travel guides

Spafford Shares Their Guide To Phoenix, Just In Time For M3F Music Festival

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Phoenix, Arizona Guide
Spafford

Spring is around the corner (finally!), which means weekly beach trips, fruity cocktails, and outdoor adventures are soon to make their return to our everyday lives. Perhaps the most exciting springtime staple of them all is the slew of music festivals to come in 2022.

One of the first festivals on the spring lineup is M3F — a non-profit festival in downtown Phoenix, Arizona happening on March 4th and 5th. The two-day event, which donates 100 percent of proceeds to charity, will feature performances by ZHU, Leon Bridges, Kaytranada, Jungle, Parcels, Spafford, A R I Z O N A, Bryce Vine, Surf Mesa, and a whole gang of other highly recognized artists.

It’s safe to say M3F is worth making the weekend trip to Phoenix for on its own. But if you’re visiting the “Valley of the Sun” for the festival and you’re looking for the best things to eat, do, and see while you’re in town — you know, when you’re not raging to ear-blasting music in a crowd — keep reading below. Spafford, a Phoenix-based band on the M3F lineup, is giving you the rundown on their favorite local (and local-adjacent) gems.

Brian Moss — Guitar

Salazar Bros

Phoenix, Arizona Guide
Via Davin N. & Yelp

I’ve been lucky to live across the street from Salazar Bros for many years and probably have consumed more burritos from this hole-in-the-wall than any other since I moved to Arizona in 2003. Their food has always been consistently great quality, super-fast, and muy delicioso.

Go for the California Burrito — sour cream on the side and an orange Fanta. Ask for the red salsa.

Salt River

Phoenix, Arizona Guide
@andydilling

Salt River is one of my favorite places to go when I need nature fast. There are many pull-offs and recreation areas leading all the way up the river with beautiful views of the mountains that surround it. My family’s favorite spot is Coon Bluff. It is great for hiking, fishing, and swimming. There is a great chance you will run into wild horses as well!

Highly recommended if you’ve never been.

Jordan Fairless — Bass

Childs-Irving Power Plant

Phoenix Guide
Via USDA

When you really want to get out and beat the heat or spend a few days camped out in close proximity to some hot springs, there is no place like Fossil Creek and the old Childs-Irving Power Plant. It’s a little bit of a drive from Phoenix but worth it on a hot summer day.

Amazing waterfalls, a journey to a hot spring, what’s not to love?

LoLo’s Chicken and Waffles

One of my favorite memories is going to LoLo’s Chicken and Waffles down the street from Last Exit Live before shows. Being a southern boy from Tennessee, it’s hard for me to turn down fried chicken and Kool-Aid! I suggest the Tre Tre with a large jar of Red Kool-Aid.

Nick Tkachyk — Drums

Cartel Roasting Co.

If you want a delicious, house-roasted pick-me-up and a modern, hip environment to hang out in, Cartel Roasting Co. is the spot. It’s in the heart of downtown Tempe with all the cool kids to look at and espressos to dump down your gullet.

Kiwanis Park

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What I love about Kiwanis Park is how huge it is. It’s like three parks in one! It’s full of active people doing active stuff. It even has a lake with ducks and fish in it!*

*You can pretty spend an entire afternoon at Kiwanis Park. With sports amenities like a baseball diamond, basketball courts, batting range, soccer fields, softball fields, swimming, tennis courts, urban fishing, and volleyball courts, you’ll never run out of things to do. Not to mention, the picnic tables and open grass areas make a great place to enjoy lunch before heading into the M3F music festival.

Worth Takeaway

Phoenix Guide 2022
Worth Takeaway

You gotta try the crispy chicken sandwich and banana pudding at Worth Takeaway! It’s a mom-and-pop sandwich shop in downtown Mesa equipped with its own merchandise. You can see me wearing their “kindness club” tee.

Andrew “Red” Johnson — Keys

Chino Bandido

Chino Bandido is one of the BEST restaurants in the valley! It’s a perfect blend of Asian and Mexican food. Don’t forget a snickerdoodle for dessert!*

*The restaurant’s blend of traditional flavors from Mexican and Asian cuisines — with menu items like jerk fried rice, burritos, and combination rice bowls — is beloved for being deeply satisfying. Sounds like the ultimate festival hangover cure.

Desert Vista Trailhead

Phoenix Arizona Guide
City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department

My favorite hike in the valley is the Dixie Mountain Loop from the Desert Vista Trailhead. It’s about a five-mile loop and if you go mid-week you usually have the trail to yourself. If you’re lucky, you might see the owl in its nest.

Dobbins Lookout

Phoenix Guide 2022
City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department

One of the best places in Phoenix to catch a sunset is Dobbins Lookout on top of South Mountain. The drive up and down is a little sketchy, but the views are totally worth it!

