Arizona Highways Magazine

Governor Hobbs marks Arizona Highways magazine’s 100th birthday

Governor Hobbs marks Arizona Highways magazine’s 100th birthday

Governor Hobbs marks Arizona Highways magazine’s 100th birthday

Governor Hobbs marks Arizona Highways magazine’s 100th birthday

By Steve Elliott / ADOT Communications
April 15, 2025
Governor Hobbs with publisher, editor of Arizona Highways magazine

Governor Katie Hobbs is marking the 100th birthday of Arizona Highways with an official commendation of the magazine’s contributions to Arizona.

Publisher Kelly Mero (at left above), Editor Robert Stieve (right) and State Transportation Board Chair Jenn Daniels were among those joining the Governor this morning at the Executive Tower. It was on April 15, 1925, that the State Highway Department launched a magazine that through the years has become world-renowned for photography and stories celebrating Arizona as a place to visit and explore. 

Representatives of ADOT, which publishes Arizona Highways, brought a cake bearing an image of the magazine’s centennial edition cover. Governor Hobbs completed the backdrop by bringing a copy of the centennial edition from her office. 

The Governor’s commendation reads, in part: “After 100 years, Arizona Highways continues to inspire travel to and throughout the great state of Arizona, with an estimated economic impact of $43.1 million.”

We’re having a yearlong celebration of the magazine, which has advanced into the digital age and has a brand umbrella that includes annual calendars, books, a specialty license plate, gift items, and licensing for a television program and gift shops at two airports. This diversification helps Arizona Highways operate at no expense to taxpayers.

To learn more about Arizona Highways and to become a subscriber, please visit ArizonaHighways.com.

 

PODCAST: Arizona Highways magazine is much more just than pretty pictures

PODCAST: Arizona Highways magazine is much more just than pretty pictures

PODCAST: Arizona Highways magazine is much more just than pretty pictures

PODCAST: Arizona Highways magazine is much more just than pretty pictures

By Steve Elliott / ADOT Communications
September 29, 2024
Arizona Highways 2025 calendar cover

Listen to the episode! (or use the embed below)

Arizona Highways magazine is world-renowned for showcasing our state's beauty. But you might not know that it's part of the Arizona Department of Transportation. Or that it generates tens of millions of dollars annually in tourism-related revenue across the state. Or that it operates at no cost to taxpayers. 

Publisher Kelly Mero joins On the Road With ADOT this week to discuss how Arizona Highways, which soon will mark its centennial, continues promoting travel to and through the state of Arizona in this digital age. In addition to the magazine, which has subscribers in all 50 states and more than 100 countries, Arizona Highways publishes travel guide books, calendars and other products to promote travel in Arizona.

Spend a few minutes listening to Kelly chat with our host, Doug Nintzel, and you'll better understand how Arizona Highways helps empower Arizona's economy. You also can learn more at ArizonaHighways.com.

You can subscribe to episodes of On the Road with ADOT through Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You also can find episodes at azdot.gov/Podcast and featured in ADOT Blog posts.

Going back to the 80s with Arizona Highways magazine

Going back to the 80s with Arizona Highways magazine

Going back to the 80s with Arizona Highways magazine

Going back to the 80s with Arizona Highways magazine

By John LaBarbera / ADOT Communications
January 10, 2022

Precisely 42 years ago, in January 1980, the Steelers defeated the Rams to win Super Bowl XIV, Frank Sinatra performed in front of his largest crowd ever of 140,000 concert-goers in Rio de Janeiro and the Rubik’s Cube debuted in London at the British Toy and Hobby fair.

Here in the Grand Canyon State, Arizona Highways magazine released issue Number One of Volume 50, dedicated to the beauty of southern Arizona.

The cover is a charming photo of the Pima County courthouse in downtown Tucson, firmly planted in history alongside the city’s modern skyscrapers. A great introduction to the periodical, which takes you from scenes around The Old Pueblo right down to the Mexican border.

The issue’s first story takes us to a few points along the Tucson Corridor which, today, can be accessed via Interstate 19. The most interesting of which is the boomtown of Calabasas. By the mid 1880s, Calabasas was a paragon of the Wild West: saloons, dance halls and gambling tables.

That boom went bust by the turn of the century as the Arizona and New Mexico railroad bypassed Calabasas for more desirable ground. Today, a golf course in Rio Rico sits atop the site of the former town.

