Topic Wiki

Trip Reports


2014 - Mgarfin's 2014 trip to Arizona-Delta glitch
2014 - VacationLover's Sedona and the Grand Canyon TR
2015 - PBaruch's Dreams of Flight - Hummingbirds and Arizona
2016 - Pbaruch's Motorhome Adventures in Utah and Arizona
2016 - drewsky9's Arizona Trip Report
2016 - MahRabuMasecha's Vegas Zion Page Grand Canyon Sedona TR
2016 - ShlockDoc's Midwest Roadtrip - Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming
2017 - Davidmal's Phoenix & Scottsdale for 5 Hours
2018 - Ikelunious99's Arizona Trip Report

Utah has it's own master thread and wiki at https://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=15858.0

Activities


Phoenix

Arizona Cardinals (NFL Football)
Arizona Coyotes (NHL Hockey)
Arizona Diamondbacks (MLB Baseball)
Phoenix Suns (NBA Basketball)

Camelback Mountain
Desert Botanical Garden
Encanto Park
Goldfield Ghost Town
Japanese Friendship Garden
Lost Dutchman State Park
Nordstrom Last Chance - one of the few in the world.
Octance Raceway- Extremely fast Go-Karting
Scottsdale Old Town

Arizona Science Center (Indoor)
Museum of Musical Instruments (Indoor)
Queen Creek Olive Mill (Olive farm and mill, with Olive 101 'factory' tour)
Arizona Boardwalk (entertainment complex, with aquarium, butterfly conservatory, etc. www.azboardwalk.com)
Children’s Museum of Phoenix (for kids under age 10, they claim to be top 3 Children's Museum in the country).

Sedona, AZ
Stunning red rock formations and scenery viewable throughout the small city with unique views along the many hiking trails (including Devil's bridge, West Fork Trail, and Sugar Loaf Loop)
Off road jeep tours (e.g. Pink Jeep Tours)
eclectic outdoor shopping
Slide rock state park: Natural water slide in creek (just north of Sedona)


Grand Canyon National Park (South Rim)
There are two trails from the south rim that go down into the canyon (and all the way to the canyon floor, which is a strenuous multi-day hike). You can experience a taste of it, by turning around at any point.
  • South Kaibab Trail - One of the top rated trails for the GC (trail descends into the canyon, uphill climb on return)
  • Bright Angel Trail - Also one of the top rated trails for GC (trail descends into the canyon, uphill climb on return)
There are also trails along the south rim (called Rim Trails) that don't descend into the canyon, and are relatively flat. These offer views of the canyon and are dotted with various scenic viewpoints. Some areas of the rim trail are paved others are not. These may be more suitable those with young children or those fear of hiking near the edge of the canyon cliffs. The National park shuttle buses also transport passengers to various points within the park, along the south rim.
A PDF map of grand canyon national park south rim is at https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/upload/sr-pocket-map.pdf
Grand Canyon National Park Lodges

Nearby attractions outside the National Park include:
  • Skywalk
  • Bearizona Wildlife Park - Williams, AZ

Page AZ
Lake Powell (popular lake for boating, with kayak, motor boat, pontoon boat, houseboat rentals, Jetski, boat tours, and swimming). Lake and surrounding canyon walls are uniquely scenic together (it's actually a huge artificial reservoir surrounded by canyon walls, resulting from the construction of the Glen Canyon Dam
Carl Hayden Visitor Center at the Glen Canyon Dam (Free museum about the Glen Canyon Dam)
Horseshoe bend (popular scenic overlook of a 180 degree bend in the Colorado river)
Antelope Canyon (beautiful slot canyons with stunning photography opportunity, controlled by Native Americans with entrance fees and guided tour, advance reservations are needed. Fees were recently increased to $60-$100/pp)

Tucson

Saguaro National Park

Kosher Restaurants

See the following for up to date info:
--http://www.kosherphoenix.org/index.php/kosher-food-in-phoenix/restaurants/
--https://www.ahavastorah.org/restaurants.html 


Phoenix

Cafe Chenar
LaBella Pizzeria and Restaurant
Manhattan Pizza & Subs
Samarkand Restaurant Glatt Kosher

Scottsdale

Fresh Mint
Kitchen 18
Milk+ Honey Espresso Bar & Eatery

Groceries


Imperial Market & Deli

Shuls


Ohr Hatorah Congregation- Located in Phoenix Map
Chabad Jewish Center of North Phoenix Map
Ahavas Torah:The Scottsdale Torah Center Map


Chabad of Flagstaff AZ (Kosher meals available), Minyanim in the summer and chol hamoed (1 hour south of the Grand Canyon National Park)

« Last edited by Yr18 on October 02, 2023, 08:46:50 AM »

Author Topic: Arizona Master Thread  (Read 379702 times)

Offline E-MAN

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Re: Arizona Master Thread
« Reply #600 on: December 05, 2016, 12:50:11 PM »
in the entire state or just the Phoenix metro area?
Within a 1-1.5 hour drive of Phoenix metro area

Offline ya

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Re: Arizona Master Thread
« Reply #601 on: December 06, 2016, 03:29:33 PM »
fyi new Andaz in Scottsdale

Offline momo

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Re: Arizona Master Thread
« Reply #602 on: December 06, 2016, 03:31:57 PM »
fyi new Andaz in Scottsdale
Not open yet.

