Phoenix


 * Travel Tips for Phoenix:**
 * Phoenix Wikitravel Website:** []
 * Phoenix Downtown Wikitravel Website**: []
 * Scottsdale Wikitravel Website**: [])
 * Biltmore/Camelback Wikitravel Website**: []
 * Tempe Wikitravel Website:** []
 * Tempe Wikitravel Website:** []

__**Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) Information:**__


 * //Ranking//**: Number 10 in the U.S. and number 25 in the world, with 40.5 million passengers.
 * //Location//**: About five miles east of the city center, with limited hotel accommodations in the immediate vicinity.
 * //Major Airlines//**: PHX is the major western hub for US Airways, with almost half of the airport's traffic, but Southwest is also big, at 33 percent. Most other major lines fly to nearby hubs. International service is mainly to Mexico, with a few flights to Canada and Europe.
 * //Layout//**: The airfield has three parallel runways. Passenger facilities are in three separate terminals, with no interterminal access inside security; connections to different airlines can be a hassle. Shuttle buses connect the terminals, and a people mover is in the works.
 * //Performance//**: 84 percent of departures and 86 percent of arrivals are on time, the average departure delay is 47 minutes and arrival delay is 48 minutes, and cancellations are at 0.6 percent.
 * //Ground Transportation//**: The Sky Train people mover connects Terminal 4 with the light-rail Metro system, which runs downtown, to the north, and to Mesa ($2). The minimum airport taxi fare is $16, which probably covers trips downtown; Yellow Cab has a flat rate of $15 for trips within eight miles of the airport. SuperShuttle serves communities throughout the valley; the rate downtown is $14 for the first passenger and $7 for each additional passenger. Car rentals are consolidated at a single facility, which is reachable by shuttle bus.


 * Cheryl Hydrick - July 2007:**

The Biltmore (Website: [] ) offers specials in the summer for around $140 for a room. The golf course charge is very low (?50) if you stay at the hotel and includes a cart. (Every president since Herbert Hoover has played the Biltmore.) Many famous people live on the course, Paul Harvey, Glen Campbell, Michael Jordan just sold his place etc. The resort and pools are amazing, kind of like the Broadmoor. Eat at Chelsea's Kitchen (Website: [] ) near Camelback and be sure to go to Trader Joe's grocery.


 * Mike Summers - December 2011**

I did a quick trip to Phoenix to get away from the Denver cold. My trip centered in east Phoenix and Tempe. I visited Papago Park for a run/jog. It's located by the Phoenix Zoo and Phoenix Botanical Gardens. If you like hiking or running, this park is for you. It's located just ten minutes from the airport. The park has quite a history. Here's two websites for the park: [] and []. I didn't visit the zoo which is nearby, but here is two websites: [] and []. Also nearby is the Phoenix Botanical Garden. Here's a website: [] that describes the Garden. Also just south of Pagago Park is the spring home of the Oakland Athletics Baseball Team, which is Phoenix Municipal Stadium. Here's two websites about it: [] and []. You'll need to check the Oakland website for spring training games and dates. The Rockies also call Phoenix their Spring Training home. Here's a website for the Rockies facilty: []. I also visited the Hall of Flame - National Firefighting Hall of Heroes. It houses many firefighting exhibits, which kids young and old alike would enjoy. Here's two websites: [] and [] for the Museum. Just about two miles south of the Museum is the Arizona State University Campus and the Mill Avenue District. There's many restaurants, stores, and nightlife along Mill Avenue; here's two websites: [] and []. Here's some information about the ASU campus: [] and []. Here's two other great places to gather and eat in the Tempe area: One is Casey Moore's Oyster House (Website: [] ) and the other is Electric Dave's Brewpub (Website: [] ). Both of these establishments are located within walking distanvce of Mill Avenue and the ASU campus. I rented a car while I was there, but there are other transportation options including buses and light rail. Here's two websites: ( [] and [] ) that will help get you around. Here's some other tourist attraction ideas in the Phoenix area that you can visit: [] and [] and []. Phoenix, Tempe, and Scottsdale are great places to visit. I'm not much of a golfer, but I know there's many great courses and spas that you can visit and share on this website. Enjoy! Mike Summers