 

Tucson Corridor map

Next, we go from gazing upon the past to looking toward the future as we visit Kitt Peak National Observatory on State Route 386. Kitt Peak is one of many astronomical facilities in the region that has been dubbed the “center of gravity” for the study of stars and space.

Among the many pictures in this spread, this view of the observatory at sunset is a standout.

 

Kitt Peak Observatory at sunset

Our trip across southern Arizona continues with a stop in Old Tucson, the now in-limbo movie studio that was home to the aptly titled Columbia Pictures film “Arizona,” starring William Holden and Jean Arthur. Legends Bing Crosby and Gene Autry also filmed movies there during Hollywood’s Golden Age.

 

Gunfight at Old Tucson Studios

We journey farther south again to gaze at the alluring elegance of Patagonia Lake State Park off State Route 82, just miles from the U.S.-Mexico border. Here we have another photograph at sunset and, really, there just isn’t a better time to take a picture in Arizona than at sunset.

 

Sunset at Patagonia Lake

The issue closes out with a dirt trail trek to another southern Arizona ghost town, Ruby. Now that name might sound familiar to those in the know. Ruby Road can be found off Interstate 19 and is also signed as State Route 289 from I-19 west to Pena Blanca Lake. Beyond the lake, though, Ruby Road is a risky path that leads to the home of the once-booming Montana Mine. 

In 1909, Julius F. Andrews set up shop near the mine and decided to rechristen the land in honor of his wife, Lille B. Ruby. The name stuck and miners in Ruby extracted gold, silver, lead and zinc for decades until the 1940s saw a precipitous drop in ore returns.  Not long after, Ruby became a ghost town and when Arizona Highways crews visited for this 1980 issue, they were greeted by this less than welcoming sign: “Private property, no trespassing. Survivors will be prosecuted.”

 

Private property gate leading to Ruby

From ghost town to ghost town, the January 1980 issue of Arizona Highways magazine is a 48-page jaunt around southern Arizona and its unrivaled beauty. And 42 years later, it still reads like it’s hot off the presses.

Arizona Highways photographs on display at Phoenix Zoo

Arizona Highways photographs on display at Phoenix Zoo

Arizona Highways photographs on display at Phoenix Zoo

Arizona Highways photographs on display at Phoenix Zoo

By Laurie Merrill / ADOT Communications
December 3, 2021

Canyon Magic by Suzanne Mathia

Arizona has many amazing treasures.

It’s not just that we have spectacular scenery and an abundance of wildlife. We also have talented photographers who capture images of this beauty for ADOT’s Arizona Highways magazine.

There's no better place to display some of these photographs than along the walls of another Arizona treasure, The Arizona Center for Nature Conservation (ACNC)/Phoenix Zoo.

The two organizations have collaborated to create an exhibit featuring large photographs by nine famed Arizona Highways photographers. It will be on display with a general admission ticket through January 31 in the Zoo’s Savanna Gallery.

“The photographs are absolutely stunning,” ACNC/Phoenix Zoo President and CEO Bert Castro said in a press release, referring to works by Jack Dykinga, Paul Gill, Joel Hazelton, Lisa Langell, Suzanne Mathia, Eirini Pajak, Willis Peterson, John Sherman and Bruce D. Taubert.

Among artwork on display is a snowy egret flying across water that is reflecting yellow foliage, taken by Bruce D. Taubert, giving a white on yellow experience. 

There’s a peaceful photo of the Little Colorado by Jack Dykinga, a green insect atop a desert mushroom by Eirini Pajak and Canyon Magic by Suzanne Mathia.

Zoo visitors have the option of purchasing these and 45 others if they wish to add another touch of beauty to their homes. Twenty percent of the proceeds go back to the non-profit zoo for the care of more than 3,000 animals.

“We’re proud to partner with the Phoenix Zoo on this wonderful exhibit,” Robert Stieve, editor of Arizona Highways, said. “For almost 100 years, we’ve been showcasing the beauty of Arizona, and a big part of that beauty is the state’s wildlife. It’s our hope that these photographs will inspire people to protect the many species that make our landscape so unique.”

