A home for my words.

Phoenix’s Desert Botanical Garden is housed inside of Papago Park, which I list below as a recommended place for hiking and biking. Entry to the garden is free the second Tuesday of every month, but just know that those days may be extremely busy with locals and out-of-towners of all ages. 

Take note that there is not a lot of shade at the Desert Botanical Garden, so if you go in the summer, you will be exposed to the elements. If you are sensitive to the heat, I wouldn’t recommend going to the Garden during the summer at all. If you do go when it is hot, be sure to have proper hydration with you. There are some spots inside the garden grounds where you can buy refreshments, including the Patio Cafe, which sells sandwiches and snacks.

South Scottsdale, Vertically Stacked Parks

If you’re looking for something lower key, you can bike the long vertical strip of park in Scottsdale, compromised of a few smaller parks, with Chaparral Park at its most northern end and Vista del Camino Park at the southern end. I folded my Citizen Bike and tossed it in the back of a Waymo to preserve my energy for the park itself. It’s just over 11 miles total if you bike from one end to the next and back, but it’s mostly all flat. You can call it quits at any point, have a picnic, join in on a beach volley ball game, watch golfers, or play with pups. The list goes on!

Phoenix Canal

The Phoenix Canal trail sort of reminds me of El Rio park back in Valencia in that it wraps around many parts of the city. You’ll see people jogging, biking, and even fishing! Just beware any time you’re passing one of Phoenix’s many golf courses, as the sign states below 😉

If you don’t have your own bike, you can rent one from a store. There’s even a shop where you can rent fat bikes near South Mountain. While it’s a great area for a hike, South Mountain also hosts Silent Sunday, where you get the privilege of biking when traffic is shut down for a few hours, making it safer than usual for cyclists.

A Fair Warning

Let me start by saying that the Phoenix weather allows you to hike for most of the year. I do not suggest anyone hike in the Valley during the summer. Local fire departments will sometimes actually post up at trailheads warning people about its dangers and trying to persuade people to change their plans. Every year, some people have to be air-lifted or unfortunately perish trying to hike in Phoenix in the summer.

Along with this, I want to mention that I do not recommend trying to hike to the peak of Camelback Mountain for anyone other than very experienced hikers. I normally don’t focus time on advising people against what to do in my travel blog, but I actually feel like I’m doing a service here. I’ve heard visitors recall their hiking horror story of attempting to make it to the peak of Camelback Mountain. Often, they’ve said that they went because “it was the first hike that popped up online.” I’m here to tell you that there are so many other trails in and around Phoenix that you can do with much more ease, even if you’d still prefer a challenge.

Now that the warning is out of the way, let us proceed:

Hole in the Rock

Hole in the Rock is a short hike. Like, really short. It’s more of a brief walk up to the top, but it is vertical and steadier shoes certainly help. It is part of the much larger Papago Park, which you can hike around more level ground and even go for a mountain bike ride on designated trails. Another brief warning: you are urged not to walk on the outside face of the Hole. While I’ve seen people do so on a number of occasions, there has been one fatality and it’s safer to just follow the rule. The coolest view anyway, in my opinion, is really from being seated inside of the Hole and looking out at the Valley.

Phoenix Mountains Preserve

On one random day hiking the Phoenix Mountains Preserve, I saw something that was a first for me: unicycle mountain biking. (Hey, they do say when you are authentic to yourself, you truly can find your tribe!)

You might even stumble across some rad wildlife!

I wonder how many times I’ve worn this orange UPF shirt on hikes around the world? hmmm

McDowell Sonoran Conservancy

This area is especially great for hiking if you happen to be in the North Scottsdale area. I met up with some girlfriends for a hike during Galentine’s season and there were great park volunteers and maps immediately upon entering the grounds.

Phoenix might not offer the most lush scenery for a hike, but there is still an abundance of desert plant and animal wildlife and hiking makes up a decent part of the culture in this city.

