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The Verde Independent
“Governor Cruises into Town”
By Angela De Welles
There are so many hidden treasures in Arizona.
From an out-of-the way restaurant in Patagonia to a quaint historic Flagstaff hotel, there are places and events worth the time that many Arizona residents don’t even know about.
It’s Gov. Janet Napolitano’s mission to highlight them all.
She visited the Verde Valley on Saturday as part of her 2005 Arizona Treasures Tour. The tour is designed to introduce Arizonans to some of the vacation destinations within the state and is administered through the Arizona Office of Tourism.
So far the governor has gone to the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument and the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show. She’s taken a fishing trip in Lake Havasu City and steered a canoe in Yuma.
“This time we’re coming up to the Verde Valley” said Napolitano in a phone interview.
Saturday she was at Deadhorse Ranch State Park for the Verde Valley Birding and Nature Festival and at Riverfront Park for the British Euro Auto Tour (BEAT). She finished off her trip at the Verde Canyon Railroad in Clarkdale.
Napolitano said there is a committee that seeks out the destinations she goes to. This isn’t the first time she’s traveled to the Verde Valley, but it is the first time she has attended these events.
“I’m really looking forward to it.” Napolitano said last week.
The governor explained that the tour is a way to sell Arizona attractions to Arizona residents. She said many new residents and some that have lived in the state for years aren’t aware of what’s available.
“Some of them are new to me and I’ve done two state-wide campaign tours,” Napolitano said.
Right now a Web site has been established that gives information on all the governor’s stops. It also allows visitors to nominate their favorite spots.
Napolitano said there are many plans in the works for this program. A brochure spotlighting the lesser-known destinations in the state could be coming in the future.
For more information on the governor’s tour, visit www.arizonatreasures.gov