I think I surprised a lot of people—friends in Sydney and Phoenecians alike—when I said I was visiting Phoenix in the middle of summer (August).

In summary, this is what I learned by the end of my visit:

• Phoenix is hot in a way that’s somewhat indescribable, but “an oven” is probably accurate.
• People don’t tend to visit Phoenix in August.
• People in the U.S. are almost always nice. It had been a while since my last visit to the States.
• The tacos in Phoenix are fantastic.
• Phoenix is not a walkable city; it’s very car-centric.
• There are some pretty decent hikes. (I did one! I didn’t include it in this post though—saving that for its own post.)
• Phoenix is hot. Did I say that already?

And now to get into the core of it all. This post is a long one, mostly because of details, but I hope you enjoy the ride. 🧡

I will be honest that I knew next to nothing about the city, and one of my reasons for going included catching up with a friend, who ended up not replying to me reaching out and asking for a starting point of things to do in Phoenix. I received no response for some reason or another, but that’s OK. I was still keen to visit.

One reason for visiting Phoenix was to tick off a new city/state. I was going to Portland already for the last XOXO festival, and I thought about ways I could extend my trip to add other stops. This trip would be my first solo trip since 2018, and my third overall. I don’t usually travel on my own and this posed yet another challenge for me.

I love the hell out of Portland, but I didn’t feel like visiting just the one city, especially since I’d be travelling basically to the other side of the earth. I’d visited LA, San Francisco, Las Vegas, New York, Boston, and Seattle, to name a few other U.S. cities, but I wasn’t dying to revisit very many of them. East coast was a little out of the question as I wanted to maintain some kind of budget (as my friend Kylie said of splitting travel costs: couples privilege is real), so I decided Phoenix was “close enough” as a single city to visit. I do want to visit Texas one day, but since I want to visit both Houston and Austin, I decided to choose somewhere else. I settled on Phoenix, and then Seattle for a second visit. Looking back—and I’ll write more about this in a separate blog post—I struck the right balance between familiarity and unfamiliarity, and for that, I’m so proud of myself.

Phoenix is hot and mostly car-centric. I was warned by a few locals in the XOXO Slack workspace, who also gave me suggestions and tips. It would be a “different kind” of heat to what I might be used to. What I’m used to, mind you, is a humid, sweltering kind of heat that teeters around the high 30s (Celsius—or about 100°F). Sweaty business that I’ve experienced both in Sydney and in some parts of Southeast Asia. A dry, desert heat is different and maybe I’d be alright with it in comparison to humidity… surely?

Phoenix’s heat was different in a way that the locals find difficult to explain. Now I see that you need to be there and to experience it to really know. If I were to try and explain it, it feels like being in an oven. 😅 It can often feel hotter than the weather actually is, and make you feel tired. It definitely made me lose my appetite and not feel like eating as much as I normally would. I found myself seeking air conditioning, or at the very least, shade—of which there is little in Phoenix.

The flight from Sydney to LA was about 13 hours, then I had a pretty short layover before a 57-ish minute flight to Phoenix. I tried to get as much sleep as possible on the long haul, which wasn’t too hard since I didn’t get enough sleep the night before I had to go to the airport. The sleep is kind of essential given that I’d be landing early morning in west coast U.S. time. I didn’t have a direct seat neighbour, just someone seated by the window, whom I made light conversation with. I chose the aisle seat on purpose so I had a bit more room and so that I could get up and stretch my legs without disturbing anyone. It has been a long time since I’ve flown a long haul, so I made it a goal to stay well hydrated throughout the flight.

I got about 4 hours of sleep mostly uninterrupted, and then a few short naps before and after that. I had been listening to an audiobook (Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang) the whole time through my noise-cancelling headphones which felt a bit better than just straight earplugs with no audio. It did mean that I had to rewind the audiobook when I tuned out and fell asleep, though. 😆

Customs at LAX was a nightmare, since the queues were incredibly long. I think it was a busy time of the morning and several flights must have landed at the same time. I was carrying a large backpack as my carry-on luggage and a smaller backpack as my personal item, so I just got straight off the plane. The queues were well organised, but just a very long wait. I thought I was OK for my connecting flight until I realised it was an estimated 50 minute walk from where my plane landed. I had to go from Tom Bradley all the way to gate 86A. 😭 Fuckin’ LAX. That gate was all the way through underground tunnels and shit.

