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Being bored in the Valley is impossible. The Phoenix metropolitan area offers a bounty of activities, events and attractions for every interest.

Museums

Arizona boasts more than 200 museums, art centers, archaeological parks and botanical gardens. Notable establishments include: The Heard Museum (Phoenix), world-renowned for its Native American art and culture exhibits. The Phoenix Art Museum features a permanent collection of 13,000 works ranging from contemporary art to Western classics. The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum (Tucson) is both a botanical park and a zoo.

Native American attractions

Native American culture is extensive and diverse in Arizona. The Native American Tourism Center in Scottsdale is a great place to learn more about this rich culture. The Center is located at 4130 N. Goldwater Boulevard, Suite 114, Scottsdale, AZ 85251. Phone: 480-945-0771. Fax: 480-945-0264. In Phoenix, the Heard Museum is a world-renowned museum devoted to Native American art and culture.

Old West Attractions

Arizona's Old West Country is filled with cultural attractions that portray the region's heritage and its time under the governments of Spain and Mexico. From the early days of the Kino missions to rowdy frontier days at the OK Corral, the state's Old West regions have many stories to tell. Old Tucson Studios, located just outside Tucson, has been the setting for some of Hollywood's finest Western films. The movie Tombstone was filmed here, as were classics like John Wayne's Rio Bravo. Tucson is an easy day trip from Phoenix.

Dude ranches are another great way to experience the Old West in Arizona. Most offer horseback rides through scenic desert backlands, cookouts and even cattle drives. For more information contact the Arizona Dude Ranch Association, P. O. Box 603, Cortaro, AZ 85652.

Cacti Adventures

Arizona is well-known for its deserts and the cacti that call them home. There are a number of places you should visit to get up close and personal with these famous desert plants.

Botanical Garden - Located next to the Phoenix Zoo, the garden displays more than 20,000 plants from all over the world.

If you are really into it and have the time, a day trip down Tucson way is worth the effort to vist the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and Saguaro National Park. Both are excellent places for learning about Sonoran Desert plant and animal life. By the way, Saguaro National Park features one of the largest saguaro stands in the world.

Festivals & Events

Here's a snapshot of annual festivals and events in or near Phoenix:

February, March
Arizona Rodeo (Phoenix), Barrett-Jackson Auction (Scottsdale - largest antique/classic car auction in the world), Phoenix Open (Scottsdale), Annual Renaissance Festival (Apache Junction), Annual O'odham Tash (Casa grande - largest all Indian rodeo, arts & crafts).

April, May, June
Annual County Fair (Phoenix), The Tradition (Scottsdale - Senior PGA), George Phippen Western Art Show (Prescott).

July, August, September
Fourth of July celebrations statewide, Annual Arizona Cowboy Poets Gathering (Prescott), Jazz on the Rocks Benefit Festival (Sedona).

October, November, December
Original Coors Rodeo Showdown (Phoenix), Cowboy Artists of America Sale & Exhibition (Phoenix), Glendale Glitters Spectacular (Glendale), Annual Cowboy Poets Christmas Gathering (Wickenburg).

Art scene

Art aficionados should know that Arizona offers a large array of galleries, art museums and artist communities. Scottsdale is a nationally known center for Western and Native American art. The city offers block after block of galleries stocked with fine art ranging from large paintings to bronze sculptures. Nearby Sedona, Arizona's original artists' community is second only to Scottsdale in number of art establishments.

Golf

If golf is your life, then life is good in Phoenix. The sheer number of courses and variety of design found here make it one of the best golf destinations in the world. At last count, you have a choice of more than 275 courses statewide that range from traditional to desert target settings. The vast majority are accessible to the public.

Hiking & Backpacking

Phoenix is a great place to get outside and experience nature through hiking, especially during spring and autumn. Numerous hiking trails are easily accessible from most parts of the Valley. Most of the area hikes are rated from easy to moderate. But enthusiasts will be delighted to learn that the Valley boasts several "mini-mountains" guaranteed to challenge even iron-lunged hikers.

More Resources:
• Hiking & Camping Database. Over 300 hiking trails searchable by location, trail name or difficulty. You can also search for campgrounds by location or camp name; and make reservations online.

• Wide World of Maps. 2626 W. Indian School Road, Phoenix, AZ 85017. Phone: 602-279-2323. A great source for USGS Quad maps.

Biking

The possibilities for road or mountain biking in Arizona are virtually endless. In Phoenix, one of your best bets is South Mountain Park, the nation's largest city park. At 16,500 acres, the park is 11 miles across. Last year, more than 2 million visitors trekked through the mountain preserve - hiking, biking, and leisurely motoring along the scenic roads or horseback riding along the lower trails.

More Resources:
• Phoenix Metro Bicycle Club

Scenic Drives

You could easily spend half a lifetime exploring Arizona's great outdoors by highway or back country road. Popular drives near Phoenix include the Apache Trail (near Phoenix). Visit our scenic drive pages and plan your trip.

Back Road Travel. Whether you are a skilled 4-wheeled vehicle driver or you have just rented a car (and have promised to stay on the pavement!), there are many places on public lands where you can get off the beaten path and enjoy Arizona's diverse scenery, heritage, and challenges. Back country byways and off-highway vehicle opportunities abound throughout the state. For more information about motorized recreation, visit theBureau of Land Management web site or call 602-417-9200.

Sports scene

Metro Phoenix is host the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl (college football festival), Arizona Cardinals (NFL), Arizona Diamondbacks (MLB), Phoenix Suns (NBA), Phoenix Coyotes (NHL), Arizona Rattlers (arena football), Phoenix Mercury (WNBA) and the Arizona Thunder (indoor soccer).

Three major professional golf tournaments have regular stops in Greater Phoenix: The Phoenix Open (PGA), the Standard Register Turquoise Classic (LPGA) and The Tradition (Senior PGA).

Greater Phoenix also plays host to seven major league baseball teams each spring as part of the Cactus League. The San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, Milwaukee Brewers and Anaheim Angels conduct their annual training programs in the metro area, while the Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies and the Chicago White Sox train in Tucson.

Chase Field is home to the Arizona Diamondbacks, winners of the 2001 World Series. In addition to a retractable roof, it boasts a built-in swimming pool along the outfield fence that fans can rent to watch the games while relaxing in the water.

In between Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury basketball games, America West Arena's wooden floor is taken up, revealing an ice hockey rink -- the slippery home of the Phoenix Coyotes. Football fans have two teams in the Valley to follow. The Arizona Cardinals go head to head with the NFL's best at Sun Devil Stadium, which is also the home to the Arizona State University Sun Devils and the annual Fiesta Bowl.