Phoenix homes are surrounded with numerous amenities for the enjoyment of its residents. In Phoenix and the surrounding communities, there are twenty-four facilities for the Performing Arts, four major professional sports teams, twenty-four golf courses within the city and an additional 159 golf courses in the surrounding communities, twenty-six museums, the largest municipal park in the world, and is the home of several professional baseball teams during the spring training season. There are lakes for boating and water skiing in the outlying areas of the city, snow skiing in the winter within a 2 hour drive, many miles of hiking trails within the city and in the surrounding mountains, many large indoor shopping centers, and all in a short drive time on the expanding freeway system through the Phoenix Metro Area. With such a large variety of amenities, little wonder that Phoenix real estate continues to appreciate at a faster rate than in most areas of the country.