needing help for brief stay in Pheonix

Visiting Phoenix beginning of April, the only places we need to be are the airport and the raceway in Avondale (attending the Nascar race on April 12th).

While I am sure this city has many fabulous things to offer, we haven%26#39;t really planned an itinerary for the brief time we are there (Fri.- Mon.).

Narrowing down a hotel has been a challenge for me.

Can someone advise me about whether there is an area we should be avoiding in terms of safety/security ?

There are 3 adults and 1 toddler traveling in our party.

needing help for brief stay in Pheonix

I would narrow your search to Goodyear or Avondale if all you need is access to the track. Both are easily accesible from I-10 (from the airport) and offer a wide variety of hotel options with surrounding restaurants and shopping. Your commute from there to the track is about 15-20 minutes, depending on traffic.

needing help for brief stay in Pheonix

There are many national chain hotels such as Hampton Inn, Residence Inn, Motel 6, Courtyard by Marriott, etc. along I-10 between downtown Phoenix and the racetrack.

I would AVOID anything between I-17 and about 83rd Av. That part of town is dicey. The farther west you go, the newer the hotels are.

There%26#39;s a Radisson, I believe, at Westgate in Glendale (where the Super Bowl is being played this week.) That would be my first choice if I were you.

Closer to the airport, the Airport Marriott on 44th street is great. The neighborhood is nothing special, but it%26#39;s o.k.

Thank you, your feedback is appreciated (particularly the radius of the ';dicey'; area). I am finding the hotels nearest the racetrack are booked up... but am continuing to search. Haven%26#39;t looked much into the Radisson you mentioned.

Would it be a super long drive to the racetrack if we were to stay near the airport ? I see the distance but of course have NO sense of what traffic would be like along I-10 ? I ask because a Marriott near the airport was appealing to me.

Tucson & Southern Arizona in March

My husband, 7 year old son and I will be in the Tucson area March 8-11. Can anyone recommend a nice place to stay that is central to attractions, reasonably priced and kid-friendly. What%26#39;s the weather like in March? Any attractions that you can suggest for a 7 year old boy?

Tucson %26amp; Southern Arizona in March

I would try the Doubletree at Reid Park. Centrally located and you always know what you are getting. The don%26#39;t miss attraction for a 7 year old is Old Tucson. ALso, Reid Park Zoo, the Planatarium at the University, and the Tucson Children%26#39;s Museum. March daytime highs are often perfect...in the 80s...but can also swing 10 degrees in either direction. There were some 90s last year mid March. It obviously can also rain.

Tucson %26amp; Southern Arizona in March

The don%26#39;t miss attractions for a 7-year old boy would be the Zoo and the Sonoran Desert Museum.

Great. Thanks very much. My son is into cowboys so Old Tucson will be a definite for us. He also mentioned that he wanted to go to an Indian Reservation. Is there anything between Phoenix and Tucson that you know of that we could visit that would show him their way of life? We were in Sedona last year and did the north part of Arizona and managed to see Montezuma%26#39;s Castle and the Hopi House in the Grand Canyon but I was wondering if there was anything south. I read somewhere about the Gila area but I can%26#39;t find and web links.

I would rank the Doubletree as a ';3.5 star'; property. It is very nice. Rates at the time you want would be $197-229 for a single room plus taxes. A less expensive centrally located property would be the Randolph Park Hotel and Suites at $80-140 depending on room type which includes suites with kitchenettes available. The latter hotel is recently upgraded but I would rank it as a ';2 star'; property.

Old Tucson - Before you go, once you are here, call them and find out what they are actually offering the day you want to go.

Indian Reservations - Southwest of Tucson are the Tohono O%26#39;Odham tribal lands. Their way of life today is not different than ours. The same for the Akimel Ootham (Gila River) people south of Phoenix. We also have Yaqui communities. All live in houses, generally lower economic circumstances, work, etc. Other than a sign that says ';tribal lands,'; you would not notice anything different. There is really nothing to visit. These people are not and were never like the Indians portrayed in Western movies. The San Xavier Mission is located on the tribal lands near I-19 south of Tucson. The Arizona State Museum on the campus of the Univ. of Arizona has some cultural displays about native people of this area. The best resource is the Heard Museum in Phoenix.

