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Celebrating the state of Arizona on the day of its statehood

By Brian Miller

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, AZ - NOVEMBER 11: A crowd of tourists gather at Mather Point Lookout, located on the South Rim, to watch the sunrise on November 11, 2019, in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. Grand Canyon National Park, often considered one of the "Wonders of the World," was officially designated a national park on February 26, 1919, and is celebrating its Centennial this year. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images)
GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, AZ - NOVEMBER 11: A crowd of tourists gather at Mather Point Lookout, located on the South Rim, to watch the sunrise on November 11, 2019, in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. Grand Canyon National Park, often considered one of the "Wonders of the World," was officially designated a national park on February 26, 1919, and is celebrating its Centennial this year. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images) /
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Arizona is an incredible mix of desert and mountains, the 6th largest state of the United States gained its statehood on this day in 1912. To celebrate, we look at what you can do in Arizona.

Frankly, there is so much to do that you could literally get lost within its borders for days if not weeks and still not see all of it. Arizona is the 48th state of the Union and was part of California initially and in the 1800s was part of Mexico. In 1848 Mexico ceded the territory to the United States.

Now, Arizona is a hot spot for U.S. and international travelers alike as it is home to some of the most photographed spots in the entire world. We start our journey with the most obvious. The Grand Canyon.

Grand Canyon National Park is a top-two U.S. national park destination. The canyon walls can be seen from space and as the sun moves across the sky each day, the canyon walls change colors as the light hits at different angles. Of course, the draw here is the massive swathe of canyons carved out by centuries of rain and river flow.

Related Story. The Painted Desert in Arizona. light

You could spend a week at the Grand Canyon but you also want to take in more. The red mountains in Sedona rise off the valley floor and offer biking and hiking trails for every level of experience. Then along the northern border of the state, Monument Valley offers towering buttes and spires along the desert landscape.

SUMMERLIN, NV – DECEMBER 26: A large painted boulder greets visitors to the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area on December 26, 2010 near Summerlin, Nevada. Red Rock Canyon, located 15 miles west of Las Vegas, is a 200,000 acre Federal desert preserve. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images)
SUMMERLIN, NV – DECEMBER 26: A large painted boulder greets visitors to the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area on December 26, 2010 near Summerlin, Nevada. Red Rock Canyon, located 15 miles west of Las Vegas, is a 200,000 acre Federal desert preserve. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images) /

Just outside of Las Vegas, the Hoover Dam is one of the more visited sites in Arizona and boasts the largest manmade lake in the country. The dam sits on the Colorado River and has a visitors center. You can also tour the dam.

If water is your thing, then a trip to the Glen Canyon National Recreation area is your must-see stop. The impressive Lake Powell shows off its beautiful blue water among the ragged rock croppings.

Havasu Falls is one of the most photographed waterfalls in all of Arizona and is located on the Havasu Indian Reservation. You will need a permit and a reservation to visit the blue-green falls.

For more, check out Planetware.com and their list of exceptionally awesome stops to make in Arizona!

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