grand canyon mule mail

Phantom Ranch is a resort village within (and at the bottom of) Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. The ranch's elevation is 2,400 feet; that is about 4,600 feet lower than the South Rim and about 5,800 feet lower than the North Rim. The average daily high and low temperatures in Fahrenheit are 106/78 during July, and 56/36 in January. The ranch continues to be one of the most popular destinations in the national park system; its accommodations are often sold out for two years in advance. To hikers and rafters, it is an oasis of cool water, greenery, and comfort. Phantom Ranch also holds the distinction of being the one of the only two places left in America whose mail is still delivered by mule, the other being Havasu Falls, also located on the Colorado River in Arizona

four corners

The Four Corners is a region of the United States consisting of southwest Colorado, northwest New Mexico, northeast Arizona and southeast Utah. The name comes from the Four Corners Monument, located where the four states touch — the only location in the United States that is on the boundaries of as many as four states.

arizona's painted desert

A vividly colored mesa, the Painted Desert, with its buttes and ridges, can be seen for miles along the Little Colorado River in Northern Arizona. It is a portion of the Petrified Forest National Park which was established in 1895, some 17 years before Arizona became a state. The area is noted to be especially beautiful at sunset and sunrise when the land appears to glow in hues of violet, blue, red and gold. Other key features include the many mesas and buttes that rise sharply from the desert floor. Sparse desert flora and fauna can also be found.

desert saguaros

Symbolic of the desert and all its mystery are these Giant Cacti whose grotesque silhouettes add character to the Southern Arizona landscape. They can attain heights of greater than 50 feet and the ages of some have been estimated at least 250 years. The blossom of the Saguaro is the State Flower of Arizona. Harming one in any manner (including cactus plugging) is illegal by state law in Arizona, and when houses or highways are built, special permits must be obtained to move or destroy any saguaro affected.