I took a little trip to Phoenix last month for a work conference, and so of course I took that opportunity to sightsee a bit. If I get a chance to travel, I definitely try to make the best of the opportunity.

I stayed right in the middle of Downtown Phoenix. It was my first trip out west and I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Ironically, the only time I've been to the desert, it rained basically the entire time - but it was still less humid than Georgia. I would have loved to explore the desert botanical gardens, visited a ghost town, or hiked a local mountain, but didn't have much time outside of conference sessions, plus it got dark around 6 pm, so I didn't have much luck with that.

So, staying mostly in the immediate downtown area, here's a recap of my trip.








Where to Eat


Being from the east, if I ever get an opportunity to eat In-N-Out and going to take that opportunity! I first had In-N-Out four years ago when I took a trip to Dallas and I ate it so many times when I was there, so I definitely was excited to get another taste. In the four days I was in Phoenix, I ate In-N-Out twice. If I didn't have to rideshare there, I probably wouldn't eaten there even more often.

Surprisingly, I wasn't overly impressed with the food I ate in Arizona. I did enjoy In-N-Out obviously, and I also tried Native American food at the Fry Bread House, which was quiet delicious. And since it was on every single list of where to eat in Phoenix, I definitely got breakfast at Matt's Big Breakfast, though I grabbed it at the airport on my way out - it was delicious and all fresh/local.

I did also go by Melt Ice Cream inside of Jobot Coffee & Bar, but they wouldn't serve any ice cream since it was raining, so I'm still pretty sad about that.








Architecture and Places to See


There are quite a bit of beautiful buildings downtown, including the lovely Arizona State University campus!








I also came across a few places I would have loved to spent more time enjoying, like the FilmBar, an amazing little vintage shop (Antique Sugar) we spent a little while shopping at, and the Churchill, which seemed incredible but we didn't spend much time there - mostly just took a brief look-around.







Street Art and Structures


The art was probably my favorite thing about Phoenix. There were lots of funky little sculptures, like these bugs outside the Phoenix Convention Center aptly titled "Social Invertebrates." There's also beautiful wall art throughout the city, especially over on Roosevelt Street.















I also got to stop by and meet the lovely folks over at Spark Point Studio, which was a fine treat. They treated me to a great conversation, some Hint water, and a few goodies.