Arizona
These are Arizona’s coziest towns. Why they are perfect for a getaway
Stunning places every Arizonan should visit at least once
From the Grand Canyon to Sedona’s red rocks to dramatic views of Havasupai Falls, here are some must-see places every Arizonan should check out.
Arizona is known for popular tourist attractions like the Grand Canyon and the state’s capital, Phoenix, but there is still so much going on in the shadows of small towns in Arizona.
Geography website World Atlas ranked the six coziest towns in the Grand Canyon State. These towns have a lot of unique elements to offer, like beautiful red rock formations, outdoor activities and unique things to do. All of these combine to give quintessential small-town vibes.
Here are six cozy Arizona towns to visit and what to do there, as recommended by World Atlas.
Sedona
Sedona is one of Arizona’s most popular tourist towns and for good reason.
It’s known for beautiful red rocks and powerful energy vortexes, which are said to bring peace and tranquility to those in the area.
There are also numerous stunning hikes to take in Sedona. One of the most popular is Devils Bridge, which is a 4.6-mile trail featuring the area’s largest sandstone arch, giving you amazing views of the surrounding area.
Sedona also has a unique shopping experience at the Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village. It features art galleries with local artists, along with clothing and souvenir shops that allow you to bring a little piece of Sedona home with you.
Bisbee
Bisbee is one of Arizona’s oldest towns that’s still brimming with culture.
The small mining town has been around since the 1800s and is said to be home to many ghosts. The Old Bisbee Ghost Tour takes you through town and explores the sites of many paranormal experiences and stories.
Bisbee also has a thriving arts district with galleries and museums like the Artemizia Foundation museum and Bisbee’s iconic art wall.
There are several historic hotels with architectural charm, like the Bisbee Grand Hotel, but don’t be surprised if you’re visited by a ghost.
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Wickenburg
Wickenburg is the perfect small town experience if you’re looking to get out of the city.
The Flying E Ranch allows for a relaxing stay while being stimulated with outdoor activities like archery, horse penning and corn hole.
Get a taste of the town’s history and visit Wickenburg’s Jail Tree, a 200-year-old mangled mesquite tree that is believed to be a makeshift jail during the town’s Wild West days.
Need more of the Wild West? Visit Vulture City, the town’s earliest settlements, discovered by Henry Wickenburg. The town was discovered in 1863 and is now a look into life in Arizona’s early days.
Williams
Williams is one of the stops on the iconic Route 66 and a close destination to the Grand Canyon.
Williams celebrates its place in car culture. Each summer, it hosts a historic car show that showcases unique and exclusive historic automobiles.
While visiting, it’s also essential to visit Pete’s Route 66 Gas Station Museum. The cute little gas station is a perfect photo-op and is filled with Route 66 memorabilia.
Stay at or visit Raptor Ranch for a chance to have an up close a personal interaction with a raptor. The ranch is conveniently located on the south rim of the Grand Canyon with camping, glamping and RV spots available for overnight stays.
Prescott
Prescott is the perfect little town to get away from the Phoenix heat, while still having so much to offer. It stays about 20 degrees cooler than Phoenix and has hiking trails and historic bars to explore.
Prescott is known for Whiskey Row, a stretch that boasts bars, shops and hotels that speak to the town’s Wild West character. The Palace Restaurant and Saloon is Arizona’s oldest frontier saloon, established in 1877, where infamous outlaws and lawmen were said to have visited.
Bashford Courts is a three-story antique mall filled with fine jewelry, boutiques and crafts. All the stores are small businesses. Bashford Courts is also a three-minute walk from Whiskey Row.
Watson Lake Park also has so many outdoor activities to offer, from hiking, fishing, paddleboarding and more.
Cottonwood
Cottonwood is the perfect destination for a chill weekend getaway.
The little town is right in the Verde Valley, giving close access to the Verde River with water activities like fishing and kayaking.