Hayden Butte in Tempe, AZ

Tempe is directly east of Phoenix. It’s known for being the college town home to Arizona State University. Hayden Butte is a short hike, but almost entirely vertical. Because of that, I thought I’d get away with wearing the walking sandals you see pictured below:

Wearing velcro hiking sandals that I could tighten even more would have been better, but I survived. That is until we got to the tippy top. My friend who wore more responsible shoes went to the very top to let me know if it would be worth it and I snapped an incredible silhouette pic of her! However, due to the slippery nature of my sandals against the rock material at the very top, I skipped getting a view for myself.

During the holiday season, you might see decorations at the top. We saw a menorah on the day that we visited and I think there’s actually a Santa that hangs out at Camelback in December.

If you’ve never been in a Waymo before, I would recommend it. There were long periods of time where Waymo was my sole means of transportation. These self-driving cars currently only stick to main roads, avoiding highways altogether, so at times it could take longer to get to your destination than other rideshare apps. That said, their prices can be comparable to that of other rideshare services although Waymos are unfortunately also subject to a surcharge. In any case, it is always better to take a safe ride if you find yourself under the influence. Plus, it’s a cool way to lose yourself in the sights of the Phoenix Valley.

Although I’d taken Waymos routinely in Arizona, I was excited to hail one during my San Francisco trip because I was able to say I’d taken a Waymo in every state that it existed. Of course, that was easy then; there were only two states with Waymos! It’s expanding rapidly now, which I think is great. I sometimes fantasize about how nice things could be if the roads were filled with Waymos. Imagine? No stress on work commutes, power naps, the list goes on.

Waymos always greet you by name and they even celebrate special days with you, for example on Fridays, holidays, and even election day!

This EDM venue is one of those places that truly stands out as a safe space to me. You are greeted with the house rules once you enter and can walk through a small art gallery before making it onto the dance floor.

I’m not even a follower of EDM music, but this space is truly an experience worthy of having.

Various US and global acts perform at the venue and the warehouse stores multiple Burning Man installations when they aren’t in use at the festival! You are free to interact with said installations, including crawling through them as a child might. There’s even a food truck out back.

Walter Where?House closes during the summer, so if you’re in the Valley and saying “I’ll go one day,” keep in mind that it’s not a year-round venue.

You can feel free to dress up or down for Walter Where?House, but of course some nights (like the days surrounding Halloween) will have people wearing the absolute best outfits and costumes! So this is a place I’d recommend going to in Phoenix if you’re looking for a good Halloween party.

I am not kidding when I say a children’s museum hosted the best party I have ever been to.

A few night’s a year, the Children’s Museum of Phoenix hosts adult-only nights. Think of it as your chance to be a kid again. You can play with the exhibits just as children do during the day and each night has a theme, like prom night or Halloween. These only happen from time-to-time, and currently do not fall into a specific schedule. That means you have to keep your eyes open for tickets on the website or following the museum on Instagram.

When I went for Halloween, the museum had TWO different DJs at the outdoor silent disco section (I imagine the cars driving by got a good laugh out of the crowd), a bingo room, a dance floor with ANOTHER DJ, and adults of all ages crawling through exhibits, leaving behind glitter and feathers. Just pure awesomeness.

(I know I mentioned Walter Where?House as a great place to in Phoenix for Halloween time — and it is!). That said, if the Children’s Museum of Phoenix is hosting a Halloween event, you should go there as well. If you’re lucky, it’ll be Halloweekend and the events will fall on different dates.)

I’ve also been to the museum a few times during the day to volunteer and it’s a great place in Phoenix to buy a cute gift for a child or a fun gift for an adult. Once, I bought this puzzle from the gift shop for a Tandem language exchange partner that I was going to meet in Osaka, Japan.

Phoenix’s weather is decently suited to enjoying a picnic for most of the year. And all you really need to make a good picnic is a a blanket and some snacks! From there, you can make it as deluxe as you’d like.

You’d be surprised what cool nature you can find in a city that’s so large and gets so hot.

There’s an abundance of wild bunnies and hummingbirds, in particular, in Phoenix. And tons of other birds, from all black to decorated in multiple colors. 

