stadiums). Within the Greater Metropolitan area are some of the most hip, happening areas around. Local bars offer one-of-a-kind Arizona drinks, Arizona brewed beers and everything from casual sports bars to upscale piano bars. Visitors to Arizona will want to stay out late and soak everything in – and taste a prickly pear margarita. More about Arizona´s Nightlife