There aren't many desert cities where you can get esoteric over art, aerobic over a steep hill, and poetic over baseball--all in one weekend. Phoenix, however, with its newly revitalized downtown, offers a great sampling of culture, outdoor adventure, and sports.

Prowl downtown and you'll find a booming contemporary art scene that has grown amidst old warehouses and storefronts. Residential loft projects have sprung up nearby, and new, sophisticated restaurants are catering to the creative crowd and urban dwellers.

The art scene is at its height now, with exhibit openings and organized gallery and studio tours. Plus it's peak season for baseball's spring training, or hiking in one of the nearby desert parks. Expect balmy shirtsleeve days and light-sweater nights.

Visitors might find the city's sheer size daunting, but the best way to get to know Phoenix is to divvy it up into sections or neighborhoods and spend time soaking up the very different character of each.

DAY 1 Friday

This month, art aficionados should plan a trip to coincide with the annual Art Detour (Mar 4-6; free; schedules and self-guided tour maps available at www.artlinkphoenix.com or 602/256-7539), which includes the monthly First Friday gallery and studio tour.

Museum morning. Start an art-tour day at the ever-expanding Phoenix Art Museum (10-5 Tue-Sun, until 9 Thu; $9; 1625 N. Central Ave.; www.phxart.org or 602/257-1222), where in March you can view paintings by American impressionist Theodore Robinson and French impressionist Claude Monet. Look also for works by notable artists with Arizona ties, such as Philip Curtis and Max Ernst.

Diner deluxe. Elbow your way into the Welcome Diner ($; breakfast and lunch Mon-Sat; 924 E. Roosevelt St.; 602/495-1111), a nine-seat, newly restored vintage diner that has quickly become a downtown hit. Ignore carb counts and have a BLT and a root-beer float.

Gallery hop. Enter Studio LoDo/Phoenix Center for Contemporary Art (12-5 Thu-Sat; 15 E. Jackson St.; www.lodopcca.org or 602/200-8790) through its south-side patio and have fun with the March exhibition, Translucent Transcendence. Nearby Bentley Projects (10-5 Tue-Sat; 215 E. Grant St.; www.bentleyprojects.com or 602/340-9200) is an ambitious gallery complex, set partially in a 1910 laundry building.