Check Out These Great Gift Ideas…

“In my mind, there was no golden era, just decades and decades of spectacular photography — one great shot after another.” — Robert Stieve

The holidays are right around the corner — OK, not really, but everyone else seems to be getting into the spirit (and not the Halloween variety) — so, with that, why not start thinking about what you’ll be giving your favorite friends and family this gift-giving season?

Not to worry; we have three very good ideas below:

100 Greatest Photographs to Ever Appear inArizona Highways Magazine: From Navajo families and a Mohave girl to the splendor of the Grand Canyon and the grasslands of Southern Arizona, the 100 images that appear in these pages are the best to have ever been published in Arizona Highways, as chosen by Photo Editor Jeff Kida and Editor Robert Stieve. As Stieve writes, “In my mind, there was no golden era, just decades and decades of spectacular photography — one great shot after another.” This book celebrates those great shots, both old and new, and pays tribute to the men and women who made them.

Arizona Highways Camping Guide: From quiet, isolated high-mountain sites to low-desert locations, Arizona Highways Camping Guide features 100 of the best campgrounds in Arizona. The book, which includes Arizona Highways’ iconic photography and maps, is sorted by region and written for car-campers and families. Detailed information about locations, amenities, seasonal accessibility and fees is included with each listing.

Arizona Highways Hiking Guide: Fifty-two of the best day hikes in Arizona — one for each weekend of the year, organized by seasons. Robert Stieve, editor of Arizona Highways magazine and an experienced backwoods trekker, selected hikes ranging from easy walks in the woods to challenging journeys to Arizona’s highest peaks and deepest canyons — including the Grand Canyon. In-depth trail guides, descriptions, warnings and GPS coordinates are included with each hike, along with the magazine’s classic fine photography.

All three books are available at Costco and at the Arizona Highways store.

Go Camping this Weekend!

Looking to get out of the heat this weekend? Why not go camping? Pick up the Arizona Highways Camping Guide, which features 100 of the best campgrounds in Arizona. The book, which includes Arizona Highways’ iconic photography and maps, is sorted by region and written for car-campers and families. Detailed information about locations, amenities, seasonal accessibility and fees is included with each listing.

Everything You Need to Go Camping in Arizona… Right at Your Fingertips

It’s July. It’s hot. And we’re the experts when it comes to getting away from it all. Need proof? See below:

Now go camping this summer!

It’s Hot Outside! You Should Buy the Arizona Highways Camping Guide & Plan Your Next Getaway. ASAP!

 

From quiet, isolated high-mountain sites to low-desert locations, Arizona Highways Camping Guide features 100 of the best campgrounds in Arizona. The book, which includes Arizona Highways’ iconic photography and maps, is sorted by region and written for car-campers and families. Detailed information about locations, amenities, seasonal accessibility and fees is included with each listing. $22.95 Click to buy you copy (or copies) today!

Here’s a Q&A with the Camping Guide’s author, Kelly Vaughn Kramer:

How did this book actually come to be, and why did you want to write it?

This book was the brainchild of our books team, and it’s intended as a solid addition to our collection of guidebooks. Camping is such a great way to explore Arizona, including spots you might not otherwise visit. I was excited to write the book to encourage people to get out and spend a few nights under the stars, smell the pine trees, listen to the shivering of aspen leaves and maybe spot an elk or two.

Initially, this must have seemed overwhelming… after all, there are a lot of campgrounds. How did you begin to break it down into more manageable sections?

Breaking the book into regional chapters was definitely a benefit, and I tried to visit at least a handful of campgrounds during each research trip. The wildest was a 31-campground tour in the White Mountains. That was a big undertaking, especially with my young son on board, but I managed it and it turned into a wonderful experience.

You were very near the end of your book when the Wallow Fire broke out and destroyed several campsites. What went through your mind? What did you do?

The Wallow Fire delayed the printing of this book by about a year. Between it and the Horseshoe 2 and Monument fires, nearly 16 percent of the campgrounds in my original manuscript were at risk. Ultimately, I revisited them when the smoke cleared — so to speak — to make sure the campgrounds were still accessible and that any fire damage hadn’t affected their beauty or amenities.

As writers, we all know that writing a book is incredibly challenging… something that pushes us to our limits. How did you overcome those challenges (besides drinking lots of Diet Coke)?

Diet Coke and coffee were huge stress busters for me, though maybe not the healthiest. Plus, I kept in mind what an opportunity it was for me to travel all across the state and to share those experiences with other people. I also ran a lot to clear my head during the writing process. Sometimes, I did some of my better writing in my head during a long run.

What are your top three favorite campgrounds?

Lockett Meadow, near Flagstaff; KP Cienega, in the White Mountains (it’s on the book’s cover); and Los Burros, north of McNary.

Is there a bucket-list campground in this book? That is, a spot where everyone should camp, at least once in their life?

Just one? Lockett Meadow. There’s something about those aspens that spoke to me. But people should also hit any of the campgrounds at the Grand Canyon. Natural. Wonder.

What do you love most about the final product?

The final product. It’s a relief that this baby is out the door and on shelves.

Q&A With Arizona Highways Camping Guide Author

The Arizona Highways Camping Guide is the newest addition to our collection of guidebooks, and if you haven’t picked yours up today, well, you should (BTW, enter promo code P3A8SC to receive $2 off your purchase). Below, the book’s author — and the managing editor of Arizona Highways — Kelly Vaughn Kramer, talks about her latest achievement, why you and your family should go camping, and the importance of Diet Coke when it comes to the writing process:

How did this book actually come to be, and why did you want to write it?

This book was the brainchild of our books team, and it’s intended as a solid addition to our collection of guidebooks. Camping is such a great way to explore Arizona, including spots you might not otherwise visit. I was excited to write the book to encourage people to get out and spend a few nights under the stars, smell the pine trees, listen to the shivering of aspen leaves and maybe spot an elk or two.

Initially, this must have seemed overwhelming… after all, there are a lot of campgrounds. How did you begin to break it down into more manageable sections?

Breaking the book into regional chapters was definitely a benefit, and I tried to visit at least a handful of campgrounds during each research trip. The wildest was a 31-campground tour in the White Mountains. That was a big undertaking, especially with my young son on board, but I managed it and it turned into a wonderful experience.

You were very near the end of your book when the Wallow Fire broke out and destroyed several campsites. What went through your mind? What did you do?

The Wallow Fire delayed the printing of this book by about a year. Between it and the Horseshoe 2 and Monument fires, nearly 16 percent of the campgrounds in my original manuscript were at risk. Ultimately, I revisited them when the smoke cleared — so to speak — to make sure the campgrounds were still accessible and that any fire damage hadn’t affected their beauty or amenities.

As writers, we all know that writing a book is incredibly challenging… something that pushes us to our limits. How did you overcome those challenges (besides drinking lots of Diet Coke)?

Diet Coke and coffee were huge stress busters for me, though maybe not the healthiest. Plus, I kept in mind what an opportunity it was for me to travel all across the state and to share those experiences with other people. I also ran a lot to clear my head during the writing process. Sometimes, I did some of my better writing in my head during a long run.

What are your top three favorite campgrounds?

Lockett Meadow, near Flagstaff; KP Cienega, in the White Mountains (it’s on the book’s cover); and Los Burros, north of McNary.

Is there a bucket-list campground in this book? That is, a spot where everyone should camp, at least once in their life?

Just one? Lockett Meadow. There’s something about those aspens that spoke to me. But people should also hit any of the campgrounds at the Grand Canyon. Natural. Wonder.

What do you love most about the final product?

The final product. It’s a relief that this baby is out the door and on shelves.