Ballet Arizona hosts a number of performances, mainly at Symphony Hall. It’s a great opportunity to get done up and marvel at talented ballet dancers. The ballet company may also host a show or two at Orpheum Theatre each season, and they have an annual show at the Desert Botanical Gardens! Each of these venues is also a great place to look into for upcoming events. 

Take a ballet class

You heard that right! No matter your age or level of experience, Ballet Arizona offers classes. There’s even an adult class for absolute beginners, which I enrolled in. Come as you are and have a great time. There were both men and women in the classes, although mainly more women. Some people dressed up in tutus while others wore general exercise clothes. It felt like a safe space to come as you are and learn from whatever point you were at. Classes were even accompanied by a love pianist ❤

If you’re visiting Arizona in January and you’re wondering what to do, consider the Arizona Balloon class. This event is kid-friendly. You can bring picnic blankets to view the hot air balloons or eat from one of the many food trucks and grab a provided seat. There are also sellers with handmade goods and a DJ playing all night.

Of course, there are chances to actually ride on a hot air balloon! Most of the balloons that take off from the ground have to happen first thing in the morning, but there are also tethered rides at night. That means you will lift off of the ground, but your group won’t be able to float away.

The year that I went, Pierogi Rig was one of the food trucks on site and I feel like the kielbasa combo platter changed my life. I couldn’t stop telling people to try it out.

This photo may not look the most appetizing, but I couldn’t be bothered to get a good photo when my body was screaming for food haha.

Be sure to bring a layer or two in case it ends up being windy like the night that I went. I’ll always regret not capturing video of when one of the balloons lost steam and began crashing to the ground. Families started yanking their children from atop picnic blankets and fleeing the scene. I heard screams get muffled as the balloon’s nylon began feathering across the ground. I’ll admit…I was hysterically laughing. It was like something out of a monster movie. But it’s OKAY, because nobody got hurt!

Arizona’s State Fair may not be as popular as the State Fair of Texas or the Minnesota State Fair, but it is worth a trip if you are visiting Phoenix in the fall around September and October. There are an abundance of rides, live performances, plenty of food, and a section where you can interact with farm animals. I visited when it was only open in October, but this was back during the covid years, so be sure to verify that it’s open when you are planning to attend.

I saw the ride (shown in the video above) and figured it looked like the best one, so I got in line to try it out. It was one of those things where I found myself on the ride wondering why I’d chosen to get on in the first place 😂. But at least I can say I got my money’s (terrifying) worth!

This is an annual event run by the Hance Park Conservatory that happens in October (I found online that it is supposed to happen on the last Saturday of each October, in fact).

The event offers live music and requires advance tickets. Please take note that it might also be best to do a bit of coordination with your tablemates as you all decorate your own tables and bring your own food.

The restrooms are the nicer ones that are essentially mobile restrooms with multiple stalls and sinks, although the ladies rooms still had a longer wait than gentleman, of course lol. 

While FilmBar doesn’t exist anymore, I wanted to leave space for its memory. It was a great, affordable place for themed movie nights surrounded by a great community that unfortunately didn’t make it through covid.

I’ve seen shows at a few venues, but The Van Buren is my favorite and where I’ve seen both Tinashe and Allen Stone.

They have a great lobby, general admission standing room on the main floor, a section they can set up for ADA-accessibility, and a small upper tier for VIP seating.

When I saw Tinashe, her set was constructed with tiered platforms instead of the usual flat stage.

Another great thing about The Van Buren

Before or after your show at The Van Buren, you can visit Ziggy’s pizza shop. You order pizza slices and beverages in the front. Then, you walk through a door off to the right, head down a secret hallway, until you arrive at a staff member who checks your ID before you walk through another door and into a bar-slash-arcade! This could make for a even a fun date night 😀

The Valley has many, many more concert venues. There are the massive ones for big acts such as the Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre (Scottsdale), State Farm Stadium (Glendale, AZ), and Chase Field in Phoenix. There are also popular smaller venues in Phoenix proper like Crescent Ballroom, the Orpheum Theatre, and The Rebel Lounge, where I saw my favorite artist, Justin Nozuka.

