10 Things to Do for the Ultimate Phoenix Experience

Written by Marily

How do you get the Ultimate Phoenix experience? A nice mix of city, desert, and good local food. Plus a sunburn. Yeah, you'll need one of those too.

Read through this list to see how ULTIMATE of a Phoenician you are. And if you are coming to Phoenix for a visit, then this list is a great place to start. We are giving prizes to those who have done 8 or more items on this list.*

Although these supreme dust storms can be a bit destructive, they are pretty cool to experience and could make an epic selfie backdrop if you can catch a pic with a giant cloud of dust. "Tut, tut, it looks like dust." I'm pretty sure that's what Winnie the Pooh said when he visited Phoenix.  And don't question the fact that the word haboob was virtually unused in Phoenix until about 4 years ago. If you can't catch a haboob, experiencing a monsoon rain storm is also very Phoenix. 

And by the way, my husband hates that I am using the word haboob that he says a local weatherman made up. He nearly refused to read my article unless I took it out. 

Favorite Places: Carolina's Mexican Food in Phoenix

Writing and images by Marily.

You know when you go someplace great and you have to tell your friends about it? It's really the best way to find great new places. We are calling this new series on the blog Favorite Places designed to highlight great places in our state and share our favorites with each other. Keep reading to find out how you can share your favorites with us too.

I am going to kick off the series with one of our favorite Mexican restaurants in Phoenix: Carolina's. Driving through this part of Phoenix you might not think of stopping for a bite until you see the white brick building--the parking lot is filled with family vans, cops, and luxury cars owned by business people on their lunch breaks. Still, you might not want to go here in the dark without a bodyguard. It's worth the scary neighborhood though if you are looking for authentic Mexican food that would make you proud to live in the Southwest. 

What I would recommend
Definitely get the machaca. You can get it in tacos like I did or a plate, a burrito, or even machaca and eggs which I hear is great. We also love the enchiladas and the homemade tortillas and chips which are available for sale.

Where is it?
Carolina's is at 1202 E Mohave St in Phoenix, right outside downtown Phoenix. This was the perfect stop for dinner before we headed to the Diamondbacks game last week. They also have a location in North Phoenix. 

Want to share one of your favorite places? Email me at contactus@iheartaz.com.