The Phoenix Traveler

Most people I know who live outside of Phoenix know that I write about Phoenix. They know that’s one of my specialities as a freelance writer. So if they plan to be visiting, they don’t hesitate to ask me for travel recommendations. Recently, I got an e-mail from a new acquaintance who said she and her husband would be spending five days in Sun City West. “So I’d love to get your suggestions on good restaurants, best places to hike, etc.” She said they could go anywhere, but for hikes they’d like something that was wheelchair-accessible.

The first place I always send someone is the Phoenix Convention & Visitors Bureau. You can narrow down your search on its Web site. But off the top of my head, this is what I recommended to her, via her requests for wheelchair-accessible hikes and restaurants that I really like, not necessarily in Sun City:

Downtown Phoenix: Coronado Cafe. Serves home cooked meals in an old historic bungalow on 7th Street and Roosevelt (2201 N. 7th St.). The tomato soup is tops. New boutiques nearby can extend your stay in the area. The one I loved was called Bullies in a China Shoppe. The owners are moving and changing the name, however, so I’ll be keeping an eye out for what’s next.

Glendale: Haus Murphy’s in the antiques district. Plan on visiting the downtown area for a few hours to look at the shops on Glendale Avenue and also in the adjacent Caitlin Court. Then stop in here for some delicious German food and live accordion music on the weekends.

Tempe: If you want some real charm or romance and don’t mind driving all the way to the east side of the Valley, make a reservation at the House of Tricks. Another bungalow-style house/restaurant near the Arizona State University campus, it’s pricey, but delicious. On the menu: seafood, steak, hummus for appetizers, and an extensive wine list. It’s closed till August 1, 2008, for its annual refurbishing.

To walk that extra weight off from all that great food, I told her the city of Phoenix lists four wheelchair-accessible trails. But Maricopa County also maintains accessible trails. One from each government entity to try:

1) Judith Tunell Accessible Trail at South Mountain Park. It’s not close to Sun City West by any means, but South Mountain is a wonderful park. In fact, it’s the country’s largest city park and is all mountain preserve. And Judith, by the way, is a long-time friend of mine. She’s blind and helped start the handicap-accessible trails project in Phoenix. The on-site Environmental Education Center is now open only on the weekends due to budget cutbacks. But since the trailhead is located just outside of the building, the center is a good place to start. Inside, you’ll learn about the desert flora, fauna, and history of the park.

Location: 10919 S. Central Ave., Phoenix.
Open: The center is open Fridays and Saturdays, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Length: 1 mile, broken into two, 1/2-mile loops.
Surface: Stabilized granite.
Information: 623-935-2505.

Tip: While you’re at South Mountain park, plan on visiting the Mystery Castle. A man by the name of Boyce Luther Gulley, who lived in Washington state with his wife and daughter, contracted tuburculosis. In search of a cure, he abandoned his family and wound up in Phoenix in the 1930s. He settled at South Mountain, building a castle out of whatever he could find–broken glass, boulders, wagon wheels, etc. The castle is the strangest place but very much worth a visit. His daughter Mary Lou inherited it and lives there. She’s a character. Just to hear her tell the stories of the castle and her father, etc., is a treat; however, she’s advancing in age, and I understand someone else has taken her place to give the tours.

2) Waterfall Trail at the White Tank Mountain Regional Park. But you won’t find the waterfall unless you go right after rainfall. What you’ll see, anyway, are petroglyphs and great views. A collection of ancient Hohokam rock art, called Petroglyph Plaza, is just half a mile from the trailhead. These images of animals, humans and geometric figures carved by hand into the stone were once used to communicate messages.

Location: 13025 N. White Tank Mountain Road, Waddell.
Open: Daily at 6 a.m. daily.

Length: 0.5 mile, one way.
Surface: Stabilized granite.
Information: 623-935-2505.

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