If ever there was a case of good press badly reported, it’s Arizona. Say the name of the last of the 48 continental states to be accepted into the Union, and you can bet your bottom dollar people will say – “oh where the Grand Canyon is”. And whilst it is true that the Grand Canyon is without doubt one of the greatest natural sights on earth – many would say the greatest; Arizona is far from a one trick State. The word Arizona means "little spring" in the Papago Indian language, although in its sheer size and depth of raw natural beauty, Arizona is anything but little.

Arizona, which became a State on Valentines Day 1912, is divided into five regions: Phoenix and Central Arizona, Tucson and Southern Arizona, Northern Arizona, West Coast and North Central Arizona. The 277 jaw dropping miles of the Grand Canyon is situated in the far north west of the State and the area is also home to the cobalt waters of the nation’s largest man-made body of water, Lake Mead and the astonishing Hoover Dam. It is also where you’ll find the longest stretch of that epitome of the great American road trip, historic Route 66, otherwise known as the old “Mother Road”.

Just south of Northern Arizona’s largest city, Flagstaff and nestled in the towering Red Rock Country is the town of Sedona. Here, set amongst some of the oldest exposed rocks on earth is Hilton’s Sedona Resort – a true outpost of luxury. If you base your Arizona stay here, you’ll be on the doorstep of natural attractions such as the deep shaded Oak Creek Canyon – the second most visited area in the State after the Grand Canyon. Sedona stands on the southern end of the sandstone canyon and is the perfect base for exploring the wilderness at its most magnificent.

The town itself is famous for its artists’ colonies, mostly concentrated around the Downtown area, and for its plethora of healing and spiritual movements who have made it their own Mecca. It is also a great jumping off point for discovering the area’s Native American heritage; Fort Apache Historic Park and the fascinating Montezuma Castle National Monuments, just to the south of town.

Keep going south on Interstate 17 and you’ll arrive at the “Valley of the Sun” – otherwise known as Phoenix. The city and its surrounding area get the name thanks to the 320 plus days of sunshine a year. A word of warning though, during the summer months the sun can be brutal with temperatures up to 120 degrees – October to April herald the most pleasant temperatures. Phoenix is a great destination if you want to combine a thriving and culturally rich metropolitan area with some of the best activities nature has to offer. For example right in the heart of the metropolitan area is Camelback Mountain, home of the gruelling but beautiful Summit Trail – hiking is big business in Arizona. At around 1.2 miles, and about 1200 feet up, one way, the Trail is not for the casual walker. But, if you’re lucky to have a clear day, the views are spectacular.

The city itself is built on a grid, so even the newest visitor should have no trouble finding highlights such as the arts, restaurant and bar scene in Downtown – Friday nights around Roosevelt Street are always pulsating. For something a little more sedate check out the fascinating Heard Museum for Native American artefacts and fine art. And you’re never far from the desert. Indeed at the Desert Botanical Gardens you can get your fill of the ubiquitous towering Saguaro cacti without leaving the city.

But if it is the real McCoy of the Sonoran Desert that you want, you can do no better than check in at one of Hilton’s two luxuriant Phoenix resorts, the Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak or the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs. Both five-star properties nestle on the slopes of the city’s North Mountains, where you can play championship golf at Lookout Mountain under the biggest skies you’re ever likely to see.

Travel south again to the State’s second largest city, Tucson and you’ll be rewarded by a true taste of the “Old West” – Cool Hand Luke and Little House on the Prairie tours are a must. Tucson is surrounded by five mountain ranges, one of which, the Catalina, is home to the sumptuous Hilton Tucson El Conquistador Golf and Tennis Resort. Tucson, set in a 500 square-mile valley, embodies the very roots of the State’s Native American and Spanish influences, with much of the city’s architecture and attractions proudly preserving this unique heritage. And of course the desert is ever present.

Again if you want to stay in the relative safety of the city but get the full wilderness experience, visit the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, home to rattlesnakes, mountain lions and over 385 other species of desert dwellers. Another highlight for desert aficionados is the Saguaro National Park, where the word’s most recognisable cactus, the Saguaro is showcased. Another relatively recent addition to Arizona nature tourism are the Kartchner Caves. Only discovered in 1974 and kept secret until 1978, these are the world’s only “living caves” open to tourism. Now which one is it that’s a stalagmite?

In fact wherever you travel in Arizona, nature is as alive and awe-inspiring as you’ll find anywhere on earth. Combine the raw wilderness factor with a thriving cultural and entertainment scene and a history rich in legend and the colourful characters of the Old West, and you’ve got yourself one extraordinary State. And on top of all of that don’t forget a small matter one a rather grand and impressive canyon.