Fun & Games

Chicago native Dan Bickley once had a press-row seat for Michael Jordan's career with the NBA Bulls. These days, Bickley is the closest thing Phoenix has to a sports media superstar, at one time flourishing in print, online, on TV, and on radio. He even has his own rock band. So when he announced his decision to leave his columnist job at the Arizona Republic to go full-time at Arizona Sports 98.7, it seemed natural that he used a basketball analogy. "The industry has become just like the NBA, where the best players don't flourish on talent alone," he wrote about the move. "They understand the importance of joining the right team." The Bickley brand now includes an expanded show with radio partner Vince Marotta from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.weekdays on 98.7 FM. His award-winning column appears exclusively on ArizonaSports.com. Whether he will be selling his own line of sneakers remains to be seen.

Sure, you might get more altitude at another of the Valley's mountains, but there's no better bang for your buck than a sunrise hike starting at the 32nd Street Trailhead. Located where 32nd Street dead ends at Lincoln Drive, this short but well-traveled trail is uber-popular with locals and possibly one of the best-kept hiking secrets in town. A short 1-mile jaunt with an easy 421-foot elevation gain lands you at the Quartz Ridge saddle, where you'll take in a sweeping vista of central Phoenix. Turn around to take in the view, and you'll see Piestewa Peak towering to your left with Camelback Mountain rising to the east. We've been known to soak up the rising sun from the stone bench at the top while hummingbirds dart past and friendly coyotes wrap up their morning hunts.

The 320-acre Boyce Thompson Arboretum is a birding haven. A number of rare species have been spotted there, including elusive warblers. The arboretum is near the town of Superior, so Phoenix residents will have to make an hourlong drive. Still, for die-hard birders, it's a small price to pay in order to add a few rare species to the life list. Founded by copper mining magnate William Boyce Thompson in the 1920s, the botanical garden is the oldest of its kind in Arizona, with miles of trails amid cactuses and craggy rock formations. Take advantage of a guided bird walk to learn why the arboretum has acquired a reputation as a hotbed for an array of birds, including warblers, hummingbirds, woodpeckers, and thrashers.

Yes, we said bats. Metro Phoenix actually has a pretty sizable bat population in the summer; estimates are in the thousands. Many of these little guys hang out during the day in a Maricopa County flood control ditch colloquially known as the Bat Cave. Here's what you do: Before sunset, park near 40th Street and Camelback Road. Walk northwest on the Arizona Canal Trail (it's flat, but not paved) for about a half-mile until you get to the large ditch with a metal fence around it, then position yourself to watch the opening. Next, stay very quiet and wait for sunset, when the bats pour out of the cave in search of their nightly meal. We have to say, it's pretty darn cool.

Driving on boring, old Interstate 10 east to Tucson, you've probably seen the signs for Arizona City and Sunland Gin Road. Someday, when you've got gas to burn and nothing better to do, take that road and give yourself a tour of old-school Arizona farming and desert wasteland. What's going on in Arizona City? Absolutely nothing, which is its charm. Don't bother driving into its cookie-cutter-home sections — most of those are likely empty, anyway, when the average monthly temperature is higher than 80. Do drive through it and explore the farmland and desert around it. If you have four-wheel drive, you can try some of the washes and mountain foothills. Coming back, take Interstate 8 west to Stanfield Road, and complete your tour by going through Stanfield, then north on State Route 347 to Maricopa before finding your way home from there. The desert you'll see on this drive is not always pretty, like it is farther south in Saguaro National Monument. But it's real. In the agricultural areas, you'll see people working the land as they have for generations, minus the corporations and solar panels.

