Joel & Johanna
For Visitors (Activities)
Cider Corps Mesa
One of our favorite places in downtown Mesa- (also owned by our friends!) a great family friendly place to grab a Cider, or a pizza (Myke's Pizza) and the best coffee (PairCupworks) in DT Mesa. We like Art Nights here and Monday night Bingo. You can get pizza or carry in food from any other downtown eatery.
Que Chevere
Que Chevere is a great Venezuelan place that serves Arepas (cornmeal flatbread stuffed with yummy fillings like meat or beans) as well as some tasty burgers, fries, plantains, and drinks.
Alchemy 48
Our favorite place to get a fancy cocktail in DT Mesa is this speakeasy. A dark and broody vibe with some really amazing drinks.
Worth Takeaway
A tasty sandwich shop that also serves breakfast/brunch on the weekends. Don't sleep on the banana pudding. Also some great veggie swap options for vegetarians.
Bisbee Breakfast Club
A really great breakfast spot- and they do lunch too.
Novel Ice Cream
One of our favorite places to get ice cream-various fun flavors- in a fun mostly outdoor venue.
Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum
A free 5 gallery art museum with rotating exhibits- we always find interesting pieces here and recommend for a 30-45 minute air-conditioned walk-thru activity.
Musical Instrument Museum
One of our favorite dates was here- we love this place- with exhibits and demos of music and instruments from every country and genre- this checks all the boxes for us. Tickets are 20/adults 15/teens 10/kids and this is 30-40 minutes from downtown Mesa.
Dobbins Lookout
A great look out point over the Phoenix Valley- you can drive to this location and do a short walk for great views as well as cacti.
Butcher Jones Trail at Saquaro Lake
If you're Jonesing for a hike do this one early in the morning (September is still really hot!) and bring plenty of water. This hike is fairly shaded for the first section around the lake and a fun way to see water and saguaro cactus, plus you can turn around at any point. (It is fairly rocky)