Good Times in Goodyear

With single game Spring Training tickets going on sale December 6th, there is no better time to start planning your trip to sunny Goodyear, Arizona. With Ohio sitting under a blanket of snow since mid-November, there is no place better for the Ohio native to go than the Spring Training home of the Cleveland Indians where it has never snowed in the history of the city. Whether you come to Arizona to escape the snow, to see the first edition of the 2015 Cleveland Indians or any other reason, there is plenty to do in the West Valley and this is just a small sampling.

Sports

One of the great things about Cactus League Spring Training over the Grapefruit League in Florida is that all the teams are close together. If you want to see baseball, there is no place in the world that you can see more Major League teams in a closer distance than in the Valley of the Sun in Spring. In fact the furthest difference between any two stadiums is Goodyear Ballpark to Salt River Fields in Scottsdale and even they are less than 45 minutes apart. Taking advantage of night games, it would be possible to see every single Cactus League team and every stadium in little more than a week (check the map at the bottom for all stadium locations).

Outside of baseball, the Phoenix area, and the West Valley especially, is a great haven for sports fans. While pitchers and catchers won’t report until mid-February, this will be just after the Fiesta Bowl, Pro Bowl and Super Bowl are to be held at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. While the Cardinals will be done, there will be plenty of other sporting events to keep fans entertained in March. On the West side, the Arizona Coyotes (located in Glendale at the West Gate plaza) have ten home games scheduled in March including a March 12th game against Jason Kipnis’ Chicago Blackhawks. For fans of more scoring, in downtown Phoenix the Phoenix Suns will play nine home games in March although, unfortunately, their only game against the Cavaliers that month will be in Cleveland. One bonus for those wanting to see either the Suns or Coyotes is that almost all of their start times are at 7:00 pm or later, while games at Goodyear Ballpark are generally start at 1:05 PM local time. This allows fans looking for a multi-sport experience to take in multiple games per day.

For those looking for a more fast paced event closer to Goodyear, the Phoenix International Raceway is actually located in nearby Avondale, not Phoenix. This year, there should be two national races taking place in March, the Xfinity Series Blue Jeans Go Green 200 and the Sprint Cup Series Camping World 500 (formerly, the Subway Fresh Fit 500). PIR is just down the street from Goodyear Ballpark to the point that there is a noticeable difference in traffic at the stadium on race days.

Golf

While fans of the PGA will miss out on Arizona’s one national tournament, the Waste Management Phoenix Open, which takes place early in February in Scottsdale, there are still plenty of places for visitors to get in a game for themselves. Arizona is famous for its many courses including many in the West Valley. In fact, there is a great course just south of Goodyear Ballpark, also off Estrella Parkway, called the Golf Club of Estrella. In addition to this, there are multiple courses at the Wigwam Resort in Litchfield Park, just north of Goodyear. While many visitors feel it necessary to go all the way to Scottsdale to play, that is simply not the case as there are plenty of quality courses out West as well.

Shopping

While the plans for the mega mall in Goodyear may have been delayed again, that doesn’t mean there aren’t places to spend your money out West. While the box/chain stores of Goodyear may not be enough to spark your interest, just a few minutes away in Glendale is one of the biggest shopping centers in the whole Phoenix Valley. Centered around the University of Phoenix Stadium and Gila River Arena, the West Gate Shopping Center is a great place to go before or after a game with a wide variety of shops and restaurants. In addition to the great views of fountains and two professional sports stadiums, there is the original circle of shops and a mega plex movie theatre. More recently added, West Gate is now the home to a large Tanger Outlet mall as well.

While most visitors prefer to spend time outdoors in the nice weather, there is also an indoor mall, called the Arrowhead Mall, nearby in Peoria. This is a nicer quality establishment than most of the older shopping centers in Phoenix or Mesa, so you are better off staying on the West side.

Food

There are literally hundreds of unique restaurants in the South West Valley alone, so my first recommendation is that you don’t eat anywhere you have eaten before. While there are plenty of fast food joints and easy to find Olive Garden and Red Lobster style chains, it is definitely worthwhile to check out those with a more local flair. Of course, while there are some more native places, such as Arizona Frybread on Dysart Road in Goodyear, Arizona is truly a melting pot of many cultures and there are excellent restaurants of every style imaginable all over. A few in Goodyear worth mentioning are Flavors of Louisiana (Cajun), the Royal Jasmine Thai Restaurant (Thai), Augie’s Sports Grill (American) and Majerle’s (sports bar where many Indians fans, media and players have been known to frequent after games). In addition to better tasting and better quality food, going to these local places helps Goodyear retain it’s uniqueness.

If you are used to the poor variety of eateries in North East Ohio, it would provide a much more entertaining experience if you were to break out of the norm and eat a style of food you have never tried or at a restaurant you normally wouldn’t have considered. If nothing else, most of the local restaurants are lesser known, meaning shorter waits to get in and better service once you do.

Hiking

One of the great things about the Phoenix area is that everywhere you look there are mountains. Especially for someone who has lived in Ohio all their life, this can be a surprisingly breathtaking feature and Goodyear has its fair share. Just south of Goodyear Ballpark are the Estrella mountains which are located in a state park providing plenty of hiking trails. To the West, near Buckeye are the White Tanks, another state park with more trails. For a different view, many people enjoy climbing to the top of Camelback mountain in Scottsdale (which is nowhere near Camelback Ranch, where the White Sox and Dodgers play).

While some may be tempted to visit the Grand Canyon or Painted Desert/Petrified Forest while in Arizona, it is not recommended unless you will be in the state for a lengthy stay. Both national parks are about four hours away from Goodyear and in opposite directions, meaning they will take at least a full day to enjoy (the Grand Canyon should actually take a few days). If you want more natural beauty, I would recommend heading to Sedona as the red rock country is just two hours away and provides some very unique vistas.

Whatever reasons you have for coming to Goodyear, there is no reason that you shouldn’t have the time of your life. I have lived here for almost as long as the Indians (they moved from Winter Haven in prior to 2009) and I consider it the greatest place I’ve ever been. If you are interested in more individual details about the city, surrounding areas and things to do, feel free to tweet me at any time @BRBBlog, it is my home town after all.