carney2

My No. 1 Sherpa and I are headed for two weeks in Arizona in mid January. Need photo advice from you good people. I have some mobility issues at the moment and (even mild) hiking is out of the question.

We will be spending one week in Phoenix with friends. Any photo suggestions or musts?

I am allotting one day to Petrified Forest N.P. It looks like a drive-thru with stops at designated turnouts and other things that catch my eye. It will be a weekday and there should be no crowds. As of now I have no plans to drive beyond Blue Mesa.

On to Canyon de Chelly. In deference to my Sherpa I am not doing a tour of the Canyon floor with a native guide. She gets enough winter where we live (Pennsylvania). We plan to drive the North Rim in the morning and the South Rim in the afternoon.

Then it's a brief stop in Sedona. I've been there, but hope to get some sunset shots from Airport Mesa which I missed the last time. Any other suggestions, especially for early morning?

Finally, we'll be spending two days at the Grand Canyon, in the Village. Many accessible vantage points. The best for sunset? Sunrise?

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

While you are in Sedona, take a Pink Jeep tour out into the mountainous countryside for some great shots you won’t get otherwise. Look online for Pink Jeep Tours to see which one best suits your needs and time restrictions. My sister-in-law can’t hike at all, and she had a great time on the jeep tour.

Retired CPO Loc: Travel full time in an RV

The North Rim is closed for the season. Petrified Forest is a LONG drive from Phoenix. Arizona is a BIG state. If I were you I would take a good look at a good map with mileages clearly marked or easy to figure out. Flagstaff is a better home base for Petrified Forest, Sedona, and The Grand Canyon than Phoenix would be. Having said that, Flagstaff is not typical of Arizona being over 7000 ft. so driving in January could be iffy.
I love Flagstaff, I graduated from high school there and know the area well. But Phoenix and surrounding areas are probably best in January. And there is a lot to see between Phoenix and Tucson.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

The North rim and South rim are open year round, but weather can be a factor for either of them.
--Bob

gilpog

I agree with CPO. I lived in Flagstaff for 26 yrs. It's the better hub for many things he lists. Careful with the weather though. It can be very difficult in January. Good luck.

Stardust Loc: Central Illinois

Maybe head over to Apache Junction, just east of Mesa. Use to be an old ghost town /visitor center there plus on edge of Superstition Mountains. Take Rte 88 to Tortilla Flats for late lunch and great scenic/photo ops along the way, be back in time for sunset at Mesa.

carney2

Should have made it clear that travel is not an issue. First stop will be Petrified Forest, then Canyon de Chelly and then Sedona. Then a break with a week in Phoenix before finishing at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. All doable, I think. My biggest concern, as someone pointed out, is Flagstone which, if using interstates, will have to be traversed a few times. It can be avoided, but it is the winter foul weather capital of Arizona.

DWU2 Loc: Phoenix Arizona area

Bisbee is a fun town in southern Arizona. The town is quaint, and there is a lot of easily reachable areas for photography via driving. There's a huge abandoned open-pit copper mine, you can tour an actual mine inside a mountain by miners' train, and there's a quaint town called Lowell nearby set up to resemble a town circa 1954.

Retired CPO Loc: Travel full time in an RV

You are mistaken. Check the National Park Service website. "The North Rim is closed for the season. It will re-open 15 May 2020"
Since the South Rim is about a thousand feet lower in elevation than the North Rim it gets considerably less snow. Yes travel may be iffy, but the South Rim is rarely closed and then only periodically, not seasonally.

clixpix Loc: Surprise, Arizona

I would like to suggest Butterfly Wonderland and Odyssey Aquarium both in Scottsdale, In Phoenix there is the Zoo and Botanical Gardens that have lots of photo opportunities. In Tucson there is the Pima Air Museum and their wild animal park (I forgot the name). All these are flat and easy walking or wheel chair accessible if you use one. Good luck with your visit.

Tjohn Loc: Inverness, FL formerly Arivaca, AZ

Head south in winter. Patagonia, Catalina and Chiricahua Mtns., missions San Xavier & Tumacacori, Bisbee & mine tours.

alandg46 Loc: Boerne, Texas

The Apache Trail out of Apache Junction is good. That's Arizona highway 88.

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

For January you probably should think SOUTHERN Arizona.... It can get pretty cold in the north, not to mention snowy. If you go to Canyon de Chelley, I would really advise the jeep tour. Really awesome from the valley floor.

Thinking south - the Sonoran Desert Museum just West of Tucson is fantastic. Bisbee is interesting - stay a night at the old Copper Queen Hotel if you can.

f8lee Loc: New Mexico

Nobody has mentioned Jerome, a defunct mining town much like Bisbee (which certainly is cool) but is not nearly as far from Sedona - that would be a better place to check out given your plans.

Clicker2014 Loc: Canada

Near Phoenix is a Wolf Sanctuary - Kelly Reed runs it. "Eagle Tail Mountain Wolf Sanctuary". Not sure if I am allowed to give a link to it on here. Kelly and Patricia are wonderful people and you get to go in with the wolves and easy access. It is great for photography!