Arizona's Unique Bars Quench Visitors Quest for Fun

After a long day of soaking up the sunshine in the Sonoran Desert, there’s nothing more rewarding than relaxing with a cool beverage in a fun atmosphere.  Whether you have just wrapped up an exhilarating 18 holes of golf, finished a hike to a breathtaking peak or you’ve been lounging poolside at a world-class resort, Arizona offers a wide variety of unique saloons, bars and watering holes to cure your thirst and provide a fascinating experience.

Whether you are craving a cold iced tea or a frosty mug of beer, here are a few memorable places to celebrate:

Kings of Kitsch

Start off at the Museum Club in Flagstaff, which got its name because it used to house a museum-worthy curio collection and taxidermy zoo. “The Zoo,” as the locals call it, has a plethora of Route 66 kitsch, and even a few animals still hang around.  In the glory days of Route 66 the Museum Club attracted top name entertainers that were making their way west to California, and it is still a top venue for live music today.  The huge wooden dance floor is supported by five Ponderosa pines that seem to grow through the building. Car & Driver magazine named the club one of the nation’s “Top 10 Roadhouses.” www.museumclub.com

Residents of Yuma just can’t seem to find room to store everything in their homes! So Lute’s Casino has become a popular place to permanently store everything from animal heads to street signs to old movie posters. The bar, which isn’t a casino at all, has become known for great burgers, an unbeatable pool hall and a hangout for townspeople who love to play dominoes.

Holy Watering Holes

From the outside, La Mision de San Miguel looks very much like a church, with a stucco exterior, imposing wooden double doors and beautifully crafted windows. Walk inside, and it looks, well, a little like a church, with gorgeous murals, statues and paintings. However, this renovated cowboy bar is the place for live music and entertainment in the small town of Patagonia, located between Tucson and the Mexican border. It’s also a melting pot of different cultures: tables and chairs are from India, a religious painting is from Spain and the wood on the bar is from rainforests in Central America. www.lamisionpatagonia.com

If you drive down a five-mile stretch of dirt road just outside Parker, a Colorado River town in western Arizona, you’ll find something quite unexpected at the end: a covered bridge, a bar and a church. It’s the Nellie E Saloon, and it attracts visitors from around the world. The church, although small, is a popular venue for weddings and photo opportunities, and is open to all religions. A short walk through the covered bridge will take visitors to the main bar area, where they’ll find that the windows are made of old glass refrigerator doors and the steel bar stools sway from side to side. The “Desert Bar,” as it’s known to the locals, is a popular hangout for a game of horseshoes and live Western music. www.geocities.com/desert_bar/

Cowboy Havens

The Palace Saloon, located on Prescott’s famed Whiskey Row, used to be a favorite of Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp. The saloon is so loved by its patrons that in 1900 when a fire was tearing through Whiskey Row, they literally carried the bar across the street and kept right on drinking while the buildings went up in flames. It’s the same ornately carved bar that is used today, and it complements other elaborate carvings throughout the saloon. www.historicpalace.com

At the Rusty Spur Saloon in Scottsdale, drinks are guaranteed to be nice and cold - thanks to the bank vault that serves as the refrigeration area. Built in 1921, the Rusty Spur’s building used to house a bank. Today, the Hashknife Pony Express riders pay homage to history each January when they make the 200-mile trek from Holbrook, Ariz. to Scottsdale to deliver mail. And there’s no better place for the riders and their horses to rest after a long ride than beyond the authentic swingin’ doors at the Rusty Spur. www.rustyspursaloon.com

Record Setters

If practice makes perfect, then the Sultana Bar in Williams ought to have the perfect drink perfected. After all, it proudly holds the state’s oldest continuous liquor license. The Route 66 location and atmosphere make it a popular spot for bikers, tourists and locals alike.

Since Glendale is building the stadium that will be the future home to the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals as well as the 2008 Super Bowl, it’s only appropriate that a sports bar in this town just west of Phoenix would house the nation’s largest collection of football helmets. USA Today is so impressed that it named Max’s Sports Bar Museum one of the country’s Top 5 Sports Bars.

So pull up a chair, stool or church pew, relax and kick back with a refreshment. It’s one of the best ways to cool off in the Grand Canyon State.

For more Arizona information, go to www.ArizonaGuide.com. 

For deals and discounts around the state, visit www.arizonavacationvalues.com.