Whether you live in central to east Phoenix, Scottsdale, or anywhere in the east Valley, the route to Saguaro Lake is the most convenient, most scenic, and most enjoyable short ride you can take on your iron horse. Take the 202 Red Mountain Freeway east to Power Road, which becomes Bush Highway as you go north and connects up with the Beeline Highway. Within minutes, most civilization ends and you'll enter the riparian Sonoran Desert landscape of the Tonto National Forest. Yes, this is near where you went tubing that time. Real wild horses run free in these parts. You want to be aware here, but there's time to relax, too. It's a nice stretch of two-lane rural road, with only a few good passing options. Down nearer the lake, there are sweet turns and jaw-dropping scenery. (But don't park and leave your bike without one of those doggone Tonto passes.) It's such a quick ride out that we usually turn around after a short tour of the lake and head back. The ride to Saguaro Lake lets you break out of Phoenix's boring grid system, commune with nature, gawk at the reservoir set against the cliffs, and feel the wind at your knees — all in what amounts to a long lunch hour.

Tough, meet tougher. In our quest for challenges that make our lungs want to explode, this ride presents itself as a badass, uphill-on-gravel test piece. Start at the fancy Gateway Trail, where some uber-fit hikers may actually outrun you on some of the steeper portions. Don't be too impressed. You'll work as hard or harder as a hiker on this one, even using your best granny gear. It's a solid six miles to the base of Tom's Thumb from here, and a grueling slog the whole way. Which is how we like it. Throw in a Sonoran Desert setting that would impress any out-of-towner, and you've got the makings of a killer day, metaphorically speaking. Take lots of water. When done, zoom back down the way you came like a bobsled. For us, it's a crazy memory. But maybe it'll be your new morning routine.

Once you've gotten lucky enough to find a parking spot at Pima Canyon and taken the asphalt road to the end, this trail sends you soaring without delay. Let the multitudes take their strollers and leashed dogs along the dirt road that leads to the start of National Trail — we prefer to get our legs and heart moving right away, and Marcos de Niza Trail is the one to do it. From the main parking area, walk to the south end to start the trail, and wind around the hill on a single-track path. If you haven't seen the inscription scratched into a rock along the trail, now's a good time to check it out. It's set behind iron bars. Don't be fooled, though — it's a forgery from the 1920s, and was not etched in the 1500s by the famous friar, as it claims. Continue up the hill — that's the main idea for a while, and you gain the ridge proper. From here, the trail is a glorious, slow roller-coaster on the ridge for a mile or so. Be prepared to go up if you're going down, and vice-versa. Finally, the trail lets you down entirely (not psychologically) and joins up with other trails. Turn around here, or keep going and make a day of it. And we don't mean to nag, but take lots of water.

Did you ever wonder what it would be like to take a spacewalk? A good face climb is like that, and Quaker Oats is the best introduction in metro Phoenix you can get to the concept. The route's located on a minor rock hill in the McDowell Mountains called Sven Slab — signs will point to the Slab at the Tom's Thumb trailhead. You may or may not find the route without the help of a guidebook (and you might not survive if you're not well-versed in rock-climbing basics). Assuming you've got your requisite gear, belay partner, and have made it to the base of this 100-foot-high route, then it's time to leave the capsule, if you dare. Start making your way up the nearly sheer wall on its often-painful, tiny granite holds. As you rise higher, with vast spaces of vertical rock wall in all directions, all you'll think about is how you don't want to fall. But somewhere along the route, your inner face climber will be born. Fear turns into positive energy that helps keep you from falling. There's no spaceship, no ground, no rush of air like flying an airplane — just the sun, moon, granite face, and you clinging by your fingertips and a smear of rubber from your climbing shoes, mind focused entirely on the next series of holds. When you top out, you've earned your astronaut wings.

Though the city of Phoenix calls this a "smaller cousin" to nearby North Mountain, Lookout is a fine hill in its own right and deserves your time as a climber. Besides the main climbing wall, Lookout has half a lifetime's worth of boulder problems up to about 15 feet high to try, and though the basalt rock can be crumbly at times, many of the holds are sweet. Don't mind the broken glass and graffiti: Lookout's been the site of impromptu partying for decades, but it doesn't affect the rock climbing. Once on the mountain, you'll find mazes of boulders that make you forget your worldly troubles. It's fun to hike, but even better to hike with your rock-climbing shoes and chalk bag, so you can work out your hands and arms on the many short boulder problems. If you need beta, try Lookout Mountain Boulder & Climbing Guide by local climbing guru Marty Karabin. And don't forget the crash pad. Falling here is like trying to land a plane without fuel in Dunkirk — more exciting than you want.

