Phoenix: My First Solo Trip
Solo strolls and bright walls
Solo & Soulful Series
📍Phoenix, Arizona | 📅 July 3–6, 2019
🛏 Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel
I’d always been curious about solo travel. Could I do it? Would I enjoy it? Would it feel lonely or freeing? I had never been to Arizona, and something about the desert – the dry heat, and the murals – called to me. So, in the middle of a Southern summer in 2019, I booked a short getaway to Phoenix, Arizona, curious about what it might feel like to explore a city entirely on my own terms.
I wasn’t overly nervous – just a little flutter of the unknown. But mostly, I felt relaxed, like I could totally do this.
🌵 What I Did
I landed the evening of July 3rd and checked into the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel, a modern and stylish space perfectly placed for walking and wandering. That night, I walked over to Bitter & Twisted, tucked inside the historic Luhrs Building (once the Arizona Prohibition Headquarters). Known for its award-winning cocktails and playful energy, the atmosphere struck the perfect balance between edgy and welcoming. I remember the moody lighting, a playful cocktail menu, a good food menu, and that subtle thrill of dining solo in a new city.
On July 4th, I started the morning at the Phoenix Art Museum, a peaceful, light-filled space perfect for wandering. That afternoon, I met up with Ciera, an old college track teammate. We caught up over easy conversation and spent time with her friends – familiar energy and a little slice of community in the middle of my solo journey.
First stop of the day: Phoenix Art Museum
That night, I made my way to the hotel rooftop to watch the fireworks. It was mostly empty, just me and maybe a couple of others off in the distance. I sat quietly, looking out over the city as bursts of color lit up the sky. There was something really grounding about that stillness. No crowd. No noise. Just the breeze, the view, and a soft kind of joy that didn’t need anything more than the moment itself.
July 5th was probably my favorite day. I started with brunch at Céntrico, a bright and breezy Mexican restaurant tucked inside the historic San Carlos Hotel. The food was fresh, the vibes easy, and it felt like the perfect slow start to my last full day.
After brunch, I wandered through Arizona State University’s Downtown Phoenix campus and into Civic Space Park, where a massive net sculpture rippled overhead. Titled Her Secret Is Patience, the piece hovers 38 feet above the plaza – delicate yet monumental, inspired by monsoon clouds and saguaro blooms. Created in 2009 by a team of over 150 artists and engineers, it felt like a quiet gift to stumble upon something so intricate and unexpected in the middle of downtown.
Her Secret Is Patience – a delicate sky sculpture above Civic Space Park
Then I headed to Hanny’s for lunch. This downtown hotspot sits in a renovated 1940s men’s clothing store and is part art space, part cocktail bar. Stylish and a little mysterious, the place had sleek interiors, mirrored restrooms, and even a strange-but-fascinating basement display of vintage dolls. I grabbed a solo table, enjoyed a solid meal, and took in the layered design like I was in on a local secret.
Later that evening, I walked through Roosevelt Row, a colorful arts district alive with murals, street art, and galleries. As the sun started to set, the area transformed for the First Friday Art Wall, full of live music, local vendors, and sidewalk performances. I hadn’t planned to be there, but that made it even better – a kind of spontaneous adventure on this solo journey.
On the morning of July 6th, I checked out and headed home (to New Orleans at the time), feeling grateful, grounded, and a little more confident than when I arrived.
✨What I Learned
There’s a rhythm to solo travel that feels both freeing and grounding. I didn’t have to rush. I didn’t have to explain my choices or fill every moment. I just moved at my own pace – curious, open, and okay with not knowing exactly what each day would hold.
I felt the early jitters – figuring out how to fill my own time, navigating without a second opinion, choosing what I wanted without compromise. But by the end of the trip, there was this quiet confidence: I did this. I moved through the city, ate well, met people, and made memories, and I left a little more rooted in who I was becoming.
This trip wasn’t about doing it all. It was about showing up for myself, trying something new. Trusting the quiet parts of the journey, not just the big ones. And that, I’ve learned, is where the beauty of solo travel really lives.
Thanks for reading! You can find more moments, memories, and adventure over on Instagram: @_GracefullyWandering
