100 FUN & GAMES BEST WEEKLY RODEOS BUFFALO CHIP SALOON 6823 E. CAVE CREEK ROAD, CAVE CREEK 480-488-9118 BUFFALOCHIPSALOON.COM Rodeos roll into town on special occasions. But what happens on the random week when you’re champing at the bit to see some bull riding? You head up to Buffalo Chip Saloon, where brave souls ride bulls on Wednesdays and Fridays. Buffalo Chip’s indoor bar and outdoor patio spaces are free to enjoy, and $10 cash gets you into the on-site arena. If you show up hungry, Buffalo Chip’s Texas-style barbecue is pretty good for the price. Folks under 21 are welcome until 10 p.m., then they gotta bounce. And if you fancy climbing on the bull yourself one night? Call ahead to speak with the rodeo managers. i i i BEST TOURIST ATTRACTION WORTH THE DRIVE GOLDFIELD GHOST TOWN 4650 N. MAMMOTH MINE ROAD, APACHE JUNCTION 480-983-0333 GOLDFIELDGHOSTTOWN.COM Drag your next out-of-town guest straight to Goldfield Ghost Town for some sorta- authentic Western-themed jollies. Built on the site of an actual 19th-century town that went bust decades ago, Goldfield’s older buildings mostly date to the 1980s and ’90s. Inside you’ll find one of those Old West photography places, shops filled with goods made by local artisans and multiple places to eat and drink. (We once had a prickly pear lemonade there that knocked our socks off.) There’s also a mine tour, a train to ride and a little zipline. Trendy, Goldfield isn’t. Rather, it skirts the line of kitsch like a mountain goat on a ridge. It’s great for kid-friendly old- timey laughs. And the drive over — with epic views of the Superstition Mountains — will genuinely stir your affections for the deter- mined miners who years ago hitched up wagons and tried to make a life in this harsh sun by scraping in the dirt. i i i BEST LABYRINTH FRANCISCAN RENEWAL CENTER 5802 E. LINCOLN DRIVE, SCOTTSDALE 480-948-7460 THECASA.ORG Phoenix, honey, you need a break. In this hot grid, a tranquil corner for silent reflection is hard to come by. The labyrinth at the Fran- ciscan Renewal Center lets you slow down, think deeply and tune into the rhythm of the path and your own thoughts. If you hear “labyrinth” and picture the hedge maze in “The Shining,” yeah, that was awesome and all, but think instead of a circular design of stones on the ground whose every turn leads you gradually toward the center. A plaque beside the labyrinth calls it “a physical repre- sentation of the journey of our lives, including experiences, changes, discoveries and challenges.” At the center you may find — well, what do you want? Heaven, maybe? Or self-discovery, or a personal goal. Perhaps another somebody, drawn to their own brand of solace. You can walk the labyrinth any time the property is open to the public. Whatever you seek at the center, we hope you find it. i i i BEST NEW ATTRACTION BOARDWALK BIG WHEEL 9500 E. VIA DE VENTURA, SCOTTSDALE 480-951-2100 AZBOARDWALK.COM Arizona Boardwalk is North Scottsdale’s approximation of the attraction-filled seaside playgrounds of the Jersey Shore and Coney Island, minus the ocean. (Verisimili- tude is overrated, apparently.) That comparison became even more apt in August when the Boardwalk Big Wheel began spinning. The 80-foot-tall joyride towers over the property behind Butterfly Wonderland and is the Valley’s first perma- nent outdoor Ferris wheel. Summertime rides won’t feel like you’re becoming a gas- station hot dog on a rotisserie roaster, though: The Big Wheel boasts 18 fully enclosed, climate-controlled gondolas offering panoramic views of the desert. Rides are $9 for the first person and $6 for each additional guest in the same gondola, so a spin is cheaper than a trip to the fair. i i i BEST MESSY FUN SPIN ART NATION PHOENIX 2302 N. CENTRAL AVE., #3 602-609-5306 SPINARTPHOENIX.COM Whoever came up with the term “good, clean fun” sounds like a prude. At Spin Art Nation, messiness is more than tolerated — it’s encouraged. The messier, the better. Start by putting on provided coveralls (thank goodness) and then pick your experience. Fluid art lets you drip paint onto an object, which then flows onto a canvas (mess level: mild). The eponymous spin art has you add paint to a canvas as it spins on a flat surface, creating bold patterns (mess level: signifi- cant). Or let loose in the splatter studio, using brushes, paint guns and other tools to fling, spray and smear paint on a canvas, your friend, the wall, the works (mess level: nuclear). Disrespect your environment. It’s cool. Once you’re out of that protective gear, you’re clean and in possession of an original work that captures your chaotic energy. BEST AQUARIUM ODYSEA AQUARIUM 9500 E. VIA DE VENTURA, SUITE A-100, SCOTTSDALE 480-291-8000 ODYSEAAQUARIUM.COM OdySea is an oasis of splendor in the middle of the desert that deep-sixes other local aquariums. The attraction turns the life aquatic into a spectacle, with more than 6,000 animals residing both above and below the waves within its 2-million-gallon wonderworld. Its water-dwelling menag- erie checks every box you’d want in an aquarium experience. Otters and turtles. Seahorses and stingrays. Sharks and octopi. More than 70 exhibits await, including interactive experiences like touch-tanks and animal encounters with penguins. If you’d like to check out OdySea on the cheap, reduced admission of $35 is available after 4:30 p.m. And that’s no fish tale. i i i BEST SUMMER TRADITION SALT RIVER TUBING 9200 N. BUSH HIGHWAY, MESA 480-984-3305 SALTRIVERTUBING.COM It’s not summer in Phoenix till you clamber into a black rubber inner tube and cruise through the sometimes-rocky waters of the Salt River. When the mercury spikes, folks of all ages — although mostly 20-to-30- somethings — know to load up a car full of friends and cold beer and drive northeast out of the city. Without a beach, ocean or natural lake nearby, Valley residents get antsy for free-flowing water. Lying in an inner tube with a flotilla of your buddies for three to six hours provides that escape. The one rule: Do not drink and drown, please. Be safe and mostly sober, and have a blast even in weather that otherwise feels like an air fryer.