There’s still about a week left of Spring Training baseball if you’d like to catch the Giants or A’s in Arizona.
And if you’re wondering what to do in between games in Scottsdale, here are some ideas.
“The West’s Most Western Town” — That’s what us valley locals have considered Scottsdale for years and there’s plenty of cowboy culture here to back up that slogan.
But Scottsdale is evolving — You see more cowboy art than actual cowboys.
Old town is dog-friendly. Get your tourist fix with Scottsdale local Ace Bailey leading.
KRON4’s Ken Wayne and his wife went into some funky southwestern shops — Arizona’s answer to Haight Street.
“Like I was saying if you can’t find a souvenir here (you can’t find a souvenir anywhere) you’re not going to find one,” Bailey said.
For a daytime break, there are new brewpubs everywhere.
“Craft 64” has more than 30 different Arizona brews on tap.
Beyond ale and coffee trails there’s a growing wine market.
Carlson Creek Vineyard features wines sourced from grapes grown at 4,200-feet above the desert floor.
“Because they’re grown at elevation the grapes pick up a lot more UV radiation which causes their skins to grow thicker which is where you get most of your flavor from,” Sam Farnsworth at Carlson Creek Vineyard said.
For a daytime snack, pop into “Simon’s” for a Colombian hot dog.
“Tell me what I got here. I got potato chips here. Crushed potato chips. The pink sauce is Simon Sauce. Basically, ketchup and mayo,” Felipe Rondan at Simon’s said.
Warmer desert nights are perfect for nighttime strolls with plenty of light to guide you.
There are 800 restaurants and many of them worthy of Bay Area taste buds.
For an extraordinary dinner, head to the Mission, right next to the original Catholic Mission in Old Town.
Another popular spot is Citizen Public House where the Wayne’s spotted some Giants broadcasters enjoying dinner.
But the true Spring Training dining experience has to be Don and Charlies which sadly, is closing next month.
“I’m closing because I’m going to be 75 on my next birthday and I’ve been working in restaurants and enjoyed every second, not every minute every second, every hour, every month every year every decade. And it’s just time to cut back a little,” Don Carlson with Don & Charlie’s Restaurant said.
The restaurant is filled with sports memorabilia, including hundreds of autographed baseballs.
It will be closing on April 10.
