Since my grandparents live in Phoenix and my mom grew up there, I've been there several times. I've hiked the grand canyon, spent a few weeks in Sedona, and spent a few weekends in Phoenix at my grandparents' house. But this weekend was different than all of the others. We stayed at a resort in Scottsdale and just visited with family throughout the weekend instead of living with them. We had the most amazing trip. If you find yourself in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area, I highly recommend the following:
Gordon Biersch
Gordon Biersch is a brew pub with several locations throughout Phoenix. They have a great selection of beers as well as excellent food. During a previous visit, I ate here and had the pizza. This time I had the ahi tuna salad. I've heard their burgers are epic. I also had a flight of beer. It's really the best way to go. I love variety.
The Yardhouse
I went to the Yardhouse and had the extreme pleasure of sitting out on the patio here all day. They have over 100 beers on tap!!!!!! You can do a flight or order a pint of whatever you like. They have such a variety of styles and flavors. If you like beer, this is for sure a must. They also have fantastic cocktails.
Angel's Trumpet
Angel's Trumpet is a fantastic restaurant near downtown Phoenix. The restaurant has indoor seating that opens up to an outdoor patio. It cools off quite a bit at night so they have several heaters on hand for the patio. They have several beers on tap to choose from which pair wonderfully with the menu items. I ordered the butternut squash/pork belly pizza and my husband ordered the beef brisket tacos with mango chutney and guac. Sooooo delicious. My only issue with this place is that we waited forever to get seated because we had a party of 10. They are extremely popular, even for a late dinner so it's hard for a large party to get seated in a timely manner. But the food is soooo worth it. They also have excellent poutine and burgers.
The Deuce
The Deuce is an eclectic bar in Phoenix. It's basically a huge warehouse with a bunch of games set up. They have boxing, bags, a number of different things set up around the warehouse that you can play for free. They also have expertly concocted cocktails.
Scottsdale farmers market
I ended up going here alone and I was completely giddy and almost teary eyed from joy the entire time I was here. I LOOOOOVE farmers markets. It was better than any one I had been to in Minnesota. They had a ton of produce, baked goods, meals, and just anything and everything you would hope for at a farmers market. I had tamales, flourless chocolate cake, white chocolate peanut butter, hummus, fruit.... so many amazing creations. Located in Old Town Scottsdale on Saturdays from 8am to 1pm, this is an absolute must do. Great prices and a ton of variety, I can't wait to go back.
Cartel
Coffee!!!!!! What I like about this place is that they brew their own coffee and then they have some creative ways of brewing it. I did the V60 which is hand brewed and run through a strainer. It was great.
Bootleggers
Meat. I am a true carnivore. Bootleggers is a smokehouse just north of Phoenix. This is also a must do. I had the best beef brisket sandwich of my life, ribs, and brisket/butternut squash chili, moonshine, and some very fun and tasty cocktails. This was by far my favorite restaurant of the trip.
Echo Canyon
Echo canyon was just re-opened for hikers. It's on the east side of Phoenix and boasts one of the highest peaks in the city. This is a strenuous hike and is really more of a rock climbing adventure than anything. It's as if there was a rock slide down the side of the mountain and you are climbing the boulders to the top. We did see young kids doing this and I was really impressed. It does require some mental stamina and guts to complete. We started around 3:45 and hit the summit around 5. We took some fun pictures and then worked our way down. We finished at the perfect time to see the sun set. I can't imagine a more perfect sunset - at the end of the trail, you look through a beautiful rock formation to the Phoenix skyline and the sun setting right behind it. Seriously.
Squaw Peak
There are many paths to hike in this area. From the trailhead, there are a bunch of different routes to take. All have excellent views of the surrounding area. This is really more of a hike than a rock climbing adventure which was nice. But my quads were still blown afterward :P
I also had the pleasure of touring Luke Air Force Base and watching the F16s take off and land, laying out at the pool at our resort, test driving motorcycles, spending quality time with my grandparents, and eating a wonderfully crafted dinner with my brothers, husband, and cousins.
I could not have planned a better trip if I had tried. Truly what I needed. I need to starting plotting my next escape to visit my old friend, the sun.
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