The sleepy town of Cottonwood is just a 90-minute drive north from Phoenix. It was a meal that set a high benchmark for the rest of the trip. To pair: margaritas and a Wild Thots, the tropical cocktail complete with sparkling cava, passionfruit and pineapple. We enjoyed the guacamole tradicional with salsa and chips, an award-winning pork verde and smoked birria, a slow-braised beef which we devoured atop flour tortillas with guajilla chillies and zesty condiments. ![]() Arizona borders Mexico, so it was no surprise that they take Mexican food seriously, the authentic flavours and recipes are unlike anything you can find in Australia. After meeting up with a group of fellow first-time Aussie visitors who would join me for the week, we hit up Chico Malo, a popular Mexican spot that exists only in Phoenix and Miami. With the home stadiums for the Phoenix Suns and Arizona Diamondbacks in the area, sporting crowds regularly pack the local venues to the brim. DOWNTOWN DININGįirst stop was Downtown Phoenix, the city’s cutting edge that’s got a vibrant offering of dining and events all accessible via public transport. Temperature aside, Phoenix was a sight to behold. Upon telling my Uber driver it was my first time in the state, he exclaimed, “Welcome to the pizza oven”. Phoenix, like most of southern and central Arizona, sits in the Sonoran desert - summer temperatures range from 36 to 40✬. After 18 hours of flying (thankfully, the LA connection is only one hour), the Valley of the Sun welcomed me with a warm embrace. ![]() My adventure began in Phoenix, Arizona’s state capital and the fifth-largest city in the entire US. Instead, I explored ancient cliffside dwellings, kayaked down rivers to wine tastings, rode luxurious trains through winding canyons, hiked amongst extinct volcanoes and discovered the state’s vibrant food scene - and it was all exceptional. Still, part of my challenge was to look past it, so I would not see the Grand Canyon. But there I was, on my way to the Grand Canyon State to answer that burning question, how impressive can Arizona be?Ī lot of first-time visitors add the aforementioned canyon to their itinerary. I’m no stranger to travelling, but Arizona wasn’t somewhere I planned on visiting. That question rang in my head as I checked into my hotel the night before my flight, as I walked along a street in Mascot in the early hours of the morning to the train station, and as I buckled into an aeroplane seat for the first time since Covid took hold. “How impressive can Arizona be?” I asked myself, packing my bag on a chilly Sunday afternoon. ![]() I was sent to Arizona on a simple mission: to tour around the state while steering clear of its most famous attraction.
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