In honor of our state’s centennial, some thoughts.

Many people still think Arizona means desolate deserts and blowing sand. Boy, are they surprised when they start exploring our state.

Arizona has spectacular mountains, canyons, lakes, rivers, forests, deserts, sand dunes, grasslands, and caves. As the sixth largest state in land area we appreciate our natural spaces. We have 26 amazing spots managed by the National Park Service, 29 state parks, and numerous other local ones. Since there is over 12,000 feet in elevation difference from our lowest point (near Yuma) to our highest (Humphreys Peak) we can do almost any outdoor activity, at any time of year¹.

There are plenty of things to do; whether your interests range from exploring the natural world, catching a professional sporting or cultural event, or delving into Arizona’s colorful history².

Arizona is known for its mild winters, especially down here in the southern part of the state where we live. The weather is usually sunny and warm for about eight months out of the year—the other four tend to be a bit hot, but our monsoons are incredible.

All of these factors combine to make Arizona quite the tourist destination. Tourism is one of our biggest industries. We hope that Arizona continues to amAZe.

Here’s to the next hundred years!

¹ Except ocean-related ones—though originally Arizona was supposed to include the upper part of the Gulf of California, but that’s another story.

² Even though Arizona’s only been a state for 100 years, the area’s written history extends back to the 1500s, with native oral traditions stretching back centuries further.

These are a few of our favorite southern Arizona photos:

Sunset—Tucson, AZ

Bobcat (Lynx rufus)—Tucson, AZ

Magnificent Hummingbird (Eugenes fulgens)—Madera Canyon, AZ

Church Dome—Tumacacori, AZ

Female Mountain Lion (Puma concolor)—Tucson, AZ

Saguaro Blossom (Carnegiea gigantea)—Tucson, AZ

Stagecoach—Tombstone, AZ

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox)—Tucson, AZ

Western Screech-Owl (Megascops kennicottii)—Tucson, AZ

Old Barrio—Tucson, AZ

Sonoran Desert Spring—Tucson, AZ

Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)—Tucson, AZ

Male Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis)—Tucson, AZ

Rodeo Parade—Tucson, AZ

Collared Peccary or Javelina (Pecari tajacu)—Tucson, AZ

Sunset at Gates Pass—Tucson, AZ

To read more about our Arizona adventures, or to see more of our photos from our home state, see Visited Places in Arizona.