Little more than a desert frontier settlement just a century ago, Phoenix has grown rapidly into one of the West's most dynamic and exciting getaways. This sprawling city has an amazingly dry climate - only the Sahara Desert is less humid than Phoenix's Sonoran Desert.
Phoenix tends to be deeply conservative.
In his later years a defender of the gay community, Goldwater was unable to sway popular opinion in favor of gay-rights initiatives. Steve May has enjoyed widespread political support and is thought to have a decent shot at winning a U.S. congressional election should he pursue it. The city has a highly visible gay and lesbian community regardless of the political climate and a huge number of social organizations. Though it has a bounty of shops and good restaurants, Phoenix has relatively few attractions. The region has prestigious golf courses, plus lavish tennis centers, spas, and athletic clubs - swanky Scottsdale is particularly rife with such facilities.