5 attraction and eatery combinations
Have you wondered what there is to do around the Valley in a city other than where you live? Or, maybe you’re new to metro Phoenix and just haven’t ventured beyond your neighborhood. Here are five “do and dine” experiences to get you out and experiencing all it has to offer.
Musical Instrument Museum and Desert Ridge Marketplace
This 80,000-square-foot museum in north Phoenix, open since April 2010, lets you see, hear and even handle instruments from around the world. There are more than 15,000 objects in the museum’s collection, and the venue’s intimate 300-seat theater features 200 concerts each year. TripAdvisor users have ranked it the No. 1 attraction in Phoenix on a list of 200. Asking yourself why you haven’t been to the MIM yet? Making a day of it is easy with dining options at Desert Ridge Marketplace, just north of the museum. Sandbar Mexican Grill, a beach-themed sports bar there, delivers a toes-in-thesand feel and eats like tacos, burritos and fajitas.
4725 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix. $20; $15 for ages 13-19; $10 for ages 4-12; free for 3 or younger. 480-4786000, mim.org.
Loop 101 and Tatum Boulevard in Phoenix. 480-585-5900, sandbaraz.com; more at shopdesertridge.com/dine.
Butterfly Wonderland and Orange Sky
Let butterflies land on you and get a sensory experience in an indoor-rainforest environment kept at a constant 78 to 80 degrees. Butterfly Wonderland is all about the colorful winged insects and exploring their world with laboratories, interactive exhibits, a 3-D movie theater and gift shop. A cafe also is on-site, but how about dinner with a breathtaking view? End your inspiring day with dinner overlooking the Valley landscape from 15 floors above at Orange Sky at Talking Stick Resort. Azcentral.com readers voted it the Best Restaurant View at Dusk. Get a table that faces west.
Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. Loop 101 and Indian Bend Road on the Salt River Reservation. $19.95; $17.95 for ages 13-17 and with college ID; $12.95 for ages 3-12; free for age 2 or younger; $2 off admission with valid military ID. butterflywonderland.com.
9800 E. Indian Bend Road, Salt River Reservation. 480-850-8606, talkingstickresort.com.
Orpheum and dinner, drinks at a Top 10 downtown restaurant
The Orpheum was built in 1929 as a vaudeville house. Fitting perhaps that in 2015, Jimmy Fallon would tape a post-Super Bowl “The Tonight Show” here. Performances and events have included Ballet Arizona, Susan Boyle, Diana Krall, Peter Frampton and, on June 5, 2016, the azcentral.com Arizona Sports Awards. Arrive early and check out the lobby’s Spanish Baroque Revival decor that mirrors a medieval nobleman’s art gallery. Inside, gaze upward at the hand-painted ceiling, which depicts a bright sunset turning into a starry night sky. Grab a meal before the show or drinks afterward at one of our dining critic’s Top 10 downtown restaurants, all within a quick ride and most within walking distance. Asian, Jamaican, Southern and eclectic are among the options, along with pizza, including one Fallon gave a shout out to on Instagram: Pizzeria Bianco.
203 W. Adams St., orpheum-theater.com. Phoenix. Top 10 downtown Phoenix restaurants, picked by our dining critic at
Chandler Center for the Arts and Porkopolis
At the northwest corner of Arizona Avenue and Chandler Boulevard stands a facility that includes a 1,500-seat main theater, 350-seat Hal Bogle Theater and a 250-seat recital hall. Jay Leno, Linda Ronstadt and Chinese acrobats have performed at the venue, which also is home to Chandler High School rehearsals, community events and the National Underwater Robotics Challenge. Sink your teeth into barbecue just over a mile south on Arizona Avenue at one of our dining critic’s 10 favorite BBQ joints around metro Phoenix Porkopolis. Opt for tender and flavorful brisket or choose thick and meaty ribs with a toothsome texture. Bonus: They serve pops from Paletas Betty for dessert.
250 N. Arizona Ave. 480-7822680, chandlercenter.org.
1445 S. Arizona Ave., Chandler. 480-8997675, porkopolisbbqaz.com.
South Mountain Park and Rustler’s Rooste
The largest municipal park in the U.S. is right here in Phoenix and offers nearly 70 miles of trails, hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding across 16,000 acres. Less than 20 minutes south of downtown Phoenix, it’s a quick getaway from the bustle of city life. The park is one of 20 great places to take photos in the Phoenix area, too. For the best photo opp, take a 4-mile hike to Dobbins Lookout, where you’ll be rewarded with a view of the sprawling metro area. Unwind afterward at Valley landmark Rustler’s Rooste, one of 12 Phoenix-area restaurants 25 years or older. As the name suggests, you’ll find cowboy fare here, including rib-eye, T-bone and Porterhouse steaks alongside baked beans, fresh biscuits and corn on the cob. Kids of all ages will love heading down a tin slide to enter the restaurant.
5 a.m.-7 p.m. for all trailhead areas and entrances. Trails are open until 11 p.m. daily. Main entrance: 10919 S. Central Ave., Phoenix. Pima Canyon entrance: 9904 S. 48th St., Phoenix. Free. 602262-7393, phoenix.gov/parks/trails/locations/south.
8383 South 48th St., Phoenix. 602431-6474, rustlersrooste.com.
Dominic Armato, Sonja Haller, Kellie Hwang, Weldon B. Johnson, Parker Leavitt and Georgann Yara contributed to this list.