I'm not sure what everyone else did, but I can tell you most of the country seemed to be in the pine country of Arizona. I was amazed at the number of people in and around Payson. Even with the crowds, their was still plenty of things to do to get away from it all.
My family and I spent some time exploring Tonto Natural Bridge, which is the largest travertine bridge in the country. If you've never been there you should go because it's amazing. We also spent some time hiking and playing in the East Verde River which for us desert dwellers is a refreshing change of pace.
After a weekend of exploring, hiking and swimming we spent the evening watching fireworks displays in Phoenix, atop a mountain vista. Although many displays were cancelled this year, we were still able to see several from around the valley. It was quite a weekend for little more than the price of gas.