I made the flight, but was drenched with sweat from running through the tunnels with my backpack. I guess I got my steps in? And my exercise? All before 9:00am Pacific time. I had a pretty empty flight to Phoenix and it went by very quickly. I was tired so I just put my headphones on, shut my eyes, and continued listening to my audiobook.

Once I landed in Phoenix it was easy enough to get the free SkyTrain and then get the light rail to my hotel. I’d topped up my balance in the ValleyMetro app and was pleased to know that the fare was $2 and then capped at $4, so it made it easy to plan how much to add. I generally choose public transport when I’m travelling since it tends to be cheaper.

I chose the Hyatt Place downtown for accommodation, since it was my first time in Phoenix and I was also trying to go for something budget-friendly but have privacy. Hyatt Place is less expensive than Hyatt Regency, I found—but still does the job. I had thought about Airbnbs and sharing a space with a host, but after such a long flight on my own, I figured I’d want the flexibility of a hotel and my own personal space.

Luckily my hotel room was ready by the time I arrived. I suspect it’s because I was travelling in summer and the hotel wasn’t busy. I took the opportunity to take a shower and hit the road. When it comes to handling jet lag, I just try to adjust to local time as soon as I can, and accept that I’ll be pretty tired on the first day.

I very quickly found out that Phoenix was not walkable. 😭 I walked out and didn’t really check what time the Japanese Friendship Garden was open—I wasn’t banking on actually entering, but it had just closed at 12 noon when I walked past. I had been walking for about fifteen minutes and was finding the heat pretty wretched. There was barely any shade to take refuge, and I set about finding the closest light rail stop and decided to do my first indoor activity: the Heard museum, which has a focus on American Indian stories and history. I wasn’t sure how long it would take me to explore, but I was there for longer than expected. I found the exhibit Away From Home, on American Indian boarding school stories, most captivating. The Art & Sole exhibit was front and centre upon entering, and showed shoes with the work of Native artists. I loved seeing them all.

I didn’t take photos of absolutely everything but there was really no shortage of things to see and learn. I was tired and getting quite hungry throughout my visit, and I could tell because I was starting to struggle to retain some of the information I was reading. When I glanced at online maps, it seemed like I could walk a few blocks to some places, but a few blocks in the 40ºC heat was just too much. 🥵

I walked to a taco place called Maskadores in the Encanto area, since it was closest to where I was. I was ravenous at this point, and walking any further or waiting for a light rail to take me further would make me impatient. The restaurant wasn’t too busy, so I ordered some tacos and a drink and felt very sated afterwards.

I didn’t really know what to do afterwards; the heat was starting to get to me and I felt like I needed a break. The light rail back to downtown gave me some reprieve because of the air-conditioning. I tried to see if there was anywhere downtown to take a break, like an indoor mall or something… 😂 I didn’t find any of those. Just one outdoor mall. I found the big PHX sign and debated asking someone to take a photo of me with it, but took a selfie instead. I was almost too hot and exhausted to talk to anyone at this point (although someone complimented my hat). Mind you, I did carry a water bottle around and stayed hydrated, but I also doubt many people were trying to sightsee the same way I was. I just know the Phoenecians are laughing at my determination to get by in the heat without a car, but far too kind to say “I told you so”. 😌

My sandals were giving me blisters so I decided to go and have a break in my hotel room. I can’t remember how long I was there, but I didn’t want to give up that easily, so an hour or so later I decided to explore Roosevelt Row and maybe look for something to eat. I got the light rail there and then started walking down the length of the road. Some of the shops were shut, unfortunately, but it was still nice to explore the area. I don’t know how busy it gets, but I was there on what I assume was a far less busy night. The eateries were all open and some of them were really buzzing, but I wasn’t sure what I was feeling like eating. I ended up buying some gelato and then making my way back to my hotel.