Dead Horse Ranch State Park has many walking and hiking trails right by the river for a relaxing walk.
Cottonwood is also in the heart of Arizona’s wine country and home to many wineries and tasting rooms.
March is when Cottonwood starts its farmers market back up, every Friday from 4-11 p.m. The market sells local and organic snacks and produce, accompanied by live music. It is located in Cottonwood’s Main Street plaza and is surrounded by restaurants and shops, making it the perfect Friday outing.
Last night was the seventh consecutive game where the Diamondbacks were held to six hits or fewer. That ties a franchise record, last done in April 2022, and previously in August 2011. The team’s .477 OPS over that time is actually lower than either streak, though due to the efforts of the pitching staff, Arizona are actually 3-4 during the current run. They went 2-5 in 2022, and 1-6 in 2011. There hasn’t been a longer streak in the majors since the Angels went nine in April last year. In the National League, the Pirates went eight in June 2023. And in case you are wondering, the last team to reach a double-digit streak of games with 6 or fewer hits each time? The 1968 Astros reached 11, the year before the mound was lowered.
Let’s hope the D-backs render that moot and the offense comes to life a bit. The three runs added in garbage time last night, because one of the Rangers’ relievers couldn’t find the strike-zone, certainly padded Arizona’s resume. But they were more because of walks than hits. I’ve no doubt the team will hit better. They have batted .152 over the past week. It’s the second lowest in franchise history for a seven-game span. The only worse was April 7-15, 2022 when Arizona hit a remarkable .135, going 28-for-208 in that span. They actually scored three more runs than the current streak, mostly because they had twice as many home-runs (6-3).
Superintendent Tom Horne speaks at 2026 State of Education address
Arizona Superintendent Tom Horne spoke about controversial topics like DEI and ESAs at the State of Education address to the Legislature on Jan. 20, 2026.
Provided by Arizona Legislature
Democrats Brett Newby and Teresa Leyba Ruiz are set to make the argument to voters that they’re the best candidates to serve as Arizona’s top education official for the next four years.
The Arizona Republic will be streaming the Democratic debate for the Superintendent of Public Instruction race in partnership with the Arizona Media Association. The debate starts at 6 p.m. on May 13.
The office is currently held by Tom Horne, who will on May 14 face off in an Arizona Media Association debate against fellow Republican candidate Kimberly Yee, who currently serves as state treasurer.
Newby has worked as a behavioral analyst and professor, according to his campaign. He received a master’s degree in special education. His campaign has hinged on issues like downsizing the state’s controversial Empowerment Scholarship Program, retaining teachers and hiring more school counselors.
Ruiz attended Roosevelt Elementary School District and Phoenix Union High School District as a child before earning her Ph.D. from Arizona State University. She worked as a teacher at the middle and high school level before becoming president of Glendale Community College.
Like Newby, her campaign has also focused on the ESA program. She has also focused on advocating for more funding for public schools and supporting both rural and urban school districts. Ruiz has also spoken publicly about the teacher retention crisis as part of her campaign.
The last trip through the rotation for the Diamondbacks has been really good:
By that 5-game rolling average game score, it’s the best we’ve seen since a run around the All Star Break in 2022:
If we restrict to 5-game stretches with 5 different starters, it’s the best since September 2019:
So yeah, it’s been a while since we’ve had it this good. But this is still a far cry from the best in Diamondbacks history — the current stretch is only tied for 58th all-time. Here’s the best ever:
The good news is that there’s still quite a lot of room for Zac Gallen to improve on his last start, which had a Game Score of only 47. Doing so would give us an even better 5-game average. A score of better than 60 would surpass the 2022 streak; 69 or better would surpass 2018. Although it would take a career-best-tying 89 (reached against the Cubs on September 8, 2023) for him to pull the overall average into a tie for the franchise record. But any improvement on his last start would bring the rolling average up in the franchise rankings.
All records queried here are courtesy of Retrosheet.
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