When planning a Tucson day trip, make your plans through the local CVB

June 23, 7:25 PMTucson Getaways ExaminerNancy Dickinson

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Photo credit: Experience Scottsdale @flickr.com

While the state tourism board is fantastic, it's the local CVB's that offer more information to the best places to visit.

Arizona has an fantastic State Tourism Board rich with information about the Grand Canyon State.  The Arizona Office of Tourism has two sites dedicated to helping visitor's plan their visit.  The first site takes you directly to the office's day-to-day activities notices.  It's the second site, www.arizonaguide.com, that is the meat and potatoes of tourism in the state of Arizona.

In the travel industry, CVB is tossed around quite a bit, whether you're a travel writer, a travel magazine editor or the owner of an industry relying on the travel industry.  CVB stands for "Convention & Visitor's Bureau" and it has a wealth of information related to the local area,

It's the local CVB's that will be able to give vacation planners, or even someone who has a day to kill and wants to see the area in which they live.  It's the local CVB's that will have the latest information and the newest places to stay, dine and visit.  Every major city and metropolitan area, as well as some smaller areas, will have a CVB.  Knowing where they are and how to contact them is the key to planning a spectacular vacation, no matter whether it's a week or a weekend!

Here's a listing of some CVB's that would be useful to the residents of Tucson and the surrounding communities:

• Metropolitan Tucson CVB - amazing group of people and they are always up to date with the latest happenings.  Probably one of the more creative and appealing websites in the area
• Sierra Vista, AZ CVB - live the history of the old, and new, west in Cochise County
• Bisbee, AZ CVB - usually cooler than Tucson in the summertime, escape the heat with a weekend in Bisbee.  Visit the history of his eclectic former mining community
• Phoenix, AZ CVB - beautiful website with loads of breathtaking photos
• Scottsdale CVB - Has the ability to make plane, hotel and auto rental reservations right at their site
• Flagstaff CVB - go for the snow skiing in the winter but see the beauty of Flagstaff the rest of the year!
• Mesa, AZ CVB - if I may use their words, "Close, convenient, smart".  The third largest city in Arizona, Mesa is full of surprises
•  Tempe, AZ CVB - attractive website with specialized listings, such as travel for LGBT guests and fans of Arizona State University.  Tempe is also home of the Cactus League for professional baseball's Spring Training
•  Lake Havasu, AZ CVB - Visit Arizona's West Coast and tour the London Bridge.
• Yuma, AZ CVB - Home of the historical Yuma Territorial Prison State Park and kayaking the Colorado River

Given Tucson's proximity to several major highways traveling all points North, South, East and West, here are some CVBs that should be within a day's drive of Tucson:

• San Diego, CA CVB - Ten hour drive?  Who cares?  See the San Diego Zoo or spend the day on the beach.  It's as they say in San Diego, "Happy happens!"
• Costa Mesa, CA CVB - Spend some time in Orange County
  
• Carlsbad, CA CVB - It's the home of Legoland and too many golf courses to list
• Carlsbad, NM CVB - Close to Carlsbad Caverns and the infamous bats
• Albuquerque, NM CVB - hot air ballons, hiking, galleries, historical tours...  What more could a person ask for?
• Las Cruces, NM CVB - some of the best bird watching and ghost towns found anywhere
• Las Vegas Office of Tourism - they post discounts and deals found no where else
  
• Reno/Tahoe CVB - Nice alternative to Las Vegas
• Carson City CVB - Oh, can they get some beautiful snow!  Definitely worth a visit!

There are a number of other CVBs, Chambers of Commerce and tourism boards that can be located to help you plan a large variety of trips and short jaunts in Arizona. The state is filled with a tremendous selection of attractions and accomodations to appeal to a variety of tastes.  Looking for the paranormal?  Jerome has a haunted hotel that was once a hospital.  Hoping for a true Western experience?  In and around Tucson are several ranches/inns allowing guests to sleep like a ranch hand.  Hoping to make a fortune while you're here?  Stay at one of the many, many casinos located on the Native American reservations here.  The selection is virtually endless and can take your breath away, if you let it. 

There's more to Arizona than the Grand Canyon and the CVBs dotting the state are happy to help you see it.

For a more complete listing of CVBs and tourism assistance sites, visit this site.