The Phoenix Traveler

Don’t recognize the sign? It sort of looks like a McDonald’s, you say?
It really IS a McDonald’s franchise restaurant. But this one’s in Sedona, where zoning laws called for the restaurant to agree to construct teal arches, as opposed to its trademark yellow. The sign also sits lower to the ground, so it’s not a public eyesore.
To see this one for yourself, here are the driving directions:
From Phoenix, take I-17 to the SR 179 exit (Exit 298), turn LEFT, take another LEFT onto SR 89A. Before you turn onto 89A, you may see a billboard advertising the unique …read more

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Holiday Cocktails
The Rim Lobby Lounge at the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa (north side of Greenway Parkway past 68th Street) is the place to go this winter if you want try what the mixologist (fancy name for bartender) has created for you. Ask for the new Organic Mexican Macciato, made with organic coffee and organic tequila, or the Caramel Apple-Tini pictured here. It’s made with applesauce (Really?), Bailey’s Caramel liquor and Smirnoff Apple Vodka–quite a twist on a classic treat. Make sure they dip your apple slice in caramel sauce, like they do for the picture.
Champagne and Ice Wine …read more

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Who knew tequila, bourbon and rum could ring in the holiday cheer. They will if you mix them with ingredients such as Eggnog, chocolate and hot apple cider, as does the Four Seasons Resort in Scottsdale at Troon North, 10600 E. Crescent Moon Dr. (Map it.)
Between now and January 1, 2009, get your “Seasons” Greetings by the glassful with these three holiday cocktail specials. At $16 each, they’re sure to warm you up as the weather cools down.
For those of you who won’t be in town or get to the resort in time, here are the recipes to try …read more

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The Phoenician Resort offers the solution to that timeless holiday gift that no one really likes. No matter how you wrap it, fruitcake is still, well, fruitcake. Instead, how about giving something even you would eat? Think chocolate…and bread.
But not just any old chocolate bread. This one, the Chocolate Cherry Sourdough bread pictured here, was created by the resort’s own Master Baker Ben Hershberger.
Made fresh daily at The Phoenician (6000 E. Camelback Rd., Scottsdale), you can purchase yours on-site at either the Café and Ice Cream Parlor or at Il Terrazzo, a classic Italian-style restaurant. At $3.50 a loaf, it’s not …read more

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It had been nearly two years since I’d seen my friend who lives/works on the west side of town, in Glendale. We’d tried to schedule get-togethers before, but they just never panned out. You know how it goes. I should have known we’d find time for chocolate and wine. Can anyone resist that? Um, not me.
Of all times to visit–during the holiday season–we finally managed to set a solid date and agreed to meet at a restaurant near her, the “Italian trattoria” called NoRTH — It’s a Fox Concepts restaurant serving what they call “Modern Italian” cuisine. I’ve been there …read more

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Mill Avenue in Tempe hustles and bustles with pedestrian traffic year-round. It’s not the place to go if you want peace and quiet. And though I’d say the majority of the people you’ll see milling around are Arizona State University students, urbanites from all over the Valley of the Sun head over on evenings and weekends to shop, dine at the many restaurants, hang out in the taverns, and walk, ride bikes or rollerblade over to Tempe Town Lake.
This coming weekend, however, pedestrians will flock to Mill Avenue–one of America’s “ten great streets” (American Planning Association, 2008)–for one of …read more

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More than 20 Arizona authors will sell and sign their books at the 15th Annual ArtFest of Scottsdale today and tomorrow. New for this year’s event, “Book Street” gathers the authors all in one area, near the Scottsdale Mondrian hotel at the northwest corner of the festival site, in Old Town Scottsdale.
A few travel writers, including Christine K. Bailey, author of Destinations: A Complete Guide to Phoenix, Scottsdale, Sedona and Central Arizona, and Teresa Bitler, whose Great Escapes Arizona was just released are scheduled to appear.
Also plan to see arts & crafts booths, food and live music at the festival …read more

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First stop: Sedona. Next stop: wine country. It’s a day trip to the Verde Valley–one of Arizona’s hidden gems.
Called Sedona Wine Tours, this guided trip calls out to those of you who love Sedona and love to visit vineyards but didn’t know you could have both on the same day. You can.
To play it safe–no drinking and driving–let Detours take you there.
Detours, a Phoenix-based tour guide company, created this trip to give guests the opportunity to safely explore Arizona’s rich wine region in the Verde Valley. Even with four wineries open, the tasting rooms are still relatively …read more

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If you don’t plan to bring the 20-pounder home with you from the grocery store, if you’ll be in town and away from home on Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, Nov. 27) without plans,  or if you just don’t plan on cooking the big meal this year, here’s a short list of local resorts that will serve a gourmet feast for you (Click on the names to see the menus):
Arizona Biltmore  2400 E. Missouri Ave., Phoenix. For dinner reservations, call 602-381-7632. Cost: $85/adults; $45/child (age 12 and under). Dinner is served from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. A brunch buffet is also …read more

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Does dough flipping and rolling sound like sporting events to you? What about making dough balls? They will if you plan to celebrate the grand opening of Rosati’s Pizza in Peoria on Saturday afternoon.
The new restaurant is hosting what it expects to be the first annual “Master’s of the Pizza Dough” contest. For the first one, they’re bringing in twelve members from the Liberty High School Varsity Football Team to compete in various pizza-making drills. It’ll be the offense against the defense as teams compete for the winning team trophy. The restaurant’s founder, Fred Rosati, 91, will judge.
If you …read more

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