Arizona Highways Magazine again glitters with awards of gold, silver and bronze

Arizona Highways Magazine again glitters with awards of gold, silver and bronze

I-17 101 traffic interchange

Arizona Highways Magazine again glitters with awards of gold, silver and bronze

Arizona Highways Magazine again glitters with awards of gold, silver and bronze

October 14, 2021

The accolades keep rolling in for Arizona Highways. The magazine published by the Arizona Department of Transportation has earned more recognition for its excellence in design, visuals, outstanding writing and production.

In its annual awards program, the International Regional Magazine Association (IRMA) awarded Arizona Highways a total of 22 honors in categories including excellence in feature writing, photography, art direction, Writer of the Year, Photographer of the Year, among others. 

This is the seventh straight year that Arizona Highways has received at least 16 IRMA awards. 

“Arizona is known for its unique beauty, robust and diverse mixture of colorful personalities and incredible stories that we are privileged to bring to the world every month,” said Kelly Mero, Publisher of Arizona Highways. 

“The real stars are the state and its people, and they make it possible for us to receive awards like these. They deserve this recognition as do the talented people inside and outside of ADOT who collaborate to make Arizona Highways come alive every month.”

IRMA is a nonprofit association of 25 regional magazines from across North America. This is the 41st annual awards competition, and entries are judged by a panel of magazine industry experts from outside of IRMA. 

Arizona Highways received the following awards:

 

Gold award winners:

Profiles: Meet the Master | September 2020 | Kelly Vaughn

Column: August 2020, December 2020, March 2021 | Robert Stieve

Single Photo: Navajo Dancer | May 2020 | Mylo Fowler

Portrait Photo: Greg Wildman | January 2021 | Joel Grimes

Portrait Series: I Just Want to Go Home | May 2020 | David Zickl

Magazine Photographer of the Year: Jack Dykinga

 

Silver award winners: 

Public Issues: At the End of Their Ropes | January 2021 | Noah Austin

Historic Feature: The Exodus Trail | May 2020 | Annette McGivney

Nature and Environment Feature: Ho, Ho, Ho … Green Giants | March 2021 | Tyler Williams

Essay: Breathing Space | July 2020 | Craig Childs

Photo Series: The Evolution of Landscape Photography | April  2020 | Edited by Jess Kida 

Illustration: The Exodus Trail | May 2020 | Davide Bonazzi

Special Focus: The Great Escapes | July 2020

Cover: May 2020

 

Bronze award winners: 

Travel Feature: A Trip to Remember | August  2020 | Willis Peterson

General Feature: Salvage Operation | March 2021 | Annette McGivney

Headline and Dek: Beadlemania | November  2020 | Robert Stieve

Art Direction SIngle Story: There’s Gold in Them Thar Hills | October 2020 | Keith Whitney

Magazine Writer of the Year: Kelly Vaughn

Travel Package: The Great Escapes | July 2020 | Edited by Robert Stieve

 

Award of Merit:

Art and Culture Feature: The Fruits of Her Labor | May 2020  | Kelly Vaughn

Recreation: In for a Bumpy Ride | June 2020 | Chel Knorr

 

Founded in 1925, Arizona Highways is dedicated to promoting travel to and through the state of Arizona. In addition to the world-renowned magazine known for spectacular landscape photography, Arizona Highways publishes travel guide books, calendars and other products to promote travel in Arizona. The magazine has subscribers in all 50 states and more than 100 countries.

Learn more at arizonahighways.com and irmamagazines.com

Arizona Highways: 43 years later, same great state

Arizona Highways: 43 years later, same great state

Arizona Highways: 43 years later, same great state

Arizona Highways: 43 years later, same great state

By John LaBarbera / ADOT Communications
May 26, 2021

In April 1978, the Academy Awards saw "Star Wars" lead with six trophies, while "Annie Hall" won for Best Picture. "The Bob Newhart Show" aired its final episode on NBC, and "Dallas" aired its first on CBS.

Here in Arizona, Governor Wesley Bolin had just passed away in March, after serving just five months in the position. Arizona Highways Magazine had no time to update their April issue in time for printing, and still lists Bolin, who was also Arizona’s longest serving Secretary of State, in the highest office.

The first piece in the issue is an ode to Arizona’s cotton harvest. Cotton, along with citrus, cattle, copper and climate, is one of The Five C’s that played an important role in Arizona’s early economy. We see a great picture of a cotton plant up close, along with a stunning silhouette of a farmer cultivating his crop. These photos were captured by John Running.

