Shopping

Break out those credit cards because the Sunny Arizona cities each offer great shopping. After breakfast, visit the outdoor Mesa Market Place Swap Meet in East Mesa for great deals on common and the not-so-common items you may be looking for. For name brand shopping, visit either one of Mesa's regional centers, Superstition Springs Center and Fiesta Mall. You may want to stop off in Downtown Mesa to visit some of the mom 'n pop shops that dot the area.

Continue west to Downtown Tempe to explore the shops and boutiques along Mill Avenue. For lunch, head over to Arizona Mills, the state's largest outlet center. Under one roof, one can dine at the Rainforest Café, see an IMAX movie, play virtual reality games at Game Works, and shop at one of more than 160 brand name discount outlets. Next, head over to Tempe Marketplace, thriving with 1.3 million square feet of shopping, dining and entertainment. Tempe Marketplace offers live music every weekend and unrivaled dining experiences such as Cadillac Ranch, Lucille's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que, and Maria Maria, a dining concept by renowned guitarist Carlos Santana.

Next, head south for a stroll through Historic Downtown Chandler to shop for an unusual bottle of wine or piece of furniture from around the world. Cap off the afternoon and evening with mega shopping at the upscale Chandler Fashion Center. This mall offers the finest of shops including Nordstrom and Banana Republic. Have dinner at one of the plethora of dining options all found at Chandler Fashion Center.

Learn more about shopping and dining in Chandler, Mesa, Tempe and Apache Junction.