Phoenix

A vibrant mix of Old West and New World, Phoenix manages to keep true to its Sonoran desert roots. The city is the country's sixth largest and is also one of the fasting growing. Every year, folks from the north escape winter, drawn to the balmy weather. As a major metropolis located in the heart of the Southwest, it serves as the region's primary political, cultural and economic center. With an average of 300 days of sunshine a year, visitors quickly appreciate Phoenix's nickname, "Valley of the Sun." No wonder the city is growing so quickly!

Transportation

As Phoenix has grown significantly in recent decades, it has a well-designed grid of relatively wide roads which make for easy driving and navigating. Those who arrive by plane to Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, will arrive about four miles from downtown and can easily take a taxi. If you are not renting or arriving with your own car, getting around the metropolitan area of Phoenix will be facilitated by Valley Metro, which operates buses at $1.25 standard fare, payable with credit card. For a little more, you can buy an all-day pass which you can use to hop between buses. There is also the Downtown Area Shuttle (DASH) which you can take for free as you "go green!"

Sightseeing

For a lesson in the importance of hydration, check out the Desert Botanical Garden, where you'll witness fascinating examples of how nature has adjusted to the sunny heat. Honoring the area's earliest inhabitants, The Heard Museum holds an extensive collection of art and artifacts of the Native Americans of all over the Southwest. The Arizona Science Center's IMAX theatre and air-conditioned Planetarium are definite crowd-pleasers as is the amusement park of Rawhide Wild West Town. Phoenix also boasts fine performing arts venues such as The Phoenix Symphony Hall and The Phoenix Metropolitan Opera. Just northeast of downtown is the eclectic city of Scottsdale where you can just as easily shop for art during the day as go salsa dancing at night. Did you know that nearby Glendale is the hometown of our very own Jordin Sparks?