You've scaled Camelback Mountain, watched a fake shootout at Rawhide and wandered through lovely luminarias at the Desert Botanical Garden. But are you truly getting the most out of being a Phoenician? We didn't think so.

Here's our list of 50 things you must do to get the most out of living in the Valley.

MUST: VISIT | TASTE | SEE | EXPLORE | HEAR | DO | SHOP

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MUST VISIT Tally ho, Valley Ho » PHOTOS A brightly refurbished monument to Midcentury Modernism, the Valley Ho is an urban resort with a trendsetting past and stylish future. The rooms are modern and elegant, done in pieces from Design Within Reach, while the Cafe ZuZu menu is a blend of '50s comfort food and kitsch. When's the last time you had a Gin Fizz, anyway? The pool is the place to be; snag the oversize circular bed if you can. This place has a posh pedigree: It's where Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner married (the first time) in 1957. Details: 6850 E. Main St., Scottsdale, 480-248-2000, hotelvalleyho.com. Four-star room, two-star rate The Valley is home to some of the country's best resorts, and if you know where to look, you can score rooms in a four-star resort and pay two-star rates for a weekend getaway in such posh surroundings as the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch. Use fare-finders like hotwire.com (where you don't have to bid) or priceline.com to see what's available at Scottsdale resorts. You may come up empty or you may find a Saturday night deal for a $400 room available at nearly half off. The secret is to wait until the last minute, even for in-season deals. Architecture row The best concentration of fun architecture in Phoenix can be found along Washington Street between First and Fifth avenues, from the terra-cotta City-County Building to the Sandra Day O'Connor Federal Courthouse. Walking through that corridor, you feel as if the architecture is singing a ditty to you. There's the Greek facade of the Walker Building, the postmodern Municipal Courthouse with its scooped-out front, the great arrogant greenhouse of the Federal Courthouse, Comerica Theatre, the Orpheum and City Hall. All in a few blocks, it's some of the best architecture in the city. Starry, starry walk » PHOTOS Hollywood's Walk of Fame isn't the only one: Phoenix's historic Hotel San Carlos, which opened in 1928 as the first air-conditioned hotel in the state, has its own walk of fame. Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, Carole Lombard and Mae West stayed at the hotel when visiting the desert. To commemorate the hotel's 65th anniversary in 1993, the walk was added outside, on both Central Avenue and Monroe Street. Details: 202 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, 602-253-4121, hotelsancarlos.com. Lounge in golden glow Walking through the lobby at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix, you'll sometimes notice that everyone around is incredibly good-looking. It's because the ceiling is made of gold leaf and reflects a warm, glittery glow onto all below. The Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired resort is a Valley treasure for architectural and historical reasons, but this one's a favorite for anyone who ever wanted to look particularly pretty over cocktails. Details: 2400 E. Missouri Ave., Phoenix, 602-955-6600, arizonabiltmore.com. Mountain castle To visit Mystery Castle is to get to know one of the Valley's true characters. Architect Boyce Luther Gulley built the South Mountain landmark from imagination, humor and found treasures: railroad tracks, wagon wheels, pieces of colored glass, rusty shovels, a covered wagon. By the time he died in 1945, his 15-year labor of love had grown into an 18-room, 13-fireplace fantasyland. Mary Lou Gulley still lives in the place her father built as her childhood playhouse. If you want to take a tour, make plans now. Due to the heat, tours are suspended from June 1 to October. Details: 800 E. Mineral Road, Phoenix, 602-268-1581.

