During the pandemic, I was invited to attend a virtual tour of Tempe Arizona put on by the Tempe Tourism Office. The purpose was to encourage people to travel domestically as the pandemic eased off. I live about 6 hours away from Tempe in Los Angeles so it’s an easy trip.
A convenient desert base camp
Tempe is only 5-10 minutes from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and is the home of Arizona State University. It borders Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Mesa and sits on the gorgeous Sonoran desert.
During normal times, this college town hosts sporting events, and festivals, and has amazing food. It also has fun and relaxing things to do in wide-open spaces like hiking, kayaking, and golfing.
I’ve been to Tempe several times because my parents and one of my brothers lived there 25 years ago. It was a nice place to visit then but is now a much more appealing destination and is a convenient place to stay in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area.
You may want to consider it as a base camp for day trips to Sedona, the Apache Trail, and other places of interest.
A virtual tour of Tempe on Zoom is not the same as being there but our hostesses made sure to make us feel welcome and give us the best experience possible. They even shipped us a box of beer to taste from Four Peaks Brewing Co. as well as other cool items from participating Tempe vendors.
Let’s start this party off with beer!
Tempe is hot in the summer so a frosty glass of beer is just what you need. The idea was to taste each craft brew from our box as we toured the brewery on Zoom. I didn’t want to open each can and drink it because otherwise I’d get drunk so I sipped on one as I listened to the presentation.
The mission-revival-style building where Four Peaks Brewing Co. is located was built in 1892 to house the F.A. Hough Ice Factory. Later, the Borden Milk Company took it over to produce dairy products and it became known as The Creamery. It has also been used by the Tempe-Mesa Produce Company and as a recording studio for big-name talent like Stevie Nicks.
You can tour the brewery to learn more about the building and how their beer is made.
Many of their IPAs are styled after popular beers from around the world. What I found fascinating was that they add just the right minerals to replicate the water in that region.
I love amber and reddish ale so I went straight for the Kilt Lifter Scottish-style Amber Ale. Don’t you just love that name? It was refreshing and tasty.
Tempe art brightens up the streets with color and creativity
The next stop on our tour was a visit to the studio of Jayarr Steiner, a local large-scale artist He talked about the thriving art community in Tempe and showed us some of his latest projects.
I don’t remember Tempe so ablaze in colorful murals and Jayarr’s work is prominently featured on the streets and in galleries. You can see his whimsical and positive message art on murals, wall paintings, stickers, tee shirts, and even city buses.
Jayarr was working as a screen printer and then decided to start his own yoga studio. However, he soon realized that creating art was what he was put on Earth to do.
One of his most popular designs features the phrase “You are amazing!” .
It’s obvious by his enthusiasm that he loves what he does and has boundless energy. I asked what he considered his style to be and he replied, “Simple and childlike. It’s there for people to take Instagram photos.”
He also teaches art to kids at Alice Cooper’s Solid Rock Teen Center for Foster Children and Vision Gallery.
Take a look at some of Tempe’s murals in the video below.
If you’re in town, stay at Canopy
Canopy by Hilton Tempe Downtown is a Hilton lifestyle brand. It is an intimate 198-room boutique hotel located next to the University. The décor is an eclectic mix of contemporary styles.
If you are staying at the hotel for business, you can take advantage of a variety of meeting spaces with incredible views.
Take in spectacular desert sunsets on the 14th floor and enjoy artisan cocktails and appetizers poolside.
The restaurant Alter Ego is on the ground floor. It has an open kitchen and is known for its fusion cuisine. We were told they make a mean Mai Tai using Tequila. I could drink to that!
One of the advantages of staying at a Hilton Property is that they have implemented CleanStay to ensure your cleanliness and safety during your visit.
The best time of year to visit Tempe
The Phoenix area gets insanely hot during the summer but has glorious weather from November through April. One of my favorite places to visit is the Desert Botanical Garden. It’s located in the red sandstone rocks overlooking the city and has an outstanding display of desert succulents along its nature trails.
The garden hosts events, and light festivals.
The Botanical Garden is part of Papago Park which offers a variety of extraordinary outdoor experiences. If you love hiking there are trails for all levels. Take in the desert wildflowers during the season or view the magnificent sandstone buttes that rise from the desert floor.
The Phoenix Zoo, and Hall of Flame Museum, are also within the park.
After you play, savor a meal
Favorite Tempe restaurants include Crêpe Bar, Ghost Ranch, and Top of the Rock at the Marriot.
I’m ready, are you?
For more information about Tempe visit TempeTourism.com
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Have you ever been to Tempe or other areas in the Sonoran Desert? What do you like to do when you’re there? Please leave a comment below.
Even virtual travel is better than no travel at all. Yes, I would love to be staying in a nice hotel right now but I’ll err on the side of caution. Thanks for sharing, I didn’t realize that Tempe was so alive with color and nature…and Kilt Lifters!
It’s a very fun and artsy place to hang out. Hopefully, we will be able to travel again in the future although taking virtual tours are fun too.
I’ve never spent any real time in this part of the country. It’s so different from Connecticut. Would love to explore. Maybe someday…
I hope you get a chance to, Laurie. The desert and Southwest are beautiful especially when the weather is good.
From a vibrant college vibe that fosters a great local foodie scene to its walkable downtown, family friendly attractions, arts and culture programming and 24/7 sunshine, this city has a lot to offer visitors looking for things to do in Tempe and reasons to visit this growing desert community in the Valley of the Sun. Perhaps the most dramatic example is Tempe Town Lake, created in 1999 at a site on the Salt River where riverboats once delivered grain to be ground at the historic Hayden Flour Mill. Now, more than 2.4 million people a year visit the 220-acre manmade reservoir for kayaking, paddleboarding and fishing.
Thanks so much for the additional info about Tempe. It’s a cool town.