Montezuma’s Castle, near Camp Verde in northern Arizona, has nothing to do with Montezuma; nor is it a castle. We owe the name to early settlers who thought this five story pueblo was of Aztec origin. In fact, the superb masons who constructed this cliff-clinging citadel were likely ancestors of the present day Hopi and Zuni. Spanish explorers called them Sinagua (“without water”) because they were often dry farmers, coaxing their crops of corn, beans and squash from the arid desert soil.

The little oasis below the pueblo is an exception, a pleasant place to stop and have a picnic by the creek under the shade of white-barked Arizona Sycamores. Listen for the descending trills of canyon wrens while you gaze through time at the 12th century “castle.” The nearby Yavapai-Apache reservation run Native Visions offering van tours of this history-rich area “from those who know the way."

Everyone knows that Arizona is the Grand Canyon State. But I had come in search of other riches: the beautiful red rock

Everyone knows that Arizona is the Grand Canyon State. But I had come in search of other riches.

of Sedona, the quirkiness of an old mining town, the mysteries in stone left by those who once thrived here but have now vanished, a glimpse of the stars and the jewel-like remains of an ancient forest. I found it all in a journey of a week that could just as easily have been stretched into a month.

From Montezuma’s Castle I headed west on 260 through Cottonwood where I stopped on Main Street at a small, unpretentious gallery, Javadog, to view some fine oils and chat with Richard Stites, the friendly director. In the 1920s, Cottonwood was known for having the best bootlegging booze for hundreds of miles. The town has settled down since, with the Old Town section working to regain some of its picturesque quality.

At Home in Jerome

What rogues lived hereabouts! Bootleggers below and up the mountain of the “wickedest town in the West.” That’s mile high Jerome, once home to the biggest copper mine in Arizona and boasting 15,000 souls before it busted. The mine closed in 1953 but the town is decidedly open as a tourist magnet and arts community. Friendly folks here, all 450 of them. I think of Camille, the owner of the Jerome Brewery, handing over a latte and telling me that “we don’t brew beer here anymore because . . . it was terrible” and laughing as she told me that she’d lived all over, but had returned to her hometown to stay.

Around sunset take the Red Rock Loop to Crescent Moon Ranch State Park to watch Cathedral Rock’s red turrets deepen and flame in the Amber light.

Jerome is like one of those old houses built without an architect, full of twistings and turnings and unexpected finds. It’s a magical jumble of a town that conveys a free and easy atmosphere. Maybe it’s the breathtaking view across the Verde Valley all the way to the red rocks of Sedona and the distant San Francisco Peaks. There are enough oddity shops, galleries, watering holes, ice cream parlors and crooked buildings fronting narrow streets to fill a charming day. Visit the Douglas Mining Museum if you want to learn the history of the area. For dinner, head up the hill to The Asylum restaurant in a restored Jerome Grand Hotel. Playing on the hotel’s hospital past, your waiter will greet you with a hearty, “Welcome to the Asylum!” But dress code is casual — no straight jacket required.

Down the hill from Jerome is Clarkdale, an old copper mining company town now best known for the Verde Canyon Wilderness Train that takes you on a four hour tour of the stunning Verde River Canyon: Arizona’s “other Grand Canyon.” Nearby Tuzigoot National Monument is the next stop. Tuzigoot — Apache for “crooked water” — is so fun to say, you’ll want to stop there for the name alone. Over 77 rooms once buzzed with life in this beehive of a hilltop pueblo; their Sinagua occupants farmed by the river below.

Pizza Topped With Red Rocks

In 1950 the surrealist painter Max Ernst moved to Sedona; it was the beginning of the town’s reputation as a haven for artists. No wonder — the surrounding red rock spires and buttes trimmed with deep green pine stands fill the eye with vibrant sculpture. Around sunset take the Red Rock Loop to Crescent Moon Ranch State Park to watch Cathedral Rock’s red turrets deepen and flame in the ember light. For more red rock splendor drive down to aptly named Bell Rock. You can take a short hike to the rock and see if your intuition leads you to the vortex (energy emanating from the earth) that locals say exists there. On the way back, stop to see the Chapel of the Holy Cross, a church designed by Frank Lloyd Wright to nestle securely between two rock spires.

