Whether they are going on Instagram, directly to Facebook or even in a scrapbook, you've got to have photos to show for your vacation.
As much as friends and family will claim to be jealous, they'll want proof that you went somewhere pretty; how better than a self-portrait or posed family shot taken with a piece of curious local art?
Especially for children who can hardly sit still for a photo or teens who use their cameras as minute-by-minute mirrors, the following sites will add a dimension of intrigue to each snap.
The Sculptures of Downtown Mesa
Three or more sculptures per block, per-side-of-street line the sidewalks of downtown Mesa. A variety of artists and styles are represented, and most are at a scale that makes interactive selfies easy. Favorites include a polar bear and cubs, Humpty Dumpty and an old-time newspaper boy.
• FIND THEM: Main Street between Morris Street and Sirrine Street/Centennial Way, Mesa, Arizona
The "Welcome to Old Town Scottsdale" Cowboy Sign
A very tall, double-sided cowboy figure stands on a prominent corner in the "souvenir district" of Scottsdale. It's not silhouetted in motion-simulating neon like flashier cowboy signs in Nevada--and that's just fine with scores of daytime picture-posers 'round these parts.
• FIND IT: northeast corner of Scottsdale Road & Main Street, Scottsdale, Arizona
The "Greetings from Tempe" Mosaic Niche
At a perfect height for two children to sit upon and one to stand between them, this colorful, tile-laden statement piece is particularly fun for young siblings seeing their big brother or sister off to college at ASU. • FIND IT: east of Mill Avenue between 5th & 6th Streets, Tempe, Arizona
"The Ziz" Baseball Monument at Goodyear Ballpark
Baseball fans, regardless of team affiliation, should trek to the Cactus League stadium of the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians. Donald Lipski designed a spire-like sculpture of a seemingly stretched, red-stitched baseball to be as tall as the distance between the pitcher's mound and home plate.
• FIND IT: Goodyear Ballpark, 1933 S. Ballpark Way, Goodyear, Arizona
(Photo credit, from the top: ©Scottsdale CVB, ©LKP, ©Flagstaff CVB)