An Insider's Guide to MLB Spring Training- Arizona

Baseball!

The reason you are here, right? Although Cactus League ballparks are located much closer together than Florida's Grapefruit League, keep in mind that it can still be a trek to get to some ballparks from Scottsdale. Scottsdale is the best home base if you are looking for restaurants, shopping and activities. Below are the MLB teams in the Cactus League and their respective city/ballpark.

• San Francisco Giants-- Scottsdale (Scottsdale Stadium)

• Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies-- Scottsdale (Salt River Fields)

• Chicago Cubs-- Mesa (Sloan Park)

• Athletics-- Mesa (Hohokam Stadium)

• Los Angeles Angels-- Tempe (Tempe Diablo Stadium)

• Milwaukee Brewers-- Phoenix (American Family Fields)

• Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers-- Glendale (Camelback Ranch)

• San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners-- Peoria (Peoria Sports Complex)

• Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers-- Surprise (Surprise Stadium)

• Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Guardians-- Goodyear (Goodyear Ballpark)

Pro Tip: Arizona can be quite hot during Spring Training. Counter to what you might assume, sometimes the best seats during games are not the ones closest to the field, but instead, the ones with some shade. Each ballpark is different, but at Scottsdale Stadium, for example, seats in the 200s sections between third base and first base tend to provide the most shade.

• Autographs: If you are looking to get autographs from players, the best bet is in the mornings. Players typically arrive at the ballpark between 6:30-9 am ahead of 1 pm games. The most dedicated fans will show up early near the player parking lots to wait as players arrive. Gates typically open to fans about two hours before game time (check your team's website for details). If you are lucky, some players will sign autographs for fans by the dugout during batting practice or warmups.

• Bonus: Can't get enough of Spring Training? Try the Arizona Fall League in September and October. Fall League is the hidden gem that many people don't know about. Each fall, MLB's future stars come together in this development league. Tickets are extremely cheap ($13 for adults at the time of writing) and you might just get the chance to meet the next Mike Trout (2011), Kris Bryant (2013) or Derek Jeter (1994). Even Michael Jordan played in the Arizona Fall League during his run playing baseball.

Other things to do

• Desert Botanical Garden: A 140-acre botanical garden featuring desert plants, the Desert Botanical Garden is unique and beautiful. A great place to stroll and take in the beautiful desert scenery.

• Hike Camelback Mountain: Though there are many great hikes around Scottsdale, the most famous is hiking to the top of Camelback Mountain. It is definitely a difficult hike and not for beginners. There are two trails to get to the top, the Cholla trail (longer) and the Echo trail (steeper). Bring tons of water and sunscreen!

• Phoenix Suns: NBA season overlaps with MLB spring training, so you can usually find a Phoenix Suns game to attend while you are in town. You can often find many MLB players frequenting the courtside seats on their days off!

Day trips

• Sedona

Breakfast

• The Breakfast Club: Since 2003, you can always see a line of guests waiting outside the Breakfast Club in Old Town. Serving fresh, delicious staples, the Breakfast Club is our first stop on any trip to Scottsdale.

• Daily Dose: With a huge menu of American comfort food focusing on breakfast and lunch, Daily Dose definitely has something for everyone. The banana bread French toast is to die for.

Lunch

• Original ChopShop: A perfect quick and healthy breakfast or lunch spot, ChopShop has smoothies, acai bowls, salads, sandwiches and more.

• Pizzeria Bianco: One of Phoenix's most famous eateries, Pizzeria Bianco has the best fresh pizzas in town. The original downtown Phoenix location can be really busy, but we've had luck getting in at the Biltmore location that is closer to Scottsdale.

Dinner

• Olive & Ivy: Located in Old Town along the canal. Olive & Ivy is inspired by the French Riviera and has a wonderful outdoor patio with string lights and misters to keep your cool. The mix-and-match bruschetta and the veal and spinach ravioli are a must.

• Culinary Dropout: Locations around the Valley, including Old Town, North Scottsdale and Gilbert. Culinary Dropout has an energetic atmosphere with great food and drinks. Don't miss the soft pretzels and provolone fondue.

• Blanco Cocina & Cantina: A casual, lively atmosphere with fantastic tacos and tequila! Blanco also has multiple locations, including Scottsdale and the Biltmore Shopping Center.

• The Montauk: The coastal decor of the Montauk instantly transports you to the beaches of the Hamptons. Lobster rolls, clam chowder, mac-n-cheese and other American classics are staples here.

• Kierland Commons: This outdoor mall in North Scottsdale has so many restaurants to choose from. North Italia (Italian), The Greene House (Californian), Zinc Bistro (French), The Mission (Latin American), Etta (Italian) and Postino Wine Bar are just a few of the many options. My favorite advice is to combine dinner at Kierland Commons with a visit to the Westin Kierland next door. Every Friday and Saturday, a bagpiper plays at sunset to cap off the day. The Westin also has an incredible Scotch Library where adults can have scotch tastings with their scotch expert.