What's New

Every year I scour the state of Arizona to track down what's new and noteworthy. There are always great new hotels and restaurants to be discovered, new tour companies that have started up, and museums that have opened or expanded. Occasionally there are even new parks or other natural areas to be explored. Inevitably, I also discover that a few old favorite restaurants, shops, and such have gone out of business. Worse still, I sometimes find that places I once liked no longer make the grade and have to be taken out of this guide. Following are some of my discoveries for this edition of Frommer's Arizona.

General -- If you're planning a trip to Grand Canyon National Park and also intend to visit a few other national parks or monuments within the year, consider buying an America The Beautiful-The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Annual Pass. This pass replaces the former National Parks and Gold Eagle passes. There are also passes for seniors and the disabled. For more information, go to www.nps.gov/fees_passes.htm, or call tel. 888/467-2757.

Phoenix, Scottsdale & the Valley of the Sun -- Downtown Scottsdale has a couple of new hip business hotels this year, so if you're in town for the city's nightlife, the Hyatt Place Scottsdale Old Town, 7300 E. Third Ave., Scottsdale (tel. 888/492-8847 or 480/423-9944; www.hyattplace.com), and the Hotel Indigo, 4415 N. Civic Center Plaza, Scottsdale (tel. 866/2-INDIGO or 480/941-9400; scottsdalehiphotel.com), are both good bets. On the other hand, if you're looking for a deal on a hotel with a big pool, green lawns, and tall palms, check out the Best Western Dobson Ranch Inn & Resort, 1666 S. Dobson Rd., Mesa (tel. 800/528-1356 or 480/831-7000; www.dobsonranchinn.com).

If you're going to be in Phoenix for a special occasion and want to splurge on dinner, I can think of no better place than Kai, 5594 W. Wild Horse Pass Blvd., Chandler (tel. 602/225-0100; www.wildhorsepassresort.com), which is at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa. The sophisticated Southwestern-inspired menu relies on ingredients sourced from Native American tribes around the country.

In the same part of the southeastern valley, you'll find much more economical, yet still memorable, meals at Guedo's, 71 E. Chandler Blvd., Chandler (tel. 480/899-7841), a Mexican restaurant; and at Joe's Farm Grill, 3000 E. Ray Rd., Gilbert (tel. 480/563-4745; www.joesfarmgrill.com), a retro roadside diner.

If you're one of those people for whom hot dogs and sausages are guilty pleasures, you won't want to miss Ted's Hot Dogs, 1755 E. Broadway, Tempe (tel. 480/968-6678); or Stanley's Homemade Polish Sausage Co., 2201 E. McDowell Rd., Phoenix (tel. 602/275-8788; www.stanleys-sausage.com).

For the best flour tortillas in Phoenix, join the crowds standing in line at Carolina's, 1202 E. Mohave St., Phoenix (tel. 602/252-1503; www.carolinasmex.com), which is located south of Chase Field.

It's a long way from north Scottsdale to the celebrated Heard Museum in downtown Phoenix, but you can get a taste for the museum at the new Heard Museum North, 32633 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale (tel. 480/488-9817; www.heard.org), which is located just south of Carefree's el Pedregal Shops & Dining at The Boulders. If you do go to the main Heard Museum, be sure to also visit the recently expanded Phoenix Art Museum, 1625 N. Central Ave., Phoenix (tel. 602/257-1222; www.phxart.org).

With suburban sprawl stretching for miles in every direction, it has become harder and harder to find any real desert in the Phoenix metropolitan area. For easy desert hikes, head to north Scottsdale's McDowell Sonoran Preserve (tel. 480/998-7971; www.mcdowellsonoran.org), a large natural area with limited public access. Alternatively, head east to the Superstition Mountains and hike to the petroglyphs at Hieroglyphic Canyon. For information on this hike, contact Tonto National Forest's Cave Creek Ranger District, 40202 N. Cave Creek Rd., Scottsdale (tel. 480/595-3300; www.fs.fed.us/r3/tonto).

