As the Gamecocks secured their spot in the Final Four, many avid fans began making travel plans to watch the monumental game in real life. Whether you booked a pricey flight or decided to road trip 30 hours from Columbia, there’s a once in a lifetime experience ahead of you. While most of your time out west will be spent cheering on the Gamecocks, here are some places to check out in Phoenix to make the trip extra memorable.
Food is an essential part of traveling to new cities. For breakfast, check out Matt’s Big Breakfast located in downtown Phoenix on North First Street. The restaurant was featured on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives with Guy Fieri and his favorite item on the menu is the Chop & Chick. If you’re looking for cheap eats, Mucha Lucha Taco Shop serves tacos, nachos and burritos, each for under $10. The fast, casual restaurant makes for an easy pre-game meal, plus it’s only a short drive to the stadium. Don’t forget to visit a famed In-N-Out Burger before coming back to Columbia, since the burger chain can only be found out west.
Entertainment-wise, the March Madness Music Festival is Friday through Sunday and is free to the public. Headliners include The Chainsmokers, Aerosmith, Blink-182, Keith Urban, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis and many more who will be performing over the course of the weekend. Check out the schedule on the March Madness Music Festival website for the specific times and the full list of artists. Make sure to arrive at Margaret T. Hance Park early to claim the best viewing spot.
Spend some time enjoying the parts of Phoenix that make the city unique. The Roosevelt Row Arts District, also known as RoRo, includes murals created by local artists in the heart of downtown Phoenix. Look carefully because some of the wall art is harder to spot than the more obvious pieces. For the foodies and shoppers, Roosevelt Row also has a wide variety of restaurants and boutiques that cannot be found elsewhere.
Another way to explore the state is to take a few hours to soak up the Arizona sun. Camelback Mountain is about a 30-minute drive from downtown Phoenix. The peak of the mountain has the most visitation in the spring months, so the view of Arizona will be at its prime. Be prepared to go early because the parking lot closes once it’s full.
The No. 1 travel tip is to wear garnet and black at all times and to yell “Go Cocks” in all public places. For those of you lucky enough to watch the Gamecocks take on Gonzaga in Phoenix, all of us in Columbia will be living vicariously through you.