" Phoenix-The Valley of the Sun " a Phoenix Travel Page by AVG2319

If you have read my other pages you will likely see I LOVE Arizona.

We have been to areas of the country and here I feel the most "alive" Which is why I love it. It is hard to explain the draw that I have to be here.

When I speak about Phoenix I really include the whole metro area, which consists of the following cities:

Glendale,Peoria, ,Scottsdale, Carefree, Cave Creek,Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Paradise Valley, Mesa , Queen Creek, Apache Junction, Gilbert, Chandler, Avondale, Sun City, Surprise,

Each city is different from the other, but since Phoenix sprawls as it does it is hard to tell when you've crossed from one to the next while driving on the interstate, it is easier to lump them as a metro area.
There are so many things to see in the metro Phoenix area, many that don't seem to be mentioned in the drop down Tip Menus on Virtual Tourist.
Things to Do:
Arizona Museum for Youth
Arizona Museum of Natural History-Great Museum for kids in Mesa!
Bead Museum
Challenger Space Center
Cosanti
Cracker Jax Family Park
Deer Valley Rock Art Center
Desert Botanical Garden
Fountain Hills Fountain
Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West
Heard Museum
Phoenix Art Museum
Phoenix Museum of History
Phoenix Zoo
Pueblo Grande Museum
Rosson House
Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art
Japanese Friendship Garden
Doll & Toy Museum
Rossen House
Phoenix Symphony
Phoenix Ballet
Theater
Phoenix Opera
Enchanted Island- Fun for little kids
Children's Museum of Phoenix
Pueblo Grande Museum
Chinese Cultural Center & Gardens
George Washington Carver Museum
World Wildlife Zoo
Tons of awesome golf courses
Miles of incredible hiking
Tovrea Castle
Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum
Hall of Flame Firefighter Museum
Arizona Science Center
Mystery Castle
McCormick Stillman Railroad Park-another good spot for little kids
Pioneer Living History Museum
Sahuaro Ranch Park & Rose Garden
Wrigley Mansion
Wells Fargo History Museum

For the Directionally challenged people-such as myself-Phoenix is laid out very well. You only need to keep a few things in mind and you can most likely navigate without a map. Although I would suggest having one anyway.

Major interstates include:

Interstate-17 which runs north and south from Flagstaff down to about Tempe. Also known as Black Canyon Freeway
Interstate-10 which continues from Phoenix South to Tucson, West to LA and from Tucson can be taken to New Mexico. Also known in Phoenix as the Papago Freeway
Loop 101 loops several suburbs together running west of Phoenix in Avondale, North to Glendale, East through Peoria, Scottsdale and then south to Chandler. Also known as the Agua Fria Freeway
Loop 202 runs east of Phoenix through the suburbs of Mesa, Also known as Red Mountain Freeway
Loop 303 is still in the process of being built in the Northwest Valley Also known as the Estrella Freeway
State Route 51 runs north and south connecting Interstate 10 in downtown Phoenix with the Loop 101 on the north side of Phoenix. Also known as Piestewa Peak Parkway it runs along the mountain range with the same name. A pretty drive in my opinion.
State Route 60 goes east of Phoenix through Mesa, Apache Junction and west of Phoenix through Glendale, Peoria all the way to Vegas.

Streets are east of Central Ave, Avenues are west of Central.
Phoenix freeways utilize many ramp meters during rush hour.The city of Phoenix roots can be traced back to the Hohokam people who lived here before the 14th century. They were expert farmers and built over 135 miles of irrigation canals to water their crops. You can learn more about the history at the Pueblo Grande Museum. Spanish explorers arrived in the 16th century and found the Hohokam villages in ruin. While the ultimate fate of this civilization remains a mystery-it is presumed a prolonged drought was the ultimate demise.


Phoenix is a relatively new city, compared to most cities out East. The city was formed in 1868 and incorporated in 1881. The land was seen as predominatly free of rocks, and free from frost or snow, so it was viewed as a good agricultural land. Swivel Irrigation company dug a canal to divert some water from the Salt River to the Valley, so they could start growing crops. This was the beginning of modern Phoenix.

Most of the cities growth has happened more recently. In the 1950's Phoenix only had a little over 100,000 people, now Phoenix is the 5th largest city in the USA.

Popular Newspapers include:

The Arizona Republic has the largest circulation in Arizona. Their website is azcentral.com
New Times is an alternative newspaper. This free paper is the best place to find out about bands in town,clubs,and things along this line.

Many people come here in the winter for the many spa resorts or golfing. Scottsdale and other cities have tons of choices for visitors. But there is much more to the Valley of the Sun than spas and golf. I hope to share some other vacation activities on this page.

NOTE: While there is a lot to see and explore in Phoenix, if you come to Arizona I would suggest driving to see some of the beautiful spots outside of the city. Unfortunately many of the prettiest spots are quite a drive from anywhere, but well worth a day trip if you have the time. You won't be able to see everything in Arizona in one trip, but Visit The Grand Canyon, and Sedona if you have time for a day trip.