Scottsdale, Arizona

“IT’S A DIFFERENT KIND OF HEAT.” You see these words on T-shirts and shot glasses at the souvenir shops in Arizona. But it really is true: Despite temperatures that hover around 105 degrees, it is much more bearable than back East, where the humidity can be stifling. And with its Sonoran desert, abundant cacti, and jutting red rocks, Arizona offers a refreshing change of scenery. It truly has a calming effect on the body. Or perhaps it’s the $155 Sonwai massage at the Hyatt Gainey Ranch in Scottsdale (“Quiet your mind. Breathe deeply,” advises the hotel’s website; “You can request a full-body massage or a treatment targeting specific areas”). Not that I had time for massages–I was in Scottsdale on official business. The Hyatt Gainey Ranch played host last month to the 25th annual American-German Young Leaders conference. Sponsored by the American Council on Germany and Atlantik-Brücke, the confab brought together a dynamic group of young Germans and Americans from the fields of government, business, and the media. The theme was “Assessing the U.S.-German Relationship: A Partnership Amid Tensions,” and for four days we debated the future role of the United Nations, the lessons of Iraq, and the global economy.

In between plenary sessions and the smaller discussion groups, the delegates enjoyed dining with keynote speakers such as ACG chairman and former NBC chief correspondent Garrick Utley. But the key moment came at a lunch with Joe Arpaio, Maricopa County’s meanest and toughest sheriff, and one of the most shameless self-promoters in America, which is saying something.