It may still be heading to 90 degrees in the Phoenix area, but you can feel it — fall is on the way.
It’s under 100 degrees, there's pumpkin everything at the grocery store and the mornings are almost chilly.
But that’s just here in the Valley. Parts of the rest of the state are really looking like fall. And that means it’s time to turn to Arizona travel writer and author Roger Naylor.
The Show spoke with him to learn where to find fall colors around the state, and, as Halloween approaches, where to find a good haunt as well.
LAUREN GILGER: Parts of the rest of the state are really looking like fall now. And that means it is time to turn to Arizona, travel writer and author and friend of the show, Roger Naylor. I spoke with him more about where to find the fall colors around the state And as Halloween approaches where to find a good haunt as well.
ROGER NAYLOR: Arizona has an amazing fall. It has one of the longest autumns of any place in the country where you can see fall color starting towards the end of September all the way to December if you wanted. We're coming into that sort of that peak colors because of course, when you say fall colors in Arizona, you think of the Aspens. So we're kind of coming to that peak time right about now.
GILGER: Right about now. So it feels early for that for us here in the valley where I'm still wearing a tank top, right? But this is, this is peak falls leaf season in much of the state. Tell us where the best spots are to go, in your opinion.
NAYLOR: Arizona has spectacular fall colors. Flagstaff is always an easy choice for their magnificent Aspen groves. Make the drive up the Snowbowl road and you'll find lots of pullouts and places to stop if you want to hike amid the fall colors. There are some beautiful trails through Aspen groves including Veit Springs, Aspen Corner and Kachina. So, another great spot to visit is the Arboretum at Flagstaff. A lot of people overlook this but they're open through the end of October. It's not so much the Aspens there, but their shaggy fall gardens are just colorful with vines and shrubs and flowers having a last hurrah before settling down, for a winter nap and for a lot of people that kind of has that real fall feeling of walking through the woods and seeing the, the garden looking like that. So that's kind of a nice thing if you want to visit the White Mountains, look for Aspen's top greens Peak or on Mount Baldy and you have good hiking trails on Baldy too. Some of my favorites last time I was there. I heard wolves howling. So that's pretty cool. Listen for that. They're also Aspen spread along highway 260 east of Pinetop Lakeside or one of the best places, my opinion, is wrapped around Big Lake and a shimmering cloak of lemon and saffron. It's always wonderful to see that reflected in the water, I think. And then, and that's just, you know, over the next couple of weeks, you know, through mid to late October and then starting in late October into November, you'll find the brightest color, lower elevations like the winding drive through Oak Creek Canyon. You know, it's like burrowing into a kaleidoscope of vivid hues. You know, if you have a chance to hike General West Fork Trail through the colorful forest, that's always a treat, but it will be absolutely packed on weekends. So try to visit during the week. Other Sedona trails with some fall colors are Huckabee, Allen's Bend and Secret Canyon. Here's something a lot of people don't think of. You can take a guided tour into Canyon de Chelly. Because when the cottonwood trees turn gold and set against the towering cliff walls, it's really magical.
GILGER: So you've hit all the corners of the state here almost.
NAYLOR: Well, I try to and, and, you know, speaking of Cottonwoods, the last two seasons at my local park, Dead Horse Ranch State Park where I live in Cottonwood have been spectacular. And then if you're sitting around the Thanksgiving table going holy cow, we forgot to go look for a fall color head for Boyce Thompson Arboretum because they have some nice displays of fall color, late November, even into early to mid December.
GILGER: So you're not kidding. When you say Arizona has one of the longest fall seasons there is because you can go to various elevations and see the leaves almost through Christmas time. Basically.
NAYLOR: Exactly, exactly.
GILGER: All right. So we have to also talk about Halloween. I understand you are a big Halloween fan and there are some haunts maybe haunted places in the state that you would recommend. Give us your faves.
NAYLOR: Well, I always love staying in a haunted hotel even though ghosts don't like me. I, I stay in these haunted hotels all the time and nothing ever happens. Ghosts just don't like me, but still, I'm willing to give it a chance. But here are some of the best, haunted hotels you can stay in. And even if you don't have a ghost to encounter, you stay in these beautiful historic Grand dame hotels with their beautiful bones and it's just still worth it. The Hassayampa Inn in Prescott, now while honeymooning at the Hassayampa in 1927 a new husband stepped out for cigarettes when he hadn't returned. After three days, his wife, Faith climbed into the Bell Tower and hanged herself. So she appears today floating through their former room and the hallways. The scent of Lilac follows her. So she disapproves when things are moved around. And another ghost is as lost in thought is often seen lurking near the Bobby fireplace.
GILGER: You're giving me chills.
NAYLOR: That's so that's a good one. The Jerome Grand Hotel and anytime you can spend some October time in Jerome, it's worth it because it's an old ghost town. You can take ghost tours there. So that's a lot of fun. But the Jerome Grand is a great haunted hotel. Originally, the town hospital, the imposing Grand retains traces of its mournful past which makes it fun. Coughs and moans echo through the halls and a nurse with a clipboard makes a round. Yeah. The most famous ghost though is Claude Harvey, a maintenance worker who was mysteriously crushed by a slow moving elevator in 1935. So for years after the hospital closed, town, residents reported eerie lights and noises emanating from the inoperable elevator today, Claude frequents the basement and stairways and you can't really blame him for avoiding the elevators, but it's a beautiful spot. One of my favorites is the Hotel Monte Vista in Flagstaff. It’s even no nonsense. John Wayne once spotted a ghost at the Monte V, a crying baby often chases workers from the basement. A woman rocks by the window in room 305, murdered prostitutes waking guests with chilling glares and 306 and the Phantom bellboy who was seen by Wayne knocks on doors and declares room service in muffled tones. Yeah, but my favorite is the bank robber and he frequents the cocktail lounge because apparently a group of men robbed a bank and, got away with some proceeds. Even though one was wounded in a gunfight, they stopped for a cocktail at the Monte V. The wounded man died. So now today, guests report being greeted by a cheerful good morning. And so I just, I love, that because here's a guy who made mistakes, obviously, but he seems contempt. He seems happy. He's just hanging around as if someone hoping, maybe we'll buy one last round.
GILGER: Cocktails for eternity there huh?
NAYLOR: Exactly. I've spent many a night on a barstool here hoping to bump into Haunted Dillinger. But no luck so far. But I'll keep trying.
GILGER: No luck so far, keep trying and maybe some, some listeners will join you this year. Roger. All right, Roger Naylor Arizona, travel writer and author. Joining us once again, Roger. Thank you so much as always.
NAYLOR: Oh, it was my pleasure, anytime.
