This winter, Annie and I packed our bags to join my mom in the desert for some warm weather, sunshine, sightseeing, and adventure. All of which makes for the perfect recipe for a girl’s getaway! I’d never been to this region of the country before and I have to say Phoenix and it’s serene desert landscape just blew me away. We all fell in love with the climate, the soaring Saguaro cacti and the endless possibilities of things to do and see in the Phoenix area.
We spent almost a full week in the city – soaking in as many sights as we could fit into our itinerary. From where to stay, what to see, what to do, where to eat and even where to shop – I’m sharing every little detail of our week in Phoenix below in the hopes to help you plan your next adventure to the capital of Arizona.
Phoenix Travel Guide – Where to Stay:
Mountain Shadows Resort
We spent the first half of our trip at this mid-century modern mecca. This stylish luxury resort is the epitome of a desert oasis with a lavish pool that invites you to soak underneath its palm canopies while enjoying the view of Camelback Mountain from your lounge chair. You can find a full review of Mountain Shadows with all the details of our stay in this blog post.
& Hotel Valley Ho
The second half of our stay was spent in Scottsdale at Hotel Valley Ho – where I felt like I was in an episode of Mad Men the entire time. (Who else misses that show terribly!?) Our tower suite came complete with a bright yellow contemporary kitchen and a sweeping view of the city from the spacious balcony. In a nutshell, I loved everything about this mid-century modern hotel and could have tacked on a few more days because I never wanted to leave! Full post on our stay coming shortly.
Phoenix Travel Guide – What to See:
With so much to see & do in the city of Phoenix, I’m rounding up 3 MUST-SEE activities that were definitely highlights of our trip.
Desert Botanical Gardens
Wrigley Mansion
Taliesin West
Desert Botanical Garden
140-acres of desert just waiting to be explored sits in the heart of the city at the Desert Botanical Gardens. Having never been to the desert before, visiting this spot was such a treat! Saguaro cacti soared high in the sky and colorful warm-weather plants dotted many of the trails we traversed. We could have easily spent a full day here exploring the 55,000 plants that inhabit the gardens. Be sure to pack sunscreen or a shady hat before visiting, especially if you’re not used to that desert sunshine even in the winter!
Taliesin West
Taliesin West was the winter home of Frank Lloyd Wright and became his “desert laboratory” too. With the sweeping views of the Sonoran desert in the distance and the almost perfect weather each-winter, I would have loved to have joined him at this desert retreat back in the day! And many of his friends and colleagues did at the time. And they still do today! Architects and enthusiasts from all over come to Taliesin West to learn, discover and enjoy the traditions that Frank Lloyd Wright instilled in this compound all those years ago. Tours are led daily and last about an hour.
Pro tip: if you’re traveling with a toddler plan your visit around their naptime in the hopes that they’ll sleep in their stroller or carrier. Luckily Annie did (for the most part) and we were able to enjoy intimate conversations with our guide in the small spaces.
A little bit of desert style! I wore my Minnetonka Outback Hat almost every day of our trip. And of course, all of the boho embroidery I could fit into one suitcase made an appearance! Annie was in warm-weather gear – mostly moccasins and linen bubbles. I do love a baby in a bubble!
Wrigley Mansion
If you’re visiting Taliesin West, there’s a chance you’re the type of person who is going to want to visit Wrigley Mansion too. (Give me all of the interesting home tours!!) Wrigley Mansion was also a summer home, built in 1929 by the famous Wrigley family – think Wrigley Gum & Wrigley Field. Having not put a penny in the bank, Mr. Wrigley was spared the stock market crash and his fabulous Arizona estate proves just how much money chewing gum can make someone. Not a detail was left untouched and his devotion to his wife and her tastes are shown throughout the decor and styling of the home.
Plan to time your visit with the lunch hour and enjoy a delicious bite to eat in the Mansion’s restaurant. Sprawling views of the city from above make the perfect backdrop for your lavish lunch. This tour also lasts about an hour and there is even an elevator in the home if you’re traveling with a stroller. #momtip!
Phoenix Travel Guide – Where to Eat:
Trying new restaurants and cuisines when traveling is half the fun. New restaurants and cuisines with a toddler are also its own kind of fun. And we certainly were adventurous in that regard! But I have to say, EVERYWHERE we went was so incredibly family friendly I just couldn’t get over it. There were many eateries that I walked away hoping, wishing and praying that they could pop up in Houston one day too. From the concepts to the food, to the hospitality – Phoenix’s foodie scene completely won me over.
A few of Our Favorites:
Flower Child: Healthy eats that taste ahhmazing! I’ve seriously thought about their Skinny Cobb salad with Gorgonzola dressing like 5 times since we ate here. They also have locations in Austin + Dallas.