Central Arizona -- If you're looking for something to do after dark in Prescott, be sure to check the schedule at the Raven Café, 142 N. Cortez St. (tel. 928/717-0009). This arty cafe has an astonishing beer list. At night, the Raven offers live-music performances and shows vintage movies one night a week.

If you're heading to Sedona from Phoenix, you might want to avoid taking Arizona 179, which is the direct route from I-17 to Sedona. This narrow, winding, two-lane highway is being widened and improved, and construction is expected to last into 2009. To avoid the construction zone, take Arizona 260 from Camp Verde to Cottonwood and then Arizona 89A from Cottonwood to Sedona. Once you're in Sedona, you can avoid the traffic congestion and parking problems by hopping on the Sedona Roadrunner, a free shuttle bus that runs between uptown Sedona, Tlaquepaque, and the Hillside Shops.

You'd think that having some of the most awesome scenery in the world would be enough for Sedona, but no, this town is suffering from a case of pinot envy. It wants red rocks and red wine. Over the past few years, wineries have been sprouting along the banks of Oak Creek in the nearby community of Page Springs. Here you'll find Page Springs Vineyards & Cellars, 1500 N. Page Springs Rd. (tel. 928/639-3004; www.pagespringscellars.com); and Oak Creek Vineyards and Winery, Page Springs Road (tel. 928/649-0290; www.oakcreekvineyards.net), both of which produce decent wines and have tasting rooms open to the public on a regular basis. If you'd like to visit Echo Canyon Vineyard & Winery, which isn't usually open to the public, book a wine tour with Sun Country Adventures (tel. 877/783-6000; www.scadventures.net), which is affiliated with El Portal, my favorite Sedona lodge. If you're more interested in the Big Dipper than big reds, sign up for a stargazing tour with Evening Sky Tours (tel. 866/701-0398 or 928/203-0006; www.eveningskytours.com).

The Sedona landscape has long brought out the spiritual side of people, and the latest manifestation of red-rock spirituality is the Amitabha Stupa (tel. 928/300-4435; www.stupas.org), a Tibetan Buddhist shrine that has been erected on a hillside in west Sedona.

Sedona is a tourist town, and as such has loads of restaurants serving mediocre food at inflated prices. You can escape the tourist mediocrity and eat with the locals at west Sedona's Casa Bonita, 164 Coffee Pot Dr., Suite H (tel. 928/282-2728).

The Grand Canyon & Northern Arizona -- At Grand Canyon National Park (tel. 928/638-7888; www.nps.gov/grca), there are additional lanes at the south entrance to the park, so, hopefully, the summertime wait to get into the park won't be as long as it has sometimes been in the past. Also, Bright Angel Lodge & Cabins (tel. 888/297-2757 or 303/297-2757; www.xanterra.com or www.grandcanyonlodges.com), one of the park's two historic lodges, underwent an extensive renovation in 2007. The Bright Angel's rooms are now both a great value and quite comfortable.

For up-to-the-minute creative cuisine in Flagstaff, search out Brix, 413 N. San Francisco St. (tel. 928/213-1021; www.brixflagstaff.com), which is inside an old carriage house. Hip and casual, Karma Sushi Bar Tapas, 6 E. Rte. 66 (tel. 928/774-6100), right across the street from the Flagstaff Visitor Center, is a fun place for a light meal. For a glass of wine at sunset, it's hard to beat Cuveé 928, 6 E. Aspen Ave., Suite 110 (tel. 928/214-9463), which is located right on Heritage Square in downtown Flagstaff.

The biggest news in the region is the Hualapai Indian Reservation's opening of the much-publicized SkyWalk at Grand Canyon West. However, with a sky-high admission price and a long drive for a short walk on a horseshoe-shaped pier, the SkyWalk is a less than grand attraction. If you're interested, the SkyWalk is operated by Destination Grand Canyon (tel. 877/716-9378 or 702/878-9378; www.destinationgrandcanyon.com).