MUST TASTE Mix it up Our own tortured version of a waterfront may be a lowly canal, but when you can stroll along the water and stop for a treat at the Mix Shops' cupcake window, who cares? On the menu at Garage, a Body Shop for Kids (and adults, too, we might add): soft-serve ice cream, a full candy bar and an old school soda bar. There's also a cool little report card reward program they have going that'll help any kid snag a few A's. Details: 7144 E. Stetson Drive, Scottsdale, 480-556-6900, garageboutique.com. Happy Mouths Amuse Bouche in Surprise is a buzz-worthy breadbox-size BYO-wine lunch and dinner destination that's been getting press around the country for it's French-inspired, daily changing menu of American and French dishes. Couple Snir and Kierstin Mor cook with sophistication and subtlety, a range of sandwiches, soups, meatloaf, quiche, steak frites and burgers. Clientele ranges from 60-something ladies who lunch to Baby Boomers on dates to young couples spoon feeding each other the breathtakingly reach chocolate crème. Details: 17058 W. Bell Road, Surprise, 623-322-8881, amusebouche.biz. Hot cowboy, hotter chiles It's not clear whether silent-movie cowboy star Tom Mix ever lived in the building that now houses Los Dos Molinos, an authentic, New Mexican-style eatery in Phoenix, but urban legend says he did. We like to think so. And, for New Mexican cuisine, Los Dos Molinos can't be beat. The eatery, at the foot of South Mountain, proves your tongue can survive a heat storm, or the bite that comes with the New Mexican chile pepper. You must try the chiles rellenos. Details: 8684 S. Central Ave., Phoenix, 602-243-9113, llosdosmolinos.net. It's the pits » PHOTOS Olive pits, that is. Tour Arizona's only working olive farm, Queen Creek Olive Mill, and learn why most of the Valley's top chefs use this local oil in their kitchens. Visitors can tour the groves and processing plant, and buy the mill's peppery olive oils, stuffed olives, tapenades and artisan breads in the gift shop. Tours are given every hour on the half hour from 10: 30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. during the week, and 9:30 a.m. to 3: 30 p.m. on weekends. Groups of eight or more must be booked in advance. A tour ticket costs $5. Details: Queen Creek Olive Mill, 25062 S. Meridian Road, Queen Creek, 480-888-9290, queencreekolivemill.com. Hail to the chef It's been almost a decade since former President Bill Clinton stopped in at Poncho's, one of the city's most popular Mexican restaurants. And why the quaint little restaurant that sits in the heart of south Phoenix? The food, of course. Clinton's pick, and ours: the Fiesta Chiquita, which comes with two mini tacos, two mini tamales, two mini chimichangas, two tostadas and beans. It's a great choice if you want to sample Poncho's best. To commemorate this meeting, Poncho's has named the room Clinton dined in the President's Room, and it has hung throughout the establishment framed newspaper stories and photographs of his visit, and installed a life-size painting of the chief executive chowing down. Details: 7202 S. Central Ave., Phoenix, 602-276-2437, ponchosaz.com. Here's the beef Prime-grade beef is pricey, costing as much as $20 or more per pound. During happy hour at Donovan's Steak and Chop House, the price drops way down to zero. Drop in for a drink 4-6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and you'll get a top-quality filet sliced onto a toasted hoagie roll lined with horseradish-accented mayo. Stay until 8 p.m. to continue enjoying happy-hour drink specials. Details: 3101 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix, 602-955-3666, donovanssteakhouse.com. Tower of pizza Internationally adored pizzaiolo and James Beard Award winner Chris Bianco is an ingredient savant - he gets googly-eyed talking about the perfect canned tomato. And we lucky locals get to grocery shop Bianco-style inside his tiny treasure of a sandwich shop, Pane Bianco, where he sells his favorite finds from around the globe. A small refrigerated case holds the best local fruit of the season and San Francisco's famed Cowgirl Creamery cheese. Pantry shelves are lined with decadent apricot jam from Winkelman and the best Italian pastas and olives. He even sells his own homemade breadcrumbs and, yes, the most pristine preserved tomatoes you'll ever taste. In 2004, Vogue pronounced Pizzeria Bianco's pies the best in the world, and since then, so has everyone else. Details: Pane Bianco, 4404 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, 602-234-2100, pizzeriabianco.com. World-class croissants » PHOTOS Tempe baker Eugenia Theodosopoulos makes croissants the way NASA plans a spacewalk. It took the Ohio transplant years of practice and help from one of the world's foremost experts on the flaky, temperamental most-French of French pastries, Jean-Louis Clément. Now the École Lenôtre-trained pastry chef makes them daily in flavors ranging from plain to sweet, with chocolate, almond, raisin and chocolate-almond to savory, stuffed with ham, asparagus and Gruyere cheese. Try them yourself for $2 to $2.95. Details: 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays. 825 W. University Drive, Tempe. 