 * Mike Summers - February 2013:**

I spent a week in Phoenix enjoying some spring training baseball with some of old friends of mine. We visited a couple of nice restaurants that I would like to mention. One of the guys likes to visit restaurants featured on the Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. We checked out Giuseppe's (Website: [] ), which is a very authentic Italian Restaurant in rather unauthentic looking store front with about 10 to 15 tables in it. This place was a treat to say the least. I ordered the Penne Al Salmone, a smoked salmon and pasta dish in a rich creme sauce. The pasta was home made (the waiter told me so) and was very tasty. The smoked salmon (they smoke themselves) was as good as any I'd ever had and the homemade pasta...well hard to top that. It was mouth-wateringly good, and the size of the portion was good. There were nine in our party. Everyone had something different, and there were no complaints. The prices for the quality were right in line or even slightly underpriced. I read several reviews of the restaurant that said they thought the prices were high, I disagree. I spent around $25 for a main dish, 1 beer and a desert...pretty inexpensive in my view. We also went to Greasewood Flat (Website: [] ), which is for the over 21 crowd. I think that it's a cool place for the 'experience'. You enter down a dusty drive held sentry by a small herd of donkeys in a corral. On our visit, the sprawling property was over run with a few motorcycles, but there were a few Mercedes parked in the dusty lot too. It's cash only, but the place serves a terrific burger in a unique atmosphere. The set-up isn't complicated. You stomp up the creaky wooden steps to the bar/restaurant, housed in a converted bunkhouse of patched together wood. It's dark inside, with rickety wooden walls and low ceilings covered with dollar bills autographed and donated by customers. Amid the neon beer signs, there's history: flurries of business cards so aged they curl at the edges, and photos of old Scottsdale when open spaces outnumbered HOAs. Check out the menu board - it's just a quick glance at a half-dozen burgers, a couple of hot dogs, a chicken sandwich, chili, nachos and a grilled cheese sandwich. Place your order at a tiny window, tap your foot for a few minutes to a scratchy rendition of "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow up to be Cowboys" coming through a loudspeaker, then mosey to a second window to pick your meal (pay heed to the sign: "No ticket, no food"). Then, grab a cold beer from the bar, stock up on condiments from pumps along the wall, and head outside to the rows of communal picnic tables lined up under dense thickets of tamarisk trees. And then, welcome to humanity. Despite the lack of niceties like air conditioning or even a roof, year-round, Greasewood teems with crowds in jeans, cowboy hats, leathers and juicy couture. When I visited on a mild Saturday afternoon in late February, virtually every seat was taken. Burgers taste better outside, I believe, and definitely when they're sloppy things served in paper baskets on a plastic tray crammed edge-to-edge with other patrons' meals. Sure, there's some elbow jostling in busier times, and a bit of splashed suds when things get rowdy, but that is part of the party. The half-pound beauties are freshly ground, advertised as 90 percent lean but still retaining enough juices for requisite chin dribbles, and served simply with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, and ordinary potato chips. You can start with a basic, top it with cheese, bacon and cheese, or a hunk of slippery-crunchy charred green chili under a slab of cheese, Or, you can have the works/everything. Another excellent choice is the chiliburger, drenched with mild stew that soaks into the onion roll and is great scooped up with crisp potato chips. A six ounce chicken breast can by dry, as is its nature, and a hot dog isn't anything too special. But consumed under the stars, by flickering gaslight lamps and huge metal fire barrels, the simple meals are delicious. Finish up with roasted marshmallows, and perhaps a game of horseshoes, and it's like a trip to the best summer camp ever. One of the local guys took us out for authentic Mexican food. His restaurant of choice was Pancho's (Website: [] ) on South Central Avenue. Bill Clinton dined here when he was president. The food was great and the prices were very reasonable. I understand why he took us there. We had to wait 30 minutes, but there was nine of us. I tried the chimichanga, and it was a highlight. We also visited Four Peaks Brewing Company in Tempe, which was just south of the Arizona State University Campus (Website: [] ) at 1340 E. 8th Street. Excellent calamari, excellent grilled chicken beer bread, and an excellent salmon BLT. The Peach Ale and Hefeweizen are also excellent! Phoenix has lots of great food options!



