Local tips, seasonal guides, and ready-to-use itineraries for your Phoenix and Scottsdale getaway — written by Zina & Mark, the owners of ZM Stays in North Phoenix. From the best months to visit and beating the summer heat to golf trips, kid-friendly days, desert hikes, Sedona day trips, and where to eat, these are the same recommendations we share with our own guests.
The Best Time to Visit Phoenix
Sun every season — a month-by-month local guide to weather, crowds, events, and when you’ll find the best rates.
7 Family-Friendly Things to Do in Phoenix
Aquariums, rideable trains, easy desert hikes and a pool to come home to — a parent-tested Phoenix playbook.
Phoenix in July: How Our Guests Beat the Heat (and Love It)
The split-shift schedule, the saltwater pool, monsoon sunsets and low-season rates — summer in Phoenix, played like a local.
Planning a TPC Scottsdale Golf Trip? Stay 15 Minutes Away
Tee-time strategy, a four-day group itinerary, WM Phoenix Open week, and why a house beats two resort rooms.
5 Great Hikes Within 25 Minutes of ZM Stays
From a sunrise summit 8 minutes away to the Valley’s iconic climbs — the trails we send guests to, with difficulty, timing and parking notes.
Spring Training in Phoenix: A First-Timer’s Guide
Fifteen Cactus League ballparks, lawn seats cheaper than a pizza, and Salt River Fields 20 minutes away — how to do a spring-training trip from the house.
Date Night in Scottsdale: Our Favorite Tables
Where we send couples for a special dinner — Kierland steakhouses, Old Town patios, and the desserts worth saving room for, all 12 to 20 minutes away.
The Perfect Sedona Day Trip from Phoenix
Red rocks two hours north — when to leave, which hikes beat the crowds, where to eat, and how to be home for an evening swim.
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