480-966-2745, essencebakery.com. Back at the Farms... » PHOTOS Just four times a year, when our weather is at its most swoon-worthy, a magical table is set in the peach orchard at Schnepf Farms. Lights twinkle from the trees above. A long, family-style table is piled with sunflowers grown on the farm, and in the kitchen, you'll find one of the Valley's best chefs, such as Aaron May or Beau McMillan, showing off with local produce. The best part may be this: You're not allowed to wear high heels. Dinner Down the Orchard is $85 per person and includes four courses, wine, tax and gratuity. Also good to know, farm owner Mark Schnepf was the first mayor of Queen Creek and served for 11 years. Details: Schnepf Farms, 24810 S. Rittenhouse Road, Queen Creek, 480-987-3100, schnepffarms.com. Team player In line at the Blimpie at Tatum and Shea boulevards in Phoenix, you could be ordering your Italian-style meatball sub with Gonzo (former Diamondbacks player Luis Gonzalez, whose kids still go to school in the Valley) next to you. Former Diamondbacks pitcher Randy Johnson and former Suns coach Mike D'Antoni also have been spotted. The neighborhood sub shop is a frequent spot for Valley sports stars, some of whom live in the area. "We treat them like normal people, and they eat and leave," says Cal Magzal, co-owner with his brother, Neil. (So don't ask for autographs.) Joe's Real BBQ The jumbo barbecue sandwich is $7.99. Choose one or two meats of your choice and a homemade side (coleslaw, potato salad, garden salad, apple sauce, potato chips, sweet corn, cheese potatoes, barbecue pit beans or macaroni and cheese). Details: 301 N. Gilbert Road, Gilbert. 480-503-3805, joesrealbbq.com.

MUST SEE Cocktails on high At the Clarendon, this urban oasis features a swimming pool surrounded by plush cushions and cabanas. In the center of the city, the newly renovated hotel is sleek and modernist, and the rooftop, from which you can see the entire Valley, is appointed with bright, low couches, geometric lighting and potted cactuses. So, make sure to stop up before you leave and try to catch a sunset. Details: 401 W. Clarendon Ave., Phoenix, 602-252-7363, goclarendon.com. House of alternative art Alwun House, Phoenix's first alternative-art gallery, is still in business after 35 years. The latest exhibit, beginning Aug. 5, is one centered supported by the Arizona Dream Act Coalition. It marks the beginning of the iDream campaign, and will feature 20 prints on canvas giving a face to undocumented students and supporters of the Dream Act movement in the state. Details: 1204 E. Roosevelt St., 602-253-7887, alwunhouse.org. A Capitol idea The state's business gets done by legislators in dark, cramped quarters. Meanwhile the chambers that are bright and inviting have been turned into museums. The original Capitol building sits right in the middle of the action, between the House and Senate buildings. It has beautiful, even majestic, touches, especially compared with the modern buildings that replaced it. Sit at an old lawmaker's desk, and you can almost feel the solutions coming into your brain. Details: Arizona Capitol Museum, 1700 W. Washington St., Phoenix, 602-926-3620. Bells of Arcosanti In the high desert about an hour north of the Valley, Italian architect and environmentalist Paolo Soleri has built an urban laboratory made of concrete, steel and earth as a place to work out theories about how humans live and consume natural resources. To partially fund his work, Soleri and his students make elaborate, distinctive bronze and ceramic wind-bells on-site. You can watch, and you can buy them for $28 to $1,900. In addition to a cafeteria, Arcosanti has a vegetarian and vegan-friendly bakery where you can get hard-to-find items such as carob cookies. Details: Off Interstate 17, Exit 262, in Cordes Junction, 928-632-7135, arcosanti.org. Midcentury Modern Style » PHOTOS The Vig Uptown lives in a building done by Phoenix architect Ralph Haver and is a sleek example of how the Valley's best Midcentury Modern architecture is being saved by adaptive reuse. The 1963 Arizona Bank branch is all concrete and glass and fits in seamlessly amid the long-established neighborhood of low-slung houses with strong horizontal planes. Entrepreneurs around the Valley are creatively reusing well-designed buildings from city's past, and for more examples, check out the Tuck Shop, Copper Star Coffee, both Postino Winecafes and the Parlor. Details: Vig Uptown, 6015 N. 16th St Phoenix, 602-633-1187, thevig.us. Old home, new art One of the oldest homes in the Arcadia district, the Shemer Art Center has been a city-run gallery since 1984. Students and instructors will bravely show their work beginning Aug. 4. If you can't make it, become a student by attending one of their many classes. Details: 5005 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix, 602-262-4727, shemerartcenterandmuseum.org. Heat up with the Mercury Forget the movie theater. If you truly want to enjoy