OK, so we know temperatures are heating up across the state and it’s already well on its way into the 90s by noon most days, but watching Mick Rogers and the rest of the crew race in last week’s AMGEN Tour of California sure did make us want to take stock of our cycling gear. If you’ve been freshly bitten by the road racing bug too, or fancy yourself getting into the sport, here are a few of the best cycling shops in the Valley you can visit for equipment and advice. All our picks are single-location independents where you’ll feel like you’re getting the time and attention you deserve.

Maybe you haven’t figured out yet how you’re going to squeeze a vacation into your busy schedule this year, or maybe you’ve just temporarily forgotten there’s a great big world outside the office door. Either way, consider grabbing a few hours of R&R at one of these Haute 5 green spaces across the Valley. Because even city sophisticates need a breath of fresh air now and again.

It’s true there’s no shortage of nigiri and sashimi in Downtown Scottsdale, but how to choose among the many stellar venues? Well, deliberate no more. Here we’ve broken down a few options, so you’ll know just which hotspot to hit up, depending on your mood.

Time and again, Restoration Hardware’s spring outdoor collections offer items in an unparalleled number of elegant styles and finishes. This year, our favorite piece de resistance is the eye-catching Spartan Daybed, a modern work of usable art designed by Neoteric Luxury.

Taking us through the end of summer are four wonderfully varied exhibits at the Phoenix Art Museum, including photographs by the great Ansel Adams, textiles from Southeast Asia, images from contemporary American photographers, and 1940s fashion ensembles.

Grazie Ristorante offers so much more than just fab eats and vino – the restaurant and wine bar also hosts monthly Italian language classes for beginners and “Tour of Italy” wine tastings.

Whether your wish is to escape to get in some outdoor activities in cooler temperatures, to be massaged and pampered within an inch of your life, or hey, just to simply get out of town, it’s good to know the area around the Valley offers a limitless number and varieties of retreats. Here we’ve laid out for you our Haute 5 choices for weekend excursions this summer, with the accommodations appropriately matched to the theme of your potential activities. Happy exploring!

Good news – you just figured out what you’re doing this weekend … and for the rest of the summer. This Friday, May 21, the complimentary summer concert series kicks off at Montelucia Resort’s all-new, all-patio restaurant ROQ. Scheduled to showcase some of the Valley’s best bands, the summer-long party starts with Cave Creek fave Easton Ashe.

Arizonans practically live poolside between the months of May and September – that is, between the rounds of golf and other outdoor activities. And while there may be more kid-friendly and family-centric watering holes around town, today’s Haute 5 pools are of a sultrier variety …