Phoenix, the largest city in the southwest, is surrounded by the vast Sonoran Desert. The landscape and the climate invite you to outdoor activities and excursions that range from rugged adventure to lofting in hot-air balloons to bus tours. The eternally warm weather makes Phoenix a prime vacation area, enticing visitors with an abundance of resorts, spas, golf courses, and shopping.
The name of the city, Phoenix, acknowledges its rise from the ashes of the long-vanished Hohokam peoples, who had developed an elaborate and complex irrigation network. The ancient Indian village is now a major metropolitan area and, when combined with neighboring towns, the nation’s third-largest silicon valley.