10 Popular Arizona Destinations

After negotiating with a multitude of RV dealers, you find yourself happily purchasing a Heartland RV, ready to hit the road. Arizona RV dealers are more than happy to help you find your way to some amazing areas in the state. Although Arizona might initially seem like an unforgiving place, completely covered in desert and an overbearing sun, it is actually filled with some amazing landscapes, rife with a variety of flora and fauna.

RV Camping this way!

Here are ten popular tourist destinations in Arizona.

1. Grand Canyon National Park
This is probably one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, not just Arizona. Grand Canyon is a massive geological wonder cut into the land and measures 277 river miles in length, 18 miles at its widest point, and over a mile deep. Featuring camping, hiking, photo opportunities, and breathtaking scenery, the Grand Canyon has something for everyone.

2. Lake Mead
Named after Elwood Mead, the commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation from 1924 to 1936, Lake Mead is the largest reservoir in the United States. The lake is formed by water impounded by the Hoover Dam and holds about 28.5 million acre feet (35.2 cubic kilometers) of water.

3. Petrified Forest National Park
Containing one of the largest concentrations of petrified forests, this national park is well-known for its fossils of both flora and fauna. Home to the Painted Desert, Petrified Forest National Park is perfect for sightseeing, photography, hiking, and backpacking.

4. Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
This park is the only place in the United States where the Organ Pipe Cactus grows wild, though the park also has a large number of other cacti and desert flora specimens. The park acts as a wonderful preservation of the American Southwest’s natural treasures.

5. Coronado National Memorial
This memorial commemorates the first organized expedition into the Southwest by Spanish conquistador Francisco Vasquez de Coronado. The memorial is located on the international border, just south of Sierra Vista, Arizona. The Coronado National Memorial features numerous hiking and spelunking opportunities for amateurs and experts alike.

6. Saguaro National Park
This national park is named for the wealth of Giant Saguaro cactus in the area. The cactus, a symbol of the American West, can only be found in a small portion of the United States. Saguaro National Park preserves some of the most impressive saguaro forests in the world.

7. Phoenix: Valley of the Sun
The state capital, Phoenix is the state’s largest city and the sixth most populated city in the United States. The city is filled with some wonderful sights for all ages.

8. Tucson: The Old Pueblo
Tucson is the second largest city in Arizona next to Phoenix and is well-known as a home for the manufacture of optics and optoelectronics systems. With such a huge metropolitan area, Tucson is sure to attract tourists of all kinds.

9. Sunset Crater
Born in a series of volcanic eruptions between 1040 and 1100, Sunset Crater is now home to some dramatic geologic features, beautiful trees and wildflowers, and thriving wildlife.

10. Navajo National Monument
Navajo National Monument perfectly preserves three intact cliff dwellings of the Puebloan people, some of the first inhabitants of the land. The monument features a museum, self-guided trails, campgrounds, and a picnic area.

10 Fun Road Games to Play When Traveling in an RV

After sifting through a plethora of California RV dealers, you’ve finally settled on that perfect motorhome. With your new RV ready and your family in tow, it’s time to hit the open road.

If you have kids, chances are they will get a little bored along the way. Even with a huge motorhome, it will be difficult to keep kids entertained on an extra long road trip, and we all know that unhappy children are no fun to deal with. Besides, a good game can make a long trip seem like just seconds.

Here are some fun road games you can play with your kids when traveling in an RV.

1. Geography (And Other Topics)
Start with the name of any place in the world, any country, state, or city. The next person then has to think of a place starting with the last letter of that place. For example, the first person may start with Wyoming. The next person then has to think of a place starting with the letter G, like Georgia. The game continues in this fashion. A person cannot repeat a place that has already been said. Each person should answer within a set time limit or otherwise be eliminated. Of course, this game can be played with other topics outside of geography as well. You can choose from all sorts of topics, like food, animals, or celebrity names.
2. Counting
This game is about as simple as it gets. Choose an object outside that appears fairly frequently, such as cows, red cars, mailboxes, or motorhomes for sale. Decide on a specific destination point where you will stop counting. The goal is to have the highest number when you reach the destination.
3. I Spy
This is a classic guessing game. One person chooses an object and says “I spy with my little eye…” followed by a clue. Players look around and suggest what it might be while the person who initially chose the object answers with a simple yes or no.
4. Twenty Questions
Players should begin by thinking of a specific topic, though the game typically uses only celebrities. One person thinks of a celebrity, and the other players have a twenty question limit to guess who that celebrity is.
5. A is for…
Starting with the letter A, each person tries to be the first to read something beginning with that letter. It could be on a billboard, on the side of a truck, on a road sign, even on a license plate, but it must be a legible word. This proves especially challenging for those long stretches of road with seemingly nothing, but it does force a certain attentiveness to things happening outside. Try to get through the whole alphabet. Good luck with X and Z.
6. Rock, Paper, Scissors
The game often used for making decisions can also be quite fun. This game has several variations, including the now popular rock-paper-scissors-lizard-Spock.
7. License Plate States
See how many different states you can identify on license plates.
8. Two Truths and a Lie
Each person in turn tells the other players two truths and a lie about himself or herself. The other players have to guess which statement is a lie. This is also a great way to learn about others.
9. License Plate Words
The aim of the game is to make a phrase using the letters of a car’s license plate as an abbreviation. For example, if you see a license plate with the letters HMP, you could say “Have mercy, please.”
10. Mad Libs
These are more than affordable and loaded with hours of fun. Mad Libs are a great way to teach kids word play and grammar as well.

Guest post by Tim