Paolo Soleri - a student of Wright - developed his own form of organic architecture, which he termed 'arcology,' the combination of architecture and ecology. Soleri's headquarters are 5 miles (8km) north of central Scottsdale at the Cosanti Foundation, where you can see a scale model of his magnum opus, the futuristic Arcosanti. An architectural experiment in urban living, Arcosanti is an ultracompact city of precast concrete that hopes one day to house 5000 people intent on living an aesthetically rewarding, environmentally aware existence - no desert hermits here. The project is still under construction, 40 miles (65km) north of Phoenix off I-17.

This complex contains a museum with 350 hands-on exhibits that encourage visitors to explore and experiment with computers, bubbles, weather, physics and biology. There's also a five-story giant screen theater with shows about the American West, NASA and other subjects. A planetarium has star shows every hour; in the evenings, you can relive junior high school at one of the planetarium's laser light shows that accompany the music of such AOR stalwarts as Pink Floyd and the Doors.

Aficionados of desert flora can stroll among the succulents in this 145 acre (59ha) garden, which contains thousands of species of plants particularly adapted to the arid landscape. The best time to come is during the brilliantly colorful flowering season of March to May. Surrounding Papago Park has picnic areas, jogging, biking and equestrian trails, a city golf course and a children's fishing pond. It also houses the Phoenix Zoo. The garden, park and zoo are 8 miles (13km) east of the capitol on N Galvin Pkwy.

A one-stop shop for learning about Southwest Indian tribes' history, arts and culture, the Heard Museum is touted for quality rather than quantity. Sure, there are thousands of exhibits, but these are so well laid out (in so relatively small a space) that a visit is much more relaxing than the torturous schleps of most major museums. The Heard's kachina doll collection is outstanding, as are the audiovisual displays, live demonstrations and bookshop, which has the area's best - albeit priciest - selection of Native American arts and crafts. The Heard is on the northern outskirts of downtown, about 4 miles (7km) from the capitol.

Half a dozen blocks near Scottsdale's chamber of commerce constitute 'Old Town,' a cluster of early 20th century buildings and some more recently styled to look like those of the Old West. Not quite the dusty streets of Sam Peckinpah; though you can still mosey past saloons and dodge imaginary bullets, the real killers these days are Scottsdale's prices.One of the area's true fossils is the 'Little Red School House,' built in 1909 and now housing the Scottsdale Historical Museum. It hosts exhibits on the area's early days. Nearby, the Scottsdale Center for the Arts is home to some decent contemporary art galleries and a sculpture garden, and plays host to various performing artists. Old Town is in central Scottsdale, 9 miles (14km) northeast of downtown Phoenix.

Frank Lloyd Wright - America's most famous 20th century architect - lived, designed and taught in Scottsdale at Taliesin West. Set on 600 acres (240ha) of desert, Taliesin West is a working example of Wright's organic architecture, which uses natural forms to shape most structures. Wright moved here in 1927 and didn't finish building for 30 years. Today, the natural rock, wood and canvas structures continue to be both living quarters and a teaching establishment. Hourlong guided tours are given daily. Taliesin West is about 10 miles (16km) northeast of Phoenix.