More than golf courses and bachelorette parties, Scottsdale maintains a unique blend of luxury, relaxation, artistry and adventure. And with 330 days of annual sunshine, it’s easy to explore the sun-drenched, lush, Sonoran Desert landscape any time of year.
In the heart of Scottsdale, find Old Town western charm, infused with shopping, dining, galleries and nightlife. Meander shops with vintage finds and Western Wear, peruse the Native Art Market and pick up local products from The Mercantile of Scottsdale, passing by parks with public art installations and historic sites from the 1880s. After dark, slip into a wine tasting room, craft cocktail lounge, nightclub or award-winning dining establishment.
There is something to excite everyone in this energetic urban landscape. Come, get away and see what blooms in Scottsdale.
Thank you to Experience Scottsdale for hosting my trip so I could write about my experience.
Hike the McDowell Sonoran Preserve
Nature nurtures, and a third of Scottsdale is open space. So, get out for a peaceful early morning hike in the lush Sonoran Desert – with towering saguaro cacti, palo verde trees, cholla cacti and majestic mountains. A private guide from Cliff Creek Outfitters can help to understand and appreciate local flora and fauna, offering a unique perspective of the area. Hike the 4.5-mile Gateway Loop Trail with an elevation gain of 650 feet. A sudden rain spurt can enhance the trek with glistening rocks, shining mountains, and rainbows cascading across the vast desert floor.
Horseback ride in the Tonto National Forest
Less than an hour drive from Scottsdale, wild horses run free along the Salt River in the Tonto National Forest. At rustic Saguaro Lake Ranch stables, an early morning guided horse ride will have you in awe, trotting through saguaro-studded ridges in the majestic Goldfield mountain range, in the shadow of the glowing Bulldog Cliffs. While we witnessed a wild stallion from the get-go who wanted nothing to do with us, back at the stables, the friendly horses love to be pet. Inside the front ranch office, ask about the ranch hand’s collection of treasures – from rattlesnake skin to a tarantula paralyzed by a spider wasp.
Fly high over the Sonoran Desert in a hot air balloon
From October to March, fly like a bird above the Sonoran Desert at sunrise or sunset. Hot Air Expeditions bring you up to 5,000 feet in a handcrafted wicker basket, soaring peacefully above the expansive desert terrain and horizon, hugging the mountain ranges. Drift along with the breeze, in view of other colorful hot air balloons, as you experience serene stillness on this one-hour-long flight. But be prepared to brace for landing, as winds can pick up at any time. Our flight concluded with a basket flip then a celebratory champagne breakfast toast.
Tour Taliesin West, Frank Lloyd Wright’s former home
Take a self-guided tour of Frank Lloyd Wright’s winter home, to absorb his masterful design nestled in the Sonoran Desert. For more than 87 years, he and his apprentices lived, worked, and pushed the boundaries of architectural innovation here, embracing the environment, until his death in 1959. Taliesin West absorbs and celebrates the setting, as it was created by gathering rock from the desert floor and sand from the washes. Admire the triangular pool, the cabaret rock theater, and the geometric origami chairs. Be in awe of Wright’s use of angles, how he brings the outdoors in, and the sloping drafting studio showcasing numerous American architectural contributions like New York City’s MOMA and Beverly Hills’ Anderton Court Shops.
Be inspired at Cosanti, where molten bronze wind bells are cast
Cosanti Originals is an earth-formed concrete domed home, architectural lab, studio, and gallery created from the surrounding silt, thanks to Italian-American architect, sculptor, and wind chime designer Paolo Soleri, who is known for harmonizing buildings with nature. Deeply influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright, as his apprentice, Cosanti’s Willy Wonka-like property features terraced landscaping with experimental earth-formed curvy concrete structures. Soleri is best known for Arcosanti, the prototype “arcology” community founded in the high desert in 1970.
Soleri’s use of natural light sources and curved spaces (some underground) is an inspiring and genius way of living in the desert – where architecture blends with the environment. On a small guided tour, watch the process of pouring 1,000-degree bronze into sand casts to make the Soleri bells. Enjoy the meditative sounds while walking the winding paths on the gallery grounds.
Nearby, another inspiring creative community exists in adobe structures. At Cattle Track, an artist compound bursts with collaborative spirit, where painters, ceramicists, blacksmiths, print makers and sculptors work side by side in art studio gallery spaces. Since the 1930s, this historic complex has been a haven for writers, dancers, and artists, and today has morphed to include an upgraded outdoor performance space, The School of Architecture, custom furniture and fabrication studio, and fine art publishing company.
Travel the world through sound at the Musical Instrument Museum
At MIM, stroll through all continents to witness more than 5,000 musical instruments from every country in the world. You could spend days here, but the interactive listening approach makes it fun to walk up to a display and hear the sounds of the guitars, gamelans, gongs, and more. Plus, don’t miss the Experience Gallery to test out various instruments, the Mechanical Music Gallery, where the instruments play themselves, and the Artist Gallery, to ogle exhibits dedicated to musical legends like Taylor Swift, Prince, Madonna, John Lennon, Elvis, and Johnny Cash. The 25-foot wide “Appollonia” Orchestrion dance organ is fun to witness, as it can simulate a whole band of instruments. Discover monthly cultural celebrations here, as well as over 250 concerts each year, in its acoustically superb theater.
