ARIZONA

Here are the best things to do in Arizona in 2018. Have fun!

Roger Naylor
Special for The Republic
Lost Dutchman State Park, nestled at the base of the Superstition Mountains, offers great winter hiking.

It’s time to make some New Year’s resolutions. Yes, we’re all going to exercise more and lose weight but let’s look beyond that. How about making some resolutions that are actually fun to keep? I try to come up with a batch of Arizona-specific resolutions each year. Feel free to adopt as many as you’d like, or conjure a few of your own.

• Pet the burros in Oatman.

• Hike at Lost Dutchman State Park on a balmy winter day. See, you’re getting more exercise already.

• When planning your next road trip, figure out the quickest, most efficient route. Then ignore it for a roundabout, meandering journey.

A few buildings are still standing at the ghost town of Fairbank, perched on the banks of the San Pedro River near Tombstone.

• Explore a ghost town like Fairbank, Swansea, Gleeson or Ruby.

• For five minutes do nothing but study a cactus flower.

• Make a day trip to Jerome. Walk the hilly streets, shop in the galleries, grab lunch in one of the restaurants and savor the far-reaching views. Pretty nice day, yes?

• The next time you hear coyotes barking, howling or yipping at the moon, sing along.

• Go underground and peek at Arizona’s innards. There are plenty of fun ways to do this. Tour Kartchner Caverns in Benson, Grand Canyon Caverns in Peach Springs or Colossal Cave in Tucson. Take the Queen Mine Tour in Bisbee, the Good Enough Mine Tour in Tombstone or hike the Lava River Cave in Flagstaff.  

• At least once, eat pie for breakfast. Maybe more than once.

Arizona features some lovely sandy beaches, like the one at Cattail Cove State Park. Arizona State Parks

• Play beach bum for a day. Swim, splash around or read a book on one of Arizona’s sandy beaches. We’ve got lots more than you think.

• Donate money or time to an organization that cares for animals.

• Make a summer hike to the Inner Basin of the San Francisco Peaks high above Flagstaff. You’ll need to work off some calories since you started eating pie for breakfast.

Coal Mine Canyon is east of Tuba City on the Hopi and Navajo reservations. A guide is required to visit the Hopi side or a permit for the Navajo portion. Permits are available at the Navajo Tribal Office in Cameron.

• Visit beautiful Coal Mine Canyon, a colorful gorge that resembles a wilder, unkempt Bryce Canyon. East of Tuba City, Coal Mine Canyon straddles both Navajo and Hopi land. You’ll need a guide to visit the Hopi side or a permit for the Navajo portion.

• Attend a guided hike, geology lecture, star party or other program at an Arizona State Park. Make it a point to learn a new plant or bird or constellation.

• Study an event in Arizona history like the Gunfight at the OK Corral, the Civil War battle at Picacho Pass or the Gates Riot at Yuma Territorial Prison. Then make a road trip to the site.  

• Sit beside a tumbling stream long enough to memorize its song.

The Jackrabbit Trading Post in Joseph City offers an iconic Route 66 photo opportunity.

• Stop at Jackrabbit Trading Post, a Route 66 icon in Joseph City, famous for its signs featuring a swoop-eared hare. Climb into the saddle of the giant jackrabbit that guards the premises and take a photo. Come on, you know you want to.

• Challenge a butterfly to a dance-off.

Arizona has scenic lakes of all sizes across the state, including Roper Lake in Safford.

• Spend a day at a lake you’ve never visited. Have you been to Roper Lake in Safford? How about Fool Hollow Lake in Show Low, Nelson Reservoir in Springerville or Parker Canyon Lake south of Sonoita? We’re an arid state, so it’s no surprise that we keep our precious water in gorgeous containers.  

• Watch a monsoon sunset from beginning to end. Then write down, draw or paint everything you saw.

• Visit a Sedona vortex. Even if you don’t experience any special emanations, you’ll enjoy an easy hike amid beautiful scenery.

This rare double crested saguaro is along the Coyote Canyon Trail in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve in Scottsdale.

• Track down a crested saguaro.

• Sleep in a historic haunted hotel. Options include Prescott’s Hassayampa Inn, Hotel Monte Vista in Flagstaff, Gadsden Hotel in Douglas and the Copper Queen Hotel in Bisbee.

• Slither through a slot canyon. Maybe Antelope Canyon.

Montezuma Castle is one of the best preserved prehistoric cliff dwellings in the Southwest.

• Visit Montezuma Castle, a remarkable prehistoric cliff dwelling near Camp Verde. Find out how it got so wrongly named. Then drive 11 miles to its lesser-known but beautiful relative, Montezuma Well.

• Drink in a genuine swinging-door saloon. Bonus if you buy a round for the house. Better go at a non-busy time.

• Shop at Hubbell Trading Post in Ganado. The national historic site is a step back in time and continues to operate as it has since it opened in 1876.

• Spend some time at the Colorado River. Offer thanks for the water, energy and food it provides — not to mention the crucial habitat, recreational opportunities and pure scenic splendor. Consider ways you can help protect it in the future.

• Sit on your porch as often as you can. If you don’t have a porch, examine your life to see where you went wrong.

• At least once each day, grin big and wide. Because life in Arizona is filled with beauty and wonder, mystery and grace. Happy 2018!

Find the reporter at www.rogernaylor.com. Or follow him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RogerNaylorinAZ or Twitter @AZRogerNaylor.

Meet Roger Naylor

Arizona Republic contributor and author Roger Naylor will discuss his latest book, "The Amazing Kolb Brothers of Grand Canyon," at 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 6, at the Mesquite branch of Phoenix Public Library, 4525 E. Paradise Village Parkway. The event is free and there will be a slide show. Everyone who attends will receive a free Arizona State Parks day pass.

Details: 602-262-4636, www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org.