Hometown Post - Jen of The Arizona Russums

I'm glad I was able to tempt you all yesterday with the nutella rice krispies and hope all of you are planning on making them this weekend, just kidding! But thank you for letting me share the goodies that come out of my kitchen. Hometown is back today! We are heading from Meggan's Ft. Lauderdale over to another sunny state, Arizona. I have the sweetest girl, Jen from The Arizona Russums, who is sharing Scottsdale, AZ with you all! Thank you Jen for contributing to this series.
If anyone is new to this series, the premise for the idea is if I was coming to visit you in your hometown, what would you plan for us to do while I was visiting. What would we do, see and eat
Now take it away Jen!




Hi there! My name is Jen and I blog over at The Arizona Russums. Although both my husband and I grew up in the Seattle area, we moved to Scottsdale, Arizona TWO days after returning from our honeymoon and it is quickly becoming HOME. We love it here!

One of the best things about living in Arizona is all the visitors we get. I'm  not sure if it's just that all of our Pacific Northwest friends and family are dying to get out of the rain or that Phoenix is some type of crossroads between the west, the north and the south, but we have no shortage of visitors since moving!

If you are thinking about a visit to our desert, let me first explain the weather to you. It's not really HOT all the time, and even when it is, it's not as bad as the locals make it out to be...

Mid-May through Mid-October... it's hot. We are talking anywhere from 90 to 120 degrees. Usually there are only a few days that approach 120 in July or August. Most of the time it's between 100-110. And it's a dry, lovely heat that makes you feel you are a cookie baking in an oven. I love it.

November is beautiful month with 65-85 degree temps.

December, January and February range from 55-75 degrees. Usually there is one cold week per winter when it gets into the 30s or even the 20s at night and is only in the 50s during the day. The average temp in January is 65 degrees. And it's sunny almost every day of winter. Glorious!

March and April are also amazing months here if you need to escape a place where winter just won't seem to end. You can almost count on 75-85 degree temps and can usually start laying out by the pool... although it's still a bit too cold to swim!

And here are some fun things to do around the city...

Fashion Square

 

Let's just say I have never been to a mall before that has so many stores that I like in one place. Nordstrom, Banana, Anthro, J.Crew, Crate and Barrel... you name it, it's probably there.

Old Town

 

This the touristy area of Scottsdale. It's mostly filled with art galleries and shops that sell Native American jewelry. You might not find a lot to buy here, but it's fun to walk around and there are lots of delish restaurants in the area... try The Breakfast Club, The Herb Box, Oregano's, Salty Señorita, or Saddle Ranch Chop House.

Arizona State University

 

This is where I go to school. It's the largest university in the nation. It's the home of Sun Devil sports, if you want to check out some PAC-12 action, and the Gammage Theater, which features Broadway shows each season. We went to see Stomp there this Christmas and it was so much fun!

Spring Training

 

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Okay, I have to admit. I have yet to go to a spring training game, but I hope to go this year. I've heard tickets cost only a few bucks and you can sit on the lawn in some of the stadiums. Count me in!

La Grande Orange

This is hands down my favorite restaurant in the Scottsdale/Phoenix area. By day, they serve amazing coffee, delish breakfasts, sandwiches, salads and sushi with a seat-yourself dining room, and they don't care if you hang out there all day on your computer or with your books. At night they turn into a candlelit pizzeria. Oh, and there is gelato shop right next door if you want dessert.

Hiking

The Phoenix area is known for its urban hiking -- meaning there are a few mountains that pop up right in the middle of the city that are just begging to be climbed. The famous Camelback Mountain towers over Scottsdale and offers a short but intense hike for breathtaking views of the whole valley. Down the road a bit you will find the Phoenix Mountains Preserve with hundreds of trails right in the city.

That's it for now! Come visit our Valley of the Sun! You won't regret it!

And please feel free to stop by; I'd love to meet you!

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Thank you again Jen! Next time Sean and I drive through Scottsdale to visit my parents in Tucson, I will have to stop and visit for a few hours and definitely go to La Grande Orange!