Looking at the downtown Phoenix skyline from inside the Phoenix Convention Center, the epicenter of Super Bowl activities.

Joe usually does this after he returns from a work trip, give a quick recap of his stay in a strange land. Joe’s notes from Phoenix continue the tradition.

This was the farthest west Joe has ever traveled. Previously, in another life, Joe went to Hutchinson, Kan. — Joe wouldn’t wish that upon his worst enemy —  and Fort Worth, Tex.

Joe was looking forward to seeing the desert mountains. Heard a lot of good things about them. Very unimpressed. Maybe because it was cloudy when Joe landed, the mountains looked like giant mounts of dirt, like there was a monumental construction job underway. Joe is used to lush, green mountains.

Phoenix proper is in a bowl of sorts, a valley between the mountains. Flat as a kitchen table. Not trying to be down on Phoenix in any way, but it wasn’t impressive. A lot like Indianapolis, only much warmer.

* An interesting surprise: When Joe was dropped off near the convention center, the epicenter of Super Bowl activities, the cabbie told Joe as he left the car, “Watch out for the train.” Joe turned around, and there was a light rail train coming. Even Phonix has light rail. And the locals here seem to think charging higher tolls to drive “express lanes” is the answer to choking traffic.

* For Joe, the week in Phoenix was a solid business trip. Joe has written extensively on Media Day. No need to rehash that. However, Tuesday night was a media party with free eats and booze. Of course, Joe was there. So too was Miss Arizona, a very lovely, very petite lass. At one point, she introduced something or other to the crowd and had a sultry, seductive, come-hither voice. You know, sort of like the dirty old man commercials at midnight on cable about lonely hotties wanting someone to call them on a 900-number. If nothing else, this girl could get a gig doing voice-overs.

* The party also featured dancers on high pedestals moving seductively to the music. The girls were outfitted in 19th Century old west, um, er, uh, ladies-of-the-evening attire. No qualms from Joe.

* Joe had never seen the level of talent that was the bartenders. They almost made you want to order a drink (imagine!). It was as if someone in power went to the nearby Arizona State campus, a world-renowned school for lasses, walked in to sorority houses and said, “You, you, you over there, you, you and you. Come. You will be paid $500 just to sling liquor and bottles of beer for two hours.”

* For reasons unknown, the hottie quotient at Media Day itself seemed way down from previous years.

* Radio row was a complete and utter zoo Thursday. For reasons unknown, the NFL decided to let fans from NFL Experience prowl through radio row and it was complete chaos. You had countless NFLers, ex-NFLers, celebrities and their entourages trying to fight through hundreds of fans. It got so bad, cops had to stand guard at various entrances and by various radio remotes because the fans had lost control. Just at the SiriusXM stage, where four channels were broadcasting live, there were three cops constantly shoving folks back. At one point, Joe saw a kid run up to a guy who was broadcasting live and blow a loud whistle in his ear. Then, when others were trying to broadcast, fans would walk up and start hollering at them for no reason. It was a totally out of hand scene.

* Joe simply doesn’t get why some NFLers, ex-NFLers, celebrities need so many handlers on radio row. Frankly, the number of handlers far outnumbered the NFLers, ex-NFLers and celebrities, maybe by five times. Joe saw Mike Greenberg of BSPN roll with five handlers. Why? Joe counted nine folks, including two uniformed cops, in Troy Aikman’s court. Really? What is exactly the purpose for so many bootlickers?

* Security was tighter in Phoenix than the White House. Joe is convinced of that. The entire convention center was ringed with cop trucks and what looked like military vehicles and small tanks. Uniformed cops and state troopers were on foot all over the place outside. Inside the convention center, you were lucky to be able to walk 50 feet without getting your credentials checked. No problem with that at all.

* Joe was cabbing it so he was stuck in downtown, aside from going back and forth from his cheap motel about a mile out (why spring for a $200+ room per night when you are only there to sleep and shower?). A Mexican restaurant with some different fare caught Joe’s attention. Hey, you know, when in Arizona… The dish that stuck out was fried ice cream. Never had it before. Three small scoops “fried” with hot chocolate, caramel and strawberry toppings, each. One word: sinful.

* Joe thought the folks in Indianapolis were nice. The townsfolk of Phoenix may have set a new standard. Everyone was so polite and helpful. Combined with the temperate weather, Joe can see why Phoenix is in the Super Bowl rotation.

* On the recommendation of former Bucs quarterback Shaun King, one of but three quarterbacks to lead the Bucs to an NFC title game, Joe tried “Lolo’s Chicken and Waffles.” What a fantastic recommendation. Shaun’s advice was spot on. Do yourself a favor when in Phoenix and drop by this place.

* Interesting: The staff of Hooters in downtown Phoenix wears beige shorts. Yes, Joe is quick to notice such things.

* Phoenix gets, what, six days of rain a year? And three of those days were last week. Just Joe’s luck. Then again, he was working inside so it really didn’t matter.