| When you are looking for sunshine, scenery, sightseeing and sports with a southwestern flair head for Phoenix. On the banks of the Salt River, Phoenix is located in the heart of the vast Sonoran Desert surrounded on three sides by dramatic snow-capped mountains. It is the capital of Arizona and the fifth largest city in the U.S.
As early as 300 BC, Hohokam Native Americans constructed elaborate pueblos and complex canal irrigation systems in the Phoenix area. When Mother Nature forced the tribe to abandon their desert farmlands, the area remained virtually deserted until settlers arrived in the 1860s. Using the Hohokam canals and pueblo concepts to develop their settlement, these early settlers chose the name Phoenix to honor the ancient tribe. Greek and Egyptian myths associate Phoenix with the sun god and a magnificent bird that according to legends rose from its own ashes.
Today, Greater Phoenix has evolved from a farming settlement to modern metropolis sprawling over 2,000 square miles. Each year more than 13 million business and leisure travelers come to Phoenix. The Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport ranks in the top ten busiest airports in the U.S. Although Phoenix ground transportation is readily available, getting around Phoenix and taking advantage of its proximity for nearby day trips requires a car. Phoenix rental cars are available from most national agencies on-site at the airport and along Sky Harbor Circle.
Things to Do in Phoenix
Get acquainted with the rich Native American history at the Phoenix Museum of History and Pueblo Grande Museum and Cultural Center. For a taste of the Wild West, visit Rawhide or hop aboard a Phoenix ghost town and mine tour. Don’t miss the Hall of Flame Firefighting Museum, the world’s largest collection of firefighting equipment and memorabilia. Best bet: Purchase a ShowUpNow Pass for savings on 15 Phoenix attractions and tours and shopping and dining discounts.
With an average of 325 sunny days and under 8” of annual rainfall, Phoenix is an outdoor kind of city. According to the National Golf Foundation, Phoenix is a “golfing capital of the world.” Over 200 area golf courses play challenging desert landscapes on lush oasis-like greens. If golf is not your game, there's plenty of horseback riding, hiking, desert jeep expeditions and thrilling hot air ballooning experiences. Active travelers also enjoy gliding, rock-climbing, mountain biking and seasonal snow skiing in the White Mountains. For sports spectators, Greater Phoenix is home to four major professional sports teams and NASCAR and Indy car races. Stay fortified for outdoor fun with plenty of water, flavors of the southwest at Phoenix restaurants and rejuvenating treatments at Phoenix day spas.
Get out of town. An overnight or day trip to the Grand Canyon, one of the world’s seven natural wonders is a must-do for many visitors to Phoenix. Along the way, stop over in Sedona where enigmatic red-orange rock formations are said to enhance creative thinking, energy and problem solving.
Places to Stay in Phoenix
There are more than 400 Phoenix hotels ranging from luxury spa resorts to value-priced motels, dude ranches and cozy desert-style Bed and Breakfasts. JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa, Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa, Westin Kierland Resort Spa, Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa and The Phoenician are among the largest Phoenix/Scottsdale accommodations.
Rancho de los Caballeros and Saguaro Lake Ranch Resort are popular dude ranches. Golf Magazine Gold Medal Awards rate The Boulders and the Four Seasons Resort as top U.S. golf resorts. Seasonal discounts, AAA, AARP and corporate/military discounts apply at most Phoenix lodging.
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