Luci’s at the Orchard: A gourmet market and cafe with lots of shaded outdoor seating. Great for families!
The Teapot: Open for breakfast and lunch. This coffee shop is infused with a boutique playground that both parents and kiddos will love.
The Henry: A neighborhood eatery with gorgeous decor and the most delicious sandwiches and appetizers. There’s a coffee shop attached too!
Hearth ’61: Mountain Shadow’s restaurant offers American cuisine with a stunning view.
ZuZu: tucked inside Hotel Valley Ho. Pop in for dinner on the patio with a milkshake of the month to follow.
Bario Queen: Mexican with a large patio and guacamole made to order.
Olive & Ivy: Italian with a view of the waterway in Scottsdale.
With several shaded green spaces at Luci’s (and the most delicious cinnamon roll on planet earth) this kid-friendly spot was just what we needed after a day of sight-seeing.
The Teapot also may be my favorite coffee shop on planet earth. Check out this snap of the “backyard.”
With blankets to throw down and picnic upon along with an endless array of toys, it was hard to pack up and leave this coffee spot. The gourmet waffles paired with our lattes was just like icing on the cake!
When I travel, I not only like to see … I also like to do! I recently heard the term “soft adventure traveler” and I feel like that is just 100% me. I love immersing myself in the destination when visiting a new place. For me, that mostly means some sort of outdoor activity – whether hiking, canoeing, biking or horseback riding. I love getting up close and personal with the places I visit especially if the natural elements are as stunning as the Sonoran Desert!
Phoenix Travel Guide – What to Do:
Horseback Riding
Hot Air Balloon Ride
Fresh Foodie Trail
Horseback Riding
Thanks to a wonderful mama and babysitter, I was able to slip away for the morning and join the team from Visit Phoenix on a trail ride atop a horse named Scruffy. Fort McDowell Adventures offers both long and short trail rides and is just a quick drive from the neighboring city of Mesa but feels like a world away upon your arrival.
I’m a big fan of old westerns (Giant & The Searchers to name a few!) and West World is one of my favorite things on TV right now. So I’m not lying when I say that the entire trail ride, I basically just pretended I was on some sort of old Western quest like the ones you see on the silver screen. We trotted through the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation reservation and were even able to spot artifacts from centuries-old original Native American habitants trickled about the trails. This experience by far was one of the highlights of my trip!
Hot Air Balloon Riding
But it was soooo closely tied to my hot air balloon ride with Rainbow Ryders. The desert landscape is best seen from the sky and when the opportunity arose to hop in a balloon and see it for myself, I couldn’t say no! … Even if that did mean going completely solo. You’d be surprised though how friendly people are when put in these types of situations. By the end of the flight, I had a slew of new best friends! (The champagne helped too!)
Riders can opt for sunrise or sunset cruises in the sky. I chose a sunrise flight and seeing the bright sun stretch out over the saguaro cacti in the distance was unreal. I took probably 10,000 photos I was in such awe!
Fresh Foodie Trail in Mesa
Another great way to immerse yourself in a destination is through the cuisine. And not just by going to restaurants! Mesa is a short drive away from Phoenix and offers an incredible experience called the Fresh Foodie Trail, which is so awesome that it deserves its own blog posts. (Coming soon!)
But to briefly share, the Fresh Foodie Trail consists of about a dozen different stops where visitors can have food-driven experiences amongst charming and serene Southwestern landscapes. Our favorite stops were Agritopia and Queen Creek Olive Mill. I’ll link the full post on our day in Mesa here as soon as it goes live.
Phoenix Travel Guide – Where to Shop:
As the style aspect of my life + style blog is quite important, I couldn’t resist a little shopping while in Phoenix now could I?! We headed to Old Town Scottsdale where I completely swooned over all of the turquoise and silver jewelry and stunning handmade creations from the reservations nearby.
Old Town Scottsdale
I really couldn’t tell you one particular store that we visited that stole my heart because it seemed that each and every one that we popped in did just that. A tip I do have though is that if you find a piece of jewelry you really like, there’s a safe bet you can barter with the shopkeeper. My mom and I were able to get two bracelets at drastically lower prices than they were marked. They both make special souvenirs to remind each of us of our wonderful trip to Phoenix!
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I had such fun experiencing this colorful desert city and even more fun snapping photos to share with you all. This was one of the most flawless trips I’ve ever been on where each day, each discovery and each bite to eat was absolutely enjoyable! I hope that my guide helps you in planning your next trip to Phoenix … or inspires you to plan one just because! If you have any questions about our trip or a particular spot in PHX, please send me an email at lonestarlookingglass@gmail.com. I love talking travel with you all!
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Big thank you to Visit Phoenix for hosting us this winter. It was a beyond wonderful experience!
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xo, alice
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