Poorly researched articles

[chumley]

I was just reading an article in USA Today's Travel section about visiting Phoenix on a budget. I often laugh at this kind of thing because I have a difficult time believing that the writer has actually ever been here. I've seen numerous examples of this in the past, and I'll paste only the section on hiking here for your amusement:

Take a hike

Hiking in Arizona is fun even in winter. Piestewa Peak, formerly Squaw Peak, at 2,608 feet tall, offers miles of trails inside Phoenix Mountains Park and Recreation area.

More adventurous hikers can scale Camelback Mountain's sandstone hump. At 2,704 feet, Camelback's two main summit trails amount to a 1,200-foot gain in elevation, with less arduous trails near the base.

For easy strolls or mountain bike rides, head to Papago Park, where there's little elevation amid the woods, desert sandstone and fields, [weblink removed].

Sedona and its red mountain majesties are a two-hour drive north. Take a hike and survey the grandiosity of the red rock formations at the hilltop Chapel of the Holy Cross, an aesthetic marvel. Parking is free; the view is priceless, [weblink removed].

Halfway between Sedona and Phoenix lies the city of Prescott. The folksy downtown, anchored by the historic Courthouse Plaza, has a warm small-town ambiance. Restaurants, boutiques and live music are abundant. But the Old West heritage is still very much alive. Stroll Whiskey Row, a block once full of nothing but saloons. Have a drink at The Palace Restaurant and Saloon, whose past patrons include Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday. Venture farther out to Prescott National Forest, which has five lakes and more than 450 miles of trails for hiking, horseback riding or mountain biking, [weblink removed].

-There are "less arduous trails" near the base of Camelback Mtn? I was pretty sure that if you aren't on either Cholla or Echo Canyon trails, you're an unwelcome visitor in John McCain's backyard.
-There's some nice sandstone formations on Camelback Mtn, but I think its mostly a solid granite mountain. I'm not a geologist though, so don't quote me.
-Papago Park has "woods" and "fields"? Huh?
-Prescott is halfway between Sedona and Phoenix? Really? That's like saying Payson is halfway between Phoenix and Globe. Don't they have maps in the USA Today pressroom?
-And there are lots of nice trails in the PNF, but since this article talks about winter visitors, you'd think the Superstitions would be mentioned (or at least the possibility of winter conditions in the PNF).

Sorry for my rant...

[Grasshopper]

Good for a Wednesday !..

[JimmyLyding]

Not to mention that the author gives the impression that parking in Sedona is free. At least Red Rock passes are easy to get.
No woods in Papago Park, but there is un bosque close by.