When a quick work trip to Phoenix turns into an extended weekend in the city plus a trip up north to Sedona and the Grand Canyon with your family, you make the most of a short touristy day!
Before the rain set in, we had a nice cloudy morning to check out two Phoenix landmarks – Hole-in-the-Rock and the Desert Botanical Garden. Both are located in the Papago Park area of the city.
Papago Park offers exceptional hiking and is also home to the Phoenix Zoo as well as a few other city attractions. This is the perfect part of the city to drive out to visit if you only have one day to sightsee and want to make the most of it.
A moderate 0.3 mile out and back trail gets you up to the Hole-in-the-Rock vista, where you can stand or sit in awe of sweeping scenic views of the Phoenix valley. It will take you longer to walk from your car to the trailhead than it takes to hike up to the viewpoint. The “trail” is very popular due to its ease and so likely crowded.
Desert Botanical Garden is a lovely way to kill a couple of hours or spend an entire day. The arboretum spans 140 acres with 5 different loop trails featuring the species of the desert regions. Pick a loop and enjoy strolling along paved walkways taking in the variety of flora.
Don’t miss the Butterfly garden part of the Desert Wildflower loop and spring butterfly exhibit if you are there in season. We happened to be visiting right after the exhibit opened. Hundreds of butterfly species find their home inside a conservatory. Wandering through a greenhouse full of beautiful, colorful butterflies, attempting to capture them in photography is one of my favorite things.
Local resident artists were set up throughout the garden drawing or painting and selling their original artwork. It’s so great that local artists can take advantage of the beautiful surroundings.
Phoenix is definitely a foodie mecca. The food culture is not exactly the most diverse, but there are options. And there are about a billion amazing restaurants in the city. We had brunch at the Crepe Club, a quirky French creperie that is located in the upscale Biltmore Fashion mall. While the crepes couldn’t hold a candle to our own French Market, it was still a worthwhile meal.
We decided that you can’t go to Phoenix or the Southwest and not eat some Tex-Mex cuisine. Not just any Tex-Mex though. We wanted tacos. Phoenix is home to a number of highly rated taco joints so narrowing it down to one for dinner was tough. Joyride ended up being a super hip urban taco bar in the Uptown neighborhood of North Central Phoenix.
They feature a menu of flavored margaritas ranging from the classic to strawberry hibiscus and cucumber serrano that were quite tasty. Specials during happy hour also included half off margaritas, so be sure to get there early enough in the evening.
Trendy restaurants that are also super kid friendly has become very important to us, so we were thrilled to see a kids menu with several options, high chairs, and crayons for our son. The tiny cafeteria style tray for his food was adorable and he scarfed down his cheese quesadilla.
Each of us ordered a trio of assorted taco flavors along with a side each. Between us we tried the standard, baja fish, crispy fish, shrimp, chicken tinga, and braised beef. Our favorites were the crispy fish and shrimp tacos, but overall these tacos did not fare well in comparison to ones we’ve had in our own home town. In fact, this trip made us realize just how lucky we are to live in Knoxville right now with the current food culture resurgence.
There were a few other places I ate during the business part of my trip that were really good and really unique, so I’ll include those in my list of recommendations below. I’m also including a few places on our list of things to do or see that we didn’t make it to, but look neat or I can recommend based on a past family trip to Phoenix.
What To See
Hole-in-the-Rock: a moderately easy, short 0.3 mile hike out and back to a sandstone cave with a pass-through viewpoint of the valley below. Part of the Papago Park area with ample parking, but can get very crowded and hot. Takes less than an hour to park and walk up to the viewpoint and back down, but could take longer if you want to enjoy the views from the hole longer.
Desert Botanical Garden: beautiful gardens with family friendly activities and local artists. You can spend an hour or an entire day here walking around the different loops admiring desert flora and fauna, but come prepared with sunscreen and water. There is limited shade and no outside food allowed. The adult ticket is pricey at $24.95, but worth it for the incredible exhibits and size of the garden.
Heard Museum: world class exhibitions dedicated to the advancement of American Indian art. This museum is one of the first cultural attractions in Phoenix and one of the world’s finest destinations for learning about American Indian arts and cultures. While we did not visit during this trip, I have visited on a previous family trip to Phoenix many years ago and it was incredible. I highly recommend this beautiful museum.
Pueblo Grande Museum: rain prevented us from venturing here in the afternoon, but it was on our list so I thought I’d include it. A Pre-Columbian archaelogical site inhabited by Hohokam people, with trails passing the village & irrigation canals and indoor museums with artifacts displayed.
Where to Eat
The Crepe Club: French inspired cafe featuring savory and sweet crepes, particularly good for brunch where you can get both a breakfast crepe and something sweeter.
Joyride: hip, urban taco bar in the Uptown neighborhood. This joint has a fun vibe and great service, but is also family friendly with a great kids menu. They feature tacos a la carte and fresh flavored margaritas for the adults. While it’s not the best Tex-Mex you’ll find in Phoenix (or even this side of the Mississippi), it is still an enjoyable experience.
Short Leash Hotdogs: apparently, you cannot go to Phoenix without trying their Bear hotdog because it’s a crazy combination of peanut butter, smoked gouda, bacon, bbq sauce and cracker jacks rolled up in a naan bun that actually works. I ordered this in one night for dinner after a day of travel and conferences, but it was really delicious. Not only that, but their mac & cheese was some of the best I’ve ever had. The side salad I also ordered as an afterthought to have some sort of health food present felt like just that – an afterthought of just greens and balsamic dressing. While I can recommend the hot dogs and other sides, I would not order the salad.
Blue Hound Kitchen & Bar: dinner here one night was downright pleasant. They feature an amazing cocktail menu and incredible seasonal food menu. I had the War of the Roses gin drink and the Trout entree featuring corn puree, mushrooms and potatoes with meyer lemon sauce. Everything on the plate was expertly cooked and presented.
The Kettle Black: honestly one of the best burgers I’ve ever had. Period.
In-N-Out Burger: a fast food chain restaurant? Yes, because if you’ve never been to one, then you have to see what all the hype is about. People seem to obsess. Even at two o’clock in the afternoon when we grabbed a late lunch, there were no tables inside and the drive thru line was backed around the parking lot. This is not just any burger and fries. You can get your burger and your fries animal style with special sauce and grilled onions.
Enjoy! Until the next adventure <3 K&R
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