Let’s just say it was a rather successful day in terms of seeing and exploring a few areas, although it took me that night and the next night to adjust myself to the temperature in my hotel room. I had the temperature set to be pretty low (22ºC/72ºF) but I still liked having the blankets on me, but I woke up in a sweat. I may not have been built for Phoenix, but fuck you, I have willpower and I will try. 😅🤣

I laugh at that last sentence because one of my exes said a pretty painful “you’re not built for travel” on one of our trips, and I’ve only literally just remembered how much of my travel seems to virtually centre around trying to be a strong bitch who can withstand extremes.

I woke up early on my second day in Phoenix because I learned that the Desert Botanical Garden was open from 7:00am. I decided that the early morning would be the perfect time to visit an outdoor location before the middle of the day got exceptionally hot. I didn’t make it out of my hotel until 8:00am, but my included hotel breakfast was helpful in giving me a bit of protein and some coffee. I don’t normally eat breakfast until I’ve exercised or have been awake for several hours, but I didn’t know what I had planned for lunch yet, so I decided to eat and play it safe.

I decided to get a Waymo, one of the self-driving cars which have been in Phoenix for several years (and I think is available in San Francisco as well). It seems like people are pretty divided on these—either kind of freaky or kind of exciting. There is also history of these self-driving cars being involved in a couple of accidents. The experience was definitely novel and I didn’t find it too scary, although this is a bit unusual coming from someone who dislikes automation. 😅 The ride to the Desert Botanical Garden was 30 minutes and I thought it was the perfect amount of time to experience the Waymo. It would have been a much longer ride by public transport, and I also wasn’t in the mood for chatting to an Uber driver or taxi driver.

I didn’t try to play my own music from my phone, but I just enjoyed the ride by selecting one of the preset music stations. I took a couple of videos and observed the cars around me. It honestly felt like I was on public transport and being taken somewhere, except I was in a car. Driverless trains and light rail are more common these days, after all. The whole experience was a comfortable ride and cost about $32 AUD / $21 USD. I suppose it is a bit more expensive than an Uber, and I was expecting that, but I felt like I got my money’s worth. It is really not often that I even take an Uber for a ride as long as 30 minutes. It was interesting to see how well the car did with reacting to other drivers suddenly doing a lane change, and also when it kept to the speed limit whilst other drivers sped ahead.

The Desert Botanical Garden was both enthralling and educating and I spent a solid couple of hours there. I did find it hard to really digest all the information I was reading on the signs, but the experience itself was rather peaceful. I have honestly never seen so many desert plants in my life.

I was not far from Scottsdale and I intended to visit the area so I got an Uber to somewhere in the middle of town. Again, my determination got the better of me, and I realised that even the centre of Scottsdale was oven-hot and I could only walk a few blocks before retreating in the public library. 😓 It was a cute little library though, and nearby I found this “LOVE” sign marked on Apple Maps.

I wanted to check out Scottsdale proper, and it occurred to me that before my Uber driver dropped me off, maybe he was just being extra polite about being able to walk to the Arts District and the park and all that stuff. Or maybe he overestimated me. Haha. It was nice walking through the Arts District but a lot of the places were closed on that day of the week. I don’t think it would have made a huge difference to me actually wanting to look in some of the galleries, but it made a difference to how quiet it felt on the street.

I walked around Old Town and found a strip of shops that piqued my interest, so that kept me occupied for some time. I was tempted to buy something as a memento for my time in the city, but couldn’t find any enamel pins or jewellery that I liked. I’d seen some in the gift shop at the Desert Botanic Garden, but I was penny-pinching and didn’t like the steep prices. Well, after looking in all the cute little boutiques, it was time to make a pit stop somewhere else. I thought about getting coffee somewhere specific, but I was also rather close to the Scottsdale Fashion Square so I found my way in there through the street entrance to Nordstrom, pretty keen to cool down indoors. Surely there’d be a Starbucks inside; I don’t know.

