Visiting Arizona in Song Trivia Quiz

Answer: Northeast

The Eagles - "Take it Easy" (1972): "Well I'm standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona and such a fine sight to see..."

Talk about reviving a town through a song! Winslow is located in northeast Arizona on the famous Route 66. Following the opening of Interstate 40, Winslow experienced the same decline as many other towns along the obsolete route, but the Eagles' song helped to rescue it. Now tourists visit to have their picture taken next to the life-size bronze statue of a man at the Standin' on the Corner Park in Winslow.

Answer: Colorado and Gila

Sandy Denny and Johnny Silvo - "The 3:10 to Yuma" (1967): "There is a lonely train called the 3:10 to Yuma and it's the only train left for me to ride on..."

Located in the southwestern tip of Arizona, Yuma was one of the earliest European settlements in the state due to its convenient location on the Colorado River. The Colorado rises in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and flows along the Arizona border with Nevada and California before heading to Mexico and the Sea of Cortez (or Gulf of California if you prefer - same place). The Gila (pronounced "Hee-la") has its origin in New Mexico and travels across Arizona before meeting up with the Colorado at Yuma. Both rivers are now dammed (not cursed -- they have dams) so the full force of the water no longer reaches Yuma, and if the rivers are running low, the water may not reach the Sea of Cortez.

Answer: Tucson

The Beatles - "Get Back" (1969): "Jojo left his home in Tucson, Arizona, for some California grass..."

In fairness, there are a couple of ski areas in New Mexico which also lay claim to this title, but if you look at a map, the Mount Lemon ski area north of Tucson appears to be further south (and the USDA Forest Service claims it is, so there). Tucson (pronounced "Too-sawn") was also the capital of the Confederate Territory of Arizona during the U.S. Civil War, and the only recognized Civil War battle in Arizona occurred about 45 miles northwest of Tucson at Picacho Peak. More a skirmish than a battle, less than 30 soldiers were involved, with three deaths on the Union side. Naturally, we have annual reenactments. No, seriously - we do!

Answer: Phoenix

Steve Miller Band - "Rock'n Me" (1976): "I went from Phoenix, Arizona, all the way to Tacoma, Philadelphia, Atlanta, L.A..."

The Phoenix metropolitan area is comprised of many towns and cities: Buckeye, Mesa, Litchfield Park, Surprise, Chandler, Peoria, Paradise Valley - the list goes on. It can take over an hour to drive from one end to the other, even without traffic. Phoenix became the capital of the Arizona territory in 1889 and continued as the capital when Arizona became a state in 1912.

Answer: Oak Creek Canyon

Aerosmith - "Sedona Sunrise" (2006): "It's as clear as a sunrise in Sedona..."

Sedona/Oak Creek Canyon is the second most popular tourist destination in Arizona, after the Grand Canyon. Phoenicians (the ones from Phoenix, not Phoenicia) have long used Sedona as a weekend escape in summer; the temperature is noticeably cooler, and there's a natural water slide at the appropriately named Slide Rock Park.

Answer: San Francisco Peaks

Nat King Cole - "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66" (1946): "You see Amarillo, Gallup, New Mexico, Flagstaff, Arizona, Don't forget Winona, Kingman, Barstow, San Bernardino..."

The San Francisco Peaks loom over Flagstaff. Don't be conned by the locals - you can't see San Francisco from the top of the mountains. They were actually named in honor of St Francis of Assisi. On a clear day, however, you can see the north rim of the Grand Canyon (look northwest for a pink line). Humphrey's Peak, the tallest mountain in Arizona at nearly 13,000 feet, is located in the San Francisco Peaks and is a popular hiking spot. The trailhead is actually located half way up the mountain, and the hike itself is a walk-up, albeit with a couple of false summits.

The Superstitions are located east of Phoenix, the Catalinas are north of Tucson and The Dragoons are near Tombstone.

Answer: About 6 A.M.

Glen Campbell - "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" (1967): "By the time I get to Phoenix, she'll be rising..."

According to Infoplease.com, it's 398 miles between Los Angeles and Phoenix; with the speed limit being 75 miles per hour for most of the trip and with a few areas of lower speed limits, you'll make it to Phoenix in about six hours.

Answer: At the bottom of the Grand Canyon

Martin Page - "In the House of Stone and Light" (1994): "It's been too long, my spirit's been at war, Havasupai Shaman, let me be reborn".

The Havasupai (pronounced "have-a-sue-pie") are known as the only permanent human inhabitants in the Grand Canyon. They own a large area of land in and around the canyon, including the lovely turquoise Havasu Falls.

Monument Valley is in Navajo land in northeastern Arizona (although Utah claims some of it too). Kitt Peak is located in the Tohono O'odham Nation in southern Arizona. The Apaches claim most of the White Mountains in eastern Arizona.

Answer: Chiricahua National Monument

Murder by Death - "Until Morale Improves, the Beatings Will Continue" (2003): "I walked the road from Tucson to San Antonio with the smell of blood on my breath".

Chiricahua (pronounced "cheer-i-kawa") is the only national monument listed in southern Arizona, and San Antonio is southeast of Tucson so we have a winner! It's a rather remote site - you pretty much have to hike to enjoy it, but the spires and rock formations created from eroded volcanic rock are worth the effort. It's also a great place for viewing wildlife, particularly birds.

Wupatki and Tuzigoot are Native American ruins located near Flagstaff and Cottonwood respectively; Pipe Spring combines Native American ruins with early Mormon settlements and is located on the northwest Utah/Arizona border.

Answer: South

Waylon Jennings - "Hey Willie" (1988): "Hey Willie, let's pack up and catch us a slow train and go back to Phoenix to a far brighter day".

Phoenix is located in Maricopa County, but Maricopa is located in Pinal County. Go figure! Maricopa is about 20 miles south of metro Phoenix. It was a sleepy, farming community of less than 1000 people until the housing boom of the early 2000s drove Phoenicians there to look for affordable homes.

Hope you enjoyed the trip through Arizona. It's much better in person - come visit us!

Sources: Winslowarizona.org, Yumachamber.org, MilitaryHistoryOnline.com, VisitSedona.com, Phoenix.about.com, Havasupaitribe.com, Maricopachamber.com, TheUS50.com