Hotel Class: 
2 Stars - 31 Opinions
2420 West Thomas Rd, Phoenix, Arizona, 85015, United States
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31 Opinions
Bees were flying all around this area
Long range of the canopy top
Cactus by the road
America's Largest Firefighter Museum, Phoenix
I'll be driving from the Grand Canyon to Sky Harbor Airport to board a 10:30pm domestic flight on Delta.
My wife and I would like to find out where will be a convenient place for dinner (it will be great if the place has food variety and not out of the way to the airport).
We intend to set off at 3:00PM from Grand Canyon South Rim, arriving in Phoenix 7:00PM, leaving us with enough time for dinner before heading to the Sky Harbor Airport. I understand we need to be at the airport by 8:30PM.
Is the set-off comfortable?
Where would be a good place for dinner with food variety?
What about at the airport? Are there restaurants that serve decently priced food?
Thanks in advance for any advice.
> Is the set-off comfortable?
Sorry, I don't know what that means. You mean take-off? If so, it really depends on weather conditions that day. It rarely rains here, but it's often windy. They have extremely restrictive height codes in an extensive area surrounding the airport though, so there are no hard pull-ups.
> What about at the airport?
Don't eat at Sky Harbor if you have the chance. The food is awful and it's very, very overpriced.
> Where would be a good place for dinner with food variety?
It really depends on what sort of food you're looking for. There's not much on the way to the airport from the Grand Canyon and definitely nothing right around the airport (it's in a bad area of town). You can head a little east to Downtown Tempe, although you'll have parking issues on Friday or Saturday night, or if there's an ASU football game (during the fall and early winter) or basketball game (during the winter and early spring) that night. Otherwise, there are tons of restaurants along Mill Avenue from 5th Street to University. It's about 15 minutes back to the airport, although the rental car center is further since it's on the west side.
There's also Old Town/Downtown Scottsdale, which is northeast of the airport along Scottsdale Road from about McDowell for about a mile north. Lots of restaurants around there as well. The area around Scottsdale Fashion Square (Camelback at Scottsdale Road) is much more upscale, while the southern quarter, known as Old Town, is more tourist-oriented and has an Old West theme.
That's for non-chain places that are interesting. It's hard to get away from chain restaurants in the Phoenix area, and that's what's just off the freeway. If you don't mind chains though, there are several restaurants in the Deer Valley area, which is at I-17 and the 101 (you exit at Yorkshire/Union Hills and loop back around to 27th Ave, where there's a large shopping center). There are also quite a few restaurants by the MetroCenter, which is on Peoria Avenue just west (right when coming southbound) of I-17.
Also, although not overly active, there are a few restaurants in Phoenix's Downtown, but you'll have more problems contending with weekend and, especially, sporting event parking (three of Phoenix's four pro teams play Downtown).
I won't make any specific recommendations on places because it depends on what sort of food you like and whether or not you're set against chains.
Another option here is to eat in Black Canyon City, which is about an hour north of Phoenix. There's a small, interesting cafe (Rock Springs Cafe) right by the interstate and there shouldn't be too much of a crowd. They're famous for their pie, but I'm not sure about the food for dinner.
Thanks so much for your food reply....I really appreciate the guide around.
As for the "set-off", I meant set-off time (3:00PM), leaving Grand Canyon Village.
I would take them to Fountain Hills. They have the largest fountain in the world. Seeing Shania Twain perform on New Years Eve 1998, after just unpacking the rental truck that I rented to move here from Texas. It was a very long day, but what a concert!!!
Not sure the story behind this but there is a giant boys, with a life size tractor and a headless man running from them. My guess is that the headless man once had a head and it was just broken by vandalism. It is worth seeing, and can be seen from I-10 if you are going west. Check it out. If you get off I-10 to go to the site you will also see life size farmers holding pumpkins. Strange place this goodyear.
Directions: North side of I-10 between exits 125 and 124 where the interstate crosses over a viaduct. If you get off at exit 124 and go north, then turn right at the first intersection, the figures will be off in the field to the right.
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A dirty little secret about Phoenix is that it is one of the most expensive cities in the USA to rent a car.
On top of the already high weekly rates is a bewildering array of fees and taxes. If you are planning a road trip around Arizona lasting longer than a week, than you may wish to seriously consider flying into Las Vegas (or even Salt Lake City) and renting your car there rather than in Phoenix.
Here's an example:
3-week rental from thrifty.com (Dodge Neon)...
Las Vegas
$89.99/wk + taxes = $429.53
Phoenix
$149.99/wk + taxes = $703.10!!!
That's a savings of $270!!!! As for me, I'll drive a little out of my way to save that kind of money!
After all the hoopla surrounding Pizza a Metro on Thomas Rd and 23rd Ave, I had to give them a try. All I can say is magnifico!!!
I first ordered a salad (Insalata Mista) that had a variety of mixed greens and 2 large tomato slices with a very tasty vinegrette dressing. The meal also included what I would describe as a basket of Tuscan style flatbread cut into slices served with capanota. Then on to the pie.....
I ordered the pizza Margharita that features a thin crust with a slightly chunky tomato sauce with in house made mozzerella then fresh arugula scattered on top. I've eaten a lot of quality pies in my life (mostly in Brooklyn) and all I can say is that the flavor of this pie is so unique to anything else I've ever had. I would best describe it as a very fresh tasting pie. Pure Neaplolitan! This was my first visit to Pizza a Metro and won't be my last!
Owner Maurizio Benforte is from Sorrento, Italy (near Naples) and has brought his talent to Phoenix for all to enjoy. I highly recommend this place!
They are opening a second restaurant in Scottsdale at 90th St and Via Linda (Amarone) in November 2008 that will be more of a full blown Italian restaurant than a pizzeria.
Pizza Margharita (regular) $12.95
Insalata Mista $4.95
While my husband was attending his business conference, Helene and I made plans to see the Heard Museum. We met Helene and her husband at a dinner gathering the night before.
The Heard Museum was founded by Dwight and Maie Bartlett Heard in 1929 to house their collection of American Indian artifacts and art. The original museum was 1/8th the size of today's building. It has grown to more than 2,000 pieces of 'sweeping landscapes, poetry and person recollections'.
There is a fantastic permanent exhibit on Native People in the Southwest. It features art, crafts and the history of the American Indian culture. There was so much to see that a couple of hours passed quickly!
Free docent led tours are scheduled each day at 1:30pm and 3:00 pm. We thought it would be wise to have a guide point out the highlights, since the collection was so vast.
Here are some of the things you'll find here:
Katsina Dolls from the 1800's and up to the present time (picture 2)
Handmade Comanche Moccasins from the late 1800's (picture 3)
A Navajo Woven Blanket (picture 4)
Torquoise and Silver Handcrafted Jewelry (picture 5)
Admission is $10 for adults; $9 for seniors;$5 for students with ID; $3 for children 6-12.
Hours are daily from 9:30 am-5pm. The museum is closed on major holidays.
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Address: 2420 West Thomas Rd, Phoenix, Arizona, 85015, United States
