Budget travel: road tripping on either side of town
In a recent post here at The Phoenix Traveler, one person posted a comment about being “too poor to travel.” Boy, do I understand that, which is why it’s good to know that there’s always budget travel options to consider.
For instance, Now that gas prices have dropped below $2.30/gal., how about a road trip? In less than two hours, you can hop in your car, pick east or west, and wind up in small town Arizona where you’ll be able to see the Western lifestyle up close. No need to reserve a room, take the dog to the kennel, or pack the American Express. Just grab a map and go.
Not sure which way? Here are two suggestions:
Wickenburg: Located about an hour’s drive west of Phoenix, True West magazine calls Wickenburg one of the Top 10 Western towns. It’s true for many reasons: gold mining history and a gold mine tour, the old stage coach road, Yavapai Indian massacres, the Western museum, cowboy poets, ghost stories, Western clothes, shopping and quilts, dude ranches–they’re all there. You can also visit a nature preserve and do the historic walking tour downtown, and more.
The most scenic drive: Head north on I-17, then west on SR 74 (Carefree Highway, passing Lake Pleasant) to US 60 West into Wickenburg (US 60/93). Turn right on US 93 at the first light; it turns into the main drag, Tegner Street, which will take you downtown where you can pick up local maps and brochures at the Chamber’s Visitor Center (216 N. Frontier St.).
Globe: Located just less than two hours east of central Phoenix, this is the place of copper mines, silver and now uranium. Like Bisbee and Jerome, Globe was a boom town back in the late 1800s. Today, the mines are coming back. If you go, you’ll see charming boutiques, such as Simply Sarah, and antique stores. You can step inside Bacon’s Boots and Saddles and watch the owner tool custom orders. The historic county courthouse has been renovated into an arts center, and an old bordello is now a bar. You can also drive up a hill to see Indian ruins that date back 800 years.
This scenic drive involves US 60 East all the way from Phoenix. After passing Apache Junction, the road is referred to as the Old West Highway. At Milepost 214, it becomes The Gila-Pinal Scenic Road for the next 30 miles. You’ll pass the towns of Superior, Miami and Claypool along the way before entering Globe. Pick up maps and brochures at the Globe-Miami Chamber of Commerce on the right-hand side of US 60 East, just before you reach Historic Downtown Globe at the light on Broad Street.
Both of these places offer a unique experience if you want to get out of the big city. Spend as much or as little as you like because it’s really the scenery that makes the drive worth the trip. And that won’t cost you any more than a few gallons of gas.
C’mon, you can afford that.
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