One could joke that Phoenix, Arizona has more golf courses than cacti. While that may be a stretch, there are well over 200-manicured green golf course in the heart of the Sonoran Desert. Albeit a place to relax and enjoy the slower aspects to life, Phoenix is still the largest metropolis in the southwest. Scorching hot in summer, the city sizzles with museums, sporting opportunities, shopping and places to wine and dine the night away.
The Heard Museum of Phoenix showcases a collection of Native American artifacts and art. Visitors looking to gain insight into how the tribes of the southwest lived will find it at the Heard Museum. Phoenix is also home to the Phoenix Art Museum. Around 17,000 works of American, Asian, European, and Latin American art are on display throughout the museum. The art museum boasts representing both modern and contemporary art. The works of Monet, Picasso, and O’Keefe can be found within.
One of the city’s other works of art remains a bit of a mystery. Appropriately named, Mystery Castle was built in the 1930s. Its design has been referred to as a Mexican hacienda meets North American cliff dwelling colliding with a far-out sand castle. The bizarre structure serves as one of Phoenix’s art pieces, so to speak, made entirely out of stone, adobe, cement, and sand.
Many come to Phoenix to just take a vacation. This involves shopping, lounging poolside, or playing a few rounds of golf. Nearby Scottsdale contains the perfect venue for holiday shoppers, Taliesin West. The shopping district remains the area’s big draw. It is also referred to as the Old Town for its array of 20th century buildings. Taliesin West even bears a bit of architectural greatness. Frank Lloyd Wright designed it in the mid 20th century. Wright designed the area to look organic and environmentally sound, sprawling out over 600 acres.
Despite being in the middle of a Desert, Phoenix can still show off its gardens. The Desert Botanical Garden holds the city’s enormous collection of cacti and Sonoran Desert plants. The brick paths of the garden weave through cacti, instilling a tranquility and solitude in the middle of the city. There is also a Monarch butterfly exhibit within the Desert Botanical Garden.
Phoenix also hosts a number of places for lazy day strolling. The Pueblo Grande Museum and Archaeological Park snakes with a 5.5-kilometer path. Visitors can stroll right on through ancient North American Hohckamn ruins. Another Phoenix stroll comes through Heritage Square. The Square holds eight fine examples of 19th and 20th century homes. In between the charm, museums, craft shops and cafes provide a bit of entertainment while in Heritage Square.
Phoenix is not a sightseeing town, but rather one to just take it easy. Eat, drink, golf, shop and swim are commands in Phoenix. If you don’t know how to relax, Phoenix’s slow pace may seem inconceivable and out of touch. With surrounding mountains and desert, Phoenix is not really a city, but a way to relax, find tranquility and experience the serene southwest.
