In 1528, the first European explorers came to Arizona. However, the most notable early exploration was that of Francisco Vasquez de Coronado and Marcos de Nizo. Their accounts of the trips detailed cities such as Cibola with substantial amounts of silver and copper, which would lead to high miner and settler traffic later in history. These also led to the Arizonan Columbian Exchange. San Xavier del Bac established a multitude of missions in an attempt to convert the natives. Eusebio Kino worked with the natives, trading gifts with them and using them as scouts to monitor the frontier's events. Now, aside from luxury hotels Arizona is home to many events and unique sights.
The Carefree Fine Art and Wine Festival is the state's largest wine tasting event. During the festival, which runs for three days in early November, downtown Carefree's streets are closed to make way for over one hundred and sixty-five artists. All pieces are original, featuring work in metal, bronze sculpture, clay, stone, glass, wood and mixed media. The festival also features photography, jewelry, pottery, watercolors, pastels, acrylics and oil paintings. Food is provided by local restaurants and cafes, with fine chocolates and wines, of course.
The Arizona State Fair is held from mid-October to early November in Phoenix. It features a wide variety of attractions, including Native American spirit dancers, a display about human anatomy, butterfly encounters and police dog competitions. Other attractions include two rodeos, an arm wrestling championship, cow milking, a tour of Kerr's Farm, pie eating contests and chicken dancing for kids. There is also a display of photography and fine art, youth crafts, student technology and culinary art. Livestock shows and concerts featuring Weezer and others have been a part of the festival in the past as well.
The Glendale Chocolate Affaire is held for three days in early February, featuring thirty chocolatiers, including regional, local and national vendors. The event also features horse drawn carriage rides, wine tasting and meetings with authors in addition to workshops by romance novelists. There are also concerts, in the past featuring artists such as a Beatles tribute band known as Marmalade Skies. Other attractions include tours of local chocolate shops and family activities such as face painting, a rock wall and arts and crafts activities.
When searching for luxury hotels Arizona guests will find that many feature on-site restaurants and bars, valet parking and room service while a fair amount feature concierge services. Other common amenities include laundry, dry cleaning, safety deposit boxes and luggage storage while a fair amount feature on-site gift shops and a few feature a babysitting service. Express check in and checkout is also common and a few feature on-site beauty salons and barbershops. Common activities include fitness centers and swimming pools, while a few also have saunas, spas, massage, jacuzzis, tennis or golf.
The Ottosen Entry Garden is exactly as it sounds. It is the entrance to the Desert Botanical Garden of Phoenix, featuring a display of cacti and other desert plants. The garden features over twenty thousand plant species, with various trails that can be used to discover these plants. In fact, the main trail of the garden is called the Discovery Loop Trail, which takes visitors by many of the garden's attractions such as the Berlin Agave Yucca Forest, the Sybil B. Harrington Cactus and Succulent Galleries, Plants and People of the Sonoran Desert Loop Trail, the Marshall Butterfly Pavilion and the Sonoran Desert Nature Loop Trail.
The Wupatki National Monument is found in Flagstaff and is a show of eight hundred years of history, preserving the work of the early Native American "masons" of their time. During that time, it was the biggest pueblo, serving as a meeting place for several cultures. There are scenic trails around the monument, so visitors can marvel at their work.
When staying in luxury hotels Arizona guests can enjoy the meteor crater left from fifty thousand years ago, just east of Flagstaff. NASA utilized the crater as a training spot for Apollo missions because it is so similar to the moon. There is an on-site visitor's center with a snack bar, presentations and exhibits. The crater is five hundred and fifty feet deep.
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