Sometimes the destination you plan on traveling to requires a sunny day. But what about rainy days?
Some locations are better than others for having indoor or alternate destinations. And then there are some locations where you're stuck wondering what to do. Phoenix, Arizona (and the surrounding cities) falls in this latter category. There is a lot to do outside. There are parks to hike in, desert gardens to appreciate, baseball games up the wazoo, and just general walking around. I really enjoy these destinations in Phoenix.
When it comes to indoor destinations there's not that much. There are a several Native American museums, and these are great, but stop being unique after a point.
This leaves you with the activities you normally do if you're a social person (as opposed to a computer nerd): go to the movies. And in Phoenix, when there's rain, the malls are packed. Today was no different. Many restaurants were struggling to cope with the increased traffic, and there were even food shortages. You see, normally, this time of year is perfect to be outside in Arizona. It's not too hot.
I assume that the bowling alleys and other indoor destinations are similarly packed on rainy days.
So what other sorts of destinations can a location provide that are indoor? The more culture a city has the better. Bigger cities like Chicago and New York offer a plethora of different cultural museums and big art museums like the Met. Still once you've explored these you're pretty much stuck in the same boat as the smaller cities. Sometimes you get lucky and have an indoor pool or excercise facilities. Or maybe something else interesting like watching Mount Fuji from a bathhouse in the middle of winter.
This is why you should pack a board game such as Settlers of Catan or something hip, go to a coffee shop, and play. Unfortunately I forgot to do so on this trip so I was lost in suburbia without anything unique to do.