Don't Miss Ideas?March Stay with Car!

Hi! My husband %26amp; I will be staying the entire month of March in Arizona. I am so excited! We are a very active semi-retired couple who like nature %26amp; hiking, museums, the arts (I am a watercolor artist), exploring local restaurants %26amp; sight-seeing, %26amp; shopping for unique hand-crafted items. (I know already that the Scottsdale Art Galleries are one of my prime destinations!)

Since we will be based in Mesa for our stay, what are some of the ';Not To Be Missed'; attractions around the Phoenix area? What are some day-trips or even overnights worth doing? We have a car %26amp; we%26#39;re not afraid to use it!

We would love some ideas about local events happening in March that are not to be missed (I think the Heard Museum has a native american market in that month?). Any art fairs that are fantastic? For food, we like casual, local, unique %26amp; of course, great tasting, with the occasional up-scale nite if it%26#39;s worth it!

From what I%26#39;ve read on these forums, Mesa sounds like the place you stay, but drive to other areas for food %26amp; attractions. Is that right?

ANY SUGGESTIONS would be very appreciated! THANKS!

Don't Miss Ideas?March Stay with Car!

Of course go see the Grand Canyon if you%26#39;ve never seen it. And Sedona in the same direction. I think those are probably rated the top #1 and #2 attractions in AZ.

Kartchner Caverns State Park (just southeast of Tucson) if you would enjoy visiting an awesome cave.

Closer to Mesa:

For a unique and fun shopping experience, visit the Mesa Marketplace. Website at www.mesamarket.com. Definitely not your average swap meet! Very popular with snowbirds!

Drive the Apache Trail. Visit website: americansouthwest.net/arizona/鈥ndex.html

In fact, visit www.americansouthwest.net to find out alot about great outdoor sites in AZ.

The Arizona Renaissance Festival happens to be going on during the month of March. See this website: www.royalfaires.com/ARIZONA

There are tons of good chain restaurants, malls, chain stores in Mesa. You%26#39;ll have no shortage of all that. For a unique and very good restaurant, go to The Landmark www.landmarkrestaurant.com

Good food and good service in a historic building. They have a whole room which is a salad bar with things you would never see on any other salad bar.

Hopefully locals in Phoenix/Scottsdale will give you some other ideas. I%26#39;ve stayed in Apache Junction for two winters. That is the city right next to Mesa on the east. All of the cities in the greater Phoenix area meld right into each other.

I think you%26#39;ll have a great month of March. Your excitement is warranted!

Don't Miss Ideas?March Stay with Car!

One more unique restaurant suggestion in Mesa......Organ Stop Pizza. See website www.organstoppizza.com. Free entertainment with your pizza. Just look at the room photo on the front page of the website. The organ and organist rise from underneath the stage. All the pipes are behind all those windows at the front of the room. The organist takes requests during each set. A really fun, entertaining evening.

Thanks so much for all your suggestions, Janss! Kartchner Caverns, Mesa Market Place, Apache Trail and the American Southwest web site are all new to me, so I doubt I would have found them without you! We%26#39;ll definitely give them all a try....

Really appreciate the two restaurant suggestions - Landmark %26amp; Organ Stop Pizza - can%26#39;t wait to try those!

I think, since we have a month, we will be able to get a lot of things into that time frame - I%26#39;ve been told that March is ';a warm spring'; temp in Phoenix area (and south). North can still get some snow...is that about right? Guess we pack clothes for spring, with a few winter choices thrown in? Do I have that right?

Scottsdale center for the arts has a festival around march. Is one of the only decent ones down there.

You must come visit us in Jerome, and Sedona will be your jewel.

Are you staying at an RV stop ? Why Mesa ? Phoenix only has the Heard Museum. Scottsdale gallerys are nice, but the art towns are up here, and down in Tucson and Bisbee.

Flagstaff%26#39;s museum of northern Az. is not to be missed, and you will want to do some drives through the Indian country and National Parks up north. The light in the spring is heaven at Painted Desert and Petrified Forest

You%26#39;re absolutely correct about the weather and clothing. The high elevations of northern AZ cause us to get occasional snow. Once I can remember we even got a big snowstorm on Easter Sunday in the middle of April. Hopefully it will be nice weather all around for you, but you should be prepared as you indicated.

Morganism gave you some more great ideas. Arizona has alot to offer! You won%26#39;t be bored and you will get to see alot in a month.

Thanks to Morganism for some great ideas! I%26#39;ll find out more about the Scottsdale Center for the Arts Festival, Flagstaff%26#39;s Museum of Northern Az., Painted Desert %26amp; Petrified Forest and the Natl Parks up north!

The last time we were in Scottsdale, many years ago, it seemed it had a lively art gallery presence - have things changed that much? Thanks for the tip about the Jerome, Sedona, Tucson and Bisbee galleries - most of these are new to me. Will definitely check them out! I remember Jerome from another visit - even did a painting there and also of the Red Rocks of Sedona (dosen%26#39;t every artist at some time?)

The reason we are staying in Mesa is because our neighbor (here at home) has a trailer in one of the retirement parks in Mesa %26amp; has encouraged us to come and stay - he found a trailer for us for the month of March just a few units away from them, so we will have friends nearby.

I%26#39;m really looking forward to this trip - can%26#39;t thank everybody enough for the travel tips!