Hey guys!
So I recently moved from Arizona after living there for a little over a year. Moving away from my hometown for the first time was such a crazy experience. Never would I have guessed that I would visit - let alone live, in Arizona! I never really knew anything about it besides it being super hot, and I was not ready for those problems. I created so many memories out there and met some amazing people that I'll always come back to visit. So do y'all want to know the best things to do in AZ? I'm going to spill either way.
For Our Foodies:
So Arizona actually has a lot of good food! If you are looking for tacos you have to try Unos Tacos y Birria in Phoenix. They have some of the best tacos and agua frescas I've ever had. Two black-owned restaurants I absolutely love out there are ATL Wings and Lolo's Chicken and Waffles. For my brunch lovers you have to try Hash Kitchen they have the best skillets and mimosa flights! If you like Hibachi, Kasai in Scottsdale is BOMB. For our smoothie/tea lovers, you have to try Bomboba. One of my all time favorite restaurants out in AZ has to be Toca Madera; from the ambiance, to the service, and lastly the food, this place is for sure a green light in my book. There is honestly so much food I want to dive deep on but I'll list out a couple more of my favorite spots below:
Snooze An A.M. Eatery
Nightlife
Okay so the nightlife in Arizona is cool. I usually only partied in two parts of the town: Old Town in Scottsdale and Mill Ave in Tempe. There was one club in Phoenix called Monarch Theatre that was bussing a couple nights. I really liked Scottsdale the most though because it was a big area filled with people down to party. Mill Ave is the same as Old Town, but it's located on ASU campus so its usually a younger crowd. If you guys enjoy a nice hookah bar, I'd recommend Oasis Cafe in Scottsdale and Alibaba Hookah in Tempe. For clubs, I liked Pretty Please and INTL in Scottsdale. Loyalty Lounge became one of my favorite spots just right before I moved. For a night out, try the
Cottontail Lounge at The W in Scottsdale and Fat Tuesday in Glendale or Tempe. For my day party lovers, they have plenty pool parties. Check out Clubhouse at Maya in Scottsdale for a good day party and Headquarters Grill Bar and Sushi in Peoria for good late night drinks and food.
Road trip Lovers... Read Along
One thing I really liked about Arizona was that it was close to a lot of other amazing things to do. You have plenty of national parks like the Grand Canyon, Sedona, and Antelope Canyon. Everyone for sure should put the Antelope Canyon on your to-do list, I wanted to go so bad but they were closed due to COVID19 while I was living out there. LA, San Diego and Las Vegas are about a 4-5 hour drive from where I was living so I use to road trip a lot to those places. If you have your passport you guys should drive to Rocky Point Beach in Mexico. It was about a 3-4 hour drive for me and it was worth every minute. It's such a hidden gem, I'll do a separate post on my time there. Since there are so many mountains and Arizona is a desert, there are plenty of campsites if you are into that.
Fun Activities to Do
Arizona has plenty of fun things to do. I got to get a nice view of Arizona from South Mountain in Phoenix. There are so many mountains around so you honestly can explore so many. They have ATV, hot air balloon riding, and horse riding spots around. I recommend ATV Outdoor Fun for anybody in the Phoenix area. There is TONS of outlets, malls and shopping centers around. Scottsdale Fashion Square was of course a favorite of mine. I lived by Westgate which is located at the Cardinals stadium and they have a lot of fun things to do for all ages. There are so many resorts in the Scottsdale area that are worth staying at. I went to a Suns game while staying in AZ and I totally recommend! I had some good friends out there so I went to a lot of house parties in Scottsdale/Paradise Valley and the houses out there are amazing! Since Arizona doesn't get as cold as other states its such a spot for fall-winter-spring times. Once it hits summer and gets over 100 degrees you really don't feel like leaving the house until night time when everything is cooled off.
Arizona is a cool place to visit. From indoors and outdoors, there is always something to do. Want to avoid the cold winters? Head to AZ! The scenery is so beautiful you have to see it in person. Above all, the good and bad times I had out there was totally worth it. I can't wait to share with you guys more experiences I've had while living out there!