Annie Gerber Photography

With so much natural beauty surrounding it, a visit to the Arizona Museum of Natural History is a sure bet for a highly educational and entertaining time. Considered one of the best museums in the state, this facility offers lots of dramatically designed and well-presented exhibits. Perhaps the most famous of these is “Dinosaur Mountain” which features several attention-getting devices to tell its prehistoric story. A constantly flowing 50-foot-high indoor waterfall is just another of this museum's many highlights.

While it's obvious that when you spend time in Mesa, you're in the Arizona desert, that doesn't mean that you can't cool down in a really fun way by experiencing the fun of Salt River Tubing. Drift along the river through the Tonto National Forest to experience some truly amazing and breathtaking scenery. The duration of your tube-oriented adventure varies and depends on where your starting point is as well as the current of the river. Children must be at least eight years old and four feet tall to enjoy this attraction. One convenient fee covers the cost of parking, tube rental and shuttle service. A deposit may be required. Also, don't forget to bring snacks, sunglasses and sunscreen!

There's nothing quite like enjoying an electrifying live music performance. It is a seemingly surreal experience, when the band that is on stage seems to connect with everyone in the audience. Moments like that are more the norm than the exception when you check out the impressive schedule of concerts at Mesa's Nile Theater. Specializing in alternative music, the entertainment venue also presents folk and mainstream rock acts who prove to not only be electrified by the enthusiasm of Mesa audiences, they go on to turn in nothing less than unforgettably stellar performances.