I wish the normal early March temperatures were in the 80%26#39;s. In fact, the averages are low 70%26#39;s daytime and mid - 40%26#39;s at night. But it certainly could be much warmer -- or cooler.

You and your son would also probably enjoy Tombstone.

I think your son will enjoy Old Tucson. They have various activities, actors walking around interfacing with kids, then put on gun fight shows in the middle of the street or in a stadium area. Not much for adults to do though. Maybe think about doing a horseback ride while here.

Between Tucson and Phoenix, there%26#39;s the Gila River Indian Community which has the ';Huhugam'; Cultural Center at the Highway 347 exit (Exit 162). There%26#39;s also Casa Grande (the monument, not the town), which is just a large, ancient dwelling of the people that once lived along the Gila. No one there now though.

If you go to the San Xavier Mission in Tucson, there are a few craft stores on the mission grounds along with the frybread vendors.

For hotels, maybe also look into the La Quinta and Embassy Suites on Broadway, the Inn and Suites at Saint Mary%26#39;s or on Oracle, and the Country Inn and Suites on Oracle.

wrinkle eye cream

10 days in Arizona

My husband and I are flying into Las Vegas and staying one night then driving to Hoover Dam and spending the night in Kingman. Then on to the Grand Canyon, staying at the El Tovar for 2 nights. We will have 5 more nights to spend in Arizona. We will be flying out of Tucson. We want to visit Phoenix. Any suggestions as to where to stay. I don%26#39;t care about staying at a Resort. Just a nice clean hotel in a good area. We like to shop, eat and see nature. Thanks for any suggestions.

10 days in Arizona

You can get a good perspective of the Phoenix area from two online interactive maps, the Phoenix Discovery Map at www.phoenixazmap.com and the Scottsdale Discovery Map at www.scottsdaleazmap.com. Both maps will give you some ideas on areas to stay and where to shop.

10 days in Arizona

I would suggested downtown ';Old Town'; Scottsdale. Scottsdale is known for resorts, but downtown has a mixture of niche hotels as well as nice chains such as Courtyard by Marriott.

If you stay within the area roughly bounded by Indian School Rd on the South, Highland Road on the north, 64th St. on the west and Hayden Rd on the east, you would be in a very walker-friendly area with tons of shops, restaurants and club.

If you%26#39;re here in March, the SF Giants have spring training within walking distance of Old Town.

';Nature'; is not walking distance, but Scottsdale is close to the McDowell Mountains Regional Park, which has numerous trails ranging from easy to difficult. Camelback Mountain is close by and you can either walk near the base for a gentle stroll, or take a strenuous hike to the top. The Zoo and Botanical Gardens are about 15 minutes by car.

Downtown Tempe is also very good, though hotels are limited to the Mission Palms, which is quite good or the Holiday Inn on Rural Rd. There are also some lesser chains nearby. The Holiday Inn is o.k., but it%26#39;s not walking distance to downtown Tempe / Mill Av., which has lots of nightlife. Mill Av. is close to Tempe Town Lake and the aformentioned Botanical gardens and Zoo are even closer than from Scottsdale.

Thank you for your suggestions. I forgot to mention that we will be traveling in May. Thank you.

fish

Late September/Early October

I realize this is quite a ways away, but I%26#39;m planning our return trip to Sedona/GCNP for the fall of 2009 and am curious if there%26#39;s really any difference (crowds, weather, etc.) between going the last week in Sept. vs. early Oct.? Any recommendations for either?

We%26#39;re planning on trying to get something at Phantom Ranch (and obviously hiking all the way into the canyon) if that makes any difference. I%26#39;d like to spend a total of 4 nights at GCNP South Rim and another 3-4 nights in Sedona.

Thanks!

Late September/Early October

Hello---I don%26#39;t know if there is much difference, weather- or crowd-wise, between late September and early October. but if Phantom Ranch is one of your goals, getting reservations there should be the determinative factor. Those weeks in late fall are prime rim-to-rim hiking season, and the Phantom reservation process, always highly competitive, is especially so then.

I suggest you try first for late September reservations at Phantom---call Xanterra on September 1. If you do not succeed, then you can try again for October on October 1. Once you have your Phantom reservations, you can plan the rest of your trip around that date.

