Alpine sits about 234 miles northeast of downtown Phoenix, and the drive between the White Mountains town and downtown runs roughly 4 to 4 and a half hours door to door in normal traffic. The connection runs the US-60 corridor: the highway climbs from the Valley through Superior and Globe, threads the Salt River Canyon, crosses the Fort Apache lands, and rises through Springerville to Alpine near the state line. It is Arizona's high-country corridor, carrying anglers, Luna Lake campers, Escudilla Mountain hikers, cabin owners, and elk-country families between Alpine addresses and Sky Harbor....

Arizona has an intense sports scene, with various professional and college sports teams and several major sporting events in the state. The Phoenix metropolitan area, in particular, is home to several major league teams. The state is also home to several college sports programs, including Arizona State University and the University of Arizona, both of which have competitive football and basketball teams. Arizona is also well-known for its golfing scene, with many high-quality golf courses throughout the state.