Escaping the heat and bonding with bears

Bonding overnight with the outdoors whether with nature, with family, or ummmmm... or in any way that you see fit, is a national pastime.  Although Arizona provides us with a really big desert, the higher elevations offer a wide range of great camping destinations for the summer.  Yes the monsoons help, but sooner or later a cooler climate must be your "go to" place for a slice of shade.  My husband and son are working with a group of friends to get up to big tree nirvana in August but he found locating ideas for good locations a little confusing on the internet.  There's a lot of information online but it's really difficult to sift through.  So it was off to Borders where he eventually located Arizona's 144 Best Campgrounds published by Arizona Highways (2005).  It provides well organized and comprehensive information on sites and the areas complete with all the charts, maps, and pictures you'll need.  Most sites are easily accessible so whether you're looking to rough it or you want to park the Airstream right beside a hookup you should find everything in this book.  So my husband was able to quickly find the perfect spot up on the Mogollon Rim for August.  And now he and my 3-year old son are off to REI armed with a thousand excuses for some great new camping gear.