Mesa is a city about 20 miles from Phoenix in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert. The area was inhabited more than 2,000 years ago by the Hohokam people, who built sophisticated irrigation canals. Many of their artifacts and the remains of their habitation are preserved in Mesa Grande Cultural Park. The Arizona Museum of Natural History shows another side of Mesa’s past dinosaur skeletons and various archaeological finds.

LDS Mesa Arizona Temple is a witness to the city’s Mormon roots, while the Tonto National Forest is a forest oasis in the heart of the Sonoran Desert where you can get close to nature.

There are two rivers and three lakes in Mesa, which offer boating, kayaking, paddleboarding, and water skiing. You can also join the Adventure Explorer Desert Guide to explore the world of the Sonoran Desert.

Mesa is also an art destination, and the Mesa Arts Center has four theaters, exhibition rooms, galleries, and classrooms that encourage creativity. There are more than 200 public art sculptures on the streets of downtown Mesa among other attractions.

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