Things look different from 30 feet up. Think about being on a stepladder in your home, getting at something near the ceiling — Phoenix Rock Gym's walls are more than three times as high. This is high-caliber indoor rock climbing. What do you need? Some inversion and upside-down time? Check. Couches and magazines for waiting out the forearm-muscle twitches, and tables for pizza parties? Two killer bouldering rooms, and an exciting lead-climbing area? Check and check. The place has been around for more than 20 years, and the staff know what they're doing in terms of route-setting. Whether you go for a day or buy a quarterly pass, this laid-back gym is perfect for first-timers or children, while also providing a home for people training for their next trip to El Capitan.

"Fun for the whole family" is kind of a cliché, but in the case of west Valley water park Wet 'n' Wild, it just happens to be the truth. Show up at the park some sweltering summer day, and you'll find an avalanche of activities to choose from. Thrill-seekers will gravitate to the corkscrew-like Constrictor ride and the river-rafting experience Mammoth Falls; those up for some hardcore relaxing can head for the Monsoon Bay wave pool or the Crazy Cactus Roaring River. There are places to shop and eat, and private cabanas to rent for a top-of-the-line experience. In short, a day at Wet 'n' Wild is so refreshing, we almost forget we're in the desert.

When it's hot in Phoenix (so, like, pretty often), there's nothing more inviting than a big, cool, clear swimming pool. And there's no invitation we're happier to accept than the one extended by the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Gainey Ranch. The Hyatt has got it all when it comes to water features: a 2.5-acre water playground that includes pools for families, pools for adults, 20 fountains, dozens of waterfalls, and to top it all off, a three-story waterslide. When we're hungry or thirsty, we've got the casual H2Oasis eatery to provide us with light fare and refreshing drinks (alcoholic and otherwise). In short, the Hyatt is a great choice for a family staycation or a weekend anniversary getaway, or even a one-day escape from real life — family and adult cabanas are available for rental, and include amenities like flat-screen TVs, Wi-Fi access, and ceiling fans.

Temperatures aren't the only thing that heat up in the spring and summertime in the Valley. Poolside parties take place regularly during the warmer months at local hotels, resorts, or any other spot equipped with a pool of some sort. And one of the biggest hotspots for swim soirees is Maya in Scottsdale. Every weekend from March until September, the spot's outdoor dayclub and its huge pool host various affairs offering DJs, drinks, and plenty of fun in the sun. Maya's annual Soundwave Pool Party series, which takes place Sunday afternoons, is its biggest attraction and features sets by high-profile electronic dance music superstars like Skrillex, Knife Party, and Bingo Players. Big crowds typically turn out for the affairs and kick it in VIP cabanas, frolic in the water, or get rowdy in front of the DJ booth as beats blast from the sound system.

One of the best attractions at OdySea, a mammoth aquarium in Scottsdale, is a theater experience that mimics a deep-sea diving expedition. As visitors sit in a large auditorium, the ground rumbles and the entire room rotates past several gigantic glass aquariums. You can gawk at the sharks, sea turtles, jellyfish, and stingrays without leaving your chair. Five hundred animal species can be found at OdySea, which bills itself as "America's newest aquarium" and the largest aquarium in the Southwest, boasting 200,000 square feet of space. It's best not to think about the 2 million gallons of water required to operate this aquarium in the middle of the desert. But the exhibits featuring freshwater and saltwater creatures are well worth the price of admission.

Sometimes, you don't need a casino with Las Vegas-style glitz. Sometimes, you want to sit among smoking west Valley residents wearing Minions shirts and baseball caps. You want to drown out the outside world amid the whir of the slot machines and the godlike voice over the intercom that periodically announces a new $5,000 jackpot winner. Sure, the Desert Diamond West Valley Casino in Glendale is a stopgap until the Tohono O'odham Nation constructs a much larger entertainment behemoth next door. The forthcoming 75,000-square-foot casino is a long sought-after goal for the tribe, which faced a legal challenge to the project. The new facility is scheduled to open by December 2019. In the meantime, the Desert Diamond's interim casino floor feels brand-new, with tons of slot machines and friendly staff. There are cheap drink specials at the bar, where a TV broadcasts concept art of the future casino on a loop. The ambiance is fitting. Casinos are designed to make you think that with the next pull of the lever, your luck will change. They telegraph to the gambler that something big is right around the corner. In the case of Desert Diamond, it's actually true.

