In 2014, I had an internship in Phoenix, Arizona. I had a lot of fun spending my weekends exploring Phoenix and it’s surrounding areas. Because I was there during the summer heat my typical weekend schedule looked like this: Saturday do a day-trip somewhere to hike and explore; Sunday wake up super early and hike locally, eat brunch at The Oink Cafe (usually chocolate chip pancakes and bacon), be lazy for a few hours, and then spend the afternoon inside at a museum. Phoenix, and Arizona in general, has a lot of great historical sites, outdoor recreation, and museums.
Take a tour of the Arizona Biltmore Hotel for a nominal fee
Hike Camelback Mountain
Visit Sedona and the Chapel of the Holy Cross
Walk through the Desert Botanical Garden
Visit Monezuma Castle National Monument
Eat breakfast at The Oink Cafe
Feed giraffes at the Phoenix Zoo
Drive to Saguaro National Park
Hike Squaw Peak (now known as Piestewa Peak)
Hike at Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
Tour Taliesen West
Walk to the top of a pueblo at Tuzigoot National Monument
See what apartment complexes looked like 1130 AD at Wupatki National Monument
These were some of the highlights:
- Tour the Arizona Biltmore Hotel
- Learn about native plants at the Desert Botanical Garden
- Hike Camelback Mountain
- Visit Montezuma Castle National Monument
- Tour the Heard Museum
- Explore Sedona
- Eat breakfast at The Oink Cafe
- Feed giraffes at the Phoenix Zoo
- Listen to an auditory guided tour at the Musical Instrument Museum
- Drive to Saguaro National Park
- Hike Piestewa Peak (formerly known as Squaw Peak)
- Visit the Phoenix Art Museum
- Watched a dance performance at the Mesa Arts Center
- Hike at Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
- Tour Taliesen West and learn about Frank Lloyd Wright
- Visit Tuzigoot National Monument
- See what an apartment complex looked like in 1130 AD at Wupatki National Monument
What do you explore when living in a new city?
Off to See the View 