Weird Arizona: Your Travel Guide to Arizona's Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets

Weird Travel Guides

by Wesley Treat, Mark Moran (Foreword), Mark Sceurman (Foreword)

Most of Arizona remains unspoiled, uninhabited America. Well…uninhabited by humans, at least. Reports abound of such creatures as flying dinosaurs, goblins, shape shifters, and vicious bloodsuckers. Whether it’s the Mogollon Monsters or the weird Ninimbe (tiny elves anywhere from two inches to three feet tall) Arizona seems to have them, along with killer cacti and the Can Can Merman. Now, that’s weird!

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, History, Humor, Biography, Paranormal, Adult

256 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2007

Reviews

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Oops! Forgot to post in 2015)

When my best friend Betty (now retired in Arizona) sent me this book for my birthday earlier this year, I admit to thinking it was just another travel guide, but was I ever wrong! It is filled with a multitude of eerie ghost stories and interesting tidbits of haunted places I would love to visit.

Fun and informative!

[Heidi J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was fantastic! I'm not a native Arizonan so most of the stories and places and tales in this book were new to me (though not all). It was a fascinating look at my adopted home state, with tantalizing bits of history and beautiful photographs of all the people, places, and things that just make Arizona weird-- and unique.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow this book is scary! I was reading The Shining during the same time period and this book scared me more. Perhaps because it is set where I live. I bought the book because I've read parts of the Florida version of the book and it has some strange but fun places you can visit, and I was looking for that here. They have some of that in this version too - but there is also some bizarre, strange, creepy things too like Skin-walkers and strange deaths in the Superstition Mountains.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have enjoyed all of the "Weird" state books and this didn't disappoint. Discovered a few new places to visit in Arizona. Do keep in mind that this was published in 2007 so some of the places or sights mentioned may no longer exist.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so interesting! Added a ton of places to see to my sightseeing list!

[Kerry Riney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like it! It was cool and astonishing!
I think others should enjoy this book too!

[Beth Oehler]

Introduced me to some places/stories I hadn’t heard about but overall didn’t love the format.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wildly entertaining book filled with great tales (true and otherwise) about the strange people, places and phenomenon that make Arizona "weird." It's a combination of folklore, urban legends, and history culled from anecdotal evidence into an interesting and humorous collection of good old-fashioned storytelling. The contributing writers bring a level of credibility to their work by conducting interviews, doing research, and making visits to the bizarre places that they are exploring. It's a very enjoyable experience reading their findings but it's based primarily on anecdotal evidence with little basis in fact. I can't help but think that the book's contributors were winking while they were writing these stories.

[Libscigrl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Talk about wanderlust! Now I want to experience all of the things in this book!
Only gave it 4 stars as there were a handful of misspelled words. C'mon guys. But it is still an interesting read, a little kooky, and a lot hilarious and weird.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the better written "Weird" books out of the whole series. Granted, I think it is because the lack of reader submissions. It wasn't until this book I became very aware how much these books have transformed.

I pulled out Weird New Jersey at the same time I was reading this. It quickly saw how the formats had changed. The book was divided up in similar sections, but articles were more fragmented in the Weird New Jersey. This old style of having quick little blurbs were kind-of nice. It created a bigger mystery, making the subject more weird.

At the same time, I liked Weird Arizona since things were a little thorough. I suppose the only places I would have liked to see the same "fragmented" style that was in the original book, would of been in the Roadside Oddities, or the Abandoned in Arizona sections.

Regardless, I have a bunch of places I would like to go to when I venture out to Arizona next time.

[Emily Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun book! My brother and sister-in-law gave it to us for Christmas, because we had mentioned that we were going to do much less traveling this year. This is perfect! It's basically what the title implies - a bunch of weird, local places to visit and the legends or stories behind them. We've already seen a few, and we're excited to hit the road and visit some more (that are close!). It even has a section on Chief Yellowhorse, who you might have spotted driving to AZ from UT, and who we fondly refer to as Chief Yellow-water because we honestly just misread the sign the first time we passed it (kept us entertained the whole trip!). Thanks, Justin and Helen!

[G-- · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun stories but patronizing. An example--he profiles Sheriff Joe as just another AZ oddity, but ignores that the abuse that the Sheriff perpetuates [and that the author discusses] is done on real people. This is written as if the jail is just another part of the amusement park. And so are all the other oddities. Jane and Michael do a much better job of the same kind of chronicling.

[Truitti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book for a friend who has moved to Arizonia. She is driving thru my city during a vacation and I will give it to her then. So I read the book so we could discuss when she finished it. The book is causing me to plan to go to Arizonia to see all these quirky places. I have enjoyed it immensely.

[Gfrenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Learned about a lot of strange and quirky things in AZ. These are the guys that do the travel show called "Weird Arizona" on the travel channel. I'm sure they have one for most states. Check yours out.

[Jalice · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did indeed find out things about my own hometown that I didn't know. It was a fun light read, that made me want to explore my state more. However some of thier sources are questionable and some of thier statements are exaggerated. Nonetheless, I enjoyed it.

[Cactuskid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gary & Holly gave us this book. A lot of history relating to different places, some no longer existing now, but good background for different areas of interest. A lot of supernatural phenomena places with their legends and some real places we need to check out. A good book for Arizonians.

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great stories & background on a lot of the weird stuff you can find in AZ. Most I had heard of, but there were still quite a few that I never knew existed & in my travels I look for said "weird" stuff. :)

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very fun book. I have visited most of the places mentioned, though some of the legends are new to me. Highly recommended!

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good info. Answered some questions that I had about things I've seen but never looked into, gave ideas of places to visit and gave info on things here the state I never knew about.

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great coffee table book! Its fun to open and read bits every once in a while. And I have learned some interesting things about this lovely state I live in.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun, interesting read!

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I had read this book before my last trip to Arizona, but it gives me plenty of reasons to return to Arizona.

Lots of interesting geologic features.

[Jamey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was full of great stories and "attractions." I can't wait to see Arizona!

[Tami · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really cool book, if you are looking for unique places to visit.

[TOTO from Kansas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good fun read.
Lots of interesting stories and fact about places on
and off the " Beaten Path" tourist interests and out of the way places.

[Pat Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun Arizona weird touring guide.