Gay & Lesbian Travel: Phoenix

A highly contemporary metropolis surrounded by mountains and high desert, Phoenix is in many ways the last stronghold of the western frontier.

The region is dogged by certain challenges prevalent in the West, such as rampant sprawl and sometimes oppressive smog. It's also bone-dry here - only the Sahara is less humid than Phoenix's Sonoran Desert.

Most of the year, the weather is ideal for outdoor recreation, with winter highs in the mid-60s and spring and fall highs in the mid-80s.