Ep. 25 - Phoenix, USA
The Friday Take Five goes to the desert southwest of the United States. With an awesome climate, delicious food, an inspiring landscape, and a deep history, this amazing city is sure to entice history buffs and travel fiends alike. Escape with us for 5 minutes to Phoenix, Arizona, in our landmark 25th episode!
Listen to full episode :
Transcription:
*Intro music*
Y’all, we have made it! 25 whole episodes deep into this thing called The Friday Take Five! For those of you out there that have been tuning in over the past 6 months or so since we kicked things off - Thank you! Your support means a lot. And for those of you new comers out there, welcome! I’m Mark, the host, and each week, I help travel bugs and history lovers like you discover a new place with a new story. I do my best to give you a renewed appreciation for history and a new travel destination to add to your bucket list. So with that, let’s discover, destination, 25.
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On episode 25, we’re going to the desert, and one of my favorite spots in the US - Phoenix, Arizona. For some, Phoenix is too hot, and yes, I’ll concede that at times in the summer you can cook an egg on a frying pan in the street. However, I much prefer that heat to the winter temperatures that are colder at times than the surface of Mars, like we have in the northern US.
Now, along with its climate, the Phoenix area offers tons of great food, fun, and nature, with the incredible Sedona and the amazing Grand Canyon just within a few short hours drive.
Phoenix got its start as a settlement of the native Hohokam people, who created hundreds of miles of irrigation canals in the area to make the land farmable. They lived there for thousands of years before ultimately abandoning the area, likely due to severe drought and flooding spells throughout the 13 and 1400s.
Soon after their departure, the land began to be used by the Pima, and Maricopa peoples, before the arrival of the westward pushing Americans. With the conclusion of the Mexican American war, the Arizona territory was ceded to the United States, leading to arrival of new settlers in the area.
The Americans began to build more military installments and settlements along waterways in the Phoenix area throughout the 1860s, which resulted in further crowding out of the Maricopa and Pima people. Quickly, the new settlers industrialized the area further, building on and expanding the existing canals and farming infrastructure. In part, that’s why Phoenix originally got its name. Lord Darrell Duppa, one of the first settlers of the area, suggested the name Phoenix as it “described a city born from the ashes of a former civilization”.
By 1871, things were starting to heat up, no pun intended, with the creation of Maricopa county, in which Phoenix now resides. Hilariously, the first sheriff of the county ran unopposed after his two opponents fought in a literal duel, with one killing the other and having to drop out for, well, killing him.
It would be another 40 years before Arizona would finally be granted statehood in the United State as its 48th state, with Phoenix as its capital. Fast forward to today and you’ll find Phoenix has absolutely exploded. More than 20% of Arizona’s roughly 8 million inhabitants live in Phoenix, and for good reason! High temperatures typically sit between 65 and 80 degrees for 8 months of the year, it just so happens it’s, you know 80 to 110 for the other 4 months, but we’ll put that to the side for now. Now, there are multiple major league sporting teams, with the Phoenix area having just hosted the Superbowl. There is great hiking just minutes outside of town, and a whole geological playground in Phoenix’s backyard with the beautiful red rocks of Sedona and the spectacular Grand Canyon just a few hours away.
Finally, there’s great food! Though well known for the great Mexican food you can find on almost any corner, Filiberto’s being a guilty pleasure of mine, Phoenix has some incredible non - Mexican options as well! If you’re in the Phoenix / Tempe area, be sure to check out the Cornish Pasty Co. for some of the best British pasties you’ll ever have, and Aloha Yogurt, for the self proclaimed “Best Froyo” in the valley.
I love it in Phoenix and can’t wait to get back. So I hope you’ll consider adding this awesome place, and one of my favorites in the states, to your travel bucket list. So get out and enjoy the desert!
*Transition music*
Hey fivers! Thank you for the dedication and for listening to another episode of The Friday Take Five. If you’re looking to join the community and keep in the loop, don’t forget to turn on notifications on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on socials @FridayTakeFive. Have your own stories about Phoenix, feedback or recommendations on places or stories for us to cover? We’d love to hear it so give us a dm or email us at thefridaytakefive@gmail.com. Stay curious, stay adventuring, and have a great weekend!
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