When you can pull yourself away from gawking at the scenery you’ll discover so much to do in Sedona that you’ll wonder where to begin. Browse the galleries at Hillside Sedona. See the Sedona Art Center where live exhibitions of working artists are common (and sales tax is nonexistent). Stroll Tlaquepaque, the village modeled after a suburb of Guadalajara, Mexico. Amongst the enchanting archways and courtyards with lilting fountains you’ll find shops, galleries and restaurants, as well as special events, such as outdoor Shakespeare in July. I ate here in the Oak Creek Brewery and Grill because it’s my duty to sample locally made beer. Very good with their gourmet pizza. There are so many restaurants — from fast food to four star — in Sedona that you would have to eat out every night for two and a half months to try them all.

On the wilder side, thump into the heart of red rock country in a guided jeep tour. Have lofty ambitions? You can rise above in a menagerie of gadgets, from helicopters to biplanes, gliders to balloons. Afterwards, you can relax with a massage in one of Sedona’s many spas. And, of course, there’s golf, with two public courses.

A slow, curvy drive up beautiful Oak Creek Canyon will take you up to Flagstaff at 6,900 feet. Several small parks along the way offer picnic stops overlooking the creek. I took a short stop at Slide Rock State Park to watch laughing kids slither on their rears down the natural water slide that gives the park its name.

Flagstaff: To Mars and Beyond

The historic section of downtown Flagstaff has the distinction of having a half dozen buildings built of a stones representing the different geological periods of the area. Downtown Heritage Square holds musical events on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays throughout the summer. Reservations are recommended for tours of the 1904 Arts and Crafts style Riordan Mansion. For an out of this world adventure head to Mars Hill where you’ll be able to look through the telescopes of Lowell Observatory, best known for the discovery of Pluto in 1930. At 7,260 feet the same clear air that allows you to view the solar system can chill you, so bring a jacket.

If Mars isn’t high enough, take the Scenic Skyride up to 11,500 feet at Arizona Snowbowl for a view all the way to the Grand Canyon. On the way you’ll pass the Museum of Northern Arizona (MNA). I spent hours in this small but surprisingly packed museum whose exhibits incorporate the history, natural history, geology and paleontology of the region, with room left over for contemporary art. The current Plesiosaur exhibit is showcased by a fossil reconstruction of one of these fierce fish eaters who once swam where you now walk.

You’re on the Colorado Plateau now, the oldest landmass in north America. Folks have lived here for a long time, too. Thousands of Hopi, Zuni and Navajo ancestors lived in 175 pueblos in what is now Wupatki National Monument. What made them cleave to this dry, difficult place? In 1064 A.D. a boost was given to farming in the region; newly erupted Sunset Crater huffed fertile, water-retaining ash onto Wupatki land. You can go see both for the price of one. The black cinder dunes of Sunset Crater make for fun photography. The Wupatki ruins trail guide prompts your eye with intriguing questions and mysteries to solve. Of special interest at this large, amazingly intact pueblo is the large ball court. And next to it, a blowhole issuing cool air from the cavern below. Stand over it to feel what the Hopi’s feel — that this is the breath of Yaapontsa, the god of wind.

My last stop was the painted desert, but Yaapontsa was busy repainting it that day — by airbrush. Winds were gusting up to 35 mph and the desert was a river of dust. I grabbed a motel: you can stay at Meteor Crater RV Park on the way, and see the giant hole (big as twenty football fields) while you’re there. Next day dawned clear for the Petrified Forest National Park and the Painted Desert overlook. For me, what’s fascinating about the petrified forest — besides the jewel-like beauty of the wood — is to walk in this desert country and imagine a lush forest among wet swamp lands, full of eerie beasts such as Stagonolepis: a 10-foot long lizard covered in heavy armor. You can garner the history of the park at the visitor center before driving the length of it and stopping for short, loop walks. Stop, too, at the historic Painted Desert Inn and the Rainbow Forest Museum at the south end.

Several overlooks afford sweeping vistas of the pinks, whites and rust-reds of the Painted Desert. These hues grow bolder towards twilight, deepening into rich reds as they reflect the sky. For me, that was the signal to head home.