Offline Denverite

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Re: Arizona Master Thread
« Reply #603 on: December 06, 2016, 04:12:45 PM »
Not open yet.

When's it opening? Are they rebranding another hotel or building it?

Offline ya

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Re: Arizona Master Thread
« Reply #604 on: December 07, 2016, 11:11:51 AM »
When's it opening? Are they rebranding another hotel or building it?
building it. opens DEC 13th. Im going DEC 20th

Offline ya

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Re: Arizona Master Thread
« Reply #605 on: December 07, 2016, 11:14:46 AM »

Offline Luvtotravel

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Re: Arizona Master Thread
« Reply #606 on: December 08, 2016, 12:22:41 PM »
are there reliable minyanim anywhere other than phoenix? kosher food?
Don't wait for the perfect moment; take the moment and make it perfect.

Offline shiframeir

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Re: Arizona Master Thread
« Reply #607 on: December 09, 2016, 02:15:37 AM »
are there reliable minyanim anywhere other than phoenix? kosher food?
yes scottsdale has a nice shul ahavas something or other, and several decent food options including Kitchen18 which is really NY/LA level quality restaurant.

Offline Luvtotravel

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Re: Arizona Master Thread
« Reply #608 on: December 13, 2016, 02:54:50 PM »
haven't found any stuff on ddf regarding Tucson. any unreleased tuscon TR's or just general info on where to daven, eat, what to see?
Don't wait for the perfect moment; take the moment and make it perfect.

Offline Denverite

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Re: Arizona Master Thread
« Reply #609 on: December 13, 2016, 06:56:53 PM »
haven't found any stuff on ddf regarding Tucson. any unreleased tuscon TR's or just general info on where to daven, eat, what to see?

There is a dairy restaurant within the university there.  Not a big community.

Offline Luvtotravel

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Re: Arizona Master Thread
« Reply #610 on: December 14, 2016, 12:02:37 PM »
There is a dairy restaurant within the university there.  Not a big community.
one rabbi I called mentioned a deli
Don't wait for the perfect moment; take the moment and make it perfect.

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Re: Arizona Master Thread
« Reply #612 on: January 03, 2017, 11:36:10 PM »
Anybody have any experience with the Sheraton desert oasis villas in scottsdale?
How does it compare to the westin kierland villas?
TIA

Offline Mutty

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Re: Arizona Master Thread
« Reply #613 on: January 04, 2017, 01:37:28 PM »
I don't know the Sheraton but the Westin villas was very nice. I stayed there twice on points (less than the main hotel)
“You see things; you say, 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say 'Why not?”

Offline Galitzyaner

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Re: Arizona Master Thread
« Reply #614 on: January 04, 2017, 01:44:43 PM »
yes scottsdale has a nice shul ahavas something or other, and several decent food options including Kitchen18 which is really NY/LA level quality restaurant.
Sounds like you've eaten at Kitchen18. Well I'm not sure how you've eaten there and not realized the Chabad shul right next door (never mind that they give the hechsher on the restaurant), you can't really miss it.
Yes, they have daily minyanim.

Offline Denverite

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Re: Arizona Master Thread
« Reply #615 on: January 04, 2017, 10:59:39 PM »
Anybody have any experience with the Sheraton desert oasis villas in scottsdale?
How does it compare to the westin kierland villas?
TIA

I've stayed at the Sheraton Desert Oasis and was disappointed.  It's a timeshare only property that is basically like an apartment complex with a pool, that wasn't heated well.  The Westin Kierland Villas are awesome and I've been back there a few times.  Hands-down go to the Westin!

Offline lifetimedeals

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Re: Arizona Master Thread
« Reply #616 on: January 05, 2017, 01:05:36 AM »
I've stayed at the Sheraton Desert Oasis and was disappointed.  It's a timeshare only property that is basically like an apartment complex with a pool, that wasn't heated well.  The Westin Kierland Villas are awesome and I've been back there a few times.  Hands-down go to the Westin!
what's the difference from The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa and The Westin Kierland Villas, Scottsdale  ?

Offline shiframeir

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Re: Arizona Master Thread
« Reply #617 on: January 05, 2017, 11:53:52 AM »
Sounds like you've eaten at Kitchen18. Well I'm not sure how you've eaten there and not realized the Chabad shul right next door (never mind that they give the hechsher on the restaurant), you can't really miss it.
Yes, they have daily minyanim.
i know about the chabad shul next door, davened mincha there :)

Offline shiframeir

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Re: Arizona Master Thread
« Reply #618 on: January 05, 2017, 11:55:38 AM »
what's the difference from The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa and The Westin Kierland Villas, Scottsdale  ?
two separate properties, but villas people can go over to the resort & Spa and use their bigger grounds (lazy river/surfing machine etc, though note surfing costs $ for anyone). pool at villas when i was there in august was mostly empty so spent lots of time there switching over occassionally to the fuller resort grounds for the river and surfing. that surfing experience is a real chavayah, highly recommended.

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Re: Arizona Master Thread
« Reply #619 on: January 06, 2017, 12:43:48 AM »
Anyone interested in a minyan in the Westin Kierland Shabbos January 28?