The Alpine Country Club is located near the Apache National Forest in the “Alps” region of Arizona.  With an elevation of over 8100 feet, the club’s 9-hole golf course is among the highest in the nation.  Dense groves of blue spruce, aspens and ponderosa pines border the fairway.  All types of wildlife, including elk, are a common site on the greens.  The Alpine offers some of the coolest Arizona golf in the warm summer months.  Find out more at the Alpine Golf & Country Club website.

Springtime is coming to the White Mountains near Show Low, but the snow is not gone yet. This inspirational YouTube video shows the beauty of springtime snow in the White Mountains. Where else but Arizona can you find catci covered with a blanket of snow? We’re looking forward to the thaw and getting back to Arizona golf as the warm weather returns.

In addition to Show Low, the White Mountains area of Arizona includes the communities of Snowflake, Pinetop-Lakeside, Springerville, Eagar, St. Johns, Taylor and Heber-Overgaard. A wealth of winter recreational opportunities are available in the Arizona White Mountains, including skiing, snowboarding, sledding and tubing. Quaint towns provide shopping venues for antiques and Native American crafts.

For history buffs, there is the Trail of Many Tracks historic driving trail. In Springerville, the Casa Malpais Ruins date back to the 13th century and are considered to be one of the finest archaeological sites in the Southwest. These are just two examples of the historic locations to be visited in the White Mountains.

For a touch of big-city excitement, casino gaming and entertainment are also nearby. For more information, visit the White Mountains website.

On Saturday, Nov. 7, the Christmas tree that will adorn the nation’s Capitol will be cut from the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest near Alpine, Arizona. The location of this year’s 85-foot blue spruce will remain a well-kept secret until Saturday at 9:30 a.m., when the Apache Crown Dancers will celebrate the felling of the tree. The tree will be harnessed for transport and begin a 10-day trip through Arizona, stopping in Show Low on Tuesday, Nov. 10. There will be festivities throughout Show Low to honor of the tree. For more information, see the Show Low website and the Capitol Christmas Tree website.

Each year, the Capitol Christmas tree is brought to Washington, D.C. from a different state. 2009 is the first year that the Capitol tree will originate in Arizona. The tree will arrive in the Capitol in early December and be erected in front of the Capitol building.

This YouTube video of Matt and Steve’s Labor Day trip from Danville, CA to Mount Airy, NC gives you some idea of how spectacular the scenery in Arizona is. The shots of them playing golf in Sedona are amazing! Two dudes and their golf clubs – that’s what you call road trip golfing!

Mogollon Rim

Some may wonder what exactly Show Low is.  Simply put, it’s a mountain town in Arizona, U.S.A. which has some of best golf courses and ski slopes to be found.  Show Low lies on what is known as the Mogollon Rim in eastern Arizona, giving it an elevation of 6400 feet.  The town was first settled in 1870 and then incorporated in 1953.  The current population is about 12,000.

Where did Show Low get its unique name?  Legend has it that it came from a poker game between two early settlers named C.E. Cooley and Marion Clark.  The men had come to the conclusion that the new town was only big enough for one of them, so they decided to let the outcome of a game of poker determine who would move.  Clark is said to have laid down this challenge — “If you can show low, you win.”  Cooley turned the deuce of clubs and exclaimed,”Show low it is!”  The stakes were a 100,000 acre ranch, which Cooley became owner of.  Show Low’s main street is called “Deuce of Clubs” in memory of this event.

Show Low is an outdoor lover’s paradise.  Boating, fishing, hunting, golfing, horseback riding, rafting and skiing are some of the activities available in the area around Show Low.  Due to its high elevation, Show Low is 30 degrees cooler in the summer than Phoenix and Tucson, which are each about 200 miles away.

Find out more at the Show Low Chamber of Commerce.