10 Arizona Towns That Embody the Southwest Spirit

 

You can travel from Nebraska to Florida and see some greener and wetter locations, but there is nothing in the US quite like the State of Arizona.  It combines insane sunrises and sunsets with panoramic desert, Saguro cacti, high elevation forests, and a geology that is unlike anything you find in the other continental states. There is an influence of Native cultures, a sense of peace, and the ability to see 180 degrees of sky with nonstop sunshine. 

If you want to travel to something you've never imagined before, something you won't see elsewhere, come to Arizona. I'm going to share 10 of my favorite towns that exude the vibe of the Southwest. (In no particular order.) I will also help you decide which to visit based on the descriptive words - 

Jerome

SCENIC - ARTS - ISOLATED - HISTORIC - GHOSTS - WALKING -

Set up on a mountain at 5000 feet above the Arizona Desert, this once-bustling town was a copper mining interest, but today it is a getaway for artists and artisans. It has the winding street charm of a town on the Italian Coastline, with eateries and wineries, galleries, and ghosts!

If you want a remote self-contained town, amazing vistas, an artist colony feel, and you love history and sharing a room with ghosts, this is your place!

Tubac

SPANISH - ARTS - SHOPPING - HISTORIC - 

Found in Southern Arizona, Tubac is perhaps one of the most artist colony-vibe towns in the state. It mixes the Spanish influence with the Old West.  The old Spanish-built buildings are charming and regal. 

If you are into the fine arts and beauty and the vibe of a Spanish town, this town will satisfy. 

Bisbee

MINING - SHOPPING - HISTORIC - ARTS - HIPSTER - GHOSTS - WALKING -

Artists, narrow easy-to-walk streets, coffee shops, gourmet goods, mine tours, cozy inns, ghostly legends, and more.  A short drive from Tombstone, both towns together satisfy you whether you love reliving history or shopping and sleeping in. 

Tombstone

REENACTING - WESTERN - GHOSTS - WALKING - SHOPPING - HISTORIC -

The Williamsburg of the Old West, this town is charming and fun. How about riding in a stagecoach? Hiking a main road that is dirt with no cars, only reenactors having spontaneous shoot-outs and horses trodding along? The shopping is awesome, but the Big Nose Kate Saloon, the City Hall, the mine tours, the reenactment at OK Corral with the Earp Brothers, Boot Hills where bandits were buried - they are all just great big fun!

Cave Creek

SHOPPING - BEAUTY - WALKING - ARTS - REFINED - SCENIC - 

Cave Creek is a fantastic destination for shoppers, lovers of art and scenic locations and not far from Scottsdale where golf courses and spas abound. The hillsides are covered in huge boulders and the shops and galleries feel like you're in a chic European town.  The sunshine, roadrunners, and desert surroundings impart the western feel to make it a very pampering and beautiful location. 

Sedona

SCENIC - SPAS - HEALING - NEW AGE - ARTS - WALKING - SHOPPING - RELAXING -

Perhaps the greatest New Age healing location in the US. Surrounded by red rocks and possessing four vortexes or convergences of energy paths, it attracts artists, galleries, Native Culture, Reiki healers, rock shops, UFO watchers, and more. It's impossible to visit Sedona and not leave feeling strangely rebooted. It is literally like no other place you will ever visit - feasting your eyes on unbelievable natural beauty and artwork beyond compare, as well as the sound of windchimes and a rushing creek, labyrinths and incense. 

Globe

WALKING - HISTORIC - ANTIQUES - NATIVE SITES - 

A scenic drive to the East of Phoenix, Globe is a quiet town known for mining. It also is historic and has Native ancient sites and quaint Old West feeling shop fronts. It is another town known for hauntings. If you want to get away from civilization to a town caught in time, this one'll do it. 

Quartzsite

GEOLOGY - ROCK COLLECTING - RV CAMPING - EXPANSES - OUTDOORSY - DESERT -

Right on the edge of the massive Sonoran Desert as it meets up with the Mojave, Quartzsite has gained its reputation as the RV parking capital and rock show king of the West.  There aren't a lot of rules out here in no man's land, but there is 180 degrees of sky, nonstop sunshine, and rock shops by the ton. For those hitting the road with camper or RV, this is a great stop off.

Patagonia

LUSH - QUIET - SPANISH - WALKING - SHOPPING - BORDER FEEL - REMOTE - SCENIC -

This town is close to the border, past wine county of Sonoita. It feels like a long lost town when you arrive. It suddenly becomes green, beautiful, with an historic town vibe that combines a close knit community of old time charm and old world crafts. It has a delicious taste of nearby Mexico and is a quiet lovely oasis. 

Wickenburg

WESTERN - HISTORIC - FROZEN IN TIME - SHOPPING - EATING - SCENIC - WALKING -

Of all the western feeling towns in AZ, I do believe Wickenburg is the Master, the King. They have done an amazing job of keeping the historic storefronts and beautiful sculptures of the Old West that make it feel like you're walking among cowboys and prospectors.  It's been known for gold mining, but has lovely ranches and craggy hillsides around it. You will step back in time here, feel very folksy and relaxed, but also shot back in a time machine.

Having lived in Arizona since 1977 and loving road trips, urban exploration, and history, I think these locations would satisfy a wide variety of needs fromi history buffs and cowboy lovers to geology geeks and prospecting enthusiasts, spa-loving shoppers, and photographers and artists. 

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