My daughter has a tournament in Phoenix at the beginning of November. I've never been to Arizona so my wife and I would like to explore the area. We're thinking of taking a drive up to the Grand Canyon but what else should we be looking at? We're more interested in unique locations then shopping or dining.
Any input would be appreciated.
Just got back a month ago. Musical Instrument museum was amazing. I spent a whole day, didn't see half of it.
Grand Canyon is amazing, but not really a day trip from Phoenix. Check your distances.
I was in Phoenix this past January and didnt have enough time to get there
I highly recommend the International Firefighters Hall of Flame located near the Phoenix Zoo. Definitely could spend most of a day there. Look up the Governor's Tomb as well. Literally a white pyramid on a hill in the middle of the desert. Old Town in Scottsdale is fun to walk around as well.
What are you interested in doing? I'm a Phoenix local and may be able to offer some advice. If you would like to grab dinner I'm absolutely game, but will be out of town the 3rd through 11th.
The Desert Botanical Garden is honestly pretty amazing, and the lighting in November is worth a trip by itself.
Northeast of town, the Natural Bridge is beautiful; it's one of my favorite spots near Phoenix, though check to make sure it's open (late season weather can make it icy and the forest service will close it).
What kinds of foods do you like?
Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) said:Grand Canyon is amazing, but not really a day trip from Phoenix. Check your distances.
We're planning to stay a couple extra days. We thought we'd drive up on Sunday and spend Monday at GC.
It looks like Sedona is about halfway between PHX and GC. We might stop by.
In reply to brandonsmash :
We're more interested in unique nature than museums. The Botanical Garden would be interesting for us. Old Town Scottsdale sounds like it would be interesting too. We will have a couple days to explore so it doesn't have to be in Phoenix.
I'm on a low fat low salt diet so finding restaurants is a challenge. I love(d) Mexican and Tex Mex but that's usually high in fat and salt.
Here are a few nature-y things I came across (courtesy Atlas Obscura):
Green in Phoenix is a great vegetarian place. Flower Child is like a local version of Panera, same with Wildflower.
Perhaps that downside to Phoenix is the monoculture of the valley. It's different from nearly everywhere else in the USA, but within the valley it's mostly the same. That being said, 2 hours in northerly direction will get you some pretty dramatic changes in climate and scenery.
Boyce Thompson Arborteium is cool, about 1.5 south of Phoenix.
You could drive the Apache Trail to Roosevelt Lake. Rent an SUV before doing this.
See some wiiiiild wiiiiild horses in the Salt River east of the city.
Hike up Flat Iron.
Take an all-day drive up to Wickenburg, then up through the canyons to Yarnell and have brunch in Prescott, then over Mingus to have early dinner in Jerome, then catch the sunet in Sedona before hitting the highway back to Phoenix.
In reply to pheller :
The Apache Trail to Roosevelt Lake has been closed since 2019 due to rockfall. There are plans to clear it by 2025 but I haven't seen anything set in stone quite yet.
That said, the drive down AZ88 to Tortilla Flat and up to pavement's end (where Apache Trail starts) is a great one. It's very popular with motorcyclists and Miatas.
Flatiron is a pretty hike but it is not a short one! It's been years since I've done that one: It kicked my butt!
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If it's unique nature you're after and you have dietary restrictions, the obvious answer is Sedona. It's a couple hours north of town and has world-famous rock formations and colors; it's truly a beautiful place. It's also heavy on the hippie influence and you will be able to find food to suit your diet. If you have a decent SUV you can drive up Schnebly Hill road, which is a neat run; this is the hill that the Pink Jeep tours operate. I did it in my stock Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk, though I did use the rear locker once near the top. If you're not driving, well, you can book a seat on one of the pink Jeeps easily enough. In November it will be chilly, though.
I do stand by my recommendation of the Natural Bridge as well if you're looking for interesting nature. There are also javelina at the top quite regularly. If you keep going north on 87 you'll go through Payson, Pine, and Strawberry. The Pie Bar is a phenomenal empanada shop off the side of the road up there but I don't know how they do with low-fat/low-salt.
If you want a twisty drive in town with a neat view at the top, give South Mountain a go and drive to the lookout. If you want a shorter, moderate hike then Camelback Mountain is very accessible.
The Pima Air and Space Museum is fantastic (and huge!) and is less than 2 hours away, just outside of Tucson. If you're down that way the Titan Missile Museum is worth a look. These are museums in that they preserve artifacts (e.g. the SR71, a Titan missile) but are not exactly curated assemblages of art.
If you're recreational shooters there are firearms rental and gun ranges aplenty.
Lake Mary is gorgeous but the area up near Flag will be pretty chilly in November, likely. All the lakes near Flagstaff are great spots.
Old Town Scottsdale is okay if you're into shopping. It's not really my scene but if you're in the neighborhood of Scottsdale Civic Center, take a look at the new amphitheater there. I had a hand in building that.
brandonsmash said:In reply to pheller :
The Apache Trail to Roosevelt Lake has been closed since 2019 due to rockfall. There are plans to clear it by 2025 but I haven't seen anything set in stone quite yet.
That said, the drive down AZ88 to Tortilla Flat and up to pavement's end (where Apache Trail starts) is a great one. It's very popular with motorcyclists and Miatas.
The Apache Trail, RT 88, opened just last week. 4x4 and high clearance is advertised as being needed. It really isn't as of three days ago when I went. It's a little bumpy so a mild SUV would be better but you really don't need 4x4 or even AWD.
Ha!
Flagstaff has the pulse of the state! You Phoenicians are burning yourself up!
On a more serious note, I had heard through social media that the Apache Trail had opened up again. It's a cool drive in a hot climate.
...it does require an SUV or Truck though, and requires caution while driving. Quite a few people have launched themselves into ravines.
AZ88 is open again all the way out? That's awesome! That's way ahead of schedule.
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