ROAD TRIPS

Top 7 things to do around Arizona this spring

Play with baby goats, take a white-knuckle ride on the Apache Trail, enjoy nature.

Roger Naylor
Special for The Republic
The Verde Valley Birding and Nature Festival is held at Dead Horse Ranch State Park but has expanded into diverse habitats across the region.

Spring is such a beautiful season that we like to start it early in Arizona.

For much of the state, spring began on Groundhog Day. But even with several weeks of the softest season already under our belts, there’s no reason to let go now that the calendar has finally caught up. Revel in the renewal and rebirth of spring as long as you can.

Because in Arizona, sometimes summer rolls in sooner than planned, too.

RELATED:Indulge your inner desert rat with 4 western Arizona hikesDining around Arizona: 9 great spots in Sedona

Romp with baby goats

The Ranch at Fossil Creek, in the Mogollon Rim hamlet of Strawberry, is 15 acres teeming with dairy goats and llamas. The family farm produces artisan cheeses, soaps, lotions and creamy fudge, all made from goat milk and for sale in their store.

But this is more than a shopping trip, it’s a hands-on family outing where human kids can pet and play with their four-legged counterparts. Baby goats (also called kids) begin arriving toward the end of March and are as feisty as puppies in their spacious enclosure that includes a multilevel jungle gym of plywood ramps and platforms. Goat petting is $5 per person while the chance to bottle feed a baby goat is an extra $10. The farm is expecting more baby goats to be born some time around Easter Sunday.

Adults looking for a little exercise can take a walk with llamas. The lanky animals haul packs and equipment for visitors wishing to explore mountain trails above the ranch. Llama hikes must be scheduled in advance and cost $30 per person for an hour or $50 for two hours.

Details: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, Thursday-Friday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m Saturday-Sunday; closed Tuesday-Wednesday. 10379 W. Fossil Creek Road, Strawberry. 928-476-5178, www.ranchatfossilcreek.com.

Editor's Note: Desktop users can see the full interactive map of the things to do around Arizona this spring here. The map also displays on mobile. Users should scroll or swipe down for event details. 

Stop and smell a ton of roses

Tombstone isn’t all gunsmoke and whiskey. Its softer, more fragrant side comes out in spring. That’s when the world’s largest rosebush bursts into bloom.

The Lady Banksia bush arrived in Tombstone in 1885 as a gift to a homesick bride from her native Scotland. The little rose found its new climate quite agreeable and has thrived. Its gnarled trunk now has a circumference of 12 feet and its canopy covers 9,000 square feet with branches spread across a sprawling horizontal trellis. You can see it at Fourth and Toughnut streets.

The Rose Tree Museum, a former boarding house and hotel, shelters the bush and is filled with antiques and artifacts. Each spring the mighty bush is covered in millions of small white flowers. The Tombstone Rose Festival April 7-9 celebrates the bounty of blooms and has a rose parade, pet parade, live music, fashion show, high tea and more.

Details: Rose festival events start at 6 p.m. Friday, April 7, 7 a.m. Saturday, April 8, and 10:30 a.m. Sunday, April 9, throughout Tombstone. Most events are free. www.facebook.com/TombstoneRoseFestival.

Take Teddy Roosevelt’s advice

Although much of the Apache Trail is unpaved, it’s suitable for sedans but be prepared for some steep and narrow sections.

President Roosevelt called the Apache Trail “one of the most spectacular best-worth seeing sights in the world.” It’s 40-plus miles of steep, winding roadway and jaw-dropping, ever-changing scenery.

Starting from Apache Junction, the road skirts the ragged Superstition Mountains, cruises through the outpost of Tortilla Flat, tumbles down Fish Creek Hill in a tight, twisted descent and traces a chain of desert lakes before ending at Roosevelt Dam. The Apache Trail was built from 1903-05 to serve the construction of the dam.

Although much of the road is unpaved, it’s suitable for sedans. Please leave the block-long RV at home.

To complete a scenic loop, return to Phoenix by traveling southeast on State Route 188 to Globe, then west on U.S. 60 back to town. Along the way, you’ll pass plenty of other attractions including Tonto National Monument; the historical mining towns of Globe, Miami and Superior; and Boyce-Thompson Arboretum State Park.

