Gifting Arizona: 5 experiences worth putting under the tree

As Christmas fast approaches, you’ve likely purchased some items destined for the back of your recipients' cupboards or, worse, scheduled for regifting. (Looking at you cheese board, a present that screams, “I’m out of ideas.”)

This year, think about giving Arizona.

It might be a little hard to wrap, especially around the Grand Canyon. Yet there are many only-in-Arizona experiences that will inspire precious memories rather than thick coatings of dust.

Here are five unforgettable gift experiences that will make you a holiday hero.

1. Guided tour of Monument Valley

The biggest mistake many visitors make at Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park is thinking they’ve seen everything after driving the 17-mile unpaved loop. It’s akin to walking a half-mile down the Bright Angel Trail and thinking you’ve experienced the Grand Canyon.

The basics: Navajo guides take you into areas that are off limits otherwise. The East and West Mitten buttes are the park’s most recognized formations only because they are closest to the visitor center. Tours reveal stone towers that appear to defy gravity, including the Totem Pole and the Three Sisters.

Going deeper: Guides often share personal stories of their connection to the land, revealing cultural treasures as memorable as the landscape.

The memory: Catching the early morning or late-day sun, buttes and towers glow as if lava pulsed inside each one. Monument Valley is at its scenic and photographic best at sunrise and sundown.

Details: Several companies offer guided tours, including Navajo Spirit Tours (www.navajospirittours.com)  and Monument Valley Safari (monumentvalleysafari.com).  For information on Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, visit navajonationparks.org.

2. Sedona jeep tours

As erosion carved and smoothed the red sandstone rocks around Sedona, it never for a moment thought, “This will make for some excellent four-wheeling.” (Erosion is a process, not a sentient being, after all.) Still, trails to some of Sedona’s best overlooks are paved with jumbled boulders as if crafted for adventurous rides aboard high-clearance vehicles.

The basics: Once you climb into your vehicle of choice (many of which can accommodate up to nine people), you’ll motor through central Sedona to one of the many jeep trails weaving through the foothills. At trail’s end, stretch your legs and admire the view before the rollicking ride back. 

Going deeper: The journey is every bit as fun as the destination. When drivers hit a particularly steep pitch, the engine roars as wheels are engaged, the jeep teetering as it muscles over the boulders.

The memory: When the driver turns around, smiles and asks, “Is everyone buckled in?” be sure to cinch your seat belt even tighter. She lets her foot off the clutch and hits one of nature's speed bumps, hurling you toward the roof until the belt catches, slamming you back into the seat. 

Details: Companies include Pink Jeep Tours (www.pinkjeeptourssedona.com), Red Rock Western Jeep Tours (www.redrockjeep.com) and Safari Jeep Tours (www.safarijeeptours.com). For more information on Sedona, go to visitsedona.com.

3. A night in a cave

After checking into your room 220 feet below ground, you're directed to the elevator that will take you there. Enjoy comforts few cave-dwellers experience, including beds, TV and DVD player. Just ignore the tour groups passing by during business hours. People are staring because they're envious.

The basics: Visitors to Grand Canyon Caverns enter the main chamber to see a formation unique to this cave – a hotel suite built upon a wooden platform in the center. Cables snaking down the elevator shaft bring power and communications. Water for the toilet and shower is delivered by staff members.

Digging deeper: A night in the Cavern Suite is steep: $850 a night. But that includes a dedicated attendant stationed above and full access to the cave. 

The memory: When you turn out the lights, you really turn out the lights. The chamber is pitch black, save for a few pinpoints of light from small appliances. Grab the flashlights that come with the suite and explore, making sure to stay on the paved trail. At some point flick them off, experiencing the kind of darkness and silence unavailable on the surface.

Details: Grand Canyon Caverns is in Peach Springs. gccaverns.com, 928-422-3223.

4. Houseboating on Lake Powell

When your trip includes multiple hotel stays, it can be a pain to pack up and move frequently. Houseboating eliminates that hassle, since you take the room with you. The scenery is a bonus.

The basics: Houseboats can accommodate up to a dozen people, so rent one to fit your group’s needs. It’s also a good idea to plot a general course, based on what everyone wants to see. Lake Powell boasts 96 side canyons and more than 2,000 miles of coastline along the Arizona-Utah state line

Digging deeper: Also rent a personal watercraft, or bring your own. A powerboat is ideal because it's impossible to water ski while being towed by a houseboat. A powerboat or kayak also gets you into narrow canyons and shallow waters. 

The memory: After being lulled to sleep by a gentle rocking motion, you awake refreshed, noting the scent of coffee as well as the lapping of water against the hull. Peering out the window, you see the smooth stone pinnacles along the shore glow in the early morning light.

Details: Several companies offer a wide range of houseboats at Wahweap Marina. For information and rates, visit www.lakepowell.com.

5. A week-long rafting trip in Grand Canyon

This experience should be on every Arizonan’s list, especially since the park is practically in our back yard. Few sights equal that of seeing canyon walls rise from the Colorado River.

The basics: You’ll need to book several months out and pay thousands of dollars per person, but the moment you start floating through the first chasm, it will all be worth it. And it only gets better from there.

Digging deeper: Outfitters provide trips of three days and longer, motorized or paddled. The seven-day trip covers most of the Grand Canyon’s length, with daily stops to hike among less-visited side canyons that make the journey so memorable. Costs for seven-day trips are typically $2,000-$3,000 per person, which includes food.

The memory: After following one narrow ledge after another, Elves Chasm narrowing along the way, you come to the end where a waterfall cascades into a crystal-clear pool. You marvel at this shaded oasis where vines dangle from cracks in the steep stone walls. The exhaustion that had pressed upon you like an anvil is suddenly lifted as you sit and soak it in.

Details: Many outfitters possess the necessary permits for raft trips through Grand Canyon. Shop around and pay attention to online reviews. For a list of concessionaires, visit www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/river-concessioners.htm.

Bonus: Explore on your own

Give the gift of the great outdoors in a way that is easy to wrap.

Arizona State Parks annual pass: The $75 pass admits the passholder and three adults in the same vehicle, with some exceptions at parks where water is the main attraction. The $200 pass includes those exceptions: Lake Havasu, Cattail Cove, Buckskin Mountain, Patagonia Lake, River Island and Slide Rock state parks on weekends and state holidays April 1-Oct. 31. azstateparks.com/reserve/annual-pass.

America the Beautiful annual pass: The $80 pass is good at more than 2,000 federally managed parks, recreation areas and monuments, including the areas of Sedona covered by the Red Rock Pass. Like the state parks pass, it covers the passholder and three adults in the same vehicle. store.usgs.gov/pass.