It takes less than 15 minutes for a cliché to be fulfilled. When you drive east on Interstate I-10 from Los Angeles or Palm Springs, you will be greeted by large, tall Saguaro cacti just a few miles after crossing the state border between California and Arizona. More and more of these impressive desert plants line the roadside and fill the space up to the mountain ridges shimmering between yellow and red. When the you reach the plain, the road turns into an endless straight line towards Phoenix. Lucky those whose rental car has a cruise function, though this does not mean you can play Louise. The automatic speed control must have been invented for routes like this: hardly any onward traffic and a strict speed limit.

The south of Arizona, along the I-10 is hot, dry and almost deserted. The road gets busy only just outside Phoenix and turns into a mult-lane the motorway. The metropolitan region of Phoenix, situated in the “Valley of the Sun”, comprising cities like Tempe, Glendale, Chandler and Scottsdale has about 4 million inhabitants. Between mid-May and mid-September, temperatures regularly reach over 38 degrees centigrade, in the shade, naturally. The sun shines on an average of 310 days a year. Those who live here love the sun. And hate the rain. While Phoenix features a skyline of glittering skyscrapers typical for an American metropolis and is an economic and cultural center, the adjacent new city of Scottsdale has developed into one of the most exclusive residential areas in the US. The desert oasis has the most luxury hotels in the country (category AAA Five Diamonds)  after New York and Las Vegas, but the most spas per head. Golf, wellness or shopping – these are the main reasons why you come to Scottsdale.

This makes the city a perfect last stop in ‘civilisation’ before heading north to the major national parks. If you want to indulge in a big city gay scene, you should visit one of Phoenix’ various bars like Charlie’s or stylish Amsterdam. The two gay resorts Sunburst Inn and Royal Villa offer gay accommodation.

The “Old Town” of Scottsdale was pimped into a Western city with many restaurants, galleries and small boutiques, but also hosts gay bar BS West (no bullshit), popular with a young crowd, busy mainly on weekends. Early risers should rendezvous with the “Rainbow Ryders”. This is not a gay biker gang, but operator of tours in hot-air balloons that are worth every penny. It takes just under two hours from the airfield in the north of Phoenix to Sedona, famous for its impressive red rock formations.

Whether hiking through Red Rock Canyon or an off-road tour in a pink jeep: If you have sufficient time, you can pitch your tent here for a day or two and explore the area. Sleeping in an actual tent optional. If you need to rush and aim for the big one bang on, you can drive north for another two hours to reach the edge of one of the greatest natural wonders on earth: Grand Canyon.

Colorado River has eroded this up to 1800 metres deep and 30 kilometres wide gorge into a plateau during millions of years that offers some spectacular vistas. Whether an easy walk along the edge or hikes of several days down to Colorado River; whether on foot, by donkey or helicopter – Grand Caynon can be explored by everyone from non-athletes to trekking professionals. A very special group experience is offered by gay tour operator Alyson Adventures: a one-week rafting tour on Colorado River where it passes the national park.

Even if an overnight stay within the national park is not cheap – the experience of sunrise and sunset at the canyon as well as the view into the starry night sky are worth the 150USD you pay at a lodge. We leave the national park eastbound, cross steep passes and plateaus with striking rock formations and drive on to Lake Powell before crossing the border to Utah.

A stop in Page is especially recommended for a visit to the fabulous Antelope Canyon, which has recently served as set for the freeclimb movie “127 Hours” starring James Franco. Monument Valley, at about two hours from Page, is also easy to reach. The drive to Bryce Canyon National Park, famous for its bizarre rock formations, takes about 3 hours in a northern direction. You can find here hiking trails of every rating but you should not miss the one-hour “Navajo Trail” circuit passing the so-called amphitheatre and golden-yellow rock needles. You can spot deer and pronghorns along the road at dusk and dawn. Just before entering Zion National Park you can also see some buffalos, though in a bawn.

At a two hours drive from Bryce Canyon, the mountain landscape of Virgin River Valley is an absolute contrast. When arriving from the east, you should definitely stop before the second tunnel to take the 20-minute walk to Canyon Overlook. The fantastic panorama is only surpassed by a view from the 1800 meter high summit “Angels Landing”. The steep hiking trail taking you there including a via ferrata and final straight along a narrow ridge is one of the most challenging routes that the national park has to offer. As most of it is closed to private vehicles, shuttle buses operate in Zion and make various stops within the valley.

The terminal bus stop is called “Temple of Sinawava”, from where a short path leads to a narrow gorge. Depending on the water level, you can cross the river and climb up to the actual “Narrows”. This requires good condition and best weather. According to “National Geographic” the tour is one of the best adventures America has to offer.

INFO

www.arizonareise.de
www.goutah.de
Official hompages of tourism boards providing useful informataion on Arizona and Utah.

www.scottsdalecvb.com/scottsdale/glbt
www.visitphoenix.com/lgbt
Plenty of information about Scottsdale and Phoenix including tips for hotels, excursions and event calendar – also for gays and lesbians.

HOW TO GET THERE

SWISS offers daily departures to Los Angeles from 10 German airports with a stop at Zurich. Return flights are available from 698 Euros. Look out for special offers on the airline’s homepage.
www.swiss.com

A one-way ticket from Los Angeles to Phoenix is available from approx. 50 Euros, e.g. on United.
www.unitedairlines.de

The west of the US is classic amongst round-trips by rental car. It takes about six hours to drive from Los Angeles to Phoenix, four from Palm Springs. The drive from Los Angeles to Las Vegas takes roughly four and a half hours, another three to reach Zion National Park. Holidayautos offers a one-week rental from/to Los Angeles from 174 Euros.
www.holidayautos.com

HOTELS

Further information on the gay scene in Phoenix and Scottsdale can be found in Spartacus International Gay Guide or iPhone App

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