Our editorial staff picks for the best places to enjoy an activity away from home.

Best Replacement for Big Surf
Revel Surf

Conceived by wave-worshipping developer Cole Cannon, Revel Surf is an off-the-hook entertainment venue featuring a surf lagoon driven by 21 hydraulic wave boards; a diving pool; cabanas; skate park; and a full restaurant and craft cocktail bar. You can relax on the beach, ride a wave, build a sandcastle or take surf lessons. It’s swell! 4503 S. Power Rd., Mesa, 480-944-7873, revelsurf.com 

Best Library to Go
Read Runner 

With so much bad news out there about fired librarians and banned books, we need something heartening. Enter the Read Runner, Mesa’s new bookmobile designed to bring reading material to parks, schools and neighborhoods – in search of readers who can’t make it to the library. A simple idea, but a wonderful one. mesalibrary.org

Best Place to Watch a Movie Under the Stars
Harkins Camelview at Scottsdale Fashion Square

On select weekends October through April, Harkins Camelview offers Moonlight Cinema, a rooftop movie experience under the stars (think drive-in without the cars). Arrive early to load up on snacks, and then sink into your comfy lounge chair, slap on the wireless headphones and enjoy the show. 7014 E. Camelback Rd., Scottsdale, 480-947-8778, harkins.com

Best Bachelorette Weekend Activity
Painting Nearly Nude Models at Scottsdale’s Booze N Brush

Tart up your hen party with a painting session featuring “nearly nude” models at a private location or at a Booze N Brush studio. A professional painting instructor, art supplies and a “sexy model” is included. Add some adult beverages and let your imagination run wild. 4209 N. Brown Ave., Scottsdale, 833-266-9383, boozenbrush.com

Best Place to Break Things
Simply Smashing Rage Release Room 

Enter a spartan concrete room reminiscent of an underworld torture chamber and take your frustrations out on inanimate objects. Throw beer bottles against the wall. Take a sledgehammer to a printer. Swing a baseball bat at plates clipped to ropes hanging from the ceiling. Get glass in your bra. Feel better. 1845 E. Broadway Rd., Tempe, 602-909-1996, simplysmashing.com

Coolest Library
Georgia T. Lord Library

This West Valley library is not only an architectural marvel – two circular stories flooded with light, amphitheater-style stairs for lounging – it also offers nooks for readers of all ages. Think cozy, sofa-esque “cubicles” to hole up with an iPad and a children’s area where kids enter through the trunk of a giant fake tree. It’s for readers, by readers. 1900 N. Civic Square, Goodyear, 602-652-3000, mcldaz.org/georgia-t-lord

Best Neighborhood Festival
Melrose Street Fair

Held every spring along Seventh Avenue between Indian School Road and Campbell Avenue, this free festival not only shows off the vintage stores and eclectic shops in Phoenix’s Melrose District but also serves as a testament to the neighborhood’s rich culture and vibrant LGBTQ+ community. seventhavenuemerchantsassociation.com

Best Way to Engage the Senses
Elsie McCarthy Sensory Garden

Losing her eyesight never kept Elsie McCarthy from gardening. It was her true passion, so much so that – upon her death in the mid-1990s – the Valley resident bequeathed $675,000 to the City of Glendale to create an immersive nature experience for the visually impaired. At the Elsie McCarthy Sensory Garden, breathe in the aroma of fragrant plants, listen to the gurgle of water features and feel the shapes of tactile sculptures. 7637 N. 55th Ave., Glendale, glendaleaz.com

Best Off-Brand Version of Topgolf
Valley Golf Center

For a golf-themed party that’s a little more golf and a little less party, there’s Valley Golf Center. The double-decker hitting bays utilize TrackMan Range, a technology developed for the pros that’s since expanded to include interactive golf games for newbies looking for a fun outing. And, yes, they sell beer. 12247 W. Indian School Rd., Avondale, 623-248-4090, valleygolfcenteraz.com

Best Way to Impress a Date
Volanti

Sure, you can woo someone with classy cocktails at Volanti, the upscale restaurant at Scottsdale Airport, but take it up a notch by booking Volanti’s helicopter tour for two. It pairs a three-course dinner and a bottle of wine with a flight over the glittering lights of the city. 15000 N. Airport Dr., Scottsdale, 480-657-2426, volantiscottsdale.com

Four Corners: Best Pickleball Hot Spot

West Valley
Chicken N Pickle 

The name alludes to the West Valley spot’s pickleball offerings – courts, beginner clinics, adaptive pickleball – and its poultry-stacked food menu of rotisserie chicken, country-fried chicken, Nashville hot chicken… you get it. We also love the center’s yard-game game, which features cornhole, ping-pong, bocce and larger-than-life Jenga and Battleship. 9330 W. Hanna Ln., Glendale, 623-352-8950, chickennpickle.com

Scottsdale
Pickle City

Reserve a court, drop in for a pickup game or rent the space for a birthday party or team outing at Scottsdale’s newest pickleball hub. Located next to The 5 Star Training gym, Pickle City also offers private coaching for players looking to level up their game. 2012 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale, 480-210-7633, @picklecityscottsdale

Phoenix
Center Court Pickleball Club

If you’re looking for a more exclusive experience, this members-only facility features 12 indoor courts available daily for reservations and open play. Members also enjoy access to a pro shop, grab-and-go snack market, expert trainers, Wi-Fi-enabled workspace, wellness lounge and locker rooms. Game on! 7000 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix, 602-218-6014, centercourtpickleball.com

East Valley
Electric Pickle

The vibes are electric at this dynamic 4.5-acre indoor-outdoor eating and “dinking” palace. In addition to nine colorful courts (including four covered courts with private cabanas), Electric Pickle boasts a two-story restaurant, bocce ball courts, golf simulators, table tennis, cornhole and live music on the weekends. It’s the Vegas Strip of pickleball. 8688 S. Emerald Dr., Tempe, 480-520-4000, electricpickle.com

Best Art Experience
Mimosa & Monet Saturday Mornings at The Hermosa Inn

Sip a mimosa while local artist Carrie Curran teaches you a step-by-step art class surrounded by  the resort’s lush and peaceful gardens. The class includes expert instruction for all skill levels, art supplies, coffee, pastries and your first mimosa. Second mimosa is optional. Classes meet once a month, October through March. 5532 N. Palo Cristi Rd., Paradise Valley, 602-955-8614, azhideawaycollection.com