Phoenix, Arizona City Guide
For over 20 years, Pamela Lanier's Phoenix, Arizona Travel Guide has been your connection to Phoenix's tourism community with invaluable details on local attractions, restaurants, shopping, museums, history, outdoor recreation and more.
Escape Summer Heat
 If outdoor pursuits are not your style, Phoenix Arizona offers many other options for a savvy bed and breakfast traveler. Phoenix is Arizona’s largest city, so it should be no surprise to you that the metropolitan area has some of the best shopping around. The Scottsdale Fashion Square hosts an extensive variety of upscale shops and restaurants that will delight any bed and breakfast visitor. Although Scottsdale touts its Western roots, it is more akin to Rodeo Drive than a rodeo, and it offers upscale boutiques and over 100 art galleries. Old Towne Tempe near the campus of ASU is known for its boutiques and open-air restaurants, and it also serves as a popular rock and roll nightspot on Friday and Saturday nights. The Arizona Center is a complex of 60 restaurants, nightclubs, and shops in a sculpture-filled setting across the street from the Herberger Theater. There is also the Biltmore Fashion Plaza featuring upscale shops and restaurants in the Biltmore District of Phoenix. Ask your bed and breakfast innkeepers what they recommend you see and do, they know the ins and outs of Phoenix shopping opportunities.
Visiting Phoenix museums and galleries are a great way to stay cool in the summer while learning about the historical background of this “Valley of the Sun.” Offering extensive exhibits on Native American culture and art, as well as continually rotating exhibitions, the Heard Museum is exceptional and worth visiting again and again. An experience that should not be missed is a visit to the Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West. This sprawling complex is home to many Wright foundations including the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture, capturing the graceful beauty this great American architect, achieved by combining his prairie style and the organic finishes he was so famous for.
If art is to your liking, visit the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, or take a tour of some of Scottsdale’s 100+ art galleries during the Scottsdale Art Walk. Art Walks occur every Thursday evening and offer a broad view of some of the varied and eclectic galleries within Scottsdale. Many bed and breakfasts feature noteworthy artwork if you’re unable to fit each gallery or museum into your short visit.
For the sports fan, Chase Field is a must-see. Its retractable roof can be closed in less than 5 minutes, and this state of the art facility is a delight for any baseball fan. Chase field also hosts concerts, trade shows, and religious events.
If you want an escape from the heat but are not ready to forgo the outdoors (or want to leave your bed and breakfast’s pool), try one of Phoenix’s many water parks. Tempe’s Big Surf is the largest of artificial parks in the area, but Slide Rock State Park offers a water chute naturally carved out of the rock, and empties into swimming holes. Or simply relax and enjoy the natural scenery and fauna as you tube down the mountain-stream waters of the lower Salt River.
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