A Mesa State Of Mind - Feeding Mind, Body & Soul In The Desert
Credit: Mesa CVB
By Josephine Matyas
It’s a challenge not to get lost in the shadow of a next door neighbour the size of sprawling Phoenix, but Mesa manages to offer the best urban amenities and the treasures of the open desert. It’s small enough to be named a Bicycle-Friendly City by the League of American Bicyclists, yet large enough to provide the zip of nightlife at swanky bars and cosmopolitan dance clubs. Mesa holds it’s own.
Part of the area’s real beauty is the incredible variety of ways to feed mind, body and soul. And it all happens under clear blue skies (325 days each year is the official claim to fame), low humidity and warm sunny days…leave the umbrella at home, but don’t forget a hat and sunscreen!
Mind
Mesa can thank a rich intersection of cultures for its incredible diversity. The ancient Native peoples, Spanish conquistadors, and pioneers seeking out a new life in the uncharted American West all left their mark on the culture and landscape in ways that created a vibrant melting pot of lifestyle and leisure.
Mesa is one of the nation’s fastest growing cities, and at it’s core is the original townsite, complete with the wide streets built when extra space was needed to allow ox carts to make a turn. This downtown area is nicknamed “A Square Mile of Unique Style,” and is the crossroads of an unsurpassed collection of history, art, theatre and music. Art galleries, antique shops and a quirky outdoor sculpture collection line the pretty downtown streets.
Credit: Mesa CVB
Hands On: Mesa Arts Center is a hub for the arts, offering performances, viewings and classes to create your own.
In the heart of downtown, the Arizona Museum for Youth buzzes with child-centred, hands-on activities that stimulate fun and creativity. It’s one of only two museums in the United States with a fine arts focus. Right next door is the Arizona Museum of Natural History, boasting Dinosaur Mountain, the largest dinosaur exhibit west of the Mississippi River where Triceratops-crazy kids can feast on interactive exhibits.
At the north edge of town, the thriving Mesa Historical Museum takes a story-telling approach to history, heritage and preservation. Exhibits and shows make history come alive across the spectrum, from pop culture to the history of Cactus League baseball. Just down the road, the Commemorative Air Force Aircraft Museum is a feast for those with a craving to get up close to historic authentically restored aircraft like the F4 Phantom fighter or the majestic B17 strategic bomber from the Second World War.
Body
When the setting is right – mountains, rivers, lakes and desert are close by – and the skies are sunny and clear, it’s impossible not to be drawn to the fresh air and outdoors. Mesa’s most popular natural attractions include the dramatically craggy Superstition Mountains, and the tortuous twists and turns of the steep Fish Creek Hill along the Apache Trail, a popular 70-kilometre driving route past magnificent scenery of mountains, lakes and dense forests of gigantic saguaro cactus.
Credit: Mesa CVB
Take A Hike: Exploring the Sonoran Desert is a true Mesa experience. Follow marked trails or join a guided walk past cactus and desert creatures.
Mesa is an excellent home base for exploring the beautiful Sonoran Desert. The arid landscape is anything but barren – it’s a colourful, textured world. Cacti, succulents and low shrubs like mesquite have adapted and actually thrive in the low rainfall and high temperatures. The critters of the desert follow the daily temperature fluctuations and are out-and-about when it is coolest. Birds are chirping in the early morning. Desert animals like lizards, hares and snakes are on the move at night, so a walk in the evening or early morning will be the most rewarding desert wildlife experience. The protected wildlife habitat at the Riparian Reserve at Water Ranch is especially popular with birders; over 200 species have been sighted there.
In the springtime months, visitors to the desert are treated to the colourful splash of wildflower and cactus blooms. Lupine, desert marigold and Mexican gold poppy peak in March, followed soon after by the cactus blooms – scarlet ocotillo, prickly pear, teddy bear cholla, and the night-blooming state flower of the saguaro.
Credit: Mesa CVB
A River Runs Through It: Thereâs more than one way to see the desert and tubing down the Salt River is probably the most relaxing.
There’s no denying that golf reins supreme in this part of the country. More than 40 courses are within a 30-minute drive of downtown, including challenging desert golf and sweeping traditional links play designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr., Jack Nicklaus and Pete Dye. With near perfect weather it’s possible to hit the links around the calendar. Top hotels and resorts have partnered with award-winning courses to offer outstanding rates on golf and vacation packages, making Mesa one of the premier golf destinations in the Southwest.
Las Sendas Golf Club features breathtaking views of Red Mountain and the Superstition mountain range. Designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr., the course has matured into one of the most beautiful courses in Mesa and ranks as the 12th most challenging, and one of the top 50 courses in the US according to two ZAGAT Surveys. Longbow Golf Club in east Mesa has also earned its share of praise after being recognized by Golfweek Magazine as one of the top 20 courses in Arizona in their 2007 Best You Can Play, State by State ranking. The intrigue and shot making choices that players will face here are infinite. Superstition Springs Golf Club, one of Arizona’s most challenging golf layouts, is a PGA Tour qualifying site rated among the Southwest’s finest golf experiences.
