Phoenix in March-2004

A visit to Desert Ridge Shopping Place lifted our spirits with great shopping buys, fanciful and eclectic places to eat, and an outdoor setup that allowed maximum enjoyment of the warm Arizona sun.

Another spirit-lifter was a trip to a Surprise AZ (a suburb of Phoenix) for a spring-training game between the San Diego Padres and Kansas City Royals. I am not a sports fan, but it was the best baseball game I have ever seen. I will definitely go back just for that experience! It’s great for families at a price that won't require that you re-mortgage the house.

A fun time for the kids and adults both was dinner at Pinnacle Peak Patio just outside Scottsdale. The food is guaranteed to please anyone and the atmosphere is sheer cowboy with lots of fun and hokey stuff thrown in just for us Greenhorns! Loads of photo ops.

Quick Tips:

Reserve/buy your spring training tickets for your favorite teams in advance. Local (Diamondbacks) and popular teams sell out early. Try to get box seats over the dugout that give you a fantastic view and shelter from the late-day sun!

Plan to got to Desert Ridge later in the afternoon so you can shop ‘til you drop and then try out one of the MANY super restaurants there -- something for all tastes and budgets!

Best Way To Get Around:

A car is of utmost necessity in Phoenix. There is little public transportation and the sun is just too darn hot almost anytime of the year to walk. If you need to get in a run or walk for exercise, do it early in the morning before the sun starts to bake!

If you can only go to one restaurant (with the family) and want to enjoy a Wild West experience and good food rolled into one, this is the spot for you. The kids will love it. It's chock full of little places to explore (including a terrarium with two live rattlesnakes) and Old Timer, a Wild West character, who will entertain them with junior deputy badges, their own kids’ menu, and a coloring book. Every night, there is Wild West music and dancing.

The menu is simple, which makes deciding easy. There are several different types of steaks, ribs, and chicken in various combinations. This comes accompanied with genuine cowboy beans, some delicious cowboy bread, and a real cowboy salad (with ranch or Italian dressing). You can add sides of baked potato or corn on the cob. The desserts are the best, and include cowboy-size portions of warm apple pie topped with cinnamon swirl ice cream and a hot fudge brownie sundae – that’s all we could manage. When my brother ordered his steak well done, they actually brought him a cowboy boot on a plate to let him know the chef's opinion on THAT!

Beer and wine go great with cowboy food and the million hanging ties dangling from the ceiling (cut off unknowing patrons in the past). They take their casual and relaxed atmosphere SERIOUSLY here. The food was unbeatable and it is definitely a place you want to take the kids . . . or a date!

This is one of the most unique outdoor shopping malls I have ever encountered. While there are many chain-type retail stores (Marshall’s, Ross, Dress Barn, Target, Kohl's, to name a few), there is an abundance of café-style restaurants that feature every cuisine imaginable. We came for breakfast, shopped, and stayed for lunch! Or go late in the afternoon, shop, and then finish off with a relaxing dinner under the stars. The choices here provide something for everyone!

While the mall is all outdoors, it provides easy walking from store to store. You do need a map to find your way around. (We wanted a nail salon and found a great one in an obscure corner next to Smoothies!). Plan to spend a little time exploring even if you don’t want to shop! There are some great specialty shops filled with unusual Arizona souvenirs.

The stores offer mostly value-priced, bargain shopping, but there are so many that the selection is great.

Surprise!! Baseball. That is spring season major league baseball played in the Phil Parker Stadium in Surprise, Arizona! I am not a baseball fan (though do know the basic rules), but LOVED this experience. This is the way baseball was meant to be viewed: up close and personal. It was exciting, entertaining, and basically affordable (compared to regular season major league prices). We got to see the San Diego Padres vs. the Kansas City Royals.

Despite the final score (the Padres got creamed), the game was thrilling until the last two innings and even those were still fun. We had a box seat on the third base side and the strong sunlight only burned us for the first half hour or so. After that, the spring breeze provided a most enjoyable respite. I could see every facial expression and every slight nuance made by the players. You could almost hear what was going on at the pitcher's mound every time a pitcher got canned!

Food vendors are varied, reasonably priced, and easy to access.

I even witnessed a double-steal (players stole second base and the home plate in one play). It was great. If you have the opportunity, don’t miss this!