Phoenix And Beyond

in scottsdale; a favorite of the locals; many people hike up this near-vertical climb to see the sunrise over the city and the view will start your day on the right note.

blocks and blocks of tourist shops, art galleries, food and culture. A great place to wander for a day or more.

Better than the movie Biodome, this is the completely enclosed mini-earth where they locked up scientists for two years to see if they could survive. It is interesting both from a science perspective, from a homeland security/terrorist threat perspective, and from the perspective of anyone who enjoys learning about new concepts - the best part is when they take you into the "lung" to show you how they accomodated the expanding/heated air during the day and the contracting/cooled air at night!! It is near Tucson but definitely close enough to Phoenix to make a day trip.

This is a re-created mining town from the 1860s. It's extremely touristy and cheesy but if you can get past that, you'll see why it is so popular with tourists and you can have a great time for a few hours. There is a real saloon and a train ride and a bordello museum and a mining museum/old mine shaft and a gift shop and much much much more. It's a little over an hour from Peoria, probably 45 minutes from Phoenix and couples well with a trip to the Biosphere, as long as you don't linger too long.

just a few minutes from Peoria, this is a great park that offers trails for hiking and a big lake for boats. There are picnic tables galore - pack a lunch and head over for a relaxing break by an actual body of water in the middle of the desert.

does this need a description?

a breathtakingly georgeous city in the middle of the desert. You absolutely MUST go on Schnebly road, definitely with a four wheel drive vehicle or through one of the many jeep tours they offer. It's 12 beautiful miles but an average car will break down going over the rocks and potholes. Make sure you have plenty of film or an extra memory card so you can take all the pictures you want!!