Kick-It Picks Things to Do in Arizona
The stops worth the drive — and the truth about the ones that aren't.
Arizona is not one big hole in the ground. Yes, the Grand Canyon is here — one of the seven natural wonders of the world. But drive an hour in any direction and the state reinvents itself: red-rock Sedona, slot canyons that glow, Route 66, the O.K. Corral, giant saguaro forests, and an alpine town where you can ski above a desert that hits 115°. These are the picks worth driving all of it for — desert floor to alpine snow.
Regions: North · Central · South
Everything below is a Kick-It Pick — the entries we’d grab you by the collar for. Each one is pulled from Kick the Bucket List: Arizona, our 120-stop field guide, and each carries a blunt Bucket Rating so you know what’s non-negotiable and what to skip. Prices and hours drift; we stamp every page with the date we checked it and fix what changes.
The Big Ten
Stand on the Edge of One of the Seven Wonders
Non-negotiableGet Lost in the Red Rocks
Non-negotiableChase the Light Through Stone
Non-negotiableWalk Among the Giants
Non-negotiableWalk the Town Too Tough to Die
If you've got the dayThe Great Outdoors
Oddities
Eats
Eat at the Oldest Mexican Restaurant in America
Non-negotiableEat the Best Hot Dog in America
Non-negotiableEat the Pizza That Made Phoenix Famous
Non-negotiableEat the Sonoran Dog From a Cart
Non-negotiableEat Your Way Through a UNESCO City of Gastronomy
Non-negotiableRoad Trips
Small Towns
Month by Month
Get all 120 in Kick the Bucket List: Arizona
These are the marquee Kick-It Picks. The book has 120 — adventures, eats, road trips, and the small towns worth the detour — each with a checkbox, a date line, and a Bucket Rating. Fill it in. Score yourself.
See the Arizona book →