Going to AZ and want to experience as much of the outdoors as possible but take in all that urban life has to offer? Me too! I wasn't so sure I would enjoy the desert scene very much, but I fell head-over-heals in love this place!!! I am a self-proclaimed travel-bug and like to experience as many new places as possible. So, I was kind of floored that I fell so hard for this southern state. Like, I would want to go back there again given the chance rather than experience a new place.
Yeah, that's so not me.
So I pinned a lot of different ideas on Pinterest (love this app - follow me if you want @peppsarah) But I'm always looking to do something different, something unexpected... along with that obvious MUST DO's. So, without further adieu, here's my must-do adventure list!
#10 Take A Flying Trapeze Class!
I bet you weren't expecting this right off the bat. But as I said, I like doing the unexpected and finding the unusual as well as hitting up some of the tourist's most renowned must do's in any place I visit. Anyways, I will be doing a full blog post about my trapeze experience, but I had an absolute blast with the Flying Trapeze Team except for one really regrettable thing...
I ACHE all over! OMG! My arms and legs hurt equally bad. No muscle was left unscathed. It is safe to say that trapeze is not in my usual workout routine, and I was using muscles I don't normally use...But all the ache was so worth the extra swings to get in some tricks like the Knee Hang, The Kick, The Backwards Roll and finally, "The Catch."
#9 Lounge By The Pool
I never really thought I would enjoy my time at the pool as much as I did down in the Caribbean, in Cabo, off the Florida Coast or California... etc. I mean, come on! When you think of Arizona, you don't really think of this, do you?
Yeah, I didn't either... which is why I absolutely recommend going to AZ if you want to get away from the snow and soak up some sun. Also, and this may seem silly, but I was floored with how many palm trees the Phoenix area had just growing about. I mean, I guess I just imagined this barren desert? A few cactus trying to survive? Nothing green? I was so wrong.
I was fortunate enough to stay at the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Gainey Ranch. Don't stay here unless you like...10 swimming pools, 20 fountains, 45 waterfalls, and a 30’, 3-story high-speed water slide, cabanas, daybeds, onsite spa, eight onsite restaurants or nightly music...bike rentals, golf course literally off the pool, gondola rides...etc, etc, etc, Yeah, it was a drag staying here.
Oh, and they are absolutely puppy friendly. <3
#8 Climb Camelback Mountain
Full disclosure: I will do a full blog post on climbing this bad boy - so subscribe below for more tips to climb this beast then the post goes live!
If you like the outdoors and want a workout (like seriously, want a workout) climb Camelback Mountain. I am big into cardio and did a 2-hour workout at the gym beforehand because I wasn't sure if this would be intense enough of a workout for me. While I am a gym-rat, I'm also a big-time food-lover. But I don't want to be 300+ pounds. So I make sure I hit the gym and do my strength training. I was worried that this beast of a mountain wouldn't be hard enough. I've done enough hikes to know that all aren't created equal. Some are steeper than others. Some are like rock-climbing. Some are a glorified walk. While I enjoy both, I didn't want to regret not getting in a good workout.
Trust me, you won't have to hit up the gym. I was SUCKING AIR HARD!
There are two places to start the climb to the top of Camelback Mountain: Echo Canyon (steeper) and Cholla (longer). I can't speak to Cholla because I picked Echo Canyon to climb (adrenaline junkie). You WILL have to use your hands to climb up boulders on this mountain.
Even though it was hard and a little scary but just long enough, it was one of the best, most enjoyable climbs of my life. I went there at the end of Feb, just after the trail opened up. I actually dressed in my cold-weather gear because it was chilly in the early am. Even though I sweated up a storm, I was glad I was dressed warmly.
This picture isn't Photoshopped or filtered or edited at all. It is simply a panoramic view from my cellphone. The mountain's views are simply this breathtaking.
Traveler Tip! I packed breakfast so, at the top, I got to take in these epic urban views of the city while munching on a peanut butter bagel, hard-boiled eggs, coffee... Yeah, the climb was absolutely worth it every step.
