We recently returned from an eight day trip to Phoenix. We went to visit family and to see some local sites. We didn't need to make many arrangements for this trip, because we were staying with family, but some research was in order to allow for the best use of our time.
Our trip was funded partially by a companion certificate from Delta Airlines. We use the Delta AMEX cards for most of our monthly purchases as well as several of our monthly bills. This allows us to accumulate miles faster. Whenever the membership fee is assessed (and it's a hefty one!) we receive a certificate for a free companion fare with a paid one. Our flight arrangement were therefore made through Delta Airlines.
I checked with Expedia, Hertz, and a few other sites for rates for a rental car. I found the best rate with Alamo. Although it is usually cheaper to rent cars away from the airport, Phoenix was an exception. It was actually cheaper at the airport than at other sites in the city. When renting a car, we use our VISA gold card, because we can then decline the collision damage waiver and be covered by VISA. This saves us money, especially overseas. By joining the Alamo Insiders, your spouse will be covered for driving the car without additional charge.
After a trip to Lake Pleasant and spending the weekend with family, we did some sightseeing. The first day we drove to Sedona. This is a beautiful drive from Phoenix, and there are Indian petrographs and cliff dwellings all around the area to see. We went to the Palatki and Honanki sites. A pass is required for parking at the sites, and the fee is $5.00. However, we were able to avoid paying the fee by showing our National Parks Golden Access card. The card can be purchased by seniors for $10.00, and it allows free entry to National Parks.
The following day we went to the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix. This is an excellent museum and is well worth a visit. It gives the complete history of musical instruments from around the world. We spent about five hours there, and there was still plenty left to see.
Our third travel day was a trip to Tucson. Since we were spending the night, I had booked a room at the Comfort Suites on Tenque Verde Road. I got a very good deal on Expedia. The room was very nice, and the rooms all opened onto an interior courtyard. When we arrived, they were beginning Happy Hour. We had free snacks and $1 beer and glasses of wine. We also had a hot breakfast the next morning, so we got great value for our money ($89.99 plus tax) with this special deal.
We met more family in Tucson, then headed to our first site, the Pima Air and Space Museum. We purchased 2 Tucson Passports. We read about the passports on the Tucson Visitors Bureau web page. The passports cost $15.00 each. With the passport, we paid one entry fee and got the other free. Since the entry fee was $15.50, we had already saved $1.00 on the four tickets. The passport also allowed us to buy one, get one free, at the other sites we were visiting. We spent five or six hours here and it was very interesting. However, if you don't like airplanes, this is not the place for you! We finished the day off by going out to dinner to the Eclectic Cafe, which was just down the street from the Comfort Suites on Tanque Verde. They have a varied menu, and everyone was pleased with their choices.
We headed out the next morning to the Titan Missile Museum, which is about 25 miles south of Phoenix. We took the hour tour, which includes going down 55 steps to the command center. You're also able to look at the missile (deactivated, of course) in the silo. It provides insight into the time when the whole world was concerned about nuclear war.
Our next site was Old Tucson. This is an amusement park type attraction which is the site of the filming of many western movies. Unfortunately, we arrived on a day scheduled for students, and the park was filled with them. Also, they were closing at 2:00 p.m. We had only a little over an hour before closing time. I don't think we missed much, however. It's pretty small, and after looking at the sets, there's not much left to do except spend money on food, drink, or trinkets.
Our last attraction was the Phoenix Zoo. We really enjoyed this zoo and spent several hours here. The zoo is set up to allow for the animals to be in habitats very similar to their natural ones, so you see them pretty much in their natural state. Because of the design, seeing it all requires a lot of walking through the inner and outer loops. It's well worth the effort, however!
We returned home from Phoenix thinking about what we would do on our next visit. There's a lot to see and do in Phoenix.
