Let’s just start by remembering where I’m coming from at this point in my life. Centralia, WA is a small town not immediately surrounded by much. Grocery options are predominantly Safeway or Walmart. There is one vegan-friendly restaurant in the neighboring town, Chehalis. Civilization is 20min north. (Just kidding, I love you guys!)
That said, enter Phoenix. And I’m talking Phoenix in winter, no less.
I spent half of my stay in the up-and-coming, shopping-friendly Desert Ridge roughly 15min North of downtown and next to the infamous neighborhood, Scottsdale. The second half of my stay was in the super cute, everything-within- a-10min-drive, suburb of Gilbert. To say I enjoyed being back within arms reach of a Target is an understatement. I panicked the first day grocery shopping because I forgot that I lived across the street.
And let’s talk about Mountainside Fitness. What a delight. I got an amazing deal for the 3-months I was there and each location is a little bit different and with unique perks.
The hiking around Phoenix is abundant and it is easy to drive to several national parks. I entered town after a few days in Joshua Tree and ended with a trip to Grand Canyon and Horseshoe Bend. One downside is that the terrain doesn’t greatly differ from place to place but hiking a mountain and getting a view is always worth it.
Phoenix itself is full of restaurants, bars, and cafes. There is plenty of shopping everywhere– literally everywhere. And the vibe is generally young and well-off. Downtown is the worst for parking so I only went there a few times to try out vegan food. Otherwise, commuting to work from nearly any suburb is easy enough– the traffic never too heavy– and each suburb has it’s own vibe that makes Phoenix feel large and never-ending. Of course, Phoenix is the largest city in Arizona.
Despite this and the fact that the sun is plentiful year-round and winter is the equivalent of New York’s early Fall, Phoenix did produce one chip on my shoulder: price. Scottsdale is one of the wealthiest cities to live in with a quick Google search telling me that the median price for a single family home is $1 million. Though Scottsdale is not technically Phoenix, to those of us who live elsewhere, it would be like saying that Queens is not technically Manhattan. Sure. But it’s all New York City. And the affluent vibe can often be felt in the general Phoenix and surrounding areas. The reason why this bothers me is because Phoenix, in general, is a lovely place to live. The minute I drove into town I felt the pull. But I get frustrated when every large town charges the same price for food and drink and hotel as if it were New York City. Having lived there for several years, I knew what I was getting into when I made that move. I knew that drinks would be $15-20 on the lower end. I knew that I would have to pay for the splendor that is Manhattan. But I did not realize that as I traveled throughout the country that the same would be expected of me from most major cities. I will admit, though, that it’s hard not to get swept up when the view is gorgeous, the sun is strong, and everyone’s dog is providing puppy therapy.
That said, I’m down for the ride. Whatever a city wants to offer me, I’ll take with as much grace as I can. I’m just very much realizing that big cities are not the best “bang for your buck” and that it might be better for me to just vacation there often. And Phoenix is definitely a place that I would like to frequent. In the winter. When I won’t melt.
Plus, I’ll have to return because Covid-19 put a real damper on the end of my Phoenix experience!
Papago Park in Phoenix 
Cathedral Wash in near Page 
Horseshoe Bend! 
Driving in Sedona 
Gateway Loop Trail near Scottsdale 
Petrified Forest NP 
Saguaro NP 
Saguaro NP 
The Grand Canyon