some quality indoor time, head to US Airways Center for a Phoenix Mercury game. The WNBA team, led by guard and all-everything Diana Taurasi, will light up the scoreboard. For a schedule and tickets, visit phoenixmercury.com. Details: 201 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, 602-514-8333. Sports spectacular » Phoenix Suns Dancers If you were to attend one game for every Valley professional sports team, it would keep you busier than you think. You already know about the Arizona Diamondbacks (baseball), Arizona Cardinals (football), Phoenix Suns (basketball) and Phoenix Coyotes (hockey). But there also are the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League. Even if you don't count the Arizona Derby Dames, a local roller-derby league, you'd be spectating almost an entire day. Tickets range from $5 (cheap seats at Diamondbacks games) to $200-plus (Cardinals and Suns). Gallery Barr none Buried in the Burton Barr Central Library is a small gallery that shows some surprisingly good art. When you're finished at Central Gallery, poke your head into the Friends of the Library store, where you can find bargain prices on used books and CDs, and funky new cards or candy. Details: 1221 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, 602-262-4636, phoenixpubliclibrary.org. Privy to a light show Glass and marble are fine, but for a different bathroom experience (decor-wise), try those on the second and fifth floors of the Burton Barr Central Library in Phoenix. Color-shifting LED lights glow from the translucent walls shared by the men's and women's rooms. The walls mimic a muted fireworks show. You may even want to linger to enjoy the lights, though you may make others using the facilities a bit uncomfortable. On your way out, peer into the holes drilled into the walls' endcaps to see how the lights were installed. The bathroom was named one of America's 10 Most Outrageous Bathrooms by the Travel Channel. Details: Burton Barr Central Library, 1221 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, 602-262-4636. phoenixpubliclibrary.org.

MUST EXPLORE For the birds - and kids Get chased by the geese at Encanto Park, an oasis of palm trees and waterways teeming with wildlife in the heart of Phoenix. These tenacious fowl mean business, so bring bread at your own peril. The neighboring Enchanted Island Amusement Park has been around since 1948, when it started out as Kiddieland. Take a twirl on the historic carousel or take a train ride around the park. Details: 15th Avenue and Encanto Boulevard, Phoenix, 602-261-8993. Grande muffin, grand art Pick up an English muffin, the kind that will change your life, from LGO (La Grande Orange) Grocery, then head over to contemplate Arizona Falls, Salt River Project's captivating combination hydroelectric plant and public-art space at 56th Street and Indian School Road. OK, it sounds a little weird, but there's something undeniably mesmerizing about the waterfall. LGO's muffins, giant muffins that make you swear off the prepackaged ones from the grocery store, are made daily on-site ($1.95 each, $9 half-dozen or $16.50 dozen) and come with LGO preserves. Mmmmmm. Details: 4410 N. 40th St., Phoenix, 602-840-7777, lagrandeorangegrocery.com. Bike the banks Take a ride on the mild side by cycling alongside one of Salt River Project's canals. The service roads, closed to public vehicles, stretch across the Valley, providing more than 100 miles of recreational opportunities for cyclists (as well as joggers, horseback riders and anglers). One nice segment stretches from the Arrowhead Mall area in the West Valley to the nearly 30-acre Cortez Park, which has restrooms, drinking water and lots of picnic sites. It starts off at 75th Avenue, about a quarter-mile south of Bell Road. The park is at 35th and Dunlap avenues. Want to see how far you've gone? See a canal map at srpnet.com/water/canals/distances.aspx. Do Tonto, pronto The drive along the Apache Trail to Roosevelt Lake is like a scenic sampler platter of Arizoniana, featuring eye-popping vistas, a quirky saloon at Tortilla Flat, a hair-raising drive down Fish Creek Hill and ancient Salado ruins at Tonto National Monument. The 47-mile drive to the lake features 22 miles of gravel. Make a loop by continuing on to Globe, then circling back to the Valley. It's an ideal way to introduce your out-of-town visitors to the region. Details: Tonto National Monument, 928-467-2241; Tortilla Flat, 480-984-1776, tortillaflataz.com. Pooch park The best thing about Cosmo Dog Park in Gilbert is choosing sides: the wet area, where Labs, retrievers and other water hounds splash in the man-made lake; or the dry area, a larger, grassy portion sporting two climbable obstacles. There even is a smaller area for timid dogs that need to warm up before going to the big-dog areas. No wonder Dog Fancy magazine named it America's best overall dog park. Two caveats: The parking lot fills quickly on weekends, forcing motorists to jump a curb and park on gravel. And too many owners don't pick up after their canines, despite numerous bag dispensers and trash