phoenix travel guide.

Hi loves!

I'm SO excited to share a big fun project I've been working on-

drum roll please...

my Newlywed Diaries Phoenix Travel Guide!!

I've always wanted to put together a list of our favorite spots around the valley, and now the amazingly talented Cass and Co Films has helped me do just that with the sweetest video below!

We could have shot for days and gone to a million places, but we just wanted to highlight a few and then I listed the rest in this post!

Arizona has some of the best restaurants, shops and activities for everyone to enjoy.

And again, I could go on for days with things to do, eat and see,

but I narrowed it down to a simple list.

All of these places hold a dear place in my heart.

So if you're ever in AZ, you'll have to check out some of these spots - promise you won't regret it!

PS I also want to say thank you to Toyota for loaning us the cutest Corolla XSE to cruise around in!

As you can see in the video, I'm a drive-thru junky and this little car was not only adorable, but super fun to drive too!

I also love that the cup holders are big enough to fit my XL Diet Coke, the air vents are crazy strong to keep Liam cool in his rear facing car seat and the back-up camera is literally my new BFF-

I don't know how I ever drove without it!

Perfect mama car!

So without further adieu here's my list!

I broke it down into the cities we most often visit, and tried to link as much as I could.

Hope you enjoy!

Things to do/see/eat in Gilbert:

Downtown Gilbert

There's a billion spots to eat and it's a perfect place to walk around explore with the family!

- Water Tower Splash Pad - right behind Liberty Market!

- Veteran's Park - just South of the splash pad, across the train tracks!

- Liberty Market - we like to eat there and then head to the splash pad! My fav dish is the vegan breakfast scramble, but everything is amazing!

- Petite Party Studio - cutest party store in all the land!

- Peterson's Ice Cream - darling ice cream shop 

- Hale Centre Theare - they put on all kinds of cute little plays for kiddos

- Sodalicious - gimme an XL Diet Coke and original sugar cookie please!

- Art House-   look for the "you had me at Gilbert mural" on the side of the building!

We usually park near the Hale Theatre and then do a big loop working from the Northern end of Gilbert Road, heading south along all the restaurants and shops! Then we'll head South all the way down to the Art House (cute spot for pics), then we stop by Veteran's Park, walk across the tracks to grab dinner (we always go to Liberty), maybe snag ice cream at Peterson's and then end the night playing at the Splash Pad- it's one of our fav spots in AZ! You can also grab food to go and have little picnic under the water tower too! So many choices!

Agritopia

We love to playground hop through this darling neighborhood and then walk to grab food!

- Joe's Farm Grill - greatest veggie burger and sweet pot fries!

- Barnone - fun to look at all the shops inside!

- Pick your own fruit - you can go play farmer in the orchard!

We usually Park in Agritopia (we have family who live there), playground hop throughout the neighborhood- there's lots of trails that wind through the community! The houses are adorable, so it's always fun to stroll the streets while looking for the next park- plus there are lots of places to take cute pics too! Then we walk through the farm to Joes, grab a bite to eat, and wonder over to Barnone and the Orchard! Another super cute and fun place to visit!

Things to do/see/eat in Queen Creek:

- Schnepf Farm- we love going in October, but they have events all year round, perfect for the whole fam!

Things to do/see/eat in Chandler:

Downtown Chandler 

Fun place to walk around, dip in and out of the shops and grab a bite to eat!

- Wimpy's Paradise- delicious and affordable! The owner is so sweet!

- Crowne Plaza Resort- reminds of what Hawaii might've looked like in the 1950's- so beautiful and historic!

- Ice Cream Sammies- I mean the name says it all!

-Serrano's- our fav place for endless chips, salsa and bean dip (they have other locations too)!

Things to do/see/eat in Scottsdale:

Old Town Scottsdale

Another perfect place to walk around, tons of shops and restaurants!

- Sugar Bowl- our favorite spot in all of AZ!!!!!

- Ruze Cake House- the decor in here is unreal, and so are the sweets!