You won't find any disposable cash cards being swiped at StarFighters Arcade. Nor will you encounter piles of prize tickets being exchanged for cheap crap, high-tech games the size of your car, or overpriced adult beverages — just row after blessed row of coin-op classics, and an enormous collection of pinball machines. StarFighters isn't so much an arcade as it is a monument to the era when Pac-Man fever swept the nation, and joystick junkies could get their fix one quarter at a time. Warp over to its location in a nondescript Mesa office park on a Friday or Saturday night or Sunday afternoon, and you'll be transported like Tron's Kevin Flynn into a thrill-soaked pixel paradise. Filling the 4,000-square-foot space are 130 throwback arcade titles and 35 pinball games from the '70s, '80s, and '90s, many of which come from the personal stashes of co-owners Mike Lovato and Steve Thomas. After paying the $10 admission fee, you can conquer Crazy Climber, make like 007 on Spy Hunter, score big playing Stun Runner, or finally prove you're the uncrowned king of Kong. So if you're ready, player one, StarFighters awaits you.

Golly, if you can't find a smile at Golfland, maybe your face needs a surgical graft. This is classic entertainment in a setting so iconic, even Hollywood has noticed. (Okay, it was only one movie, but it was Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, which is cool.) From the castle theme to the windmills and aging Astroturf amid real trees, Golfland Sunsplash oozes old-school charm and visual pleasures. Oh, and that Astroturf runs smooth, so contenders can get their game on. The course isn't dilapidated, just ... historic. The place opened back in 1983, followed three years later by the impressive plastic skein of waterslides that gave the "splash" to the name. No need to buy into everything else at the place: $10 each for people 12 and older gets you on the greens. Throw in dinner and gelato (somewhere else) and you've got the makings of a perfect date. Want to practice so you look like Tiger Woods out there? It's only $2 for a replay on the same day.

Stepping into one of the karts at Octane Raceway is when the thrill starts. The vehicle is low, and you've got a helmet on, impairing vision and making it more difficult to settle into the bucket seat and buckle up than it should be. The real stress is because, through the helmet's windscreen, you can see the competition — teen boys and girls, maybe some parents. One of them may be your kid, but you've got to beat them all. You floor it when the flag goes down, then screech into the first corner, losing ground already. The whine of the electric motors and surge of speed down the straightaways are like a shot of espresso laced with Walter White's Blue Sky. Fully alive now, you take the corners better, diving in at optimum track, hugging the concrete instead of sliding on it. You pass one, then two cars. But there's no sign of the older teens — they're so far ahead it's not worth worrying about. Then, the yellow flag drops — time to slow down already. The seconds are long and the laps are short at Octane. As usual, it's over all too soon. A quick peek at the printout of results. Drat. Time to buy more laps. It's always this way.

If you have fond memories of whiling away the hours of your youth at the local roller rink, we have good news: You can relive your skating days at Skateland Chandler. The facility is packed full of old-school fun, including an arcade, cafe, and super-groovy blacklight-friendly decor. There are a number of family skate and public skate sessions each week, plus occasional special events, including free pizza and adults-only nights. You can rent out the whole joint for parties, and if you're trying to impart a love of roller skating to the next generation, Skateland Chandler offers lessons for young and beginner skaters.

Our Phoenix temperatures run anywhere from "maybe I should put on a jacket" to "why does it feel like I'm burning?," which is why we like ice skating: You know you'll get a lovely, cool atmosphere the moment you walk in the door. Ice Den Scottsdale is our favorite rink for strapping on skates and beating the heat. There are plenty of public and family skate sessions each week for casual skaters who just want to hit the ice for fun once in a while. Ice skating can work up an appetite, and Ice Den Scottsdale has you covered: The Chilly Bean Cafe sells snacks and drinks, and the 18 Degrees grill offers full meals and alcoholic beverages. If you or your kid are into hockey or figure skating, Ice Den Scottsdale is the place to be. Skaters interested in hockey will find lessons, camps, and leagues for children and adults; would-be figure skaters also can take lessons, find a coach, or join the Coyotes Skating Club. Speaking of the Coyotes: Ice Den Scottsdale is the practice home of our NHL team, and if it's good enough for them, it's good enough for us.

