When chef Rich Hinojosa first visited Las Vegas with his family at age 13, he was not old enough to take in all that Sin City had to offer, namely: gambling, boozing and fine dining. As a full-grown culinarian, the executive chef and co-owner of CRUjiente Tacos now makes regular runs to check out the "fun stuff going on in Vegas for restaurants." From Chinatown to downtown, Hinojosa shares his favorite hot spots and up-and-comers.
As editors of a city lifestyle magazine with a travel section that covers locales far beyond our beloved Phoenix Valley, you can imagine that we get pitched A TON about new and exciting travel offers around the country. Of course, we can't fit everything into a 200-page monthly magazine that only allots five of those pages to regional travel. Sigh... 'tis the nature of publishing.
But it pains us too much to kill all of our darlings. So each month, we scrape a few travel tidbits off the cutting room floor and bring you Travel Bag Bites – bite-sized travel-related goodies (special offers, activities and deals) to snack on while planning your next great escape.
Almost smack dab in the middle of Arizona lies Camp Verde, an outdoors enthusiast's dream situated on the idyllic banks of the Verde River, whose lush greenery lives up to its verdant moniker. The town has a handy app (visitcampverde.com) to help visitors navigate local attractions, but these three newish ones are top on our radar.
The late "Arizona Cowboy" Rex Allen's hometown is updating its Western roots for a new era.
Chef Justin Beckett takes at least one or two trips a year to San Francisco. As someone who's conquered 24 restaurants in 36 hours during "eat-a-thons" in the city, Beckett knows some fantastic food spots. "I'm a little weird; I don't go for the $300 dinner… We like to eat simple foods," Beckett says. After years of traveling with his wife and two kids, the owner of Beckett's Table and Southern Rail has racked up a handful of family-friendly foodie destinations.
As editors of a city lifestyle magazine with a travel section that covers locales far beyond our beloved Phoenix Valley, you can imagine that we get pitched A TON about new and exciting travel offers around the country. Of course, we can't fit everything into a 200-page monthly magazine that only allots five of those pages to regional travel. Sigh... 'tis the nature of publishing.
But it pains us too much to kill all of our darlings. So each month, we scrape a few travel tidbits off the cutting room floor and bring you Travel Bag Bites – bite-size travel-related goodies (special offers, activities and deals) to snack on while planning your next great escape.
Muslims flock to Mecca, hipsters swarm Coachella and Elvis fans go to Graceland. Chef Jeff Smedstad of Sedona's prized Elote Café heads sur for his annual pilgrimage to the western Mexican state of Jalisco, particularly its capital Guadalajara and its blue agave-ensconced town of Tequila. Smedstad and Elote manager Juan Rojas venture here each year to "look for unique barrels of tequila, to spend time with the different tequila makers... kind of researching the product, the same way people would [with] wine country," Smedstad says. He shares a few of his Jalisco hot spots.
Formerly a smelter site for neighboring Bisbee’s copper mines, the quaint border town of Douglas now draws birders and history buffs to its riparian areas and historic landmarks. We round up the new and notable in “Arizona’s Hometown.”
As editors of a city lifestyle magazine with a travel section that covers locales far beyond our beloved Phoenix Valley, you can imagine that we get pitched A TON about new and exciting travel offers around the country. Of course, we can't fit everything into a 200 page monthly magazine that only allots five of those pages to regional travel. Sigh... 'tis the nature of publishing.
But it pains us too much to kill all of our darlings. So each month, we scrape a few travel tidbits off the cutting room floor and bring you Travel Bag Bites – bite-sized travel-related goodies (special offers, activities and deals) to snack on while planning your next great escape.
As editors of a city lifestyle magazine with a travel section that covers locales far beyond our beloved Phoenix Valley, you can imagine that we get pitched A TON about new and exciting travel offers around the country. Of course, we can't fit everything into a 200 page monthly magazine that only allots five of those pages to regional travel. Sigh... 'tis the nature of publishing.
But it pains us too much to kill all of our darlings. So each month, we scrape a few travel tidbits off the cutting room floor and bring you Travel Bag Bites – bite-sized travel-related goodies (special offers, activities and deals) to snack on while planning your next great escape.
“There is such unadulterated beauty in Cabo,” says Pauline Martinez, owner of Perk Eatery and CHAR Kitchen+Bar in Scottsdale. Martinez visited the Baja California city with her husband this summer to draw inspiration from their culinary traditions to bring back to her restaurants – as well as to kick back a little and enjoy the view. “There’s this big juxtaposition between this party scene and this...rich beauty that is so natural,” she says. And Cabo's seafood, she adds, is delicious. Her recommendations for making the most out of this lively tourist magnet:
About 
Get your daily dose of culture with our curated picks of the best events and experiences in the Valley, from art and music to sports and the outdoors. Culture vultures can sign up for our Things to Do and VIP List newsletters for even more hip happenings.