Where to Shop - Phoenix - South Mountain Preserve

Everything from where the closest grocery store is to where to shop for authentic souvenirs. We want to hear where you enjoyed spending that precious combination: time and money.

Grocery stores are conveniently located nearby, which was nice. Fry's Supermarket is on the corner of 48th Street and Baseline, there's a Whole Foods down about 3 miles on Baseline and Rural, and a Trader Joe's about 12 minutes away.
Downside? The kitchens are very poorly equipped for any major cooking and everything we pulled out needed to be scrubbed clean. The knives were a joke and with only two small BBQs down by the pool (first come first served) you're better off eating out at all the great restaurants nearby and keeping meals there to a minimum. Ok, there are a lot of chain restaurants around and if you want something a little more specialized, you may have to drive about 10-15 miles.
Arizona Mills is an outlet mall with an iMax theatre only a few minutes away, Chandler Mall has a lot of restaurants around it and is a bit further of a drive (about 15minutes away). For something a little more interesting there is Old Town Scottsdale where there are some great and unique places to eat as well as shop. Seasonally there is a huge Farmer's market held there on Saturday mornings where it's much more than a place for fruits and veggies but there are food vendors, jewelry, just about everything you would see like at a small arts and crafts fair. Not far from Old Town is Fashion Square, another plethora of restaurants and stores. You'll have to google these places for a list of stores and restaurants.
In other words, there are plenty of places to shop and eat if you don't mind driving and exploring.

As a local we love to take advantage of the farmers market. There is one on Baseline heading west. Look for the purple fencing on the South side of the road. We also recently got a new store called Winco. You get alot for your money but it might be a 20 min. drive. Walmart is super close and there is a Costco across the street from there. Enjoy your stay!