A favorite tourist destination for those who love to hike! Lauren and I did this early on when we moved to Arizona, and loved the view and challenging climb. Some points of this hike require you to use your hands climbing up rocks, but if you’re up for it we highly encourage you to do so!
One of favorite spots in the city of Phoenix is Roosevelt Row. Located here is a stretch of cool shops, bars, restaurants, and speakeasies. Our favorites include Palma, Cham Pang Lanes, Lucky’s, Arizona Wilderness, Sottise, The Churchill, Pretty Penny, and FYPM. There are a few art galleries like MonOrchid, Five15 Arts, and The Modified Arts. If you’re in Phoenix on Friday night, they have an event called “First Friday Art Walk” with local food, art and music booths setup. It’s difficult to find a place you wouldn’t like, so we encourage you to explore the area!
This is another hike that we absolutely love, mostly because it’s super short and is a perfect spot to watch the sunset. The hike itself takes about 20 minutes and is slightly uphill, but the views are incredible. Hole in the Rock is in Papago Park which has other trails, Phoenix Zoo, and Desert Botanical Gardens.
Sedona is a place we have traveled to many times since living here. The red rocks are unbelievable and there are so many things to do! Our favorite things include the Pink Jeep Tours and hikes like Devil’s Bridge. You’ll want to check out the Chapel of the Holy Cross too - it’s a beautiful church built into the red rocks! There are also more relaxing things to do such as visit wineries and shops downtown. Our favorite restaurant with a view is The Vault. We have done overnight and day trips to Sedona, but this will require a vehicle. It is about 1 hour and 45 minutes from Scottsdale.
Old Town Scottsdale is full of shops, galleries, bars and restaurants. It has an old town western vibe and makes for a fun day hopping around! Places we love: Coach House, AZ88, The Mission, Old Town Tavern, and The Merchantile of Scottsdale. Postino and Culinary Dropout are some of our fav restaurants just north of Old Town. We also highly recommend checking out Canal Club, an awesome cocktail bar in the Scott Resort and Spa. It has a cool vibe with gorgeous decorations.
For those who love architecture and art, Taliesin West is a must! It was the winter home and studio of architect Frank Lloyd Wright that’s now open to the public for tours. Nick and I have been multiple times because we loved it so much; we would recommend checking the website for tour availability.
Uptown Farmers’ Market is open year round in Phoenix, from 8am-1pm on Saturday. It has cool local artists, good food, and typically music. If you check it out, be sure to stop by Uptown Plaza after for food at Elly’s, Flower Child, or Scoopwell Dough Bar. For my girls: Local Nomad and Muse Apparel are cute stores!
Some of our favorite bars and restaurants downtown Phoenix include: Eden Rooftop Bar, Little Rituals, Bitter & Twisted, The Arrogant Butcher, and Pizzeria Bianco. For entertainment downtown, check out the Japanese Friendship Garden, Phoenix Art Museum, or Crescent Ballroom.