Lots to see and do in Phoenix, no parka required
Hotels and attractions are going easy on the loonie to help attract Canadians
The light in Phoenix is beautiful. The sun and heat that come with it are pretty nice, too, which is why Canadians like to flock to the city to escape the snow.
It’s generally sunny and warm in Phoenix all winter, with an average temperature of 22 C. We like to head to the desert to enjoy the championship golf, plentiful spas, great shopping, southwestern cuisine and not having to wear a parka.
However, with the sinking dollar making everything more expensive in the U.S., we need to find ways to stretch our loonie this winter.
Plenty of hotels, spas, golf courses, restaurants and even malls in and around Phoenix are helping by offering discounts for Canadian travellers.
Canadians are important customers for the Phoenix area; Canada is the No. 1 international travel market, with people from all over the country heading south to Arizona.
That’s why some Phoenix hotels are offering 15 per cent off their nightly rates and calling it the “Canadian rate.” You can find “loonie toonie upgrades” where you can switch from a standard room to a suite for only $2 (U.S.). Other places have thrown the exchange rate out the window and your $1 of Canadian cash will be valued as if it is $1 (U.S.).
There are deals to be had on everything from a round of golf to balloon rides to bike rentals. Canadians who love the arts can enjoy two-for-one tickets to an art museum, and people wanting to hit the malls can get a “shop like a loonie” deal. (For a complete list of deals for Canadians, check out LoonieLoveinScottsdale.com.)
Of course, experienced shoppers can still do pretty well in the deal department — even with our low dollar — by heading to one of the famous shopping meccas in Phoenix: Nordstrom’s Last Chance.
You’ll want to get to the store right at 10 a.m. in order to enjoy the preshow in which the security guards explain to the waiting crowd that there is no pushing or grabbing allowed.
After delivering the little speech (that sounds a bit like the ones your elementary school teachers would give before recess on the playground), staff raise the metal doors of the store to the hordes of professional shoppers and bargain hounds.
A good chunk of the crowd walks calmly, but briskly, directly toward the bin with $500 purses on for $79.99. After a few minutes, an employee watching over the bin with the bags asks people at the front to back away to give the rest of us a chance to find a treasure or two.
A beloved Phoenix activity that’s always at par is climbing Camelback Mountain, a popular hike in the heart of the city.
Regulars sprint up; ear buds in and gloves on. It’s easy to figure out why the hardcore hikers are wearing ear buds but you could be forgiven for wondering about the gloves. That is until you see people zooming down the trail holding onto a railing drilled into rock at the really steep bits. The trick to the speed-sliding down the railings is wearing gloves.
Camelback is a great hike for people who are afraid of heights — there’s a fence protecting you and your neuroses from the cliffs. But it’s not for beginners or those who think hiking boots are just a fashion trend.
When you get to the top of the 2,700-foot hump, you’ll enjoy a panoramic view of the city and desert beyond, the thumping of your heart and the satisfaction of a great climb. And then you head down the mountain and find a place to enjoy a great meal. The culinary scene in Phoenix includes celebrity chefs, plenty of down home southwestern and Mexican restaurants, good old fashioned steakhouses and fancy wine bars.
You’ll also want to make time to enjoy the sunset in Phoenix. It doesn’t take too long to watch the sun drop below the rugged red rock around the city.
But you won’t want to miss that light getting low behind the majestic cactuses you see everywhere. You’ll half expect to see Wile E. Coyote run past.
He won’t, but if you listen carefully you may hear the sound of real coyotes in the distance.