Traveler Tip #2! If you can make it work in your schedule to do this hike during the weekday, it will likely be less busy. Locals told me it is usually PACKED on the weekend.
Camelback Mountain has been my favorite hike of all time.
#7 Hunt Down Some Murals
Phoenix is one of those wonderful cities that has all these lovely murals painted all over the city. #ItsThatHot is right outside Geisha a Go Go in Old Town Scottsdale. Muralist Lauren Lee painted this beauty.
Personally, I wished that we could have hunted down a few more of these beautiful paintings (I guess it gives me a good reason to book a return flight back here) because the murals speak so much to the cities culture. But, it just wasn't in the cards.
Speaking of cards...
#6 Get A Tarot Card Reading
If your down with renting a car, take a drive up to Sedona. The drive is relatively easy and is only a couple of hours from Phoenix yet absolutely worth it. Sedona has a different vibe than Phoenix. While both are laid back, Sedona definitely is more hippy or "spiritual." Without getting too deep, they have several vortexes and some pretty spiritual places to visit like Airport Mesa, Bell Rock, Cathedral Rock, and Boynton Canyon... But if hiking isn't your thing, check out but want to immerse yourself in the culture, check out Bohemian Dreamer.
Bohemian Dreamer is this cute shop full of paintings, chakra stones, etc... and tarot cards. Rachel, the owner, actually designs them herself. I was first drawn to the design on a postcard. Since it was unusual, I asked her about it. Rachel was wonderfully chatty and offered to do a reading right then and there.
Like I could say no...
#5 Golf With The Snowbirds!
This might seem like a cliché thing to do but JUST TRUST ME AND DO IT. Even if you aren't great at golf. Find a nice driving range and hit a few balls. There is something calming about breathing in the wonderful desert air, smacking a few balls (aka taking out any work/life/stress aggression) and getting an absolutely wonderful scene. I tried to capture it as best as possible, but Gainey Ranch Golf Club is surrounded by gorgeous mountains, dotted with palm trees with cacti all while fresh lemon trees (I believe as the fruit was just starting to grow) lined the entrance to the clubhouse. It was inspiring.
Plus, golfers may seem hoity-toity but the people there are quite sincere and respectful - at least the ones at Gainey Ranch Golf Club. Oh! Insider tip! If you stay at the Hyatt Regency Hotel - You can go to the driving range for less than $35. Yeah... totally worth it.
#4 Catch A Book Signing At The Poisoned Pen Bookstore
If you know much about me, you know I dabble in writing fantasy romance. You can check out Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and blah, blah, blah. But I'm not here to sell you my books. I'm coming to you as a fellow book lover who absolutely fan girls over a signed book, meeting the author, and just loves talking about our favorite novels that totally bombed in the movie theater... as a fellow book lover, I'm telling you to check out The Poisoned Pen Bookstore.
I'm a big fan of big book stores like Barnes & Noble, but there is something magical about going to a mom and pop bookstore. And this place definitely has magic. Not only do they have authors come in and speak multiple times a month (we sorta crashed one this night unexpectedly) but the staff genuinely love their jobs, they have wonderful treasures and first editions, signed copies of Best Selling authors, but also... they are dog friendly.
What more could you want?
#3 Save Your $ To Spend It At Spa Avania
Spa Avania is a little on the spendy side but WORTH EVERY SINGLE CENT. I read a bunch of blog posts about this place and everyone raved at how great it was, but I'm pretty conservative when it comes to my wallet... even though my husband would have you believe my credit cards are hot hot hot! LOL! Anyways, I didn't like the idea of spending a lot of extra cash on spa treatments... but fate had other plans for me.
I got slammed with a migraine during my trip. Since I was staying at the Hyatt Regency In Scottsdale, booking a massage wasn't terribly difficult. They had a great APP but I have vision problems when I get migraines so that was a little hard to manage. However, my BFF-B helped me get it reserved so there were no problems.
