Phoenix is an epic town out in Arizona surrounded by mountains and full of Mexican food. Its the perfect mixture of adventure, culture, and cuisine. While I’ve been to Phoenix quite a few times, I wanted to get an inside view on the best things to do in Phoenix from a local perspective. I asked my buddy Jackson, who lives in Phoenix, to give me tips on where to eat, what to do, and how to get the FULL experience of this city for the next time I visit! And this is what he said! Happy reading and enjoy Phoenix!
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Anita’s Friends: Jackson!
Hello, I’m Jackson, a recently established Phoenix local! I came for here for college (just graduated from GCU this last spring) and now I can’t leave! I like being active, outside, indoors, and with friends. Originally I grew up outside of Kansas City, but now my family lives in Colorado Springs, CO. Both are beautiful to me in their own ways.
Best Places To Eat
Taco Boys
- Authentic Mexican tacos that are IMO the best in Phoenix/Arizona/how ever many miles until you hit Mexico. I suggest to anyone who comes to Phoenix ever.
Trevor’s Liquor
- Pizza restaurant that also doubles as a liquor store that El Presidente (Dave Portnoy) himself rated as the best pizza in all of AZ. Great atmosphere and even better pizza.
The Churchill
- The Churchill is great when no one can agree on where to go to eat… an outdoor complex with 4 eateries, 2 bars and 3 shops all with a shared courtyard you can keep everyone happy.
Best Place To Go Out
AZ Wilderness Brewing CO
- Great drinks, indoor and outdoor seating and in the heart of Phoenix. Good vibes always, a great space to be with friends.
Snakes and Lattes
- Cafe that has TONS of board games, so you can order demolish your friends intellectually and eat a pizookie at the same time.
Valley Bar
- Very fun if you a) want to go to an underground bar b) want to dance
My Favorite Things To Do
Go hike a *mountain (not really mountains)
- Camelback Mountain
- Papago Park
- North Mountain
- Piestewa Peak
- South Mountain
Go to a sports game
- Phoenix Suns (basketball)
- Arizona Cardinals (football)
- Arizona Diamondbacks (baseball)
- GCU (college basketball)
- ASU (college football, basketball)
- Phoenix area also hosts many MLB teams in the spring for spring training games.
Phoenix Art Museum
- I recently went here for the first time and actually found it totally awesome. Completely free too, so check it out.
Day Trip!
- Feel free to get out of Phoenix too! The cool thing about Arizona is there are a lot of cool places to go to that are relatively not that far away.
- Go to Flagstaff for a change of climate and escape the heat!
- You can even ski/snowboard here during the winter months at Arizona Snowbowl Ski Resort!
- Go hike some big giant red rocks in Sedona!
- Go to the Grand Canyon and catch the sunrise/sunset!
Phoenix Tips
If I had to say one thing about Phoenix, like any big city, it’s massive. So make sure when you’re making your plans you map stuff out to make sure the items on your agenda aren’t all 40 min away from each other, you can easily spend a whole day driving around the valley.
Thanks For Reading!
As always, I’m so glad you’re here! I love that you guys get to travel and adventure and explore; it truly is what life is about! Every time you read, you help support this blog and my dream of creating a travel community of those who live to adventure all over the world. I’m grateful for each one of you! xoxoxox, AnitaBelle