Everyone's there to have a good time at Let It Roll Bowl, the north central Phoenix bowling alley known for nightly specials like Monday Madness, Hump Day Wednesdays, and the well-known Rock N Cosmic Bowl nights on Fridays and Saturdays. Formerly Sunset Bowl, Let It Roll Bowl offers youth, mixed, and women's leagues for the serious bowlers, while those with a lukewarm love for the sport can either play or post up at The Lounge — an in-house tavern that's been around since 1962 with a full bar and food. Other perks include the Pro Shop and the Pizza RE, a casual eatery that serves all the bowling-alley staples (think fried appetizers). It's also an ideal place for corporate and group events, fundraisers, and adult parties.

When it comes to golf courses, metro Phoenix has an embarrassment of riches, from the toniest Scottsdale clubs to the humblest public links. But we're partial to Raven Golf Club, a south Phoenix facility where we always have a great day on the course. Designed by golf architect Gary Panks and PGA tour member David Graham, the course, which is dotted with pine trees and offers lovely views of South Mountain, offers a challenge for players at all skill levels. Raven is also home to a practice center featuring a driving range, putting green, and chipping green; lessons for children and adults; a full-service pro shop; and the Grill 36 restaurant.

One voice stands out among the testosterone-laced airways of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM, and not necessarily in a good way. John Gambadoro has a delivery only a Soprano could love. After 21 years on the air here, the co-host of Burns and Gambo still hasn't swapped his New Jersey accent for a Phoenix inflection. Nor has his elocution improved. His attempt to say "methamphetamine" is the stuff of local legend. Yet he also stands out in another way among local sportscasters: his reporting. He actually does it well. He's constantly on the phone with his "sawces," even during his afternoon-drive show. He led everybody in reporting that Steve Wilks was the top choice as the Arizona Cardinals' new head coach. He predicted that if the Cards did make a move up for a quarterback in the last draft, it would be for Josh Rosen (they did). No one on the local sports scene seems more connected to the NBA. He obtained private pre-draft reports on the candidates for the Phoenix Suns top picks: Deandre Ayton, Marvin Bagley, and Luka Doncic. And he broke the story about the Suns' Devin Booker needing surgery. So Gambo is our top pick, even if he does mangle nouns and verbs the way a garbage disposal mutilates rotten tomatoes and uneaten peas. At least he won't pronounce name of the Suns' new coach, Igor Kokoskov, any worse than the rest of us.

Okay, maybe we'll stop giving this award. Last year, we named the Cardinals' David Johnson as the best male athlete, and he was injured and out for the season before we even published Best of Phoenix. And now, the same thing has happened this year. The Suns' super shooter Devin Booker was our pick, and he didn't even wait for the season to start before getting hurt. We learned on September 9 that Booker may be out indefinitely because his injured shooting hand may require surgery. We don't know when he'll be back, but his play on the court has proven that the Suns 21-year-old baby-faced assassin is a future superstar in the NBA. He averaged a career-high 24.9 points last season. He won the NBA's three-point shooting title during All-Star Week in February. In 2017, he became the youngest player ever to score 70 points in a game. He was also only the sixth player to score 1,000 points before turning 20. The others were Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Tracy McGrady, and Dwight Howard, superstars all. Only James, Durant, and Carmelo Anthony scored more points before turning 21. Booker also just received a five-year, $158-million contract from the Suns, so they expect him to be around for a long time. However, we promise we won't ever, ever consider him for this honor again. If we do give it out next year, we already have a winner ... the newest star of the dreaded Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James. So what if he has no connection to Phoenix? All the more reason we're fine with him sitting out a season.

