Scottsdale

Scottsdale lies east of Phoenix in the Sonoran Desert, with the McDowell Mountains on its northern edge. It is a resort and shopping city, with golf courses, spas, galleries and a lively Old Town full of restaurants and bars. Winter is the high season, when visitors from colder places arrive for sun, spring training baseball and the big events at WestWorld. The city is clean, car oriented and more polished than rugged, though the desert is always close. It makes a comfortable stop on an Arizona road trip, especially in the cooler months.

Old Town is the walkable core, with Western-style storefronts, galleries, shops and a downtown trolley. The Main Street Arts District has galleries and a Thursday evening ArtWalk, and the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, known as SMoCA, shows modern work. Taliesin West, Frank Lloyd Wright's desert home and studio, offers tours in the northern foothills. The McDowell Sonoran Preserve has trails for hikers and mountain bikers, best at sunrise before the heat. The Desert Botanical Garden and the Musical Instrument Museum are well known, but both are in Phoenix, a short drive away. The Scottsdale Waterfront runs along the Arizona Canal.

Scottsdale eats well and late. Old Town and the Waterfront have steakhouses, Mexican kitchens, Southwestern restaurants and wine bars, and the resorts run their own dining rooms. Kierland Commons and Scottsdale Quarter, in north Scottsdale, have outdoor patios and a mix of chain and local restaurants. Nightlife is concentrated in Old Town, where cocktail bars, dance clubs and live music sit within a few blocks of each other. Scottsdale Fashion Square covers upscale shopping. Dinner often starts late. In the cool season, much of the eating and drinking happens outdoors on patios.

Old Town is the easiest base for walking to dinner, galleries and bars. Resorts spread across the city, including a cluster in north Scottsdale, and suit travelers who want pools, spas and golf. More modest chain hotels sit near the Scottsdale Airpark and along the Loop 101 freeway. Scottsdale is built for cars, though Old Town can be walked and the trolley links its districts. Valley Metro buses run on main roads, and rideshare is common. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is the main airport, a short drive away, and there is no Amtrak station in the city.

Winter and early spring are the best times to visit, with warm sunny days and cool evenings. February and March are the busiest, with spring training, golf and car auctions, and rooms fill early. Summer is extremely hot and visitors are fewer, so outdoor plans work only at dawn or after dark. Monsoon storms in late summer bring dramatic skies, wind and brief downpours. Two days cover Old Town, the arts district and Taliesin West. Three days add a desert hike, a day in Phoenix and a ballgame at a spring training park if the season fits.

Scottsdale sits on the east side of the Phoenix area, close to Loop 101 and Loop 202, with Interstate 10 and Interstate 17 within easy reach. Tucson is about two hours south, and Sedona and Flagstaff are roughly two hours north on Interstate 17, with the Grand Canyon beyond. The Superstition Mountains lie to the east, a good day trip for hiking and desert views. Scottsdale works well as a comfortable base for a Southwest loop, or as a night of rest between Tucson and Sedona, with plenty of room to add a day in Phoenix.