Since flights were full most anyplace except Phoenix, my wife and I decided to try a resort in the Phoenix area for a weekend. Based on some local Phoenix friend's recommendations, we narrowed our choices to: 1) Hyatt Scottsdale Spa at Gainey Ranch: [], 2) The Westin Kierland Resort and Spa: [] , 3) Talking Stick Resort: [] , or 4) Fire Sky Resort and Spa: []. We narrowed it down to Fire Sky and Talking Stick. Talking Stick didn't have a resort fee and parking was free. In addition, it had a great pool and a casino. Fire Sky was about $50.00 cheaper per night and had free parking and internet along with a nice pool. Our final decision was Fire Sky. We were not disappointed. It's located about 15 minutes from the airport on N. Scottsdale Road near the Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall. As always, we like our Brew Pubs. On this trip we tried the Fate Brewing Company which was near our hotel. It's mostly a small batch brewery that serves a lot of good pizza (Website: []# ). There is also a Fate Brewing Company in Boulder. We also tried the North Mountain Brewing Company (Website: [] ). We especially likes the Funk 49 and the Hugh Hefe beers. The mussels and the crab dip were good. Next on our list was the Sunup Brewing Company (Website: [] ) with their really good cream ale, pale ale, and Horizon beers. We also liked their calamari. Lastly we visited the Papago Brewing Company in Scottsdale. They had the largest variety of beers on tap from their own to about 25 other guest beers. They had a real nice Thai Chicken Wrap and a California Turkey Wrap. Their beers (Website: [] ) change about every other day. Great atmosphere and food is found here. As for nightlife, you can enjoy a Casino or a Piano Bar. The two big piano bars are The Big Bang (Website: [] ) on Mill Ave. in Tempe and the Shoutt House (Website: [] ) in Glendale. As for Casinos, there are quite a few, and we didn't visit any of them. We will on our next trip. Get out of the heat, and head to Phoenix (and its many swimming pools)! -- **Mike Summers - January 2014:** We did a quick trip to Phoenix and decided to try using their Light Rail from the airport to Tempe. At the Airport, Frontier uses Terminal 3 and the Sky Train that connects to the Light Rail is at Terminal 4. So, after getting off your plane at Gate 20, exit Security and head to the Baggage Claim Level (Level 1). On the Baggage Claim Level (Level 1), follow the signs to Ground Transportation and exit the terminal through doors 7 or 9. Proceed outside and take the crosswalk to outer curb and walk up to Airport Shuttle stop where you catch a Silver Airport Shuttle labeled "Terminal". Here's a 'Printable Transferring Terminal Card': []. Once you arrive at Terminal 4, proceed to Level 3. At Level 3 take the free PHX Sky Train to the 44th Street PHX Sky Train Station. From there, take the elevator or escalator down to the platform of the 44th Street and Washington Valley Metro Light Rail stop. All day passes are $4.00. We took the Light Rail East (Main and Sycamore) to Mill Avenue/Third Street Stop (about 10 minutes) in Tempe and the Arizona State University Campus. There are many shops and restaurants in the area. Here's two links for the Metro Light Rail which shows Maps and Timetables: [] and [] When it's time to head back to the airport, catch the Light Rail at any stop in Tempe. Go Westbound (19th Avenue & Montebello) to the Airport Stop (44th Street and Washington Street). Follow signs to PHX Sky Train and board. When you reach Terminal 4, exit Sky Train and go to Level 1. On Level 1, exit door 2, south curb, use the crosswalk to the outer curb where you will and walk up to Airport Shuttle stop where you catch a Silver Airport Shuttle labeled "Terminal", which will take you to Terminal 3 for your Frontier flight. As for restaurant options and other things to do in Tempe, check some of the blogs above, but I would highly recommend Four Peaks Brewing Company at 1340 East 8th Street (Website: [] ). It's slightly hard to find; so have your GPS or MapQuest available. Great beer choices and a satisfying calamari.
 * Mike Summers - July 2013:**

If you drive over to Gilbert, make sure that you stop by Sal's Gilbert Pizza (Website: [|www.gilbertpizzaaz.com] ). Unique pizzas and great pasta as seen on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives on the Food Network!


 * Mike Summers - February 2015:**

It's time for you to visit Scottsdale, AZ, which is a suburb located north and east of Phoenix. On this trip we checked out the Handlebar J (Website: [|www.handlebarj.com] ) near N. Scottsdale Rd and E Shea Blvd. It has a family dining restaurant with a vast menu and a large bar with live western music and dancing. Cowboy hats by the hundreds dangle from the ceiling. Thick steaks, prime rib, chicken, and ribs, make up most of the menu. This is definitely a meat and potatoes place - wranglers of all ages have been coming here since 1975. And if you happen to visit the venue between Wednesday and Sunday, you will be treated to an exquisite performance by Arizona's favorite country music band, The Herndon Brothers. Nearby is the Dirty Dogg Saloon (Website: [|www.dirtydoggsaloon.com] ). Dirty Dogg Saloon is a place you'll never forget. From amazing drink prices, to the awesome swinging and dancing bartenders, and to the fantastic music mix. No food is served. It's a Harley Biker Bar, but everyone feels welcome. It gets packed on the weekends so you want to get there early to make sure you get a seat. The bartenders start dancing at 10:00 pm but with a little persuasion you can get them up there before then. They also have Karaoke and Comedy nights. Also nearby is your above average typical sports bar called K O'Donnell's (Website: [|www.kodonnells.com] ). You can hang outside on their comfortable patio with its cozy fireplaces, comfortable cigar-friendly seating and great music. A real fun thing to do with some couples is to head to Top Golf (Website: [|www.topgolf.com/us/riverwalk/] ). It's a unique golfing venue for people of all abilities. There is room for six people in every bay. Check out the website for how it works. If you want to try horseback riding, head to Cave Creek Outfitters (Website: [|www.cavecreekoutfitters.com] ). They have 40+ saddle horses, and they are constantly adding gentle, well mannered horses to their herd. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced rider you will appreciate the quality of horse under you. Horseback trail riding with them is a wonderful way to see the beautiful Sonoran desert and learn about the history and plant life.

Have some fun in Scottsdale!