We're not even sure why we have this category. The outcome is never in doubt. Diana Taurasi isn't just one of the all-time greats in metro Phoenix, she's one of the greats anywhere. ESPN ranked her as the best women's basketball player ever. She's the WNBA's all-time leading scorer. She has been first team All-WNBA nine times. She's won NCAA championships, a WNBA championship, and Olympic gold medals. She's averaged almost 20 points per regular-season game for the Mercury and 21 in the playoffs. NBA legend Kobe Bryant refers to her as the "White Mamba." But in her 14th season in Phoenix, at age 36, she's been more like another superstar, LeBron James, playing her best at a time when she should be considering retirement. Apparently, that's not in her thought process: She's signed a contract with the Phoenix Mercury through the 2020 season.

We're going to trust Deandre Ayton's denial of receiving a $100,000 recruitment bonus from the University of Arizona. He seems like an honorable young man. And even if he did get the cash, the product of Phoenix's Hillcrest Prep Academy earned every penny of it with his performance on the basketball court during his one season with the Wildcats. The 7-foot freshman averaged 20.1 points, 11.6 rebounds, and almost two blocked shots per game. He also shot 61.2 percent from the field as he earned first-team All-America and Pac-12 Player of the Year honors in 2018. Of course, we foreshadowed all this last year by naming him the Best Teenage Athlete Destined to Become a Millionaire. Ayton was then selected by the Phoenix Suns with their first-ever No. 1 pick in the NBA. When that happened, he said, "I saw the reaction on my mom's face and it was just priceless." Well, actually, it was worth at least $8 million, his first-year salary, plus as much as a couple of hundred million for his shoe deal with Puma.

These days, the Diamondbacks present outfielder David Peralta as something of a fashion icon. Before the season, they featured him in a series of GQ-like photos. He was also the model for the team's Hawaiian shirt giveaway for Father's Day. He even has his own T-shirt line, The Freight Train. But seven years ago, the only new clothes he could afford were emblazoned with the Golden Arches. In 2011, he had been out of baseball for almost two years after two shoulder surgeries ended his career as a left-handed pitcher with the St. Louis Cardinals organization. Undaunted, he was determined to reinvent himself as a hitter and outfielder. He had a tryout with an independent league team in Texas, but he lived in Florida and couldn't afford the trip. He took a job working double shifts at McDonald's to finance his journey, and the rest is one of baseball's great Cinderella stories. He made the Diamondbacks as a reserve in 2014, batted over .300 the next season, and in 2018 the 31-year-old is having a breakout season, among the team leaders in home runs, RBI, hits, batting average, and OPS. Along the way, he became a husband and a father — he and his wife, Jordan, have a 1-year-old daughter, Sofia, which means he'll soon be ordering Happy Meals for his little girl instead of serving them.

Never mind that Sports Illustrated quoted FBI wiretaps of a phone conversation between University of Arizona basketball coach Sean Miller and an agent discussing a $100,000 payment to top recruit Deandre Ayton. Never mind that a UA assistant already had been fired after he was charged by the feds with bribery and fraud. And never mind that another star player was suspended for using drugs. Miller kept his job by blaming the messenger. "I'm outraged by the media statements that have been made and the acceptance by many that these statements were true," Miller said in a fiery press conference in late February. (Sports Illustrated stood by its story, FYI.) But if Miller felt vindicated, maybe the basketball gods thought otherwise. The heavily favored Wildcats lost their first game in the NCAA tournament, 89-68, to the University of Buffalo, a 13 seed. And just minutes after the stunning defeat, Ayton, who denied receiving the payment, announced he was leaving UA for the NBA, where he will make $100,000 for each game of his rookie season. Guess karma's not a bitch for everyone.

