Phoenix - photo suggestions

I'm going to be in Phoenix for a couple of days for business next week. Are

there any suggestions for must see photo ops? I don't know how much time I'll

have so I don't think I can travel far.

I have to say that I found Phoenix itself a bit difficult for shooting, it seemed bland and the sun always felt oppressive, but Vulture is only an hour away, an old mining town that was abandoned years ago. Rent a car and head out there. <p>

<Center><img src="http://www.spirer.com/vulture/images/wallmine.jpg"><br>Vulture, Copyright 2002 Jeff Spirer</i></center>

Here's one thread that discusses it. The Desert Botanical Garden is very nice. It is just on the east side of Phoenix and usually has something going on, as well as good collections of desert plants. The zoo is nearby. Go early in the day if you can.

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00IOz8

I think the older downtown is photogenic if you can do it very early in the morning. I did it back in the Seventies and got a terrific "Hotel California" look. However, its 2007 now and Phoenix has succeeded 1000% in making itself look like Los Angeles, only much, much better. The temperature during the daytime right now is nice and deadly (seriously) so you need to do your thing with some preplanning. The suggestion above is good and here's another one: Getting to this arburetum is actually quite easy and fast.

http://arboretum.ag.arizona.edu/

If you can spare 1 hour drive or a bit more, perhaps Sedona would be the place to take photos.

While in Grand Canyon a waiter told me that: "The God built the Grand Canyon but he lives in Sedona". I mentioned comming from Sedona. The waiter asked: "Did you see the God there?".

My answer was: "No, for reason that all over places there was: NO ENTRY - PRIVATE PROPERTY".