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UNITED STATES | Phoenix, Arizona Travel Guide
Friday, April 26, 2024
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West Valley: Glendale, Peoria, Sun City
West Valley: Glendale, Peoria, Sun City
West Valley fans out to the northwest of Phoenix, sweeping in thirteen communities, among them Glendale, the largest, and Wickenburg, Peoria, Sun City, Surprise, Litchfield Park and Avondale.
Spring Training Mecca
West Valley is one of the fastest growing regions of greater Phoenix. It is also a spring training mecca for professional sports teams, among them the Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers who train in Glendale, and San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners who train in Peoria. Glendale is also home to the NHL Phoenix Coyotes and NFL Arizona Cardinals. And nearby Avondale’s Phoenix International Raceway is notable as the site of professional IndyCar racing.
Outdoor Recreation Hub
West Valley is also a center of sorts for outdoor recreation. Best known among the locales are the 24,000-acre, man- made Lake Pleasant near Peoria, the largest aquatic playground in greater Phoenix; the 26,000-acre White Tank Mountain Regional Park, which features petroglyphs and 22 miles of hiking trails; and, for eco-tourism, the Nature Conservancy’s Hassayampa River Preserve in Wickenburg, where you can view 230 species of birds.
Poking Around in West Valley Towns
Among cultural and tourist attractions, in Glendale there’s the Historic Downtown, noted for its antiquing, with more than 90 specialty and antiquing shops; Historic Sahuaro Ranch, a preserved farming homestead; and 70-year-old maker of handcrafted candy, Cerreta Candy Company, which offers public tours.
In Wickenburg, check out “Arizona’s Most Western Museum,” the Desert Caballeros Western Museum, bursting with Western memorabilia and art, including works of Remington, Russell, Bierstadt and Catlin. There are also five Dude Ranches here, and Robson’s Arizona Mining World as well as the Vulture Mine for added interest.
Peoria is of course home to the Challenger Space Center, which offers simulated space missions; the Bead Museum, where you can view over 110,000 beads from across the world; and Max’s Sports Bar Museum, which boasts the largest collection of football helmets in the country.
Among others, Surprise’s West Valley Art Museum holds some interest, and small town Litchfield Park lays claim to the state’s largest collection of exotic animals (over 1,300) in its Wildlife World Zoo.
Last updated November 15, 2010
Posted in United States | Phoenix
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