Sunny skies and baseball are still a ways off in Chicago. But not so in Arizona, where spring training season is about to get into full swing.
If you’re headed west to catch some Cactus League action, here’s where to stay and play in the Valley of the Sun:
Cubs fans
The Cubs’ two-year-old Sloan Park — a miniature Wrigley Field with its iconic red marquee, brick backstop and steel-framed light towers — have helped transform Mesa, Ariz., into a Chicago-themed baseball mecca year-round.
The 15,000-seat stadium is scheduled to host the team’s spring training home opener against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on March 4.
Sloan Park may be on the new side, but Mesa is familiar territory to die-hard fans who’ve been making a spring-training pilgrimage to this part of the world for more than six decades. The past is on display at the Mesa Historical Museum’s Arizona Spring Training Experience exhibit, featuring a fascinating variety of baseball memorabilia, artifacts and photography. www.valleyhistoryinc.com
Mesa’s Riverview Park makes for scenic surroundings to the Cubs’ digs. The recreation destination has miles of walkways, a lake for fishing and a massive rope climbing tower.
In the heart of Mesa’s opulent Riverview development, the appropriately named Sheraton Mesa Hotel at Wrigleyville West boasts a spacious outdoor courtyard with a 5,000-square-foot swimming pool, two wading pools and a pair of hot tubs conveniently located next to the Curve Pool Bar and Grille. The hotel’s open-air lobby unfolds into the Stats Sports Grill, stocked with 22 large screen TVs and a Chicago-centric menu to go along with happy hour specials from 5 to 7 p.m. www.sheratonmesa.com
The stately Hilton Phoenix in Mesa has been a preferred hotel of Cubs fans for 30 years. Located 5 miles from Sloan Park and the Cubs’ former HoHoKam Stadium (current spring home of the Oakland A’s), the 250-plus rooms all have panoramic views of Phoenix. www.hilton.com/phoenixeastmesa
One of the greatest pairings known to mankind, beer and baseball exist in abundance along the Cactus League trail, especially in the Mesa-Gilbert-Chandler corridor where local craft breweries and brew pubs abound.
Desert Eagle Brewing Company (www.deserteaglebrewery.com) and the Beer Research Institute (www.thebeerresearchinstitute.com) in Mesa make their own beers and unique pub-grub pairings. Also worth a visit: Arizona Wilderness Brewing Company in Gilbert (www.azwbeer.com) and The Perch (www.perchpubbrewery.com) in Chandler.
The familiar flavors of Portillo’s hot dogs and Giordano’s pizza are readily available; the latter has a 28-foot food truck parked outside of Sloan Park. A true taste of the southwest can be found at the many Mexican restaurants and taquerias, like Rancho Tia Rosa’s brand new Taqueria in Mesa and its restaurant in Gilbert. www.tiarosas.com
A local institution and perennial favorite, The Original Blue Adobe Grille (www.originalblueadobe.com) dishes up fiery New Mexican cuisine built largely around red and green Hatch chile peppers. It’s across the street from the cozy Sun Devil Liquors & Cellar Pub. www.facebook.com/sundevilliquors
Sox fans
The Cubs’ crosstown rival White Sox have a shorter spring training history in Arizona, dating back to 1998. That’s when the team left its longtime Florida Grapefruit League home for Tucson.
The Sox moved to the greater Phoenix metro region in 2009, settling in at Glendale’s sprawling Camelback Ranch — a facility they share with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the team they’ll square off against in their spring training season opener March 3.
A 10-minute drive from Camelback and close to all five of the Cactus League’s West Valley stadiums, the historic, 85-year-old Wigwam Resort on 440 immaculately landscaped acres includes 54 holes of championship golf. www.wigwamarizona.com
The luxurious Renaissance Glendale Hotel & Spa is the ultimate Arizona sports fan’s lodging, located within walking distance of Gila River Arena (home of the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes) and University of Phoenix Stadium (home of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals). www.renaissanceglendale.com
On a charming stretch of Glendale Avenue in historic downtown, Haus Murphy’s (www.hausmurphys.com) is a traditional biergarten serving oversized steins of German-style beer along with Old World dishes like sauerbraten and schnitzel as well as sausages and giant pretzels — all to the tune of live polka music. www.hausmurphys.com
Next door, the Gaslight Inn with 10 guest rooms and its Olde Towne Glendale Wine and Beer Bar occupies a former furniture store in one of the town’s oldest buildings. www.gaslightinnaz.com
Nearby, A Touch of European Cafe cranks out pierogis and other home-cooked Polish staples. Feeling inspired? The BYOB eatery also offers cooking classes. www.atouchofeuropeancafe.com
If red meat and cigars are what you’re craving, head to Desert Rose Steakhouse, a decadent new addition to Glendale’s burgeoning culinary and nightlife scene. Located in a former welding facility, Desert Rose’s portfolio includes a pizzeria and gastropub as well as a cigar lounge. www.desertrosesteakhouse.com
No matter which team you root for, Cubs and Sox fans can agree on this: Two of the season’s biggest games on the Cactus League schedule will be when the Cubs play the Sox at Sloan Park on March 12 and when they meet again at Camelback Ranch March 18.
Charlie Vascellaro is a freelance reporter.
If you go
Cubs: With the largest seating capacity of any Major League spring training stadium, Sloan Park sold out most home games the first two seasons, shattering both Cactus League and Florida’s Grapefruit League attendance records. Remaining tickets for this season can be purchased online at www.cubs.com or by calling 800-843-2827.
Sox: Tickets for this year’s Cactus League games at Camelback Ranch can be purchased online at www.whitesox.com or by phone at 800-905-3315.
