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The food here is horrible. It’s edible, mind you, but the only thing Mexican about the supposed “Mexican food” is that most of the kitchen staff is of Mexican descent. If bland and overcooked are your thing, though, you’ll be right at home.

Why people actually go to Casa Bonita is for the experience. The Cliff Divers, the horribly corny shows, and the ability to spend hundreds of dollars on tokens to buy a 10 cent ring with Skeeball tickets.

If you’ve got kids, you’re a horrible parent if you don’t take them to Casa Bonita at least once. Suffer through the food; they’ll enjoy themselves.

The Stockholm Inn restaurant.

Go. Have delicious Swedish pancakes. Sure, you’ll inch that much closer to death, but they melt in your mouth and they’re positively wonderful.

Don’t fly into ORD. If your plans allow for it, fly into Chicacgo Midway.

If you must fly into O’hare, pick a carrier that has a hub there, because even post-remodel a lot of the gates are, well, antiquated.

Numerous movies have been filmed at Meteor Crater, including Starman. It was also used for training before lunar missions.

While the Grand Canyon is breathtaking, so is Meteor Crater, just in an entirely different way. It’s massive, and to think of what would happen if another meteor that size crashed into the planet…

It’s an easy daytrip no matter where in the state you are, and offers some gorgeous scenery!

Admission is also quite reasonable. Great place for a picnic lunch or perhaps a date.

Nice campus in a great town. Tons of stuff to wander around and check out.

I love Jerome. The drive into town is a little trying, complete with mirrors to see around blind corners, but once you’re there it’s enjoyable.

Vibrant community, wonderfully friendly people, and lots of neat art. Wonderful food on top of it all (fan of The Haunted Hamburger, myself, but you can go upscale or downscale from there).

Easily a day trip from the Valley if you leave early enough.

It’s a cool hike, both literally and figuratively.

Pitch black. Take at least two light sources per person with fresh batteries. Dress for warmth, even in the summer.

It’s a demanding hike to admire from above (lots of loose rock), but the scenery’s gorgeous.

I unfortunately only visited long after the experiment had been converted to a museum, but it’s still interesting to see what life would have been like when it was running.