....feeling guilty about my long O.T. post about my dog and angry cops,
and I had a couple of additional thoughts:

-You can avoid the high Sierra Estrella terrain and the class bravo at
night by flying to the Gila Bend VOR, then east until you're about
south of the PHX VOR. Then cut northeast to Stellar. Once you can
see I-10 all the way into the city you've got it made.

- There's a new East-West VFR transition route through the PHX class B
that would have served your purposes nicely, check out the most recent
TAC. Asking for it by name is more likely to get you a warm reception
from approach. The controller likely didn't want you interfering with
the big boys on downwind south of PHX runways 7/8/25/26. I fly out of
Deer Valley Airport northeast of PHX, and I've never been refused the
(other) VFR transition route North/South over Sky Harbor (although I
have been told to "stand by" for a good while back in the days when my
radio chops weren't as good).

-R