Scott Murray
Travel Writer & Road Trip Planner
Southern California
The Desert Got Under My Skin
I drove to Arizona on a whim one weekend from Southern California — and something about the landscape just grabbed me. The Grand Canyon was the obvious first stop, but it was the smaller places that got me hooked: the red rock trails around Sedona, the old mining tunnels in Bisbee, the silence of Monument Valley at dawn.
I've driven thousands of miles across this state since then — the interstates, the back highways, the forest roads north of Flagstaff, the switchbacks around Jerome and Bisbee. I've hiked in summer heat that nearly broke me and watched snow fall on red rocks in Sedona in January.
I'm not a travel blogger. I work in healthcare IT. But Arizona keeps pulling me back, and I finally decided to put everything I've learned into something useful — a site with real knowledge, honest prices, video content from the places I've actually been, and an AI trip planner that builds itineraries from real experience.
Discover Arizona is the resource I wished existed when I first started exploring this state.
Why You Can Trust Scott's Advice
- Thousands of miles driven across Arizona — interstates, scenic byways, and dirt roads
- All 12 destinations covered on this site visited in person, most of them multiple times
- 40+ countries traveled — but Arizona keeps pulling me back
- Hiked in every season — from 115°F summer days in Phoenix to snowy Flagstaff winters
- Driven every major Arizona corridor: I-17, I-10, I-40, US-89, Route 66
- Explored the state from luxury Scottsdale resorts to backcountry campgrounds near Page
- Healthcare IT professional by day — Arizona travel obsessive by every other waking moment
What Scott Covers
Highway corridors, scenic byways, driving distances, airport options, and the transport details that turn a trip from stressful to seamless.
Real prices in USD from trips I actually took. Daily budgets, hotel costs, food prices, park entrance fees.
Destination videos from the places I've been — canyon overlooks, desert trails, historic towns, and scenic drives.
Heat safety, hydration tips, best hiking seasons, elevation changes, and the nuts-and-bolts details guidebooks skip.