Phoenix, Arizona: Day Three

While leaving the adorable Hotel Valley Ho was hard, our new Arizona accommodations awaited. But first, breakfast and another busy day ahead!

Joe Johnston converted his childhood home into Joe's Farm Grill, a mid-century diner that's been featured on Food Networks' Diners, Drive-in's and Dive's, so you know it's good. Breakfast was delicious but we quickly headed out the back door to tour Agritopia. Agritopia was a vision for preserving urban agriculture, brought to life by Joe Johnston, and is all about community and sharing, building relationships, living a simpler life, and, of course, agriculture.

Here I am in the Agritopia grocery store (Located in the city of Gilbert, AZ). Featuring all fresh produce from the specialty crop farms located within Agritopia, this grocery store is all self-service and payment is run on the honor system.

Thankfully, I wore these flats on this day because Agritopia had so much to explore!

Inside Agritopia is Barnone - A craftsman community. Within Barnone, some of my favorites included Garage East winemakers, where I had the most delicious glass of Rose, Lettercraft and Everybody Loves Flowers, where we had a private flower arranging class from the shop owner, Mireille Helm.

Coffee at The Coffee Shop (also at Agritopia) is a must-have. It was the perfect afternoon pick-me-up because, next, we headed to Downtown Mesa where we visited Old Brick House, a vintage marketplace that opens it's doors the second Thursday through Saturday of each month. I didn't get any photos here because I was in vintage shopping heaven, but if you follow me on Snapchat you saw the amazing vintage Samsonite luggage I got.

And just a few doors down we dined at Worths for lunch (The food on this trip was really nothing short of amazing) where they have a focus on hyper-local ingredients and every item on the menu tells a story. If you go, be sure to ask for try banana pudding - It's to die for!

Out of all three hotels I stayed at in Arizona, I think the Arizona Biltmore resort was my favorite. Called, the "Jewel of the desert," the Biltmore has been an Arizona landmark since opening in 1929. What's not to love about resort living, right? Well, this one is dripping in history, with Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired architectural style, and is topped off with the most luxurious rooms and amenities. I will definitely be planning another trip back soon, hopefully this summer - The Biltmore has 8 pools!

Day 3 was a long, yet eventful, day. We closed out the evening with dinner & wine at Postino (an old post office turned wine bar) and then enjoyed a few after dinner drinks at The Womack - Arizona's tribute to the historic Phoenix 60’s lounge Chez Nous; known for its classic cocktails and soulful music. Okay, we may have danced the night away...

Stay tuned for my days 4 & 5 photo diaries coming up! And, in case you missed them, you can check out day 1 and day 2. Learn more about Phoenix, AZ at Visit Phoenix!