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See Canyon Trail Arizona: Fall Hiking Guide Near Payson

See Canyon Trail Arizona: Fall Hiking Guide Near Payson

by daniellenfairbanks | Nov 18, 2024 | Arizona, Arizona Fall, Arizona Hikes & Outdoor Adventures, Arizona Seasons, Payson/ Pine/ Strawberry

See Canyon Trail Arizona: Fall Hiking Guide Near Payson See Canyon Trail is one of the best hikes near Payson, Arizona for experiencing the forests, creeks and changing seasons of the Mogollon Rim. The trail winds through a lush canyon beneath towering ponderosa...
Coffee Shops in Payson to Check Out!

Coffee Shops in Payson to Check Out!

by daniellenfairbanks | Nov 7, 2024 | Arizona, Arizona Destinations, Arizona Food, Stays, & Experiences, Coffee, Payson/ Pine/ Strawberry, Shops & Restaurants

Coffee Shops in Payson to Check Out! Coffee is the best, isn’t it? Even better, a LOCAL coffee shop while traveling. I just love the unique vibes, local stories, and decor. I have been visiting Payson, AZ to hike and camp for a decade and didn’t know these...
Best Wineries in Arizona: A Taste of the Southwest

Best Wineries in Arizona: A Taste of the Southwest

by daniellenfairbanks | Oct 25, 2024 | Arizona, Arizona Food, Stays, & Experiences, Payson/ Pine/ Strawberry, Shops & Restaurants, Tucson

Best Wineries in Arizona: A Taste of the Southwest If you’re reading this post, you must enjoy WINE. Me, too! When I think wine, we always think California and Napa Valley, right? But Arizona grows wine, too! We have so many different landscapes and elevations within...
Summer in Arizona: How to Stay Cool!

Summer in Arizona: How to Stay Cool!

by daniellenfairbanks | Jul 8, 2024 | Arizona, Arizona Seasons, Flagstaff, Grand Canyon, Payson/ Pine/ Strawberry, Pinetop-Lakeside, Sedona, Water Hikes

Summer in Arizona: How to Stay Cool! We all know Arizona is HOT, HOT, HOT. I remember the first time I visited Arizona in summer and I could literally feel a burn on my foot between my thin flip flops and the black top. I’ve been living here for a decade now and...
Water Wheel Falls: The Best Summer Hike Near Payson, AZ

Water Wheel Falls: The Best Summer Hike Near Payson, AZ

by daniellenfairbanks | Jun 4, 2024 | Arizona, Arizona Hikes & Outdoor Adventures, Northern Arizona, Payson/ Pine/ Strawberry, Water Hikes

Water Wheel Falls: The Best Summer Hike Near Payson, AZ If you’re looking for a summer hike near Payson that actually gets you in the water, Water Wheel Falls should be at the top of your list. It’s one of the most popular trails in the Tonto National...
Horton Creek Trail, Arizona: The Best Creek Hike Near Payson

Horton Creek Trail, Arizona: The Best Creek Hike Near Payson

by daniellenfairbanks | Jun 4, 2024 | Arizona, Arizona Hikes & Outdoor Adventures, Northern Arizona, Payson/ Pine/ Strawberry, Water Hikes

Horton Creek Trail, Arizona: The Best Creek Hike Near Payson If you’re looking for a summer hike near Payson that checks every box — shaded, creekside, dog friendly, not too hard, and genuinely beautiful the whole way — Horton Creek Trail is it. It’s one...
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a week living in phoenix 🏜️☕️🥾✨ a week living in phoenix 🏜️☕️🥾✨
arizona officially has a FOURTH national park! 🌵🏞️ arizona officially has a FOURTH national park! 🌵🏞️ and there’s a pretty cool story behind how it happened.

📍 chiricahua national park | willcox, arizona

🚗 about 3.5–4 hours from phoenix
🌵 located in southeastern arizona, near willcox
🥾 17 miles of hiking trails
🪨 famous for its towering rock spires, balancing rocks & volcanic formations
🌋 formed by volcanic activity approximately 27 million years ago
🏞️ more than 12,000 acres of protected landscapes

originally designated a national monument in 1924, chiricahua is known as the “wonderland of rocks” and is home to incredible biodiversity, beautiful hiking trails, and thousands of years of cultural history, including its significance to the chiricahua apache.

but how exactly does a national monument become a national park? 🤔

here’s a little government refresher using chiricahua as an example (had to bring back memories from AP Gov in high school, lol)-

🇺🇸 HOW A BILL BECOMES A LAW:

1️⃣ a bill is introduced: senator mark kelly @captmarkkelly first introduced legislation to designate chiricahua as a national park in 2021. the effort continued over several years, with bipartisan support.

2️⃣ legislation is introduced in congress: the successful 2025–2026 effort included a bipartisan effort

3️⃣ committees review the legislation: congressional committees consider proposed bills, discuss their impacts, and can recommend changes before they advance.

4️⃣ the house votes: on march 16, 2026, the house of representatives passed the chiricahua national park act.

5️⃣ the senate votes: on september 30, 2026, the senate passed the legislation by unanimous consent!

6️⃣ the president signs: on october 20, 2026, president trump signed the bill into law, officially making chiricahua arizona’s fourth national park and the 64th in the united states! 🎉

and this is why understanding how our government works matters!

we don’t have to be experts on every piece of legislation, but understanding the process, knowing who represents us, and staying informed about issues we care about can make a difference.

📌 save this for your next arizona road trip!
drones are great, but if you don’t have one or can drones are great, but if you don’t have one or can’t have one in certain places & you want drone-like footage, try the insta360 X6 📸✨ AD

the extended invisible selfie stick is taller than i am, but still easy to hold & barely noticeable in videos (like these ones!) @insta360 

ive always loved capturing my adventures to have tangible memories for years to come, and this is such a fun way to do it!! 

places/ things im putting on my list that would be so cool captured with the X6:

🛶 top down while on a kayak/ paddle board 
🌉 walking over a bridge 
🏔️ on a mountain summit/ ridgeline
🏜️ in front of a tall mountain that’s too big to capture even with wide angle 
🚗 outside the window driving views 
🚠 on a gondola!!!

any others you can think of???

comment 📸 for the link and use my code: DANIELLE 

#insta360 #insta360x6
what are your favorite hikes lately? 🥾 what are your favorite hikes lately? 🥾

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