Phoenix travel guide

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• History & Culture: rated for 20%
• Night Life & Entertainment: rated for 80%
• Family & Fun: rated for 40%
• Outdoors Activities: rated for 30%
• Food: rated for 70%
• Sightseeing: rated for 40%
• Shopping: rated for 90%
• Public Transportation: rated for 20%
• Must visit this place: rated for 50%
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Rising from the ashes of the Hohokam community that disappeared a long time ago, the new settlement was called Phoenix. 1860s meant the beginning for Phoenix, at the time being a little farming town located in the middle of the large Salt River Valley. Now it is the state capital, largest city in Arizona and the sixth largest city in the US, completely enveloping the neighboring towns of Scottsdale, Mesa and Tempe with a population of over a million people. It is also Arizona's financial and industrial center.

It can’t be said about Downtown Phoenix that is an easy place to get around as it is quite spread out and too hot but it is not usually very crowded except when World Series-winning Arizona Diamondbacks are playing. If you want to be where the main activity is centered go to Arizona Center mall, but it can’t be compared to the mega-malls to be found further north so if you need a wider variety of shopping that is the best place to go.

If you are in the area you can also visit Heritage Square that is southeast of the Arizona Center. The top attraction here is the nineteenth-century architecture with an extensive inventory of significant older Victorian homes that are now transformed into tearooms and toy museums. Across the street is the Phoenix Museum of History that presents an earlier period in the city’s history and exhibits the city's first jail. The state's political history lie in the documents preserved at Arizona State Capitol, a sparkling copper dome.

On 22 E Monte Vista Rd you can visit the nice old buildings in which the Heard Museum was founded in addition to the arts and crafts of the Native Americans of the Southwest and to Hohokam to which special attention is given. The town known as "La Ciudad", occupied the site of modern Phoenix during the twelfth century and lots of artifacts from this place are also on display.

The Phoenix Art Museum hosts beautiful permanent and temporary exhibitions. An exquisite collection of paintings is the one of the two renowned artists Rufino Tamayo and Georgia O'Keeffe. Western art is represented here by Russell, Remington and some middleweight Old Masters.

Sports enthusiasts can spend an evening at the Bank One Ballpark watching professional baseball with the The Arizona Diamondbacks that have been playing major league baseball while at the America West Arena they can watch the Phoenix Suns play NBA basketball. Football fans need not worry as there is something for them to watch too at the university's Sun Devil Stadium with the Arizona Cardinals.

The hot climate in the city can only get hotter with Phoenix nightlife. Phoenix nightlife offers every kind of bar and nightclub imaginable, a world class ballet and symphony, a seat for every movie, and a thrill for every interest. For a surprising nightlife in Phoenix check out its bars, clubs, cowboy dance halls and Top 40 discos. Go to the Phoenix Symphony Hall and the Scottsdale Center for the Arts for the additional fun and romance with classical music, theater and ballet

If the heat gets too unbearable, you can cool down on the east side of town at the Big Surf water park. It is the perfect place for both families and singles where you can ride 5ft waves or go down waterslides into a giant freshwater lagoon.

It is true that summers can get really hot and not everybody can stand the heat, but winter, when temperatures rarely drop below 65F, is preferred by many tourists that come in large numbers from colder climes and the favorite destination to warm up is Scottsdale where they can relax and enjoy the luxury resorts and spas for a considerable price. But if you want to be treated the royal way it is well worth it.