The ultimate offbeat guide to weird Phoenix

The Ostrich Races festival, held just outside Phoenix at Tumbleweed Park in Chandler every spring, is hands down one of America's most offbeat events. Every year, professional ostrich racers converge in a battle royale of sorts, pitting ostrich racer against ostrich racer on a stadium race track. The competitors either ride in a chariot, steering the ostriches by reins, or they ride bareback atop the massive birds. In 2016 the festival added camel, zebra and emu races as well. There's plenty of entertainment, and tons of food and drinks to keep you well fueled for this delightful weird festival.

Nature lovers and outdoorsy folks will love Dreamy Draw Recreation Area for its incredibly-scenic and diverse landscapes and valleys. Located at the foot of Piestewa Peak, it has loads of hiking trails and picnic areas, as well as 14-million-year-old rocks that are certain to delight everyone's inner geologist. The area was used for mercury mining, which led to the area's unusual name. Mercury is toxic and causes nerve damage, and the miners who were digging it up suffered some pretty severe neurological side effects. It's said that towards the end, the miners looked spaced-out and in a dreamlike state... hence the name Dreamy Draw. It was annexed by the city of Phoenix in 1959, and ever since it has played an important role in helping to preserve the mountain against development.

Opened in 1928, the Hotel San Carlos has the distinction of being Phoenix's oldest continuously-operated boutique hotel. But the history of the beautiful building and the land upon which it was constructed goes back even further. According to lore, local Native Americans worshipped "The God of Learning" on the exact spot the hotel was built. In 1874, the city of Phoenix built the very first school house there, which taught the children of Phoenix until 1916. In 1927 the Hotel San Carlos was built in the Italian Renaissance style. From 1928 to 1960, the hotel was the Phoenix hot spot for local elites, political figures and members of high society, as well as Hollywood stars and starlets, such as Clark Gable, Carole Lombard, and Mae West. According to the hotel, when West stayed in 1929, she left orders with the front desk to "wake her at 3 p.m. with a bottle of champagne and two glasses." Other notable celebrities included Marilyn Monroe, Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman and Jean Harlow. During World War II, the hotel was used to house American troops, and the hotel bar was known as "Base Operations".

The Valley Bar is a much-loved local drinkery. A must-visit here is the Rose Mofford Lounge, named in honor of Arizona's first female governor. She was a very beloved political figure as well as an All-American softball player, and even turned down the chance to play professional basketball. The Rose Room is another great lounge where you can try their signature cocktails "named after local politicians of varying degrees of infamy". Also be on the lookout for the mobile, which is backlit against white cloth, above the bar: It tells the story of Winnie Ruth Judd, the Trunk Murderess of Phoenix. After being found guilty of murder, she was sent to an asylum, from which she escaped six times, once for more than six years!