Let me first start off by saying that the massage definitely helped with my migraine, but it wasn't only the massage that helped with my health. It wasn't. I thought I was just booking a massage.
I was sooooo wrong.
The entire time at Spa Avania was absolutely an absolute worth-while experience. I was so stressed out, tight and anxious before coming in (not to mention the headache). After I begrudgingly left, I was calm, at peace with my reality and ready to take on whatever was next.
My experiences at Spa Avania
Facility Tour
Fruit Infused water, cookies, coffee and tea
Deep tissue massage
Hot tub massage
Coldwater plunge
Mineral water yoga
Dry sauna
Chromotherapy wet/eucalyptus sauna
Wall shower jets
Gift shop
#2 Grab A Drink @ The UnderTow Speakeasy
Where to start with this little gem called the UnderTow Speakeasy...
Books? I think we've established I'm a book lover. Pirates? Who hasn't swooned over Johnny Depp in Pirates 5478651 times watching Pirates of the Caribbean? Speakeasy? History and prohibition and sneaking down under a seemingly innocent establishment to pound a drink? Hell YES! Oh? The "seemingly innocent" establishment is a coffee and beer bar up top called Sip. Sold yet?
Welp, Sip is a renovated service garage. The UnderTow is a small bar that is built into the part of the service garage where the mechanics used to work on cars. How flipping cool is that?!?! When you walk down, you're immersed in a scene where you feel like you are at the bottom of a ship.
The drink menu is organized by a Table of Contents. The bartenders actually make up new drinks based on the theme of the new chapter. A new chapter, you ask? Yes, a new chapter. A local writer actually writes a new fantasy/pirate chapter for the UnderTow. Each chapter slowly builds off the previous one, slowly telling a story for the UnderTow. We went there during Chapter 8 and it was about fairies! I about died. I love fairies. (And yes, you can buy a book menu). So the bartenders come up with new drinks based off the new chapter menu for that month.
How cool is that?!?!
This place is very busy and there are not a lot of places to sit so be sure to make a reservation in advance so you can be sure to experience an awesome time at this speakeasy.
#1 Survive Devil's Bridge
While there are a few epic hikes in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area, there is one pretty badass one that is blowing up Instagram right now. It's Devil's Bridge. And it's blowing up the internet for a good reason too... This naturally formed sandstone bridge is about 7-ish stories high! On one side of the bridge is this huge desert mountain that is separated by a steep gorge. Like steep. The bridge itself is kind of narrow and then and a little disorienting to walk onto. It felt like it was moving under my feet (like I was having Vertigo) but nothing was moving. I was honestly surprised it wasn't roped off (especially since there have been deaths due to people falling off the bridge). Nevertheless, I'm glad it is not because this is a heavenly place on Earth and such a reward after a 1-mile hike up to it.
What was probably the best part of this hike? Well, even though this is an Instagram-able Must Get Shot, it didn't feel "touristy."
Full disclosure: while I plan to do a full blog post to do this hike justice, I couldn't leave it off my Top 10 Must-Do List while in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area... even though it's in Sedona, (a 2-hour drive North).
I am pretty sure that our experience climbing up to Devil's Bridge was different than most. It was super foggy, cold and rainy. We got a couple of inches of rain that day and since deserts are used to getting that much water, we got to see waterfalls in the desert. It was bonkers.
But what was also unhelpful was that the paths weren't clearly marked and the rain washed away a lot of footprints and we sorta go lost... I'll chat more about that in our full blog post. Just remember that this is nature and nature can be unforgiving sometimes. Respect Mother Nature.
Anyways, back to my travel tips. This hike is a nice walking hike with only that last little bit where you'll need to actually use your arms to climb upward. For the majority of the time, it's a nice walking hike with some epic views. I went with my mom, some aunts and my BFF-B.
My Arizona Top 10!
If you plan to travel to Arizona for a vacation, these were some of my favorites. If you have any other questions or want more advice, please be sure to reach out or comment. Ope! And many wonderful photos were taken by my BFF-B!
Zingy!
