Welcome to Phoenix!

Hello, I’m Heather! I’ll be your tour guide through the beautiful city I call home. Let me share my favorite things to do, tips, and places to go.

PLACES

• Desert Botanical Garden
  • Since COVID you have to schedule the time you’d like to go on their website
  • Our favorite time is to go is in the evening because it is all lit up
• Rock & Roll Car & Bike Show
  • Free car show every Saturday evening
  • We’ve seen DeLoreans there a couple of times, which is awesome!
• Mill Ave
  • A fun area to walk around but might be more of a younger vibe since it’s in the heart of the university area. Our favorite place to go is Sparky’s Ice Cream Shop.
    • Disclaimer: Parking here might be a pain so plan ahead.
• Tempe Town Lake
  • You can walk around this lake and enjoy the views for free, our favorite time is during the sunset
  • You can pay to rent any kind of little water boat from Boat Rentals of America
• Crackerjacks
  • Mini golf, race cars, and other types of fun things for any age near North Scottsdale
• Top Golf
  • I’ve never been but I’ve heard amazing things and it looks like there are several locations in the area. The one I’ve heard about is next to The Talking Stick Resort.
  • Sounds like if the driving range and darts had a baby
• Fountain Hills Fountain
  • Need to get your steps in and soak in beautiful views? GO HERE!
  • The fountain used to go off on the hour and on St. Patricks Day they turn it green but you never know with COVID
  • They also do art and food fairs all of the time! Check their website and cross your fingers it’s your lucky day because they are always fun events.
• Butterfly Wonderland & Oddysea Aquarium
  • This WAS our go-to summer activity but I’m not sure how it would be now with COVID. Be sure to check ahead!
• Phoenix Art Museum
  • LOVE this museum! There are so many floors and little spots to checkout. Be sure to see Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirror Room on the 3rd floor, it’s life-changing and my favorite.
• Dolly Steamboat Ride
  • This is a hidden gem, for sure! It’s a little of a drive but worth it for a fun couple of hours on a boat. 
  • Bring cash for drinks
  • Arrive early because it’s first come first serve
• World’s Largest Sundial + El Encanto/Lake + Little Shops
  • About 45 minutes north of Scottsdale you can spend the afternoon checking out the world’s largest sundial and then enjoying some yummy Mexican food next to a pretty lake.
    • Pro-tip: There is a geocache on the sundial if you’re into that
• LOVE Statue 
• Stand up Live
  • Pro-tip: Sign up for their club and you will get free tickets almost every other weekend
  • 2 drink minimum and soda refills are not free, I learned that the hard way.
  • Parking is right underneath and you can access the garage from both sides
• Read/Lay by the Pool
  • There are pools open here year-round
• Montezuma Castle National Monument
  • If you’re heading to Sedona stop here too! It’s a free little adventure and 30 minutes to kill and stretch your legs.
• Buffalo Chip Saloon in Cave Creek
  • Bull riding, country dancing, and S’Mores
  • Be sure to dress warm because it gets COLD in the night
• Anthem Outlet Mall
  • There are other outlet malls but this is my favorite one
• Bookmans
  • Cool Toy and record store
• Zia Records
  • Cool Toy and record store
• Castles N Coasters
  • Mini golf, arcade games, and COASTERS!!!
• Oldtown Scottsdale in General
  • They have just about anything you would need including bars, shopping, artwork, and yummy food.
• iFLYAZ
  • Indoor Skydiving
  • Very expensive
  • Kinda hurts your shoudlers
• Musical Instrument Museum
  • Pretty cool but maybe more of a 1 time adventure for me. I’d go again, if I had to. Hahaha!
• Roadhouse Cinemas
  • Movie AND DINNER?! This is the place! Plan ahead and reserve your seats.
• K1 Speed
  • Indoor kart racing

HIKING

• Hole in the Rock & Governor Hunt’s Pyramid Tomb
  • Easy Hiking with views of downtown Phoenix
  • The go-to place for photo ops that look very “Arizona”
  • A view of the ZOO! You can see the giraffes and hear the lion rawrs, which is pretty neat. There is also a bighorn sheep hiking the mountain to the south. Nothing better than a “free zoo experience”
• Lookout Mountain Preserve “Owl Hike”
  • North Phoenix area
  • Somewhat of an easy hike if you pick the easier paths.
  • I can make it all the way up in about 30-45 minutes
  • My VERY FIRST HIKE in arizona so it holds a dear place in my heart. Also, during that hike we saw owls and ever since my group of friends have named it the “owl hike”.
• Piestewa Peak Summit Trail #300
  • Are you ready to gasp for your breath but enjoy pretty views? Yes? Then this is the trail for you. This trail is near North Scottsdale and Fountain Hills. I’ve tried it many times and only made it to the first summit once after I lost 70 pounds. It has a pretty wicked incline but I did it! Bring water, wear good shoes, and bring patient friends.
• Lower Salt River Nature Trail
  • Want to see a wild horse? THIS IS THE PLACE!
    • Pro-tip: You smell them before you see them so get your cameras ready if you smell something different
  • This is more of a nature walk than it is a “hike” but it’s so pretty!

FOOD

• Breakfast Buffet at Talking Stick Resort
  • This is currently closed because of COVID but I’ll keep here here just in case
  • Better than Vegas breakfasts buffets, or any I’ve ever been to
  • They also do lunch and dinner but the breakfast is, hands down, the best thing you’ll ever do
• Grimaldis
  • My favorite pizza in Scottsdale
• Snooze AM Eatery
  • A MUST IF YOU WANT BREAKFAST! They have this in other cities too but it’s soooo decadant. Be prepared to wait.
• US Egg
  • Oh look, another breakfast place!
  • If you don’t want to wait 2 hours at Snooze this is the next best thing. They get you in QUICK and it’s family owned by brothers. I used to go to the one in North Phoenix and became friends with that owner. Now that I’m in Scottsdale, we go to that one and his brother is just as nice. Goooood quality yummy breakfast.
• Bobby-Q
  • The best “meat” place by far. This place had my midwest family’s mouths drooling, and that’ saying a lot since my Dad is a cattle rancher.

PAYSON (1.5 Hours north of Phoenix)

• Hiking in Payson {Closer than Sedona/Less Traffic – Lookup “Woods Canyon Lake“}
• Tonto Natural Bridge

SEDONA (2+ Hours north of Phoenix)

• The first tip is don’t do this on a weekend day, it’s packed! It’s so packed even on the weekdays you can barely get a spot to hike and park. It’s pretty to be there but it’s really a nightmare. 
• Devil’s Bridge Trailhead
  • This is the only big hiking trail we’ve done because every time we go it’s so busy there is no parking ANYWHERE. We got to the trailhead at 6am and still there were not places to park so we had to park a mile down the road. PLAN AHEAD and get your day pass at a gas station before you show up.