The Valley is rife with new sports coaches, a sure sign that our teams haven't been playing very well. Arizona State University basketball coach Bobby Hurley is the dean of the major-sports coaches after completing just his third (and first winning) season with the Sun Devils. Torey Lovullo is in his second season as manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Rick Tocchet just finished his first season as head coach of the Arizona Coyotes with a last-place finish in the NHL's Western Conference. The Cardinals have just gotten started for their new head coach, Steve Wilks, and the Suns are about three weeks away from their debut under Igor Kokoskov. ASU, meanwhile, shocked the college football world by upsetting Michigan State University in new head football coach Herm Edwards' second game. Edwards was hired right off the set of ESPN after not having coached a college game in some 25 years. We have to give him this award not only for the Sun Devils' hot start, but for winning the battle of the press conferences. He dazzled the media in his introductory presser with quotes like this: "I'm on the train. And I'm gonna ride it. I will ride this train until it stops. It's not gonna stop ... If you wanna board on a little bit later, we got a seat for you. Might not be comfortable, but you'll have a seat." Well, punch our tickets.

After watching 170 defeats over the past three seasons, including 61 this past year, Phoenix Suns fans were finally cheering inside Talking Stick Resort Arena in downtown Phoenix — twice, in fact. In May, thousands of fans filled the arena to watch the team win the lottery for the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft for the first time in franchise history. Then on June 21, they packed the place again, this time to watch the actual draft. They erupted when the Suns selected sort of a hometown kid, 7-foot Deandre Ayton, a Jamaican who played high school ball at the Hillcrest Prep Academy in Phoenix, then took his talents to Tucson, where he earned All-America honors in his one season at the University of Arizona. It was reminiscent of the scene in Cleveland in 2003 when the Cavaliers selected a local kid with their No. 1 pick: LeBron James. Certainly, selecting Ayton made Suns fans happy. "Amazing, I think it'll be a game changer," season-ticket holder Erica Volini told the Arizona Republic. "Line him up with (Devin) Booker and (Josh) Jackson, I think we'll have a pretty good shot of getting into the playoffs."

Let's face it, there is no such thing as a bad spring training experience here — the fact that you're at a Cactus League game means you're off work, you're watching baseball, and you're enjoying the best of Arizona's weather. We've visited all of the Valley's 10 stadiums, and you're always closer to the action and paying less money than at a regular season major league game. We chose Scottsdale Stadium as our favorite for its other assets. There's nothing remarkable about the facility itself, other than the view of Camelback Mountain, the 200 trees that create an oasis of shade, and the garlic fries. In fact, the stadium, built in 1992, is about to undergo a much-needed $50-million modernization. But it's where Scottsdale Stadium is located, in Old Town, that makes the total experience the most enjoyable. It's the only Cactus League facility in an urban setting, within walking distance of Scottsdale's bottomless pitcher of bars, restaurants, and shopping outlets. Parking near the stadium can be a hassle, but the Scottsdale Trolley is always available during the season. So remember, the games inside are just exhibitions. But in Scottsdale, as Anthony Castrovince wrote for Sports on Earth, "the pregame and postgame atmosphere in the nearby bars and restaurants provides a real sense of occasion." We'll drink to that.

Maybe your landlord doesn't allow pets, or your partner is allergic. Maybe you have a cat, but you just want to hang out with a whole bunch at once. Whatever your situation, La Gattara is the spot to find temporary feline companionship. The brightly colored hangout is stocked with what you need to be comfortable — think shag rugs and beanbag chairs — plus a host of sweet kitties. You can wait for them to come to you, or you can introduce yourself to one. La Gattara also holds events like cat yoga, cat-themed paint nights, and other fun happenings. And if you really make a connection with one cat in particular, we've got good news: All the cats at La Gattara are adoptable, so feel free to turn a one-time meeting into a lasting relationship.

Ever wanted to make like Jimi Hendrix and kiss the sky? House of Cirque can help you slip the surly bonds of the earth with their high-flying stilt classes. The performance-art troupe hosts circus art classes and workshops where they teach skills like fire-eating and stilt-walking. Headed by Crystal Cruz, the instructors are human giraffes who are skilled at teaching stilt-virgins how to stand on their own two feet. Starting off with classes in a mirrored living room (complete with stripper pole for added balance), stilt classes quickly move outdoors into the streets and parks of downtown Phoenix. Padding and stilts are provided. And when the troupe isn't teaching stilting, they're doing it: They regularly show up to stilt at parades around town, as well as host stilt variety shows and circus events at venues like Alwun House and Unexpected Gallery. They even stilt onstage for the annual All Souls Procession in Tucson, standing on stilts that look as tall as lampposts.

