EDITOR'S LETTER

"ARE WE THERE YET?" It's a question kids have been asking their parents since the invention of the wheel. From the perspective of a car seat, everything looks about the same-there's no such thing as a scenic drive. From the perspective of the front seat, things are different. Whether you drive an SUV or a four-door sedan, there's nothing like a road trip into the heart of the great outdoors. Especially in Arizona.

Back in the day, before Google Maps and MapQuest, the nation's most scenic drives were known as "blue highways" (on road maps, they were marked in blue). Like the Pinto, the Pacer and the wood-paneled station wagon, that term has been relegated to the glove box of pop culture. The highways themselves, however, still exist, and they go through places like Why, Arizona, and Whynot, Mississippi. In the same way that Route 66 is more interesting than 1-40, these drives offer character, characters and the unexpected. And isn't that the whole point of a road trip?

Steinbeck and Kerouac seemed to think so. And so did William Least Heat-Moon, who wrote in his brilliant bestseller, Blue Highways, "Any traveler who misses the journey, misses about all he's going to get." In this month's cover story, we'll tell you about five of Arizona's most scenic journeys. Fall color is the main attraction for each, but you'll also get a healthy dose of rocks and trees and birds in the sky.

The North Rim Parkway is a good example. Among other things, this 44-mile route, which runs from Jacob Lake to the North Rim of the Canyon, passes through grassy meadows, groves of gold-colored aspens and dense forests of Douglas firs. Along the way, you might catch a glimpse of mule deer, wild turkeys or even a California condor. And then, of course, there's the Seventh Natural Wonder, which is the high point of the trip. Although this drive is hard to beat, all five are something special-no matter which trip you take, there's a lot to look at as you look out the window. What you won't see, presumably, are ghosts. For that, you'll have to go to Flagstaff.

Like the condors to the north, there's no guarantee you'll see any spirits in Flagstaff, but a night at the Hotel Monte Vista offers as good a chance as any. As Roger Naylor writes in "Somebody Said Boo," "For sheer number and diversity, the Monte Vista's roster of spooks stacks up against anyone's."

In addition to the crying baby-a ghost that once chased a maintenance man from the basement-there's the woman who rocks by the window in Room 305, the murdered prostitutes in Room 306, and the bellboy who knocks on doors and whispers "room service." It's the bellboy that John Wayne encountered during one of his stays at the hotel. Yup. Even The Duke saw a ghost. Was it real? Unreal? I don't know, but if you're looking for something a little different this Halloween, check out this story and check into the Monte Vista-or the Hassayampa Inn in Prescott or the Copper Queen in Bisbee. They're all haunted.

The Mystery Castle, however, is not.

Instead of ghosts, visitors to this historic site in South Phoenix will find an odd fortress featuring balconies, towers and mismatched windows. What's more, it's made of colorful rocks, discarded materials and homemade mortar. And that's just the outside. Inside, things are even more unusual. Intriguing might be a better word.

How else to describe a home comprising 18 cavernous rooms-including a dungeon-filled with treasures of stuffed animals, priceless family heirlooms, a "pet rock" collection and other knickknacks, scraps and strange relics? Although Mary Lou Gulley still lives in the "castle" her father built in the first half of the last century, the structure is anything but typical.

In "Mystery Castle of the Desert," JoBeth Jamison tells the heartwarming story of Ms. Gulley and her fascinating home, a place that's been named one of Phoenix's "Points of Pride." As you'll see, the Mystery Castle is a trip back in time-to the days of blue highways and wood-paneled station wagons. And it's a trip worth taking. "Are we there yet?" For more scenic drives in Arizona, check out our new book, The Back Roads. Now in its fifth edition, The Back Roads ($19.95) features 40 of the state's most scenic drives. To order a copy, call (800) 543-5432 or visit arizonahighways.com.