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# Phoenix
- URL: https://cutelittlepaperblog.com/phoenix/
- Published: 2020-03-08T12:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T17:28:27.000Z
- Author: Katherine Leung
- Tags: US & Canada

Most of my time spent in Arizona is in Tucson. I went to school there for two years and all my cousins live there. Tucson is low-key and funky. Phoenix feels more corporate, cleaned-up, and built out. I definitely prefer Tucson even if it doesn’t have much of the same conveniences that a large city has. For example, finding good Asian food in Tucson is near impossible.

This year, I spent an entire week in Phoenix. More specifically, Scottsdale. I’ve never spent more than a day in Phoenix. I got to know Phoenix through the lens of my sister, who recently moved there.

As much as I wanted to hate Phoenix, the beautiful desert landscape is unbeatable. The Sonoran Desert is my favorite ecosystem in the world.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8e/7d/8e7d83ab-d11b-49b6-a585-40ad598fb79f/content/images/2026/10/data-src-image-45e4ee53-7e92-4fc4-8c34-c173e1259c96.jpeg)

One day, we went to the [Desert Botanical Garden](https://dbg.org/?ref=cutelittlepaperblog.com). There was a kitschy art exhibit and a variety of desert plants. But it was gruelingly hot even in February. I learned what a [brushetta board](https://www.postinowinecafe.com/?ref=cutelittlepaperblog.com) was shortly afterwards. I kind of understand the Arizona wine mom stereotype now. Wine in the desert just hits differently.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8e/7d/8e7d83ab-d11b-49b6-a585-40ad598fb79f/content/images/2026/10/data-src-image-6e0fb6fc-ead3-4192-8b16-d26c278fddd3.jpeg)

There was so much good food in Phoenix. I gained nine pounds in just five days. My sisters are amazing at finding the best brunch and happy hour spots. One of my favorites was [The Henry](http://www.thehenryrestaurant.com/?ref=cutelittlepaperblog.com). The patio was beautifully decorated with colorful tile. The drinks were all artisanal cocktails of gin and tequila – yum! I had a Ginger and Fig Mule. It’s part coffee shop, part restaurant, part happy-hour patio.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8e/7d/8e7d83ab-d11b-49b6-a585-40ad598fb79f/content/images/2026/10/data-src-image-7563ebba-23a6-422f-9f82-b9f173f7cb58.jpeg)

The shopping in Phoenix was good, too. There are so many boutiques on 4th Avenue. But there was one place that stood out among the rest. It’s called [Last Call](http://lastcall.com/?ref=cutelittlepaperblog.com). There are only few Last Call locations in the country. Items that don’t sell at a Nordstrom Rack get shipped to one of the few Last Calls in the country. As a result, they are crazy. The stores are packed to the brim, not consistently organized. You can literally find anything. The shoppers act like it’s a life or death situation. Tensions are high. It doesn’t help that the Phoenix location is underground, lacks windows, requires walking into a dungeon-like room, and is in a dying 80’s-like linoleum-tiled shopping mall. My sisters and I liked it so much, we went twice. On my first visit, I scored Blundstones boots for only $60\. On my second visit, I found some $30 Uggs. If you love thrifting or the thrill of the hunt in shopping – there’s no experience quite like shopping at Last Call. Enter with caution, I say.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8e/7d/8e7d83ab-d11b-49b6-a585-40ad598fb79f/content/images/2026/10/data-src-image-6fac74b0-1c28-4d2d-abc1-8598e922d55b.jpeg)

On one of the last days, my sisters and I headed to Sedona. It’s less than two hours outside of Scottsdale. We went on a hike, saw an infamous Catholic church paved on the side of a rock, and Slide Rock State Park. We had Argentinian style-burgers. Sedona is filled with new-age shops, similar to other “holy” spots in the US.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8e/7d/8e7d83ab-d11b-49b6-a585-40ad598fb79f/content/images/2026/10/data-src-image-aa1497d3-926f-491b-ab3c-4f5144c1cfc7.jpeg)

Although the home of John McCain and private prison paradise will never be one of my favorite cities, I’m glad I got a taste of Phoenix.