The Four Corners Region -- You can learn a bit about Navajo culture at the new Explore Navajo Interactive Museum, Main Street and Moenave Avenue, Tuba City (tel. 928/283-4545). The museum is located behind the Tuba City Trading Post. If you happen to be in Window Rock at lunch time, you can try traditional Navajo fare at the Chihootso Indian Marketplace at the junction of Arizona 264 and Indian Route 12. The marketplace has several small restaurants serving fry bread, mutton stew, and other traditional Navajo dishes. On weekends, there's a flea market in the parking lot here.

Eastern Arizona -- Up in Greer, in the high country of the White Mountains, there are a couple of lodges that I've added to the book this year. The Amberian Peaks Lodge & Restaurant, One Main St., Greer (tel. 800/556-9997 or 928/735-9977; www.thepeaksatgreer.com), is right in Greer and is set on a hillside overlooking the valley of the Little Colorado River. Hidden Meadow Ranch (tel. 866/333-4080 or 928/333-1000; www.hiddenmeadow.com), on the other hand, is off in the forest several miles from Greer and is a luxurious guest ranch.

Tucson -- I've added a few new hotels to the Tucson chapter. These include the Hyatt Place Tucson Airport, 6885 S. Tucson Blvd. (tel. 800/492-8847 or 520/295-0405; www.hyattplace.com), which is a very pretty new business hotel near the airport. The Varsity Clubs of America Tucson Chapter, 3855 E. Speedway Blvd. (tel. 800/521-3131 or 520/318-3777; www.ilxresorts.com), is located in midtown Tucson and offers suites with full kitchens. If you're looking for basic, inexpensive accommodations, try the Extended StayAmerica Tucson, 5050 E. Grant Rd. (tel. 800/804-3724 or 520/795-9510; www.extendedstayamerica.com).

I know the desert may not seem the place for sushi, but Sky Blue Wasabi, 250 S. Craycroft Rd., no. 100 (tel. 520/747-0228), is such a fun place and serves such great sushi that I think you should check it out. If you prefer your rolls with hot dogs rather than raw fish, be sure to eat at El Guero Canelo, 2480 N. Oracle Rd. (tel. 520/882-8977; www.elguerocanelo.com), which is known for its Mexican-style hot dogs. For much more upscale south-of-the-border fare, dine at Miguel's, 5900 N. Oracle Rd. (tel. 520/887-3777; www.miguelstucson.com), which is in La Posada hotel. If Mexican is too spicy for your, try Le Delice, 7245 E. Tanque Verde Rd. (tel. 520/290-9714; www.le-delice.com), a casual little French place not far from Sabino Canyon.

Southern Arizona -- In Tubac, there's now a fine dining option in the form of Nob Hill Gourmet Market and Fine Dining, 10 Avenida Goya, Suite B (tel. 520/398-1010; www.nobhilltubac.com), which is located in the Plaza de Anza shopping center and has both a restaurant and a gourmet grocery store.

If you're familiar with Mexico's curious Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations, be sure to visit La Galeria Dia de los Muertos, 266 Naugle Ave. (tel. 520/394-2035), which is a little cottage turned shrine to skeletons and skulls.

In Sonoita, be sure to stop in at Dos Cabezas Wine Works (tel. 602/622-0399; www.doscabezaswinery.com), one of the area's newest wineries.

In Sierra Vista, Adobe Southwestern Cuisine, 5043 S. Hwy. 92, Sierra Vista (tel. 520/378-2762), has become a hit with locals and should be on any bird-watcher's itinerary since Ramsey Canyon, the best-known birding spot in the area, is almost directly across the highway.

If you're looking for a pretty place to stay in Bisbee, check out the Letson Loft Hotel, 26 Main St., Bisbee (tel. 877/432-3210 or 520/432-3210; www.letsonlofthotel.com), which is filled with interesting Asian antiques. For big breakfasts with the locals, head to the Bisbee Breakfast Club, 75A Erie St. (tel. 520/432-5885; www.bisbeebreakfastclub.com).