Contrary to popular belief, Phoenix has a thriving Black culture scene. Poetic Soul, a live music event, is just a small part of that. All are welcome each Wednesday night. People who are interested in performing should arrive early to sign up for a spot. Everyone else is welcome to be part of the audience viewing that week’s acts and jam out to the event’s live band. Here’s some footage from one of the night’s I attended:

I’ve always thought that the Talking Stick Resort area of Scottsdale would make for a great lodging location for families visiting the valley in Arizona. There’s Top Golf, thrilling virtual reality games, glow-in-the-dark mini golf, iFly indoor skydiving, a casino (for the adults, of course!), a number of casual restaurants, and the list actually still goes on. That’s all within walking distance of one another! So you can see how it might make for a great place to book a family vacation in Phoenix for parents and children alike to enjoy.

My number 1 book store recommendation in Phoenix, AZ is Book Gallery at 3615 E Indian School Road. The shop, its books and knicknacks are just as quirky as the owner himself! Click through the images below to get a sense of the place.

Other Bookstore Recommendations

• Palabras Bilingual Bookstore at 906 W Roosevelt St: they also have great events, a book club, pastries, and sell some cool stickers!
• Changing Hands Bookstore at 300 W Camelback Rd: a valley favorite where you can get great gifts at and even grab a drink

I didn’t grow up watching basketball (unless you count that period of time during the early 90s where Michael Jordan played for the Chicago Bulls and gripped the nation), but I’ve found that I love watching most sports played live. I’ve had the opportunity to see both a Suns NBA and a Mercury WNBA game. If you happen to be able to combine your basketball tickets to the PHX arena with a holiday, even better! I went to a Suns game on Christmas day and it injected the experience with even more joy.

Many people, including my friend and I, were dressed up in festive attire and in ‘the spirit.’

The mascot even dressed up as the Grinch!

I happened to put up an image from the game on my WhatsApp and a friend messaged me essentially saying, “That’s wild. You’re at the game I’m watching right now!”

Thankfully, the Suns won the game!

Whether you’re rooting for the home team or in town to catch a game where you’ll cheer on the opponents, you can consider catching a baseball game at Chase Field, which also serves as a concert venue.

Arizona is home to the Cardinals. Perhaps you’ll come here to cheer them on or to root for your favorite team during a match. Either way, it could be a great way to enjoy yourself in Arizona. Keep in mind that the stadium is in Glendale, AZ, roughly 15-20 miles from central Phoenix. Without traffic, that’s a quick drive, but allow much more time for game-day traffic.

The pre-game festivities are quite entertaining.

You might come away with some fun goodies, like these Cardinal flags that were given out.

I’ve been to the stadium twice now. The first time I had really good seats. The second time, I had the privilege of getting to go on the field after the game!

Look, I’ll be honest, this is more of a novelty experience. It was expensive, and we all still left with a tad bit of an appetite afterwards.

I found myself wishing that I could have more of my favorite menu items rather than the tasting style that was included with the cost. I loved that everyone got a different tea cup set. I just wished there was a way to choose your preferred tea set upon entering and before you were seated 🙂

While this isn’t an every day kind of event, it’s cute and I know it’s something people will do to celebrate a special occasion or have a nice date night or girl’s gathering, as my friends and I did. Plus, the hotel is beautiful.

Scottsdale Arts’ Canal Convergence (November)

This outdoor art event takes place at the Scottsdale Waterfront. It boasts large art works in the canal water and even fire displays that remind me of Waterfire back in Providence, RI. It’s another beautiful event that could make for a nice date night.

Scottsdale Symphonic Orchestra

Any time is a fabulous time for the orchestra, but imagine my surprise when I went to see a show during Christmas time and Santa himself made an appearance lol. He then sat down and played along with his fellow musicians! Check out the tiny Santa hats on top of some of the string instruments. And not pictured, a man on the violin in a Santa cowboy hat *^.^*. If you’ll be in Phoenix or Scottsdale for Christmas time, try catching an orchestra show!