Best Carousel FUN ZONE CAROUSEL Superstition Springs Mall Best Place to Watch the Sunrise CAMELBACK MOUNTAIN 4925 East McDonald Drive 602-534-5867 phoenix.gov/parks/trails/locations/ camelback-mountain It’s hard to find a bad place to watch the sunrise in Phoenix, because the desert sky consistently delivers an impressive constellation of colors with an orange sherbet aesthetic. But when we want to see more than a bit of sky, and really take in the sunrise surrounded by the whole city and a vast urban landscape, we head to Camelback Mountain. It’s the best place to get a 360-degree view, and the sunrise feels like more than just a collection of shifting forms and life. Here, sunrises remind us of deep connections to the land and the vast expanse of humanity. The view is espe- cially sweet because you have to hike a challenging trail to get there, and the time it takes really allows for centering your thoughts and emotions beyond a cacophony of speed and noise. Best Daytime Bacchanal WASTE MANAGEMENT OPEN TPC Scottsdale 17020 North Hayden Road, Scottsdale 480-585-4334 wmphoenixopen.com The vibe at the annual Waste Management Open golf tournament can be summed up in a February 12 tweet by local sports jour- nalist Dan Bickley: A man in a T-shirt, shorts, and a backward baseball cap lays face-down on the grass, his head encircled by a bottle of water, a Miller Lite, and a mixed drink. “Down goes Frazier!!! (It’s 10:19 am),” Bickley wrote. Undoubtedly, Best Skee-Ball THE LITTLE WOODY 4228 East Indian School Road 602-955-0339 littlewoodyaz.com The two Baytek Beer Ball games at The Little Woody aren’t as flashy or high-tech as the Skee-Ball machines found at garish family fun centers in the Valley, but that’s sort of the point. The lo-fi game room at the Arcadia bar is a hipper spot for local Skee musketeers to roll for glory. Its old-school vibe fits the retro roots of Skee-Ball (which dates back to the early 1900s), the beer and libations menu is unrivaled, and there aren’t any rugrats around to distract you. Plus, games are free every Monday night and local social sports group PHX Fray organizes Skee-Ball leagues throughout the year. And when you tire of ruling the ramp, there are darts, shuffleboard, a pool table, and board games to choose from. So if your aim is true, start limbering up your wrist and roll down to The Little Woody. 78 some of the thousands of visitors to the Waste Management Open come for the golf. But to the casual eye, most of the attendees are there to party, and party hard. We ourselves have been known to spend a lost afternoon in one of the corporate tents or at the notorious 16th hole (a.k.a. the party hole), where all-you-can-eat buffets and far too many free drinks meet people of all ages who are excited to not be at work. All in all, the beautiful winter weather and yes, even the golf, make for an excellent backdrop for the best daytime party in town. Best Scenic Hike BUTCHER JONES TRAIL Butcher Jones Recreation Site Butcher Jones Beach Road, Fort McDowell 480-610-3300 fs.usda.gov/recarea/tonto/ recarea/?recid=35415 To be fair, pretty much every hike in metro Phoenix is a scenic hike. But for us, nothing tops Butcher Jones Trail, a fairly easy hike northeast of town. Start out by buying an $8 Tonto Pass (it’s required to park at the Butcher Jones Recreation Site, and can be purchased at a number of stores). Park, admire the beach that leads to Saguaro Lake, and then get going. Butcher Jones is an out-and-back trail that’s about 2.5 miles each way and is rated easy to moderate. We love the early stretch at lake level where we duck our heads through a dimly lit forest of short trees, but the trail really gets going when you start to climb the cliffs surrounding the lake. As you gain elevation, the views of the lake and surrounding mountains get more spec- tacular. Keep an eye out for wildlife; we’ve seen all sorts of lizards, birds, and even some mountain goats. The trail dead-ends at Burro Cove, where you can sit on a rock, take a few pictures of Four Peaks, and admire the shining blue waters before heading back to your car. Pro tip: Try to hit the trail during wildflower season in March and April, when the array of colors make the trek even more beautiful. People-Watching Best Hike for PINNACLE PEAK TRAIL 26802 North 102nd Way, Scottsdale 480-312-0990 scottsdaleaz.gov/parks/pinnacle-peak-park We see it all the time when tooling around north Phoenix or Scottsdale: Pinnacle Peak, sticking up into the sky like a beacon. The bad news is that technically, you’re not allowed to climb the actual peak, but the hiking trail that wraps around it is one of the more popular in town — which makes it great for people-watching. Park as close as you can to the trailhead (during the busy times of day and on the weekends, the walk to the entrance can be a slog in and of itself), then set off on your journey. The trail is an out-and-back hike that’s about 1.75 miles each way with a decent amount of elevation gain, so if your pace is slow, you’ve just got more time to observe Scottsdale cougars, boomers with walking sticks, wiry shirtless dudes running up and down the path, and tiny children with their parents whose pace makes you feel bad about your fitness level. Depending on how you feel, you may want to heed the sign you’ll encounter close to the turnaround point that reads “Strenuous From This Point” and start heading back early — we know from experience that the sign means what it says. Best Easy Hike KIWANIS TRAIL South Mountain Park and Preserve 10919 South Central Avenue 602-262-7393 phoenix.gov/parks/trails/locations/ south-mountain This is the kind of trail that makes hiking a 6555 East Southern Avenue, Mesa 480-832-0212 superstitionsprings.com Carousels can be found spinning up quaint, innocent fun for the young, and the young at heart, at amusement parks and family-friendly attractions across the Valley. If you’re looking for the best merry-go-round around, though, head for Mesa’s Superstition Springs Mall, where the double- decker Fun Zone Carousel is located next to the food court. Unlike other local carousels, it offers two levels of saddled beasts to ride, as well as twice the fun. Its menagerie of mounts includes such exotic and fantastical choices as a gorilla, dinosaurs, and dragons. There’s also a proud bald eagle with its wings outstretched, talons extended, and perfectly posed if you want to pretend you’re Gandalf rescuing Frodo and Sam from Mount Doom or stage some sort of humor- ously over-the-top patriotic selfie for social media. It’s $4 per ride or four rides for $15, so pay up, hop up, and get ready to ride. Adventure and fun await. joy, not work. It can be busy, but because it takes a bit of drive to reach, it never gets the hordes that ascend Camelback Mountain or Piestewa Peak. It follows a gully for a mile, climbing 480 feet to Telegraph Pass Road. If you want a bit more exercise, you can climb the steep half-mile more to the old mini castle that is the Telegraph Pass Lookout. The trail undulates, with a nice mix of up and down, with shady spots to rest all along the way. The varied terrain is nice, but the views seal the deal. Coming back down you’re treated to one of the most magnificent views around: downtown Phoenix framed by a notch in the mountains. The view from the castle is spectacular. You can see all of the Valley in one direction, as far as Pinal County in the other, and above you the radio towers atop South Mountain. Because the hike isn’t that strenuous, those annoying fitness freaks that can ruin the experience elsewhere tend to stay away. After your leisurely 60- to 90-minute jaunt, you still have the energy to enjoy your day or sample some of the hidden treasures around south Phoenix. Best Tough Hike CAMELBACK MOUNTAIN 4925 East McDonald Drive 602-534-5867 phoenix.gov/parks/trails/locations/ camelback-mountain It’s hard to believe that the most visited BEST OF PHOENIX 2022 | WWW.BESTOFPHOENIX2022.C0M | SEPTEMBER 29, 2022
