Buddies Travel
Arizona
Mountain biking, fighter pilot rides, premier sporting events
Take in the thrill of outdoor adventure, great sporting events, and world-class resorts with your buddies in Arizona. The great year-round weather (though the summer heat can be oppressive in some areas) and striking scenery provide an ideal setting both for taking it easy and for action-packed trips.
Arizona's open spaces and dramatic landscapes offer tremendous mountain biking, with many trails nearby the largest cities. Near Phoenix, The Desert Classic at South Mountain Park is a popular 10 mile (one way), multi-use, single track trail with packed dirt for solid riding and desert scenery. McDowell Mountain Competitive Tracks is 15 miles northeast of Scottsdale and has three aggressive tracks used for racing competitions. The fast, fun single track rides, such as the Long Loop, are perfect for the weekend warrior. Tucson and the Sedona desert provide some great off-road action at Starr Pass, located in Tucson Mountain Park just west of town. Here, most trails connect together offering lots of different loop ride combinations. Ride with lots of water, early in the morning or late in the afternoon, for the best temperatures and sunlight.
Ready to cool off? Make the short drive from Phoenix or Scottsdale to Mesa for the Salt River Tubing and Recreation Area. Here, your group can put a cooler in a tube and float, picnic, and party leisurely as you float past desert scenery. If in Tucson, head out to Sabino Canyon where, after a short hike, you can find numerous swimming holes, waterfalls, and Sabino Creek.
Mesa is also the place to learn the moves of fighter pilots while experiencing loops, rolls, tumbles, tail slides, inverted flight, spins and more at Fighter Combat International. Also in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area, you can take a Hummer tour out into the extreme desert terrain, where your guide provides insight into the secrets of the rugged landscape. You can stop to explore Indian ruins or abandoned mines and hike along some very quiet trails.
There are a number of great sporting events to consider traveling to Arizona for. On February 3, 2008, Super Bowl XLII will take place at the new University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. Each January, two of the nation's top college football teams face off in the desert in the Fiesta Bowl at this same stadium. Spring Training is a great time to visit Arizona and to see baseball's stars up-close. Phoenix hosts the men's college basketball regionals (4 of the Sweet 16 teams) in March 2008. Greater Phoenix also provides two NASCAR Nextel Cup races in April and November, as well as Indy Racing League action each March.
Admit it, even you and the guys occasionally need some relaxation and, dare we say it, pampering. Arizona is well known for their wide variety of spa resorts, including some of the world's best as recognized by top travel publications such as Conde Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure magazines. Try a Swedish Massage, a classic full body massage great for circulation and relieving tension or a Sports Massage, a deep tissue rub for easing muscular soreness and tired joints.
Related Links
- Arizona in Golf Vacations
- Spring Training in Sporting Events