Arizona Hiking Hiking to the top of Four Peaks is a challenging Arizona hike that is worth the effort. From the backyard of our home in the Valley of the Sun, we can occasionally see Four Peaks. If we are lucky and the snow level drops low enough, during the winter, these are snow-capped peaks rising above the desert in Maricopa County, Arizona. Description of Four Peaks Hike Four Peaks is the highest point in the county, and Browns Peak stands the highest of the four at 7,657 feet. Hiking to the top of Four Peaks is an adventure my hiking buddy and I have both wanted to do for years. The hik ..read more

If you are wondering where to go to see fall color in Arizona, head to the Flagstaff area.  The Golden Aspens, also known as Quaking Aspens, put on a spectacular show each fall, in Northern Arizona. This is the first post written by Kevin, the other half of Exploring The Prime! Leaf Peeping: Golden Aspens in Flagstaff, Arizona I had the good fortune to spend time among these majestic trees with bright yellow (in autumn) leaves, papery white bark, and a quaking sound as they make music in the wind. Visiting the Aspens around Flagstaff, Arizona, is something I’ve long wanted to do. Many past yea ..read more

Do you wish you could travel without dragging luggage with you? It may seem like an impossible dream, but travel without the added stress of taking suitcases along can be a reality. No, I’m not talking about some version of ultra-minimalist packing or wearing the same stinky clothes every day. I am referring to using a door-to-door luggage shipping service. These services offer delivery of your luggage from your home directly to your destination. Travel can be stressful, and I’ve realized that a good portion of that travel stress comes from bringing your luggage along with you. I generally tr ..read more

Packing light has many advantages. Packing light will allow you to save money and time. Once you’ve mastered packing light, you will enjoy the freedom and flexibility that comes with traveling without checked baggage. Skipping the baggage check lines and the baggage claim carousel gets your trip off to a great start. Unfortunately, saying you want to pack light is easier than actually getting everything you think you need for your trip into a small suitcase. Many of us hope to be able to pack light but when we start making a pile of everything we think we need to take with us on a trip we quic ..read more

Exploring the Spanish Missions in Arizona can be accomplished with a day trip from either Tucson or Phoenix. Public transportation is not readily available in this area; you will need a car for this trip. Southern Arizona, just a little north of present-day Mexico, is the ideal location to explore the history of Spanish Colonial Missions originally established by Jesuit and Franciscan priests. Here, in the Sonoran Desert, you will find two Spanish missions and a Presidio. Both missions were built in the late 1600s and early 1700s. This may not be old for other parts of the world, but for what ..read more