PHOENIX -- In Phoenix, there's nothing a trip to the golf course can't fix. It's a warm winter escape for those who can afford a second home, and it basks in the spa-facial glow of being a place where people will pay a lot for five-star fun.

But for those with shallow pockets, the Valley of the Sun has budget-friendly options mixing an urban identity with access to nature. It's not every big city where you can scale a mountain, sample authentic Mexican food and take in a free art show -- all in one day.

TRANSPORTATION

Phoenix's $1.4 billion Metro Light Rail debuted Dec. 27. The 20-mile line stretches from northwest Phoenix to neighboring Tempe and Mesa. www.valleymetro.org/metro-light-rail/.

In chichi Scottsdale, take advantage of the free trolley. The purple street car runs every 10 minutes, from Oldtown Scottsdale, brimming with local eateries, bars and shops selling Native American arts and crafts, to the art galleries lining Main Street. The free Scottsdale Art Walk is every Thursday evening, www.scottsdalegalleries.com.

The trolley also stops by the waterfront, where restaurants and shops line the canal, www.scottsdaleaz.gov/trolley/downtown.asp.

A rental car may be your best bet for metropolitan Phoenix and day trips. The city's streets are laid out like a grid, making it hard to get lost.

TAKE A HIKE

Hiking in Arizona is fun even in winter. Piestewa Peak, formerly Squaw Peak, at 2,608 feet tall, offers miles of trails inside Phoenix Mountains Park and Recreation area.

More adventurous hikers can scale Camelback Mountain's sandstone hump. At 2,704 feet, Camelback's two main summit trails amount to a 1,200-foot gain in elevation, with less arduous trails near the base.

For easy strolls or mountain bike rides, head to Papago Park, where there's little elevation amid the woods, desert sandstone and fields, //phoenix.gov/PARKS/hikemain.html.

Sedona and its red mountain majesties are a two-hour drive north. Take a hike and survey the grandiosity of the red rock formations at the hilltop Chapel of the Holy Cross, an aesthetic marvel. Parking is free; the view is priceless, www.chapeloftheholycross.com

Halfway between Sedona and Phoenix lies the city of Prescott. The folksy downtown, anchored by the historic Courthouse Plaza, has a warm small-town ambiance. Restaurants, boutiques and live music are abundant. But the Old West heritage is still very much alive. Stroll Whiskey Row, a block once full of nothing but saloons. Have a drink at the Palace Restaurant and Saloon, whose past patrons include Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday.

Venture farther out to Prescott National Forest, which has five lakes and more than 450 miles of trails for hiking, horseback riding or mountain biking, www.visit-prescott.com.

GOLF

Home to 200 golf courses, many of them PGA-champion caliber, metro Phoenix has long been a luxury golf destination. But there are bargain rates too. For the winter, the city's eight municipal courses charge between $34 and $43 for 18 holes. Fees slide to $18-$25 if you tee off after 1 p.m. At Palo Verde Golf Course, nine holes cost just $10.

Each course has a unique layout. For first-time visitors, head to Aguila Golf Course at the base of South Mountain, with lovely vistas of the Sonoran desert. Book tee times at least a week before, //phoenix.gov/golf.

If conventional golf isn't your thing, try flicking a flying disc at a disc golf course fitted with ''tee boxes'' and baskets mounted on poles. If you're new to the game, stop by Spinners on the Green, a disc golf equipment and apparel store in Scottsdale, for help, www.spinnersdiscgolf.com. Spinners also rents bikes, $10 an hour.

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