Credit: Mesa CVB
Batter Up: Legions of baseball fans flock to Mesa for Major League Baseballâs Cactus League Spring Training action at Hohokam Stadium
Soul
Does anyone really have to be sold on the benefits of a visit to a spa? The serenity and calm of the desert is the perfect setting to unwind, take a break, or to find some relief from sore muscles after a hike, a day on the links or even a business meeting. Area day spas offer a large selection of traditional and exotic therapies for both men and women, and are perfect for couples or for girlfriend getaways.
Tourists love to shop and a visit to Mesa does not disappoint. In the suburban reaches, there are large regional malls anchored by national retailers, and in the downtown core unique, independently owned boutiques, custom shops and sidewalk cafes line the colonnade walkways. Lifestyle malls like Dana Park Village, Superstition Springs Center, Fiesta Mall and Mesa Riverview offer more than just hundreds of stores – there are also patios for dining al fresco, an outdoor amphitheatre, indoor children’s play areas, and a multi-screen entertainment complex. A big draw at Mesa Riverview, the city’s newest retail mall, is Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill, a 900-seat restaurant featuring a 26-metre guitar-shaped bar, a menu with Southwest cookhouse favourites, a mechanical bull and a rollicking dance floor.
At the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre lunch and dinner buffets are followed by first-class musical productions. On the edge of town, the Rockin’ R Ranch serves up barbecue beef and chicken dinners, alongside staged gunfights and the western stage shows. For music and a meal, the 6,000 pipes, xylophones, glockenspiels and countless traps of the 1927 Wurlitzer organ at the Organ Stop Pizza make the restaurant a favourite of kids, parents and grandparents.
What’s New
• The Duttons Bring Magic To Mesa: World-renowned performers, The Duttons, open their new theatre in Mesa offering their own special mix of music and dance. The Duttons have been recognized as one of the top 10 acts on NBC’s America’s Got Talent, and voted Branson’s Best Musical Variety Show. For performance dates and tickets visit TheDuttons.com
• Matta’s Moves To Mesa Riverview: This beloved restaurant serves a West Texas-style Mexican food that features the best of both New Mexico and Texas traditions, chiles and spices at a new location, Matta’s Grill & Cantina at Mesa Riverview. mattas.com
• Coopertown & Country: This brand-new, stand-out venue features a huge billiard room and a massive event hall with live country music and dance floor. Cooperstown Sport Bar features live music every Friday and Saturday evening, plus free dance lessons and weekly specials. AZCountryUSA.com
• Still Growing: This winter, Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport will open a new terminal, adding two more gates, a Paradise Bakery and additional retail and dining options. Mesa’s long-awaited terminal expansion will help meet the growing demand triggered by Allegiant Air, LLC who has already brought in more than a million passengers since starting service in October 2007. Phxmesagateway.org
• Take The Plunge: Offering a new way to shop in the new economy, a collaborative market is now open in Mesa called POOL Together. The public market-like setting offers a unique way to shop, socialize, eat and be entertained – all under one roof! Modeled after some of the most famous public markets in the country, POOL Together features numerous specialty merchants selling a diverse mix of high-quality products and merchandise year-round, seven days a week. Pooltogether.com
For more information, visit www.visitmesa.com
Credit: Mesa CVB
Milt Fort, Director of Marketing
Mesa Convention & Visitors Bureau
1. Why sell Mesa?
Convenience. Value. Fun. Not too many folks realize the sheer size of Mesa and the diversity of options we boast when planning itineraries. In Mesa, our tour operators are always surprised to see they can get the same Arizona experience for their attendees at a much lower cost. Items like free parking, complimentary breakfast buffet, free wi-fi access and room incentives really do make a difference. When you combine the added value Mesa provides with the accessibility for tour groups to the Sonoran Desert for off-site activities and seasonal events, Mesa is a solid choice.
2. What tips/advice do you have for Canadian travel agents selling Mesa?
Let our destination experts assist you in planning the ultimate tour in the American Southwest. Mesa – Arizona’s third largest city – boasts a wealth of activities, attractions and adventures not to mention award-winning resort and hotel properties, entertainment with the largest arts complex in the Southwest, world-class attractions like Goldfield Ghost Town and the Dolly Steamboat, all surrounded by the lush Sonoran Desert.
3. What is your favourite Mesa experience?
One of the most stunning offerings we boast is the Rose Garden on the campus of Mesa Community College. Here, more than 10,000 rose bushes are on display featuring more than 500 varieties. The garden has been a recipient of the All American Rose Selection Certificate and it’s a great place to explore, relax or take in our sought-after desert sun and warmth in the winter.
