Fodor’s. For Choice Travel Experiences.Fodor’s helps you unleash the possibilities of travel by providing the insightful tools you need to experience the trips you want. While you’re at the helm, Fodor’s offers the assurance of our expertise, the guarantee of selectivity, and the choice details that truly define a destination. It’s like having a friend in the American Southwest!•Updated frequently, Fodor’s American Southwest provides the most accurate and up-to-date information available in a guide book.•Fodor’s American Southwest features options for a variety of budgets, interests, and tastes, so you make the choices to plan your trip of a lifetime.•If it’s not worth your time, it’s not in this book. Fodor’s discriminating ratings, including our top tier Fodor’s Choice designations, ensure that you’ll know about the most interesting and enjoyable places in the American Southwest.•Experience the American Southwest like a local! Fodor’s American Southwest features information from local experts.•Indispensable, customized trip planning tools include “Top Reasons to Go,” “Word of Mouth” advice from other travelers, and tips to help save money, bypass lines, and avoid common travel pitfalls.•8 pages of detailed mapsVisit Fodors.com for more ideas and information, travel deals, vacation planning tips, reviews and to exchange travel advice with other travelers.Table of ContentsAbout this Book ............ 7What’s Where ............ 8Quintessential American Southwest ............ 12If You Like ............ 14Great Itineraries ............ 16When to Go ............ 20Chapter 1: Albuquerque ............ 21Orientation & Planning ............ 22Exploring Albuquerque ............ 26Where to Eat ............ 42Where to Stay ............ 52Nightlife & the Arts ............ 61Sports & the Outdoors ............ 64Shopping ............ 67Side Trips from Albuquerque ............ 72Chapter 2: Santa Fe ............ 83Orientation & Planning ............ 84Exploring Santa Fe ............ 90Where to Eat ............ 100Where to Stay ............ 116Nightlife & the Arts ............ 126Sports & the Outdoors ............ 131Shopping ............ 135Side Trips from Santa Fe ............ 144Chapter 3: Taos ............ 163Orientation & Planning ............ 164Exploring Taos ............ 167Where to Eat ............ 176Where to Stay ............ 181Nightlife & the Arts ............ 189Sports & the Outdoors ............ 191Shopping ............ 193Taos Ski Valley ............ 198Side Trips from Taos ............ 200Chapter 4: Phoenix, Scottsdale & Tempe ............ 207Exploring the Valley of the Sun ............ 208Sports & the Outdoors ............ 221Where to Eat ............ 226Where to Stay ............ 236Nightlife & the Arts ............ 244Shopping ............ 249Valley of the Sun Essentials ............ 251Chapter 5: North-Central Arizona ............ 253Flagstaff ............ 255Side Trips near Flagstaff ............ 263Sedona & Oak Creek Canyon ............ 264The Verde Valley, Jerome & Prescott ............ 271North-Central Arizona Essentials ............ 277Chapter 6: Northeast Arizona ............ 303The Petrified Forest & the Painted Desert ............ 305Navajo Nation East ............ 310The Hopi Mesas ............ 313Monument Valley ............ 316Glen Canyon Dam & Lake Powell ............ 319Northeast Arizona Essentials ............ 325Chapter 7: Tucson ............ 327Exploring Tucson ............ 328Sports & the Outdoors ............ 342Where to Eat ............ 345Where to Stay ............ 351Nightlife & the Arts ............ 354Shopping ............ 356Tucson Essentials ............ 357Chapter 8: Southern Arizona ............ 359Southeast Arizona ............ 361Southwest Arizona ............ 370Southern Arizona Essentials ............ 376Chapter 9: Moab & Southeastern Utah ............ 377Moab ............ 380Canyonlands National Park ............ 387Southeastern Utah ............ 395Southeastern Utah Essentials ............ 403Chapter 10: Southwestern Utah ............ 415Utah’s Dixie ............ 417Along U.S. 89 ............ 428Grand Staircase—Escalante National Monument ............ 431Southwestern Utah Essentials ............ 433Chapter 11: Southwest Colorado ............ 455Telluride ............ 458Purgatory ............ 465Durango ............ 468Pagosa Springs ............ 474Cortez ............ 476Southwest Colorado Essentials ............ 478Chapter 12: West Texas ............ 491El Paso ............ 494Guadalupe Mountains National Park ............ 500Alpine, Marfa & the Davis Mountains ............ 502Midland-Odessa ............ 505San Angelo ............ 507West Texas Essentials ............ 508Chapter 13: Las Vegas ............ 527Exploring Las Vegas ............ 528Best Bets ............ 538American Southwest Essentials ............ 553Getting Started ............ 554Booking Your Trip ............ 556Transportation ............ 561On The Ground ............ 564Index ............ 565About Our Writer ............ 576FeaturesGrand Canyon National Park ............ 279Arches National Park ............ 405Bryce Canyon National Park ............ 435Zion National Park ............ 445 Mesa Verde National Park ............ 481Big Bend National Park ............ 509Carlsbad Caverns National Park ............ 517MapsAmerican Southwest ............ 10—11Albuquerque Old Town ............ 28Albuquerque ............ 30—31Where to Eat in Albuquerque ............ 44—45Where to Stay in Albuquerque ............ 54—55Albuquerque Side Trips ............ 73Santa Fe ............ 88—89Downtown Santa Fe ............ 93Where to Eat in Downtown Santa Fe ............ 103Where to Stay & Eat in Greater Santa Fe ............ 114—115Where to Stay in Downtown Santa Fe ............ 123Side Trips from Santa Fe ............ 145Taos ............ 170Where to Eat in Taos ............ 175Where to Stay in Taos ............ 182Taos Side Trips ............ 202Downtown & Central Phoenix ............ 210Greater Phoenix ............ 213Scottsdale ............ 217Tempe & Around ............ 220Where to Eat: Valley of the Sun ............ 224—225Where to Stay: Valley of the Sun ............ 238—239North-Central Arizon Overview ............ 256Flagstaff & Environs ............ 258Sedona ............ 265The Verde Valley, Jerome & Prescott ............ 272Prescott ............ 276Grand Canyon South Rim ............ 285Grand Canyon Village & The Rim Trail ............ 289Grand Canyon North Rim ............ 292Northeast Arizona ............ 306Petrified Forest National Park ............ 308Hopi Mesas ............ 314Glen Canyon Dam & Lake Powell ............ 319Tuscon ............ 330What to See in Downtown Tucson ............ 332Saguaro National Park West Unit ............ 339Saguaro National Park East Unit ............ 340Where to Stay & Eat in Tucson ............ 348Where to Stay & Eat in Tucson ............ 349Southern Arizona ............ 362Southeast Arizona ............ 364Southwest Arizona ............ 371Southeastern Utah ............ 379Canyonlands Needles District ............ 392Southwestern Utah ............ 420St. George ............ 422Central Bryce Canyon ............ 440Southwest Colorado ............ 458West Texas ............ 493El Paso ............ 495Subterreanean Trail Network, Carlsbad Caversn NP ............ 522The Strip ............ 531