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Photo: Sgt. Tyler J. Bolken, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Annual moving mass of humanity for the Rock N'Roll half-marathon, and marathon in mid-January. Bands at every mile. Big party in the evening of the marathon. Starts in Phoenix (Washington St/7th Ave) and weaves through Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe to finish in the ASU athletic center. Pretty flat course, reasonable crowd support. Expo in Phoenix Convention Center, Monroe/3rd St.
The Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Running Series holds a half marathon, 10K and 5K annually in Arizona and is the first calendar race of the year in the series. On the weekend before Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the former marathon and half-marathon courses links three cities of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area: Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Tempe. Until 2023, a full marathon distance race was offered whose time could be used to obtain a qualifying time for the Boston Marathon.
features a museum and visitor center dedicated to the preservation of historic petroglyphs and pictographs at the base of Hedgpeth Hills. A must see for geologists and archaeologists.
50 acres of exhibits showcasing desert plants, with an emphasis on plant life of the Sonoran Desert and arid lands around the world. It includes many examples of ethnobotany, or how plants are used to survive in the desert. As a consequence of the many plants in this area there are also many desert animals such as lizards, birds, and occasional roadrunners.
Japanese-style garden with koi pond and tea house. Closed in the summer due to heat.
This center features 350 permanent hands-on exhibits and regularly hosts nationally acclaimed traveling exhibits. Also features a 5-story IMAX theater and planetarium.
World famous museum celebrating Native American cultures and arts, especially those of Arizona and New Mexico. Be sure to check out the amazing collection of Hopi Kachina dolls.