KEY TO THE GOOD LIFE { from the road } NORTH by NORTHWEST Drive to Bagdad or Yarnell Richard Sanderson I Contributing Writer OCTOBER 2021 | 46 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA

G ot wanderlust? Take off for fun fall drives to some of the most beautiful areas northwest of Phoenix. Drive to tiny Yarnell, home of the Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial, or Bagdad, home of one of the oldest active open-pit copper mines in the world. Great roads, beautiful vistas, rolling countryside — both within two hours of Phoenix. To travel to Yarnell from Phoenix, take U.S. Route 93 northwest of Wickenberg to Highway 89 north. This is the Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial Highway, toward Yarnell. As you drive the beautiful, winding road north, watch for the signs and circle back to visit the Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial, commemorating the 19 firefighters who lost their lives on June 30, 2013. There’s a 3.5-mile trail from the memorial to the summit, where the Yarnell Hill Fire took place. Every 1/10 th mile is a memorial for each firefighter who lost his life, culminating in a group memorial at the top of the hike commemorating those brave men. Granite Mountain Hotshot Memorial State Park is located around the area of the Yarnell Hill Fire. FRONTDOORS MEDIA | 47 | OCTOBER 2021