cans. Details: Cosmo Dog Park, 2502 E. Ray Road, Gilbert, ci.gilbert.az.us/parks/popups/cosmo-park.cfm. Wildlife free with room There's no need to drive to the wilderness and pitch a tent to see quail, javelina, bobcats, deer, rabbits, geckos and all the other wildlife that claim the high Sonoran Desert as home. At the Boulders Resort and Golden Door Spa in Scottsdale, they roam free. So free, that a guest once asked the concierge what time the resort "let the animals out," because he wanted to get a photo. Pay a fee to take one of the afternoon rock-climbing classes (beginning, intermediate and advanced) held daily. Details: Boulders Resort, 34631 N. Tom Darlington Drive, Carefree, 480-488-9009 or 888-579-2631, theboulders.com. Wild and woolly camping You don't even need to leave the city to go camping. You'll sleep in a lakeside tent and be lulled to sleep by the chattering of howler monkeys at the Phoenix Zoo's Wilderness Experience Night Camp. Enjoy dinner off the grill, go on a night hike and then make s'mores by the fire. After breakfast, tour the zoo by train, then go back on foot to visit your favorite animals. The best part of this camp: Someone else puts up the tent, and there's no K.P. duty. There are several camps to choose from. Details: Prices range from $30 to $60 per camper. 455 N. Galvin Parkway, Phoenix, 602-273-1341, phoenixzoo.org. Lake within a city Tempe Town Lake is nestled in the heart of downtown Tempe. The narrow, but deep lake feature an abundance of water sports, both active and leisure. Wake up early to row down the river with a team, or sign up for a paddle boarding lesson. The walkways along both sides of the lake are popular destinations for walkers, runners and bikers alike. Details: 80 W. Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe. 480-350-8625, tempe.gov/lake. Batty batty cool Watch bats take flight from a deck off 40th Street, north of Camelback Road. During their maternity season (spring through late summer), thousands of Mexican free-tailed bats occupy an Arizona Canal diversion channel. The path to the tunnel is on the northern side of the Arizona Canal. Walk west on the path about 200 yards, past office buildings and a parking garage, then head north about 20 feet from the gravel path along the canal to a paved path, which leads to a viewing area at the top of the tunnel. There you'll find interpretive signs. Go at sunset for the best view. Details: 602-942-3000, azgfd.gov.

MUST HEAR 245-part harmony Hear the pure sound of the Phoenix Boys Choir, billed as the largest such group in the nation with about 250 members. The group has sung for presidents, won a Grammy Award and won prizes at international festivals and recorded with Stevie Wonder, Doc Severinsen and R. Carlos Nakai. The choir performs throughout the year at Valley concerts, festivals and churches. Details: Check its website, boyschoir.org, or call 602-264-5328 for details on performances. Musical digs The Valley is home to dozens of concert venues, from the grand (US Airways Center) to the intimate (Clubhouse Music Venue). The Comerica Theatre is a nice balance, offering enough room to draw top acts (Mariah Carey and Alicia Keys), but is small enough to feel close to the performers. For a schedule and tickets, visit livenation.com. Shades of blues Take in a gritty set of blues music at the Rhythm Room, the Valley's best blues club. For 17 years, the cozy venue has served up local and national blues, rockabilly and roots music nightly. The atmosphere is casual, the patrons are friendly and the cover charge is affordable. Details: 1019 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix, 602-265-4842, rhythmroom.com. Old-time saloon tunes Sing along with country musicians and other patrons at the Rusty Spur Saloon in Old Town Scottsdale. This tiny venue bills itself as the oldest saloon in "the West's most Western town," and it's one of the friendliest. On an average night, you'll find a mix of tourists and locals, all intent on sipping something cold and hearing a little country music, which is good, because the bar offers live entertainment seven days a week, sometimes as early as 11 a.m. Details: 7245 E. Main St., Scottsdale, 480-425-7787, rustyspursaloon.com. Big sound, little site The Yucca is an old-school rock-and-roll club with less space devoted to the dance floor than the bar itself. It recently expanded, adding a lounge with premium craft beers, local artwork and pool tables. But as long as you're supporting local music, it's worth noting that, because there's no cover charge, the bands are paid based on what comes in at the main bar. So the more you head to the side bar for a drink, the less the band takes home. Details: 29 W. Southern Ave., Tempe. 480-967-4777, yuccatap.com. Outdoors country Dance the two-step under the stars to live country music at Greasewood Flat, the no-frills outdoor restaurant and saloon in north Scottsdale. Originally a stagecoach stop, this establishment has been a Valley fixture for more than three decades. Details: 27375 N. Alma School Parkway, 480-585-9430, greasewoodflat.net.