DJ And Model Charly Jordan Shares Where To Eat, Stay, And Party In Miami

by
Miami Party Guide 2022
Charly Jordan/Mila Miami

Miami isn’t a hidden gem or secret travel hub. It’s one of the best-known, most populous party cities in the United States. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go. Miami is awesome. Go a lot. Go bi-monthly. Move there.

Charly Jordan — DJ, model, and style entrepreneur — is a Miami regular who’s learned the ins and outs of the city’s scene. She’s DJed at Miami’s hottest nightclubs and most exclusive events (including Scott Disick’s “Boat To Basel” party during Art Basel 2021) and had more than enough adventures to call herself a Miami expert. In preparation for her new single, “Innerbloom,” (debuting today, January 28th, on Spotify and Apple Music) Jordan has been playing the city often and cultivating a vibe in the rooms she plays.

“My goal is to influence positive change in the way people perceive mental health and success,” says Jordan. “I believe success is not just being monetarily successful, but living a rich and full life as well while helping others around you. Be the energy that fills a room, not takes away from it.”

The DJ — a longtime friend of Uproxx — certainly brings energy to the room when she hits the stage in Miami. So we asked her to share a guide to the best places to explore and party in from South Beach to the Keys to Wynwood.

WHY MIAMI?

Miami Party Guide 2022
Charly Jordan

I’ve had the pleasure of playing many shows in Miami over the past year and I’ve really grown to love it. It can be a bit difficult to enter the city if it’s your first time not knowing anybody, but as soon as you find your niche and your crowd there are endless possibilities. I’ve never seen boat life quite as active as I’ve seen in Miami. There are full-blown yacht parties, speed boats, deep-sea fishing, and the late-night boat rides through the Miami River are pretty magical.

What’s one thing that every first-time visitor should see or do in Miami?

If you’re a first-time visitor in Miami and you love food, which who doesn’t, Mila is one of the best dinner spots to go to. As well as taking a stroll along ocean drive in South Beach during the day, where you’ll see endless restaurants and stores right next to the white sand beach.

Miami Beach is a classic, but I also love hotel hopping in South Beach and hitting the different restaurants and bars that overlook the water.

Best way to take in the iconic art scene of Miami?

Miami Party Guide 2022
Charly Jordan

The best way to take in the art scene in Miami is honestly just by paying attention because I feel like the art is everywhere. Obviously, there are more specific areas that are filled with art like Wynwood, where you can hardly turn a corner without seeing graffiti on the wall neighboring a hole-in-the-wall restaurant. But you’ll see sculptures all throughout Miami, even in many of the apartment buildings.

Best nightclub for a late night out in the city?

Miami Party Guide 2022
Charly Jordan

Since I DJ, I would consider myself a sort of connoisseur of nightclubs, given that I’ve been to so many. You won’t really experience anything better than E11even Miami. One of the only of its kind, a hybrid nightclub and strip club that serves food and also has massive artists perform like Migos, Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, and many more (including myself lol). I’ve performed at E11even a couple of times, so not only is it one of my favorite clubs to go to but they’ve become a family to me.

Make sure if you go to E11even you order the chicken sandwiches because there’s nothing that beats them.

Best Cuban restaurant in Miami?

The best place to get Cuban food in Miami is Havana Vieja! I personally get the Ropa Vieja and the grilled octopus.

FROM UPROXX: Havana Vieja offers freshly-made, authentic Cuban dishes. The restaurant’s lively ambiance, colorful decor, and diverse cocktail menu make it an excellent choice for a celebratory lunch or dinner.

View the full Havana Vieja menu here.

Coolest hotel or place to stay in Miami?

I like hotels that have a lot of amenities and typically when I go to Miami my personal favorite hotel to stay at is the Mondrian. It has the perfect view of the ocean, it’s in the city, has a perfect assortment of food at their downstairs restaurant, and a great bar as well.

If you’re looking for more of a family resort vibe, Loews Miami Beach Hotel is perfect.

Best time of year to visit Miami?

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The best time of year to visit Miami is definitely during the summer, but the weather doesn’t change that much there honestly so it’s pretty much a good time to go year-round. Basically what I’m saying is there’s no excuse to not go to Miami.

Anything else you’d like to add about Miami:

10/10 would recommend taking a boat out into the keys or even to the Bahamas since it’s so close to Miami. There are many sunken ships, planes, and underwater statues with an abundance of wildlife like dolphins, huge schools of various fish, jellyfish, and sharks. Miami’s endless, as long as you know the right people and know where to go. I typically play at E11even Miami and Daer in Fort Lauderdale so if you’re ever out there make sure you catch me at a show or check out my upcoming tour with Cheat Codes.