Mirelle Inglefield

Most Phoenix Zoo visitors spend their day strolling shaded paths and admiring animals from afar. But on the zoo’s Backstage Adventures tours, guests get something far more memorable – a chance to meet some of the park’s biggest stars up close. Led by zoo professionals, these small-group experiences (capped at just 10 guests) offer behind-the-scenes access to select animals and the people who care for them.

Tip your cowboy hat to the open road with a tour of Marfa, Alpine and other art-inclined towns in the Big Bend region of West Texas. The art rocks in Big Bend – like, literally. Artistic expression in the region stretches back some 6,000 years, with petroglyphs and pictographs etched into towering limestone canyons. We recommend a week-long road trip.

The Arizona Humane Society has completed a major expansion of its original Sunnyslope veterinary clinic, significantly increasing its capacity to provide affordable care to pets across the Valley. Founded in 1957, AHS has grown from a small volunteer group into a large-scale provider of animal medical services, treating more than 20,000 sick and injured pets each year.