MUST DO Standout stand-up We're not LA, thank goodness, but we draw the kind of solid comic performers you might see on Sunset Strip, thanks to the Tempe Improv. The club brings nationally known acts (Jerry Seinfeld appeared there when he returned to stand-up after his sitcom ended) and serves dinner to boot. If you've watched stand-up comedy on TV and wondered what's the attraction, take in a live show. That's where the magic happens. Details: Tempe Improv, 930 E. University Drive, 480-921-9877, tempeimprov.com. Private karaoke Indulge your inner Beastie Boy, Billy Joel or Beyoncé in one of four private rooms at Geisha A Go Go, a stylish destination for Japanese food and froufrou cocktails. The rentable rooms ($75 to $150 per hour) have 44-inch flat-screen TVs, their own waitresses, cushy couches and thickly insulated walls. Bring your own karaoke disc, or pick from huge books featuring Top 40, standards, rock, hip-hop and everything else. All the signature cocktails feature authentic Japanese sodas, juices or liquors. Details: 7150 E. Sixth Ave., Scottsdale, 480-699-0055, geishaagogo.com. Life after Mr. Lucky's Cadillac Ranch, Saddle Ranch Chop House and Hammerhead Jacks all let you risk your life, or at least your back, on their mechanical bulls. OK, the last place has a modified bull that looks like a hammerhead, but you get the idea. The new Western hot spots are quickly building reputations as places to get rowdy. Details: Cadillac Ranch, at Tempe Marketplace, 2000 E. Rio Salado Parkway, 480-894-1111, cadillacranchtempe.com; Saddle Ranch Chop House, 4321 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, 480-429-2263; 9375 W. Coyotes Blvd., Glendale, 623-889-7770, srrestaurants.com. Speakeasy style The name is an homage to former tenant Mabel Murphy's, the long-running Green Bay Packers' sports bar that closed last year. The dark, pretty bar looks like a mid-20th-century New York speakeasy, in red brick with dark walnut accents, red velvet curtains and antique furniture. Clever touches include library shelves, old-fashioned-style toilets and custom-made Art Deco-style wallpaper in the men's and women's bathrooms. The cocktail menu is filled with Prohibition-era drinks easy to imagine sipping from a coupe glass in the glittering glow of the vintage chandeliers that hang all over the low-ceilinged space. They range from $8 to $12. Diners will buzz about the pennies-in-resin floors in the bathrooms, very tall booths in the lounge and the private, 15-person dining room with a one-way mirror that's only accessible through a secret door in the middle of the restaurant. Details: 7018 E. Main St., Scottsdale. 480-889-5580, Mabelsonmain.com Cactus cocktail Like Tovrea Castle and Camelback Mountain, some things speak specifically of life in the Valley. But much easier than touring the area, just sip a margarita at the Westin Kierland Resort and Spa in Phoenix, kind of a gastronomic sightseeing trip. The Prickly Pear margarita ($10) is infused with prickly pear syrup right from the cactus. Details: Westin Kierland Resort and Spa, 6902 E. Greenway Parkway, Phoenix, 480-624-1000, kierlandresort.com.