Altizer, Shelley

When the weather gets really hot, take the whole family out to make a cool splash at the Golfland Sunsplash water park. In addition to some wet and wild fun on the many slides, pools and wading areas, Golfland Sunsplash is also known for its entertainingly challenging miniature golf courses, go karts and many other family-friendly attractions. The facility is also perfect for gatherings, birthday parties and corporate events.

Get a surprisingly accurate picture of what Mesa's history was like when you visit the Mesa Historical Museum. The attraction is situated in what was once an old school house that dates back to 1913. The museum was made possible by several contributions from many of Mesa's citizens and features an impressive collection of vintage pieces that include items used by early pioneer families, documents, photographs and various agricultural equipment. There are also some highly detailed murals that adorn the walls that serve to portray an even more accurate picture of what early life in Mesa was really like.

Get into the groove when you browse through the bins of classic vinyl LPs at Mesa's Bookmans Entertainment Exchange. Out-of-print treasures, imports and hard-to-find records abound, but that's not all you'll find here. There is also an equally inviting selection of video games, books, magazines, comics, musical instruments, sound systems and more. Bookmans' goal is to minimize the number of things that people throw away and recycle them by reselling them to new owners while offering an always-changing inventory to its shoppers. Everybody wins, with a little help from Bookmans!

Get an amazingly unique historical perspective of Mesa and its surrounding area when you book your spot on the Apache Trail Tour. The excursion features a rollicking jeep ride that moves along the rugged trail into the Superstition Mountains. The basic tour lasts about two hours but there are longer packages available that include gold panning and even full day adventures that allow you to spend more time in some of the area's most beautifully scenic landscapes.