Here's one for the "What could possibly go wrong?" category: Tempe now has its very own ax-throwing range. Actually, it's pretty fun: You get a group of 18-or-older friends together (or you can just come by yourself), and after a short briefing on proper throwing techniques, you're ready to let out your inner lumberjack. It's kind of like a shooting range, with wooden board with bullseyes rather than paper targets. And actually, it's pretty low-risk: There are strict safety rules that every participant must follow (for example, no open-toed shoes). You're not allowed to BYOA (bring your own ax), but after 4 p.m., you can BYOB. Beer and axes: what a magical combination.

phoenix.gov/parks/trails

When a city puts up a sign like "Use Caution, Active Bees in Area," the bee-sensitive among us (as in most people) tend to go on yellow alert. These signs, which you can find at at Camelback Mountain, shouldn't be taken lightly. Killer bees live up to their name in metro Phoenix, where they've nailed several young hikers in local mountain parks. As recently as 2016, a 23-year-old man hiking Maricopa County's Usery Park was stung to death. But as usual, Camelback Mountain, the popular and over-used landmark in east Phoenix, wins out for the craziest tragedies. In 2004, and again in 2012, young men climbing the cliffs in Echo Canyon slipped and fell in the panicky minutes after a swarming attack began. Another climber in 2009 received 120 stings. Hikers on the main trails aren't usually the victims. But they could be. We've got bees on the brain because this year we heard bees while hiking Echo Canyon. No bees were in sight, but their frightful sound came suddenly, airplane-loud. A swarm was on the move. Hike or climb to Camelback's less-visited spots, and you just might find it.

602-225-5200

This is a terrible place to hike or ride a mountain bike, unless you're training for war. Because that's what it sounds like out here — a war. While dangerous as hell to go walking around the hills, Sugarloaf Road, a.k.a. Forest Road 402, a.k.a. Sugarloaf, is the perfect place to fire off an AK-47 or .357 Magnum, and no stuffy rangemasters to tell you to stop the horseplay, or not to shoot if someone's downrange. It's one of the most popular places to shoot outside of a shooting range in the east Valley. It's so close to civilization that it's best to get there early, and on a weekend day, very early. If you go later, expect to drive farther down the dirt road then you wanted to. But it's a large desert, and if you keep driving, you'll probably find a cozy nook all to yourself. Be sensitive to cactus and pick up your shells, but don't worry too much about the environment here. As you'll see, nearly everything's been blasted to bits already, except the scrub brush and larger boulders and hillocks that make such good backstops for bullets. People have been shooting on federal land in the Arizona desert for decades. If you have a gun, you can still do it at Sugarloaf. But one more recommendation: Do it soon. In our opinion, the Tonto National Forest is likely to close the place to target shooting, like they've done in other areas that got too popular with the firearms set.

This may be an obvious note, but sometimes sunsets look best on the water. Aside from the many manmade meres in local neighborhoods, the only sizable body of water in the Valley is Tempe Town Lake. Thanks to the many grassy areas, benches, lakeside ledges, and one stunning pedestrian bridge, there are plenty of places to watch the brilliant orange and pink desert sunset from this bustling city park. Caveats include having to share the scenery with maybe a boot-camp exercise class, a rowdy group of cyclists, a couple of family picnics, and about a million people out for a jog. However, you can always rent or take out your own kayak or pedal boat to get a little privacy on the lake as you watch the day end.

It's all about coming full circle at Practical Art, where you can actually take classes with the artists whose works you've seen sold or exhibited there. Jake Early filled a wall at Practical Art with Southwest-inspired prints, then taught a class in print-making. Laura Spalding Best showed more than 200 oil paintings on found objects, and shared her techniques for painting miniature landscapes during a class at Practical Art. The long list of artists who've taught classes there also includes Alexandra Bowers, Kyllan Maney, and Alex Ozers. Practical Art is the best place to find affordable classes with some of the Valley's best artists, in a casual, comfortable setting where building community is just as important as making art.