Details: From central Phoenix, take Interstate 10 and U.S. 60 east to Idaho Road in Apache Junction, then follow the signs to State Route 88, which is the Apache Trail. It’s 44 miles to Roosevelt Dam.

Spy on the birds

What started as a small community event has grown into one of the preeminent birding events in Arizona.

The Verde Valley Birding and Nature Festival takes place April 27-30. Its main gathering is at Dead Horse Ranch State Park in Cottonwood but it has expanded into diverse habitats across the Verde Valley and beyond, through a series of guided field trips and workshops. Visit the website to register and sign up for tours, field trips and seminars.

At the park, there will be speakers, dozens of vendors and educational programs for nature enthusiasts of all ages. And as we all know, nobody parties like birders party. Can I get a hoot hoot?

Details: 675 Dead Horse Ranch Road, Cottonwood. Registration is $15 per person; $30 per family includes two adults and any number of children ages 6-18. Field-trip and workshop prices vary. 928-282-2202, www.birdyverde.org.

Get your kicks on Route 66

Over 800 classic cars, trucks, hot rods, street rods, muscle cars, jalopies and motorcycles will participate in Fun Run this spring.

With Historic Route 66 turning 91 this year, why not celebrate with a road trip?

The biggest, most souped-up road trip of the year is the annual Historic Route 66 Fun Run May-5-7. More than 800 classic cars, hot rods, street rods, muscle cars, jalopies, motorcycles and a few vehicles that defy description will make the 140-mile drive from Seligman to Topock in western Arizona. It’s a rolling party with live music, barbecues, dances and car shows all along the way.

The Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona puts on the Fun Run. This is the group that spearheaded the preservation effort to save the old road. After U.S. 66 was decertified in 1985, Arizona was the first state to designate a piece of it as Historic Route 66.

There’s a registration fee to enter a vehicle for judging, but anyone is welcome to take part in the drive or just come to watch. Seeing a stream of old Mustangs, Corvettes and Thunderbirds rolling down the highway is a sight not to be missed.

Details:www.azrt66.com.

RELATED: Wigwam Motel: Family keeps Route 66 nostalgia aliveIs Arizona really home to longest continuous stretch of Route 66?

Ride the rails into a beautiful canyon

The Verde Canyon Railroad departs from Clarkdale on a 40-mile round trip into scenic wilderness nestled between two national forests at the confluence of desert and wetland.

The train rolls through a lush riparian corridor carved by the Verde River, the water canopied by cottonwoods as sunlight bounces diamond-like from the surface. It's spectacular all year, but the wildflowers of spring add a special beauty. High sandstone cliffs cradle the bottomlands under skies achingly blue. Such a collision of ecosystems lures a variety of wildlife, including bald eagles, herons, deer, javelinas and beavers.

Vintage FP7 diesel locomotives provide the power for Verde Canyon Railroad. Coach accommodations feature classic Pullman-style padded-bench seating on each side of a center aisle with panoramic windows and a snack bar. First class offers a plush living-room type of arrangement, with cash bar and complimentary snacks. All cars provide access to open-air viewing platforms that are impossible to resist.

Details: 300 N. Broadway, Clarkdale. Coach costs $64.95, $59.95 for age 65 and older, $44.95 for ages 2-12. First class costs $89.95 for all ages. 800-582-7245, www.verdecanyonrr.com.

Wander around Whiskey Row

From May through October, the Prescott Chamber of Commerce offers free downtown walking tours full of information and juicy historic tidbits.

Prescott has one of the loveliest downtowns in Arizona, and one that belies its rowdy past. From May through October, the Chamber of Commerce offers free downtown walking tours. Led by knowledgeable and passionate guides, the tours last 90 minutes and dish up plenty of juicy tidbits as participants circle Courthouse Plaza and nearby attractions.

Topics include the Whiskey Row fire; the Victorian homes of Nob Hill; shenanigans of early politicians, brothels and speakeasies; whom the gargoyles of St. Michael Hotel were modeled after; resident ghosts; and the shenanigans of modern-day politicians. Tours take place Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 10 a.m. unless there is a special event on Courthouse Plaza.

Details: Meet at the Chamber of Commerce, 117 W. Goodwin St., Prescott. 928-445-2000, www.prescott.org.

MORE AZCENTRAL ON SOCIAL: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

Find the reporter at www.rogernaylor.com. Or follow him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RogerNaylorinAZ or Twitter @AZRogerNaylor.