Next up is a journey to Boyce Thompson Arboretum off US 60 near Superior. Arizona Highway stalwart Josef Muench captured some beautiful images around the garden, including cactus, flowers and Boyce Thompson's former residence (he also shot this edition's cover).

Further into the issue, spring-inspired poems line the pages, appropriately accompanied by blooming blossoms and desert landscapes. With photos by John Cacheris and Paul Jarrett.

Desert Spring Song

About 28 pages into the 49-page periodical, the tone shifts from flora to jewelry. 

What follows is a 10-page profile of world-renowned jeweler Pierre Touraine, whose work was being exhibited at the Heard Museum. One of those pieces was the Bicentennial Necklace, wrought from white gold, diamonds, rubies and sapphires. At the time, it was estimated to be worth $100,000.

Bicentennial necklace

Here, Touraine is presenting the necklace to President Gerald Ford in 1977.

Ford and Touraine

Ford, of course, was president during the country’s bicentennial activities of 1976.

Another Touraine piece featured in the article is his “Phoenix Bird,” which he created to celebrate Phoenix’s centennial. It was presented to the Phoenix Art Museum in 1970. The photo was taken by Jeff Kurtzman.

Phoenix Bird

At the publishing of this issue, a yearly subscription to Arizona Highways set you back just eight bucks, and single copies were available for only one dollar. A small price to pay for the photogenic beauty of our great State 48.

Arizona Highways plays big role in state tourism

Arizona Highways plays big role in state tourism

Arizona Highways plays big role in state tourism

Arizona Highways plays big role in state tourism

By Lori Baker / ADOT Communications
March 15, 2021

Showcasing Arizona’s beauty, diverse culture and rich history with stunning photography and compelling articles, Arizona Highways magazine (AHM) plays a major role in boosting the state’s tourism economy, as detailed in a new research report.

The world-renowned monthly publication brings more than $43 million annually of direct tourism revenue to Arizona, according to subscriber surveys and economic modeling analyzed as part of a new ADOT research study. The study was conducted by a team at Arizona State University under the direction of the ADOT Research Center. For every $1 spent by Arizona Highways, at least $3.74 enters Arizona’s economy from out-of-state subscribers whose travel decisions were influenced by the magazine.

“The study confirms the importance and impact the magazine and brand have on the tourism community throughout Arizona. It also confirms the exceptional work the entire Arizona Highways team does each and every day,” said Arizona Highways Magazine Publisher Kelly Mero.

The “Economic Impact and Contribution of Arizona Highways Magazine to State Tourism” study, published in December 2020, describes how Arizona Highways magazine, its ancillary products and brand influence travel and tourism decision-making, along with the spending habits of Arizona travelers and outof-state visitors.

The study points to how travel spending generates taxes for state and local governments and pumps tourism dollars into communities across the state, particularly in places featured in the magazine and its branded products. In-state expenditures by Arizona residents are important to many rural communities, where the tourism market includes residents from the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas.

People are loyal to the Arizona Highways brand across multiple platforms as Arizona Highways magazine subscribers, AHM Facebook page users, Arizona Highways TV show viewers and Arizona Highways retail product purchasers, the study’s researchers reported. Highlights of the report include:

  • About 87% of subscribers keep their magazines for trip planning months or even years later.
  • Facebook users primarily seek information about sightseeing, day trips and recreation from the AHM Facebook page.
  • About 77% of shoppers at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport AHM gift shop subscribe to Arizona Highways magazine.
  • Focus groups of Arizona Highways TV viewers indicated that the show informs their travel decisions.

The research study, funded partially by the Federal Highway Administration, is the latest in a series of studies conducted about every seven years to assess the impact of the AHM brand. While Arizona Highways magazine is part of ADOT, it does not receive state funding and is financially self-reliant.

Student photographers have chance for Arizona Highways fame

Student photographers have chance for Arizona Highways fame

I-17 101 traffic interchange

Student photographers have chance for Arizona Highways fame

Student photographers have chance for Arizona Highways fame

February 4, 2021

One of the most unique publications in the world, the ADOT-published Arizona Highways magazine, is offering student photographers a rare chance to have a nature photo published in an upcoming issue.

The publication, in cooperation with The Nature Conservancy and COX Communications, is sponsoring the 2021 Adventures in Nature Student Photo Contest, which is open to Arizona students between the ages of 13 and 18. 

