Over my 47 years, I’ve done my fair share of travelling across these United States. I thought it would be an interesting experiment go look back at those trips to each of the 31 states I have visited (62% isn’t bad, is it?) and see if, and when, I may be returning. Working in alphabetical order, we start today with the 48th state to be added to the Union: Arizona.
State: Arizona
Joined the Union: 1912
Visits: 2
Both of my trips to Arizona have occurred within the past seven years, first in 2015 and then again in 2018. Both visits can also be connected to my job, either directly or indirectly.
In 2015, my first trip to Arizona was for a work recognition trip in March. Staying at The Phoenician resort for three nights, we enjoyed the facilities (especially the pool), took a rafting trip down the Lower Salt River, and travelled to an offsite ranch for a farewell dinner. Outside of the work-related activities, I also managed to sneak in a Friday afternoon trip to Sloan Park to see the Cubs battle the White Sox in exciting Cactus League action. Rather than heading home, I extended my stay for a couple of days.
Saturday, after a trip to the airport to pick up a rental car, we headed to Camelback Ranch in Glendale to watch the White Sox take on the visiting A’s in another installment of the Cactus League. Looking for some non-baseball activities, Sunday consisted of a lake cruise along Lake Pleasant while Monday started at Heard Museum, which claims to be one of the premier Native American museums in the United States. When that turned into kind of a bust, we headed to nearby Chase Field for a tour of the home of the Diamondbacks.
I returned to the Phoenix area in 2018, following another work trip. A conference in Las Vegas led to me stopping in Arizona for the weekend before heading home. I again took in some Cactus League action, this time at Camelback Ranch and Peoria Sports Complex, seeing the White Sox, Cubs, and Mariners (twice!). I also enjoyed a trip to the slot canyons and Horseshoe Bend in Page, followed by a quick trip to the Grand Canyon. I also managed to see my dad for the first time in years (and, to date, the last time I’ve seen him). He had recently moved to the Tuscon area and drove up for a quick bite to eat before going back home.
Will I return? I have to assume that yes, I will return to Arizona someday. Leaving aside any future spring training action, I do need to take in an actual game at Chase Field at some point. I will also likely need to deal with something related to my dad. So I’d say the odds are much better than 50/50.