These blasts from the past are waiting for you to visit.

For years, I have been visiting family in the Phoenix area and it was on this most recent trip that I learned the bittersweet history of Tovrea Castle.

Who knew you could own a ranch full of ostriches?

Maybe Phoenix doesn't have that one skyscraper that rises above the rest like the Empire State Building and, sure, stucco abounds, but there are plenty of gems by big-name architects who found inspiration in the desert. These archetypal homes around the Valley, either built by our most notable architects or...