Get interactive at Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art
Tucked near the Scottsdale Civic Center, SMoCA is housed in an intimate minimalist building in the Old Town district, an ingenious renovation of a former movie theater – including a public “Skyspace” by artist James Turrell where visitors can experience the everchanging light of the desert sky. Rotating exhibits including exciting and progressive art, architecture and design. Currently, interactive art includes magical kinetic sculptural works by Casey Curran that emerge and awaken on the wall when visitors crank a lever, making the pieces flutter and dance, perhaps a metaphor for rebirth or beauty in darkness. One room of illuminated spheres color dance to music as you wander through the infinite “Squidsoup.” The exhibit “Rooted” interweaves our relationship with nature as clever photographs and organic wearable sculptures are crafted from bark, seaweed, grasses, and moss.
Pamper yourself at The Spa at Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale
Fueled by desert botanicals and inspired by traditional Native American healing traditions, there is something to be said about relying on more ancient practices for wellness. Rejuvenate and renew at the 12,000-square-foot Spa at Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North, with a warm prickly pear cactus (nopal) gel massage or a massage harmonized with sacred sound therapy. Fully let go, as healing sounds and vibrations wash over you, from Tibetan singing bowls placed on your body. After the 30-minute post-massage session, you might feel like you could float right out of the room.
No need to leave the Four Seasons’ serene high Sonoran Desert sanctuary, nestled in the cooling foothills of Pinnacle Peak. A stay includes adobe style architecture and suites with luxurious amenities – from private plunge pools to outdoor garden showers. Soak in the jacuzzi under the stars, unwind at a cabana poolside, and order breakfast – like Arizona Tempura Hash – in-room or on-site at Proof restaurant. For a memorable sunset dinner perched above the sweeping desert and surrounding pinnacle mountainscape, dine at the resort’s Spanish Talavera restaurant, where a Tempranillo, tapas, dry aged steak, and seafood paella pair beautifully with the stunning orange-mauve sunset glow.
Stay at historic 1920s Royal Palms Resort and Spa
This cozy romantic hideaway boasts Spanish Mediterranean architecture, lush gardens, and numerous water features throughout the grounds. At the base of Camelback Mountain and close to the Old Town, this former winter home, built in 1929, evolved into a rustic villa with original embedded mosaic-crested Spanish tiles, mahogany doors, poolside cabanas, and dripping pink bougainvillea courtyards, opening to guests in 1948. The recent Michelin-key recipient features rooms, suites, and villas with fireplaces, garden terrace nooks, and firepits. A few steps away at the hotel’s signature restaurant, T. Cook’s, toast to your good fortune with a spicy Orange Grove, with jalapeno-infused tequila, in honor of this former citrus land. The local K4 Ranch tenderloin with bacon gruyere gratin is an exceptional option that rates as one of our best meals in Scottsdale. Extend your desert night and sip an after-dinner carajillo on the garden terrace.
Indulge in Scottsdale’s Diverse Dining Mecca
Dining is as diverse as the desert terrain, with a plethora of sophisticated options, often featuring charming patios. In Old Town, newcomer Beginner’s Luck dishes out the famed Arizona Original Chopped Salad with smoked salmon, currants, arugula, avocado, and freeze-dried corn atop cold couscous with buttermilk herb dressing. Uchi Scottsdale is another new hotspot, where “somakase” includes a roll out of inventive sushi and non-traditional Japanese dishes based on your preferences. Bluefin tuna, blue crab Chawanmushi, yellowtail with Thai Chile and orange supreme, and seasonal brown butter-basted mushroom nigiri were just some of the highlights of dining in this sleek, modern, wooden, sculptural, vaulted restaurant, founded by James Beard Award-winning Chef Tyson Cole.
For lunch, Postino Highland shows off its midcentury modern Brutalist influences of cast concrete wall fins, in a restored former bank designed by a Frank Lloyd Wright apprentice. Nosh outdoors on this friendly patio space on your choice of soup, salad, or sandwich. Try a fun pairing like onion soup with Italian beef, served with a beer flight or prickly pear margarita. Bruschetta boards abound, perfect for sharing with a $6 glass of wine. At The Mission at Kierland Commons (and also in Old Town), 12-ingredient guacamole is made tableside and homemade tortillas arrive on a Himalayan salt block to stuff with spicy grilled street corn. Crispy shrimp tacos and pork shoulder lettuce wrap tacos are a must-order to share on the buzzy patio.
Mastro’s Ocean Club Scottsdale is the ultimate splurge. Share the Sushi Tower, loaded with chilled fresh crab, gigantic shrimp, east coast oysters, big eye tuna sashimi and inventive rolls. Choose from a variety of steak options such as Japanese A5 wagyu, ribeye, porterhouse, or a sizzling filet with wagyu butter. The plate is heated to sear your meat to your desired temperature. Add on lobster mashed potatoes for utter decadence, with the famous signature warm butter cake topped with ice cream and strawberries as the grand finale.
