North Valley of the Sun Vacation Guide:
Anthem, Carefree, Cave Creek, Desert Hills & Fountain Hills
The area around Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Mesa Arizona is affectionately called "the Valley of the Sun." The region sees sunshine on average 325 days a year. A day's itinerary can include hiking, golfing, tennis, sight-seeing, shopping, or just lounging by a pool and watching the world go by. Culturally, the area is a hub of creativity. Museums, live theatre, art galleries, and historical sights are all woven into the fiber of the intriguing atmosphere. Communities in the Northern area of the Valley include Anthem, Carefree, Cave Creek, Desert Hills, and Fountain Hills, each offering distinct experiences.
The North Valley offers prime recreational opportunities, including a national forest, three lakes, and two rivers. The Tonto National Forest is one of the largest and most-visited forests in the United States, notable for its diverse topographies. The giant saguaro cactus gives way to ponderosa pine as elevations climb from 1400 feet in the Sonoran Desert to 7400 feet at the Mogollon Rim. Water sports enthusiasts can rent watercraft and fishing supplies at Horseshoe, Bartlett, and Saguaro Lakes. Commercial outfits provide river rafting on the Verde River and tubing on the Salt River. The Fort McDowell and Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian reservations are just east of the North Valley communities.
Cave Creek home rentals put you close to several entertaining and educational activities. The Cave Creek Museum displays Indian artifacts and memorabilia from the Old West and gold rush days. Visitors to the 1883 Cave Creek Mistress Mine can try their hand mining for gold. The Spur Cross Ranch is the newest county park; visitors enjoy biking, hiking, and horseback riding.
The Continental Mountains separate the communities of Cave Creek and Carefree. Several stables offer horseback rides into the mountains, and bike trails for all skill levels wind through the terrain.
Carefree home rentals are set in the midst of world-class shopping and resort living. The Heard Museum North, an extension of Phoenix's famous museum, features Native American contemporary art. The Boulders golf course, designed by Jay Moorish, offers incredible desert vistas and a stiff test of golfing skill. Carefree is also the home of the Giant Sundial; the third-largest sundial in the western hemisphere has attracted visitors since 1959.
The planned community of Fountain Hills was named for its spectacular fountain that shoots water 562 feet into the air for 10 minutes every hour. In addition to four golf courses, the town sponsors two major art shows every year, the Great Fair in February and the Fountain Festival in November. Fountain Hills rentals are popular lodging choices for enjoying this community.
Rentals in Anthem AZ also make good bases for exploring Arizona's North Valley of the Sun.
Whether your preference is the excitement of the Phoenix metropolitan area or the solitude of desert and mountain, the North Valley is a getaway that will please every age group and personal taste.
