Travel guide for planning a vacation or trip to Phoenix, including top tourist attractions.
Phoenix, the capital of Arizona, is one of the fastest growing regions in the country and home to almost two thirds of the state population. It also has a professional team playing in every major sport, more Native American Reservations than anywhere in the U.S., and an economy that makes it an attractive destination for those who are finally leaving the work force for a life of leisure.
Whether you're just in town for a weekend or an extended vacation, the following list has something that everyone in the family can enjoy. Just one word of caution: the summer months rarely get below triple digits starting at about 9:30 in the morning and lasting until well into evening. As often as you hear the cliché, "but it's a DRY heat," the effect is much like sticking your head in a pre-heated oven and leaving it there for half an hour. If you're not used to that kind of toasty temperature, you'd be wise to reschedule for a winter introduction.
BILTMORE FASHION PARK
Was there anything you forgot to pack for this trip""sunglasses? socks? a dazzling new outfit to wear out to dinner? First stop on the agenda is a visit to the trendy and always stylish Biltmore Fashion Park on the corner of Camelback Road and 24th Street. Upscale department, stores, art and sculpture galleries, boutiques, and excellent restaurants (so you can keep up your strength for more shopping) can be found here. This sprawling complex also has its own herb garden, the contents of which are discerningly picked by the restaurant staff each day for a tasty addition to the entrees.
PHOENIX HISTORY MUSEUM
Did you know that Phoenix was named for the mythical bird that was reborn from its own ashes? The settlers who founded the town in 1867 thought this name was apropos, given that they themselves were building on top of the remains of a Native American civilization that had been in the Salt River Valley as early as the 14th century. These and other tidbits can be discovered at the interactive History Museum at 105 North Fifth Street.
PLAY BALL!
Sports enthusiasts will be in their element at both the Sun Devil Stadium (3115 South Mill) and Bank One Ballpark (nicknamed BOB by the locals) on 401 East Jefferson. Bank One, by the way, has an efficient way of beating the murderous summer heat; specifically, a retractable roof that allows the entire complex to indulge itself in air conditioning. The Cardinals and Diamondbacks call Phoenix home, along with players from nearby Arizona State University. Sun Devil is also where the annual Fiesta Bowl is played. Tours of both facilities are available by reservation.
RIDIN' ALONG IN MY AUTOMOBILE
During the month of January, car buffs from around the world descend on North Scottsdale Road to ooh, ahhh, drool and bid on motoring classics in the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction. This event has drawn crowds for over three decades and has everything from vintage roadsters to 50's hot rods to the most exotic modes of transport worthy of James Bond himself. Whether you're a professional collector or just someone who enjoys watching the people who are, you'll never see anything else quite like this.
DESERT BOTANICAL GARDENS
If you've seen one cactus"¦you definitely haven't seen them all, especially in Arizona. Over 50 acres of indigenous plants can be found in the gardens at Papago Park, including many rare and endangered species. Earl spring and late fall are the best time to tour the facility and hike the Desert Discovery Trail. There are also exhibits that provide insights into how the Native Americans who originally settled in this area over a thousand years before the arrival of Spanish explorers subsisted on local vegetation and wildlife.
LIFE IN THE PAST LANE
As comfortable as the rough and tumble Phoenix men folk of yesteryear were to wide open spaces, rustic shacks, and spitting on the floor, their wives had quite different ideas as to what constituted being "civilized". Such influence is very much in evidence at Heritage Square, a collection of restored and fully furnished Victorians located inside Copper Square in downtown Phoenix. Several are open for docent-led tours, giving you a colorful glimpse of what life was like during the region's heyday of copper and silver mining.
The city also supports a lively living history program at Pioneer Arizona on 3901 West Pioneer Road. Here's you'll find costumed actors playing the roles of famous Western luminaries, infamous desperadoes, and workaday men and women engaged in the business of shoeing horses, repairing buggies, churning butter, tending livestock, or just chatting about the latest 1800's gossip as they try on fashionable hats at the corner millinery.
For even sillier fun, hop over to Scottsdale's Rawhide Wild West Town. Train and stagecoach rides, melodrama productions, and summer rodeos round out the offering of souvenir shops, Western themed eateries, and actors roaming the dusty streets in search of "pardners" for their show.
THE BUILDERS OF TOMORROW
In 1937, Frank Lloyd Wright laid the cornerstone of Taliesin West just outside of Scottsdale as an architectural retreat. Today, it still fulfills that purpose but for an enclave of aspiring designers, architects and engineers seeking to follow in his footsteps with their own visionary blueprints. In addition to its inclusion of a performing arts complex and serenity gardens, private tours are available that allow guests to learn more about Wright's work, the depletion of natural resources, and the symbiosis that must exist between man-made structures and the raw beauty of Mother Nature. The compound is located at Cactus Road and Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard.
MYSTERY CASTLE
In 1927, an eccentric man named Boyce Luther Gulley went out for a walk and never returned. While that sounds like the set-up for a joke, the story is actually true. Gulley and his family were living in Seattle, Washington at the time, a place known for its constant rain. When advised by his doctor that all of this wretched dampness had manifested itself in the form of tuberculosis and that he needed to seek a drier climate, Gulley did exactly that, disappearing for the next three years until he found the perfect address for his health: Phoenix. His wife and young daughter, of course, were not particularly amused by either his abandonment of them or his announcement that he wasn't going to be coming home. With a lot of time on his hands, he set out to build something he had promised his daughter when last he saw her: a genuine fairy tale castle. The result is a quirky, 18-room structure that looks like what you'd get if you subcontracted with a somewhat addled inventor and thrifty entrepreneur. The castle, located at 800 Mineral Road, is open for tours between October and June.
ANIMAL MAGNETISM
Phoenix visitors have two fun choices if they want to see wildlife up close and personal. The first is the Out of Africa experience located at 9736 North Fort McDowell Road. Combining natural habitats with entertainment, this venue provides daily performances in which lions, tigers and other critters interact with trainers to show off their wild sides. As the trainers are fond of quipping whilst being chased by man-eating Bengals, "Don't try this at home." Your other option is the Phoenix Zoo at Papago Park. Like many zoos around the country, this one does extensive work in the study, care and preservation of animals whose numbers have been rapidly vanishing.
