Top 10 Phoenix & Area Tourist Attractions (Tucson, Glendale: hotel, buy, movies)

[thedreamteam]

I am visiting at end of Sep and want to plan out an itinerary of things to do locally within a 1 hr drive and i have the following:

1. Drive to top of South Mountain (Dobbins lookout)
2. Phoenix Zoo
3. Wet n' Wild
4. Out of Africa Jungle Safari
5. shopping/scottsdale nightlife
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Not saying that we're not cultured, but Museums just don't do it for us.
Can you please suggest other activities we might enjoy?

thanks in advance.

[SpeedyAZ]

6) Visit the Cardinal's new stadium in Glendale. Even on non-game days, it's packed with tourists and locals alike grabbing a bite at Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville or any other of the numerous dining establishments. Tons of great outdoor shopping, great place to visit to kill an afternoon!

7) Scottsdale art-walk is a great place to casually stroll down and look through the different galleries. Every thursday evening.

8) The Apache Trail is neat to drive, along the path their are a few great areas to stop and eat, look around, etc. Don't attempt if you aren't a very careful driver because the drive can be nerve-racking.

9) Taliesin West is a neat place to visit, it was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and has gorgeous views!

10) Numerous parks and enclaves are cool to visit such as Papago Park. You could also visit the Biltmore and look around the grounds, quite spectacular! If you golf, there are 150+ golf courses in the Phoenix area as there are nearly as many spa's and places to just be pampered to your hearts content.

[observer53]

If you do the zoo, do the Desert Botanical Garden as well, it's right next door.

It's worth a drive out to Carefree, go look around the Boulders resort, etc., if you come back in the evening, Carefree is enough higher than the rest of the Valley that you get a lovely view of the Valley lights.

Cruise the light rail out to downtown Tempe/ASU. Another fun place to look around, eat, etc.

Drive the 60 out to the Superstition Mountains. There are some easy non-mountainous hikes in the area, or you can just drive and look. They are really beautiful close up. If you keep going up toward Superior (a pretty drive) you can go to the Boyce Thompson Arboretum, just south of Superior.

[musicforme]

Originally Posted by observer53

It's worth a drive out to Carefree, go look around the Boulders resort, etc., if you come back in the evening, Carefree is enough higher than the rest of the Valley that you get a lovely view of the Valley lights.

I just moved out this direction and live just north of Carefree Highway, east of I-17.

One of the things on my list to do out this direction is to check out the Cave Creek Recreation area. There is a lot of undisturbed land up here.

One of the trails listed on the web site mentions it goes completely around a mountain (around 4 miles in length) and has some good views too.

[Ritchie_az]

If you decide on Out of Africa, you should know it isn't very close to Phoenix. It's in Camp Verde, which is a little south of Flagstaff. Not to say it wouldn't be worth a visit, but just know it isn't very close.

Out of Africa Wildlife Park, Arizona’s Wildlife Theme Park, A Sedona Area Attraction

[yukon]

It's not an hour - more like 2 hours - but the Verde Canyon Railroad ride in Clarksdale is well worth the drive. We did the starlight ride, and headed out in the morning to spend some time in Sedona, had lunch, then hit the railroad ride. Very fun. Hope to try the winetasting ride next time.

http://www.verdecanyonrr.com/

[Ritchie_az]

"It's not an hour - more like 2 hours - but the Verde Canyon Railroad ride in Clarksdale is well worth the drive."

Great idea, especially since you wanted to see Out of Africa. You could do both in one trip. Stay the night at a hotel and you could see Sedona, as well.

[joninaz]

My visiting guests have always enjoyed checking out the swanky resorts... Royal Palms, Biltmore, The Phoenician, etc. You can visit without staying. Some are small, some are huge. Some are classic, old school, or modern, hip. If you like 50s/retro, for example, you can walk around the restored Valley Ho and then eat at the reinvented Trader Vics - something hard to replicate in any other city. If you want to feel Hollywood, a cocktail will buy you a patio seat at the swank Sanctuary resort overlooking Paradise Valley at sunset. The Boulders will deliver a moonscape-like experience. It all depends on interests.

The other place guests love is Greasewood Flat. It's a big, outdoor, farm-meets-outdoor bar-meets BBQ joint that used to be in the middle of nowhere, facing the desert preserve, but has since been encroached by luxury housing. So now it seems an oddity for the area, but is still distinct. In the evening, it fills up with bikers, cowboys, yuppies, families, etc. Everyone gets along. There's a shack selling green chile burgers. Another with beer. You find a picnic table and watch or dance to a band. It's likely you'll get splinters and you'll bus your own area. But for some reason, not matter who I've taken there (young or old), they always prompt me for updates. I suppose it's very unique to AZ and the rest of the country!

[KarmaPhx]

If you have time, you should do a day trip up to Sedona, see the Arizona you see in movies.

[Ritchie_az]

"If you have time... see the Arizona you see in movies."


A trip to Tucson??