Phoenix

State capital, largest city in the state, 6th largest in the states and one of the fastest growingcities in the Union, none of which makes Phoenix a great place to visit. Admittedly the weather is stunning with sunshine 10 months of the year, not for nothing is it known as The Valley of the Sun.

The weather makes Phoenix a magnet for Snowbirds, those seeking to avoid colder climes to the north. Now Phoenix and the towns it has swallowed cover over 1000 sq miles of desert and still growing.

Phoenix rose from the ashes of an extinct Hohokam settlement, luckily the original inhabitants left behind one of their fiendishly clever irrigation systems. This first encouraged farmers from the east to settle here.

Just over a century, later Phoenix does not seem to have bothered nurturing any real kind of cultural life. Perhaps there wasn't time. Too busy sunbathing.

The Heard Museum is probably the cultural highlight; it serves to spotlight the history and way of life of the Southwestern Indian tribes. The Phoenix Museum of History documents the city history and is situated in Heritage Square, a half decent area of restored 19th century buildings. The mediocre Phoenix Art Museum may keep art fans happy for a short time. Despite its reputation as a cultural void and architectural carbuncle, architect Frank Lloyd Wright thought enough of the place to live here for 25 years. Wright's winter studio, Taliesen West is a school of architecture now but guided tours are available.

The surf is always up at the Big Surf water park a great place to cool down and you can actually surf on artificially created waves.

Mountains, all of which offer hiking, mountain biking and horse riding amongst a range of outdoor activities, ring Phoenix. The Superstition Mountains and the Tonto National Monument (a preserved Pueblo settlement) are well worth a visit and provide a sharp contrast to the city below. In certain of the man made reservoirs around the city it is possible to engage in all manner of water sports.

Tempe

One of the towns that Phoenix ate is notable principally for its University, the largest in the Southwest. There is Frank Lloyd Wright architecture to be seen at the Gammage Auditorium and a number of good lively bars. The University ensures a steady steam of events, both sporting and cultural, throughout the year.

Scottsdale

A town in its own right but now largely submerged within the greater metropolitan district of Phoenix. The town is notable for its well-preserved 19th century downtown area with its array of arty/crafty type shops, galleries and restaurants. There is the Fleischer Museum, an exhibition of American impressionists and Rawhide an artificial Wild West town.

Nearby is Papago Park which houses Phoenix Zoo famed for its tigers and orang-utans and the Desert Botanical Garden with samples of desert plants from across the globe.