- The Saguaro Hotel- colorful walls, gorgeous pools and just a block from the Sugar Bowl!

- Arcadia Farms Cafe- cutest historic home made into the yummiest restaurant! You have to go!

- Scottsdale Mall- when it's hot outside the child's play area is great!

Central Scottsdale

-McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park- there's a train, grassy areas to picnic, playgrounds, a carousel and more at this stunning park!

- Camelback Mountain- one of the most popular hikes in the city!

North Scottsdale

- Scottsdale Quarters- tons of shops, restaurants and super cute to walk around!

- Restoration Hardware- a home decor dream store!

- S.Q. splash pad- in the heart of the mall, super fun for kiddos!

- iPic Theatre- perfect for date night!

Things to do/see/eat in Mesa:

- Idea Museum- great inside area for hot days!

- Mesa Temple- gorgeous grounds to walk!

- Mango's Cafe and Bakery- good spot for chips and salsa!

- Slickables- cookie ice cream sandwiches you guys!!

- Mesa mural- huge wall painting in the heart of town!

- Worth Takeaway- try the banana pudding!

- Old Brick House Vintage Market- only open once a month, so check the dates- so many cute vintage home good finds!

- Stonebridge Manor- where we married! We love to walk the grounds (they're gorgeous and eat at the cafe)!

We usually park near the Idea Museum, go to Worth and the Old Brick House (if open) then do a big loop down Main Street, stopping at all the shops and restaurants listed above! Or sometimes we do it vice versa and start at the Temple! It's a long walk, but super fun if it's not too hot. They also have seasonal events- so check the calendar before going!

Things to do/see/eat in Tempe:

- BoSa Donuts- locations all over the valley! Hands down, best donuts in AZ!

- Genuine Fresche- delish Acai bowls!

Berry Divine- another amazing acai bowl spot!

- Hike A Mountain- fun to watch the sunset from up there!

- ASU Campus- visit Old Main and the Secret Garden- prettiest spots on campus!

- Pita Jungle- my FAV restaurant in AZ! Try the chicken with hummus appetizer! They also have lots of locations around the valley!

The Baked Bear- cookie ice cream sammies on Mill Ave.!

- Tempe Town Lake- you can rent bikes or boats! We also love walking all the way over the bridges as well- especially during winter when they're decked out with lights!

We usually park at ASU near Gammage (free parking on weekends) and then stroll through campus, heading North to College Ave. through the new Annex area. Then you can hike up the side of A mountain, and then come back down the other side, swing into the Tempe Town Lake Park area for some play time, and then walk South through Mill Ave.- if it's not too wild! ** Not the kid friendliest of places!** to about 5th Street and take that East to College Ave. and back down through campus and to our car!

Things to do/see/eat in Phoenix:

- Phoenix Zoo- go early in the morning, members get in at 8 am! They have two splash pads, a tot lot, an inside play area, puppet shows and a carousel! Great for early morning play dates before it gets hot!

Arcadia

- Arcadia neighborhood- cutest homes in the heart of the city! 

- El Chorro- GORG date night restaurant! Nestled in Paradise Valley!

- Kachina Park- nice clean park in the heart of Arcadia!

- La Grande Orange- best {and cutest} spot for pizza and dessert!

- Flower Child- delish healthy food- and super cute too!

- The Henry- great brunch spots- and cute photo ops too!

Central Phoenix

- Pizzeria Bianco- three locations, all super good pizza! Worth the wait!

- Cibo- darling historic home converted to a restaurant! Perfect date night spot!

- Last Chance- a Nordstrom lover's dream! 

- Windsor- Amazing veggie burger! Have date night dinner there and then head next door to Churn for dessert!

- Churn- cutest ice cream parlor!

And now here's the video!!!!

PHOENIX TRAVEL GUIDE with the Newlywed Diaries from Cass & Co. FIlms on Vimeo.

Thanks again Cass and Co Films and Toyota for helping me put this Phoenix Travel Guide together!

Hope you enjoy adventuring around Arizona as much as we do!

xoxo