Pick and choose from the many...
by rholloway
Pick and choose from the many delightful restaurants and tourist sites. There are so many, it is impossible to list them.
Do visit the Indian reseration there. It is located just a short trip outside Phoenix and the many handicrafts, which are handmade by the Indians are exquisit.
Everything is very reasonably priced. Look for special
'Kachina' dolls, hand made. My cutest memory is, being from the humid South, we were warned to take plenty of lotion. We thought we did, but we were out and looking for more in two days! The air is extremely dry.
In one of the lovely shopping malls, I noticed it did not seem so dry. It was pointed out to me that all of the shops have 'misters' in the awnings! It was quiet diffeent, but a unique way to solve a climate problem.
museo chicano
by susiemargare
about terminology -- the museum itself uses the term "chicano" and explains this choice as because the term was in common usage when the museum was established, although "hispanic" and "latino" have replaced it more recently.
this is a VERY small art museum that is not usually listed in the guidebooks. the admission charge is $2 for adults, $1 for children under age 12.
the focus of the museum is basically on artists from mexico and the southwestern united states. when i was there, the museum contained paintings and sculpture by mexican and chicano artists, with a few paintings from spanish artists as well. many different styles of painting are represented. i believe that the exhibits change periodically.
the museum also has a gift shop with house decorations, prints, books, videos, and many other items from mexico, the southwestern united states, and spain. i bought some bright paper flowers (actually the texture was more like very, very thin strips of wood shaving or the leaves on corn, so maybe i'm wrong about the paper part), a print, and some of those strips of lace-cutout paper that can be draped across a room during holidays. everything is priced quite reasonably.
between the museum and the gift shop, you should allow about an hour. the museum is open from tuesday through saturday from 10 am to 4 pm. you must pay for metered parking during the week, but there are spaces just outside the museum. on the weekend, i think parking is probably free.
the museum is at 147 east adams street, phoenix, AZ, 85004, between 1st and 2nd streets in downtown phoenix. it is easy to miss the entrance, but look for the hyatt hotel, which is directly across the street from the museum. when i was there, it was a little hard to get to the exact block because of construction in the area, so watch the street signs carefully to get to the right block address numbers.
Alas, no more!
by LHOON
The magnificent Union Station in Phoenix is not in use anymore. Amtrak's Sunset Limited stops in the middle of the desert at Maricopa, 25 miles south.
A metropolis of 3 million people without a rail station... not what one would except in a civilized country!
1950's style icecream place
by leplaya about Mary Coyle
Mary Coyle is a great place to go after hiking up one of the many mountains in the Phoenix area. It was opened in 1951 and looks like it hasn't changed much since then (well, except for the prices). There are a lot of icecream options and their specials are pretty good. They also have warm food, but I didn't try any. The prices are a little expensive at around $7 for the specials.
!Ooz eht, I mean, The Zoo!
by Gatopardo
You can either visit two different Zoo in Phoenix, one is located in the Papago park, also home of the Desert Botanical Garden and the Hole in the Rock, where you can find a partial nice view of the city...
The other Zoo is the Wildlife Zoo, located in the very west of the city, you will find couple interesting difference, both options seems to offer something else to do, but Phoenix Zoo is definately bigger and is home of a larger number of species. I found they do their homework by taking care of them and allow, in most of the cases, enjoy a refreshing oasis in the middle of this desert.