It was here where my plans took a turn. I sat down for a bit, replying to some text messages while using the free wifi. The plan was to find coffee, look at the shops, then head back downtown. I got up and it was only a minute after I started my mission that the white hat I’d brought on my trip—and had been wearing for the duration of my time in Phoenix—caught the eye of someone who become my friend and company for the rest of the day. Alijiah was taking photos of people and capturing their style and story, and I was pretty chuffed to be one of them. We had a lengthy chat about my holiday plans and he offered to take me to see a nice view at Hayden Butte (“A Mountain”) for the sunset. Welp, I wasn’t prepared for a hike up a hill, but it wasn’t too bad, since I had sneakers on. My water bottle was empty, but I couldn’t complain with a pretty incredible view of the sunset where you could see pretty much a 360º view of the city, even planes taking off or landing at the airport.

Alijiah took a photo of me, citing the adage that if I didn’t get a photo, was I even here? I’m glad he did, because I was a combination of too-shy-to-ask and tired-as-hell, and the photo is lovely. 🫶🏻

My third day in Phoenix involved a moderate hike. I decided to dedicate a separate blog post to that, so you can expect that in the near future! 🥾 Later in the day I went out on the town again, hopping between spots for lunch, then gelato, then coffee. I found a lovely coffee spot where the barista was up for a chat about my travels, and could also serve me a spicy chai latte (that’s how I like them).

It was when I was chilling in the cafe, planning what to do on my last day, wondering what else I could see in Phoenix with just one day left, that Jose messaged me on the XOXO Slack workspace and last-minute invited me to The Moth StorySlam he was hosting at Crescent Ballroom that evening. I thought, heck, why not. I had nothing planned, and it seemed like it was worth showing up. I’d never been to a story slam or a poetry slam, even. Jose and I later learned it was quite a serendipitous exchange because he had been inactive in the Slack workspace for several years, and was only prompted by a timely account-related email from Slack to log in and have a look—and it just so happened that I was in town. Crescent Ballroom was also really close to my hotel.

The StorySlam was a nice new experience, and as Jose pointed out, there was such a variety of themes across all the stories that were shared. The topic for the night was “hot mess”, and there were stories that were heartbreaking, heartwarming, hilarious, and unusual. I thought about the possibility of sharing a story of my own before I showed up, but the people on stage that night were marvellous storytellers and I don’t think I would compare. 😆

I also ate tacos at Crescent Ballroom. They were great. Jose and I hung out for a couple of drinks and a good chat afterwards and I also took the opportunity to visit the Her Secret is Patience sculpture that lights up at night (I’d only seen it during the day).

On my last day I wasn’t super sure what to do, but I decided to take it easy. I was so ready to leave the heat of Phoenix, but I didn’t want the day to go completely to waste so I went to the Phoenix Art Museum for a bit. I also completely forgot about Yayoi Kusama’s infinity room—when I planned to visit the museum, I wanted to see that, and somehow completely missed it whilst I was there. 😢 I have to say, the interior of the museum was a little confusing to navigate.

Afterwards I went to a little cafe called Nami, where I’d agreed to meet Alijiah there. He insisted on picking me up in his car when I said I had a 14 minute walk from the light rail station, but I vehemently declined. 😅 Fourteen minutes really isn’t a long walk… but now I know that it’s a long walk in Phoenix during the month of August. 😂 I was in desperate need of air-conditioning after that.

Food and coffee consumed, Jose picked me up to take me to Dark Hall coffee and The Coronado which was next door. Dark Hall was closed but they still let us buy coffee (yes, more coffee haha), and The Coronado had great vegan tacos. I had the potato flavour. 🌮

I went to the Japanese Friendship Garden with Alijiah in the evening, since they were open later on Fridays. He hadn’t been to the garden even though he lives in Phoenix. We got to see the garden with sunlight and then with the lights on after the sun went down.

I left Phoenix the next morning, catching my flight to my next destination: Seattle. I chose the window seat on purpose, because I’ve never flown north out of somewhere like Phoenix, so I figured the view outside would be pretty sweet.

Halfway through my stay in Phoenix, I couldn’t wait to leave because the heat was eating me alive. By the time I left, I wanted to come back one day. I felt like I had reasons to come back and realised I wanted to experience more of the city, and also learned of other spots in Arizona that might be worth a visit. I had endured the desert heat, which was right out of my comfort zone, and persisted. I experienced great hospitality and spent time with many welcoming friends, and had tacos every damn day I was there. I have memories I won’t forget.