Mesa Arizona Vacation Guide
Mesa, Arizona is a perfect place for a vacation in the desert sun. Mesa's heritage includes Hohokam Indians, Spanish missionaries and explorers, and early Mormon pioneers. Arizona's third largest city, Mesa is located in the "Valley of the Sun," an area blessed with over 325 days of sunshine per year. When the east coast is freezing, The Valley of the Sun is a nice, balmy 80 degrees or so. Mesa is loaded with cultural and historical attractions, restaurants, museums, and other activities you might expect from a booming metropolis. Outdoor enthusiasts can find plenty to keep them busy as well. A day's itinerary can include hiking, golfing, tennis, sight-seeing, shopping, or just lounging by a pool. Home rentals in Mesa Arizona are a good base for your active vacation.Mesa has a rich heritage that includes Native Americans and Old West mining towns. For a glimpse into the region's past, visit the Mesa Southwest Museum. The museum's exhibits display Mesa's heritage from dinosaurs to conquistadores. See the Tunnel of Time with its meteorites and exhibits about the universe. Dinosaur Mountain has full-sized, lifelike critters. There are also exhibits depicting life in the surrounding Sonoran Desert. The museum has over 58,000 objects on view at any given time.
If you want to spend some quiet time in the Sonoran Desert, be sure to visit McDowell Mountain Regional Park, located about 15 miles north of Scottsdale. The 21,000 acre park sits quietly in the middle of the desert, offering hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding opportunities. The trails range in distance from half-mile nature walks to strenuous, 13-mile round trippers that should be tackled by only experienced hikers. Another option is available at South Mountain Park Preserve in downtown Phoenix. This 16,000 acre nature preserve contains miles of hiking, horseback riding, and mountain biking trails. One of the most popular hikes takes visitors to the top of Buena Vista Lookout for a panoramic view of the Phoenix area.
Golfers make the pilgrimage in droves to the Valley of the Sun. The area is fast becoming a favorite golf destination with more than 200 courses. The Boulders, designed by Jay Moorish, offers a stiff test of golfing skill with incredible desert vistas. The TPC of Scottsdale, designed by Moorish and Tom Weiskopf, is home each year to the Phoenix Open. The Pete Dye designed ASU-Karsten Golf Course is part of Arizona State University, and mixes undulating greens with tricky tee shots to produce a good test of golfing skill. There are hundreds of other courses in the region, all offering interesting challenges.
If you are looking for a vacation in the Arizona desert, Mesa has something for everyone. Team sports enthusiasts can catch an Arizona Cardinals game at Sun Devil Stadium, or watch the Phoenix Suns play at American West Arena. Shoppers will want to make a beeline for Arizona Mills, a huge outlet mall with a cinema multi-plex and an Imax theater. Pamper yourself during a visit to one of the many day-spas that pepper the area. Foodies can find a restaurant serving everything from French haute cuisine to Tex-Mex local cooking. Architectural buffs will want to head to Scottsdale and check out Taliesin West, considered to be one of the best masterpieces by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Aviation enthusiasts will want to visit the Arizona Wing Museum, which houses a collection of fully restored WWII aircraft. Mesa has everything you need to enjoy your vacation in the Valley of the Sun and staying in Mesa Arizona rentals will let you live like a local.
