A couple of week ago I grabbed a Boeing 737 to Phoenix, Arizona, aptly named the "Valley of the Sun." It was pouring at home as we boarded the plane and just after crossing into Arizona, the clouds parted and brilliant sunshine in the mid-70s welcomed us as we deplaned at Sky Harbor Airport, perfect weather for a brisk walk to work out the kinks in our muscles from sitting in an airplane for a couple of hours.
Phoenix is a walker's paradise with beautiful vistas no matter which direction you head. Between the barren, craggy rock mountains that had come alive with blooming cactus and wildflowers, the bright azure sky with a few puffy white clouds, the swaying palms, and the blazing bougainvillea everywhere, for one to take even a short walk is to walk in paradise. Of particular interest to many is the Scottsdale area where trendy boutiques, gift shops, home furnishings stores, and art galleries are just a few steps away from lovely arcades ablaze with hibiscus and other tropical plants. Of particular interest are the many shops featuring Native American and Southwestern rugs, wall hangings, sculpture, pottery, and hand-crafted jewelry.
A side-trip for a day at the world famous Grand Canyon or to west Arizona Sedona area to see the beautiful Oak Creek Canyon and the charming ghost town of Jerome are a fun treat for the whole family. Tours can be arranged from your hotel or you can rent a car to drive yourself. Interested in biking? Phoenix has off-road adventures and scenic biking areas. Ask your hotel concierge to arrange for these activities. Or, perhaps a hot air balloon ride over the valley is more to your liking or a day of boating and sailing at Apache Junction. There are cowboy adventures to be had at Cowtown Adventure Park, and horseback riding at Apache Lake Ranch. On the Internet you'll also find the address and phone numbers of guides for off-road jeep tours, river adventures, and rock climbing. If children are in attendance, a "must" is the Phoenix Zoo, featuring over 1,300 species on a 125-acrea zoological garden with four trails: African, Arizona, Discovery, and Tropical. The Discovery trail features the new Harmony Farm, offering opportunities for your youngsters to interact with domestic animals and plant life.
Since I had lots of relatives living in the area (some fulltime, others as 'snowbirds'), I stayed in a private home, but hotels abound in Phoenix, at most every price range.
Some of the popular Phoenix hotels are the Ritz Carlton ($99-$315), Hyatt Regency ($99-$210), Royal Palms Inn ($89-$511), Sheraton Crescent ($89-$221), and Arizona Biltmore ($145-$435). In Scottsdale, try the Doubletree Paradise Valley Resort ($350-$380), Southwest Inn at Eagle Mountain ($195-$345), Scottsdale Princess ($185-$350), Phoenician ($180-$410), Sunterra Scottsdale Villa Mirage ($175-$325), Ramada Valley Ho Resort ($160-$190), Doubletree La Posada Resort ($139-$240), Marriott's Camelback Inn Resort ($129-$369), Marriott's Mountain Shadows Resort ($109-$329), and the SunBurst Hotel ($90-$245).
Dining in Phoenix can be taxing on a person's meal plan as the portions tend to be large and the cuisine is more often Southwestern, infused with Mexican. I find it easier to adhere to my meal plan by ordering a starter or appetizer as my main dish and a green salad with cruets of oil and vinegar on the side so that I can control the amount of oil. Some restaurants do have entrees that are wonderful in flavor and still within "diabetic" guidelines - such was the case at Chaparral in Scottsdale where chef David Schneider's imaginative cuisine produced a luscious risotto and vegetable casserole with morel mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes. For dessert I shared a fresh fruit sampler which included some exotics that we don't get here in Texas.
Another favorite dining spot if Avanti, located in both Phoenix and Scottsdale. With a strong emphasis on regional Northern and Southern Italian dishes, I dined on angel hair pasta with a dreamy fresh tomato sauce and enjoyed the house salad -- a delicious assortment of bibb lettuce, watercress, hearts of palm, artichokes, asparagus, and a tiny slice of avocado. The vinaigrette was served on the side, but the salad was so delicious it was just fine without any. In Sedona, we enjoyed a lightened menu with Southwestern touches dining amongst the majestic red rock formations at Enchantment Resort. Before we left to return home, we stopped for coffee at Terrace on the Creek, Sedona's only creek-side restaurant. Phoenix has several vegetarian-friendly restaurants, the most outstanding of which is The Farm at South Mountain, a picnic-style restaurant in a pecan grove. Here the grilled eggplant sandwich on a French roll with sautéed green and red peppers is wonderful.
Just remember that as a person with diabetes to always carry an extra supply of your day's medications, a blood glucose testing kit (don't try to guess at your blood sugar level), carbo snacks to ward off low blood sugars should your meal be delayed. When ordering in a restaurant, don't be timid about asking questions as to how a dish is prepared -- you can and should ask them to serve the dressing or sauce on the side, to broil a piece of fish without butter or oil, or to steam some vegetables without butter. With your blood sugars under control, you'll feel better physically and will be much more likely to enjoy the scenery and activities. And, since rain is rare in Phoenix, don't forget to pack your sunscreen, your sunglasses, and, perhaps, a wide-brimmed hat to keep your head cool and protected from the brilliant dessert sunshine.
On my recent visit, I found the air to so much drier than here in Texas, that I also needed to carry bottles of spring water wherever I went -- to quench my frequent thirst and to remain hydrated as I enjoyed my increased exercise in the sun.
Have a great trip to the Valley of the Sun.
