Arizona'S Big City Destination

The downtown core, while pleasant enough with fun things to do, isn't going to knock your socks off like, say, the flashy Las Vegas Strip or historic Santa Fe, New Mexico. But that's not what you're here on vacation for. It's those plush resorts (and the fancy-schmancy places to eat inside them), the outstanding museums, the top-flight pro sports venues, the culture (from art galleries to symphony concerts) and, most importantly, the ideal fall-to-spring weather you've come to experience.

Don't forget the desert. Rising behind the downtown skyline are the twin humps of Camelback Mountain, a choice spot for desert-style hiking close to your hotel. East of the city, beyond the spill of cookie-cutter suburbs, are the rugged, saguaro cactus-strewn Superstition Mountains. That's just the tip of the iceberg. And if you think an iceberg could withstand 3 months of 100-degree-plus Phoenix heat (June to August), there's a vortex up in Sedona we'd like to sell you.