The competition is open through Friday, April 16, and winners will be announced on May 6. Submissions of high-resolution nature photos must be submitted via www.arizonahighways.com.

A total of $10,000 in cash prizes await the top 10 winners and the overall winning entry will be published in Arizona Highways, which is renowned for its outstanding images taken by world-famous photographers.

Contestants can find more information on submission requirements at www.arizonahighways.com or www.nature.org/arizona.

Gift cards are the worst; consider these presents instead!

Gift cards are the worst; consider these presents instead!

Gift cards are the worst; consider these presents instead!

Gift cards are the worst; consider these presents instead!

By David Rookhuyzen / ADOT Communications
December 16, 2020

We don't want to alarm anyone, but Christmas is less than two weeks away. If you still have people to shop for, but are running low on ideas, maybe we can help!

That may seem weird for a state department of transportation to say, but we do have some helpful holiday suggestions for that person that is just impossible to shop for.

As we suggested a couple years ago, if the person on your list had a particular passion, why not get them a license plate to match? With literally dozens of specialty plates that cover a variety of interests including amateur radio, the Girl Scouts and the Arizona Diamondbacks we are sure you can find the right plate for that difficult-to-shop-for person. And the best part? At $25 it's a thoughtful gift that won't break the bank. You even have the satisfaction of knowing that $17 of that is going directly toward the program being supported. In fact, for fiscal year 2020, specialty plates brought in a high of $11.4 million. 

 

arizona-highways-cover_april-2015-issue

Or, maybe the person you are shopping for has moved away, but is missing the Grand Canyon State. Well, you can cheer up folks braving a winter elsewhere with the gift of Arizona Highways magazine. With its articles on history, suggestions for travel destinations and pages of gorgeous photos, no wonder this magazine keeps wracking up awards. It's the perfect way to bring a little bit of Arizona joy into the home of your loved one all year round. Plus, there is even an Arizona Highways specialty plate if you really want to go all out!

We have an option if you are less about things and more about giving experiences. The best option may be the gift of you and your time. The Adopt a Highway program is a perfect way to bring family and friends together to serve the community and build memories doing something meaningful. It's also a great way to remember friends and family members that are no longer around to share the holidays with us.

The last gift idea is actually one that you may never give someone. If you haven't already, why not consider giving the gift of life? Nearly 4 million Arizonans have signed up to be organ and tissue donors through Donor Network of Arizona, which partners with the Motor Vehicle Division. If your vehicle registration is coming due soon, make sure to check that box to become a donor. It's a charitable act that will definitely get you into the holiday spirit and maybe give someone else a precious gift in the future.

And the best part? All these can be bought and ordered from the comfort of your own home – perfect for the savvy gift-giver trying to avoid retail stores during the current public health situation.

Trust us, it's a lot better than buying socks, ties or even – horror of horrors – a gift card at the last minute.

No matter where you are, Arizona Highways brings a piece of home

No matter where you are, Arizona Highways brings a piece of home

No matter where you are, Arizona Highways brings a piece of home

No matter where you are, Arizona Highways brings a piece of home

By Doug Nick / ADOT Communications
November 6, 2020

Have you ever traveled far away and saw something familiar that you would never have suspected would appear thousands of miles from home?

It’s happened to a few of us over the years. One of our colleagues here at ADOT once traveled to Japan and encountered a subway rider wearing an Arizona Cardinals jersey. 

Random. 

Do you know what isn’t random? Finding a piece of Arizona as far away as Asia or actually on just about every continent on Earth (possibly even Antarctica). That piece of our iconic state is the world-famous Arizona Highways magazine. 

Pardon us a little humble-brag, but Arizona Highways is awesome and is published right here at ADOT.

It gets around, though. People all over the globe are familiar with Arizona Highways, which has outstanding photography, great writing, layout and design, and, well, it is just a cool publication all-around.

You don’t have to take our word for it. As a recent news release pointed out, Arizona Highways just took home not one, but at least two full armloads of awards for excellence. This photo is the cover to an essay it just won a gold award for. 

We would like to congratulate everyone who makes Arizona Highways come to life every month to show people all over our planet what a uniquely colorful state Arizona is in every way. 

And if it is in Antarctica, we hope anyone there who reads it feels a little warmer.