The jig, as they say, is finally up. Consider this the big adios. After 20 years, I am retiring from The Arizona Republic.
Technically, I was never at The Republic. Never had a desk or a phone at the office or a favorite water cooler to gather around and share gossip. I was just a freelancer living in the Verde Valley. I never showed up to the office at all in person, but my articles did, over and over. For the past 20 years, I have been a freelance travel writer for the newspaper. During that time, I penned hundreds of articles about my beloved adopted state.
Calling it a dream job would be a massive understatement. A long con on my part would be more accurate. I began chasing the wonders of this state from the first day I arrived in Flagstaff
as a wide-eyed college student in 1975 and never stopped. Then for some crazy reason, the newspaper decided to subsidize my rakish, hooky-playing lifestyle. I’m forever grateful
For two decades I rambled around Arizona hiking, eating and exploring in a semi-official capacity. Trust me when I say, Arizona is rugged and gorgeous and historic and weird and funny and utterly magnificent. It’s full of surprises, not what most people expect at all. Arizona is an epic landscape bulging with mountains, slashed by canyons and blown apart by volcanoes. The world’s largest ponderosa pine forest spreads across the north, and the south bristles with an arsenal of the country’s tallest cactus. We have sandy beaches and alpine tundra, meteor-gouged craters and towering waterfalls. We have every life zone found between Mexico and Canada.
Here’s something else I learned about this state — it invokes a fierce pride in residents. Of course, Arizona is often regarded as nothing but a land of transplants. The common perception is that residents are an unconnected population with few common interests. But I’ve found just the opposite to be true. Plenty of folks, like me, are here for reasons of our own, and our passion and pride in Arizona knows no bounds.
We’re here because golden poppies blaze across the desert floor in spring like a satin fire. We’re here because skies are relentlessly blue — not gray or gloomy — but sharp as cut glass while still violet-soft. We’re here because our trails are winding, our horizons are shoved wide and nature laps at our doorsteps. We’re here because horses run free along the Salt River and wild burros rule Oatman and neon still shimmers along Route 66. We’re here because mountains heal and the desert seduces. We’re here for the burritos and date shakes and history and hummingbirds and swinging door saloons and Grand Canyon and Sedona and Monument Valley and ferocious heat and pristine snow and fragrant forests and the glorious, lavish, dramatic sunsets. We’re here because it feels good to dance in the rain, because we can see the Milky Way from porches, and because we can hike every single day of the year.
If the Garden of Eden bristled with cacti and served really good tacos, they would have called it Arizona. This is paradise.
I knew this was where I belonged when Arizona stole my breath, squeezed my heart and opened my eyes all those decades ago. I’m here because happiness doesn’t exist for me anywhere else.
The only reason I’m leaving The Arizona Republic is because I’m an old man, and finished with deadlines. I’ve ended all my freelance jobs. I am retiring from writing and hiking so I can spend more time writing and hiking.
For now, I just want to concentrate on writing books. I’ve already written a dozen Arizona travel books and have another on the way. "100 Things to Do in Arizona Before You Die" will be out early next year. My first novel, a funny, quirky mystery set in Jerome is slated for release soon after that. I’m already working on the second novel. I’m just going to be a storyteller in my curmudgeonly years and do it at my own pace.
Before I head out the door, I’ll leave you with a few final Arizona tips.
Roger Naylor's top 5 hiking trails in Arizona
1. Wildcat Trail, Monument Valley.
2. Heart of Rocks Loop, Chiricahua National Monument.
3. South Kaibab Trail, Grand Canyon National Park.
4. Thompson Trail, Greer.
5. Hugh Norris Trail, Saguaro National Park.
Roger Naylor's top 5 Arizona State Parks
1. Dead Horse Ranch.
2. Cattail Cove.
3. Lost Dutchman.
4. Catalina.
5. Picacho Peak.
Roger Naylor's top 5 lesser-known National Parks
1. Pipe Spring National Monument.
2. Fort Bowie National Historic Site.
3. Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site.
4. Ironwood Forest National Monument.
5. Tuzigoot National Monument.
Roger Naylor's top 5 Arizona hidden gems
1. Castle Dome Mine Museum, Yuma.
2. Paton Center for Hummingbirds, Patagonia.
3. Mescal Movie Set, Benson.
4. Casa Grande Neon Sign Park, Casa Grande.
5. Gold King Mine and Ghost Town, Jerome.
Roger Naylor's top 5 Arizona “watering holes”
1. Paul and Jerry’s Saloon, Jerome.
2. Cleator Bar & Yacht Club, Cleator.
3. Lutes Casino, Yuma.
4. Abe’s Old Tumacácori Bar, Tumacácori.
5. Sultana Bar, Williams.
I hope my little stories coaxed you out the door. Hope they led to some amazing road trips, memorable hikes and tasty meals. Hope they helped you discover the Arizona that I fall in love with over and over again, each and every day. It has been an absolute privilege to chronicle the beauty and history of this astonishing, astounding state. Thank you for following along. I’ve truly enjoyed meeting so many of you through the years.
If you see me out on the trail, be sure to say howdy. If you spot me in some burger joint, leave me be. I’m eating.
Until our paths cross again, adios.
Meet Roger Naylor
Cottonwood: Oct. 3 at 11 a.m. at the Cottonwood Public Library, Naylor will reveal his Top 25 Favorite Historic Sites in Arizona. These are the places, still preserved and protected, defining the Arizona of today. This special event is brought to you by the Cottonwood Historical Preservation Commission in partnership with the Cottonwood Public Library.
Details: Free. 100 S. Sixth St., 928-634-7559.
Flagstaff: Nov. 11 at 1 p.m. at the Museum of Northern Arizona, Naylor will give a presentation on the Route 66 centennial. This is the actual 100th birthday of the Mother Road and festivities will be going on throughout the town. Admission to the museum is $18 adult, $16 for seniors and $13 for youth, (10-17).
Details: 3101 N. Fort Valley Rd., 928-774-5213, www.musnaz.org.
Scottsdale: Nov. 19 at 6 p.m. at the Western Spirit Museum, Naylor will give another Route 66 presentation. $10 for just the program. Free with museum admission, $28 adult, $25 for seniors and $12 for youth, (6-17).
Details: 3830 N. Marshall Way, 480-686-9539, www.westernspirit.org.
NBC: Naylor will appear on a segment of the show Great American Journey hosted by Kelsey Grammer discussing the Arizona portion of Route 66. The program will air in Nov. or Dec. Check your listings.
PBS: Naylor will appear in Season 4 of the Arizona hiking show Trail Mix’d, in Jan. or Feb. Check your local listings.
To learn more about Roger Naylor’s books or to sign up for his monthly newsletter visit rogernaylor.com. Or follow him on Facebook at facebook.com/RogerNaylorinAZ.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: After 20 years, Arizona travel writer Roger Naylor says happy trails