Late September/Early October

Try for 2 nights at Phantom. It is like another world there.

Thanks for the tip-that%26#39;s what I%26#39;ll do (try in Sept., then in Oct. if it doesn%26#39;t work out). And yes, I want to try for 2 nights at Phantom Ranch with stays up at the South Rim on both sides of that stay.

Thanks again. :-)

Do you know the drill for getting the reservations? Call at 7:00 am (mountain time) on the first day of the month. If busy, hang up and dial again immediately. (Some people use speed dial and/or have 10 people trying). If you do connect, hang on and wait through the music and announcements. When you get through, it helps to have some alternative dates. If they only have one night, take it, and try again for dates in October. You can always cancel the first one.

One night at the rim before and after is what we do too. Good luck.

Sounds good! I%26#39;ve done a similar drill for snagging Cinderella%26#39;s table at the Magic Kingdom. :-) Thanks again for the tips!

Dancing the night away...Sedona syle

OK so I probably dont have the stamina for quite that much dancing anymore but we are on the countdown to our return trip to Sedona and wanted to know if there are any dance clubs in the vacinity?

Dancing the night away...Sedona syle

I know of two restaurants in Sedona that advertise nightlife, although I don%26#39;t partake.

One is Relics Restaurant. Website at www.sedonaantiques.com. Click on the big word ';Relics';.

Another is Olde Sedona Bar and Grille. Website at www.oldesedona.com.

Also the nearby Cliff Castle Casino has Dragonfly Lounge. www.cliffcastlecasino.net

Room with a view

What hotels and restaurants do you recommend for great desert views?

Room with a view

I%26#39;m assuming you mean in Phoenix? If so, hate to break it to you but with 5 million people Phoenix is a pretty big metro area and you%26#39;ll see a lot of city! Some of the resorts have some ';moutain'; views, but I confess I can%26#39;t think of any with a desert view. Hopefully someone can give you an idea.

If it%26#39;s not Phoenix, where?

Room with a view

How about the 4 Seasons in North Scottsdale. Very much desert area. Also in Fountain Hills, which is about 1/2 hour from Phoenix, the following hotels have wonderful desert views.

Copperwynd Resort

www.copperwynd.com

The Inn at Eagle Mountain

www.innateaglemountain.com

You might check out the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass [www.wildhorsepassresort.com]. It%26#39;s on the Gila River Indian Reservation immediately south of Phoenix. You should be able to get a table at their restaurant, or a room with a desert view. But you could probably also get room with a golf course view, or a casino view. Rawhide [www.rawhide.com], a frontier town amusement park, is also there, as is Firebird International Raceway [www.firebirdraceway.com].

Yes - i did mean the Phoenix or Scottsdale area. I%26#39;m looking for a restaurant for a special occasion -hopefully with outdoor dining option and pretty view (end of March).

Elements at the Sanctuary Resort in Paradise Valley will give you an excellent mountain view (with residential thrown in.)

El Carro Lodge is just down the road and is set on desert acreage.

Also, Sassi, in north Scottsdale, up on Pinnacle Peak. Northern Italian, great food and one of the few last great views of the desert...

Question about Layover time at Sky Harbor Airport

Hi,

We have a 1 p.m. flight from Portland, OR on Southwest on a Saturday in early August to Phoenix (Sky Harbor). This flight will land at 3:35. We will be connecting to Philly from Phoenix, and the next leg of the journey leaves at 4:20. It%26#39;s a pretty tight connection, but I have heard that Southwest has a great on-time record. For those of you who have frequent experience dealing with Sky Harbor and Southwest, can you please provide opinions on this rather short layover? Does anyone see problems in making the connection?

I know the Sky Harbor airport is pretty busy, but my experience is that they are sometimes much better organized when much activity is going on.

Thanks in advance for any insight!

Question about Layover time at Sky Harbor Airport

if you are Southwest to Southwest, you don%26#39;t have to change terminals, just gates or you might be on the same plane, do the check in 24 hours before online and you are set. If you are using another airline, then you may have to hustle.

Question about Layover time at Sky Harbor Airport

Southwest does have a great on-time record and getting around terminal 4 is pretty easy. I don%26#39;t see an issue with that much layover time.

Especially in August on a Saturday afternoon...