Phoenix is the capital of the southwestern U.S. state of Arizona. Known for its year-round sun and warm temperatures, it anchors a sprawling, multicity metropolitan area known as the Valley of the Sun. It's known for high-end spa resorts, Jack Nicklaus–designed golf courses and vibrant nightclubs. Other highlights include the Desert Botanical Garden, displaying cacti and numerous native plants, old town Scottsdale and Camelback Mountain.

Phoenix is Arizona's indubitable cultural and economic powerhouse, a thriving desert metropolis boasting some of the best Southwestern and Mexican food you'll find anywhere. And with more than 300 days of sunshine a year, exploring the 'Valley of the Sun' is an agreeable proposition (except in the sapping heat from June to August). Culturally, it offers an opera, a symphony, several theaters and three of the state's finest museums – the Heard, Phoenix Art and Musical Instrument Museums – while the Desert Botanical Garden is a stunning introduction to the region's flora and fauna. For sports fans, there are professional baseball, football, basketball and ice-hockey teams, and more than 200 golf courses.

Southeast of Phoenix proper, student-flavored Tempe (tem-pee) is a lively district with a good bar scene, while suburban Mesa has a couple of interesting museums. To the north lies the ritzy enclave of Scottsdale. Posh watering holes are found in the most unlikely of spots in the Phoenix area, even amid chain stores in strip malls. Scottsdale has the greatest concentration of trendy bars and clubs as well as a convivial lineup of patios on Scottsdale Rd in Old Town; Tempe attracts the student crowd. The entertainment scene in Phoenix is lively and multifaceted, if not particularly edgy. Spectator sports are huge. Phoenix has some of the nation's top professional teams, and tickets for the best games sell out fast.