4 Reasons to Visit Scottsdale, Arizona
Several years ago in April, I had the pleasure of visiting Scottsdale, Arizona for the first time. As the saying goes… “It is a wonderful town to see and in which to be seen“. As part of my continuing blog, I will be sharing many of my unique travel experiences, photos, tips, and recommendations. My initial travel post is about Scottsdale and here are my top 4 reasons why I recommend you visit: 1) abundant sunshine & warm weather 2) it’s natural beauty 3) a trendy & eclectic culinary scene 4) the wide variety of fun tourist activities. WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED?
I was fortunate enough to stay at the beautiful Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch. Prior to 1982, the Gainey Ranch raised Arabian horses and Hereford cattle. But when the family no longer wanted to continue their business, they sold their land to be developed. It is now a Resort and Spa with a beautifully landscaped Golf Club including 3 distinctive, championship nine-hole courses. Located in the Sonoran Desert, it has a majestic view of the McDowell Mountains and breathtaking blue skies; a little slice of heaven.
At the Resort and Spa, I was able to relax and enjoy the natural beauty of the area. I fell in love with the desert air, mountain views, flowering cactus, and stunning palm trees. The Resort also boasts a large 2.5-acre water playground; including an actual sand beach, and 3-story, high-speed waterslide.
A recurring focus and theme, with most of my travel experiences, is some sort of exploration of the local food and culture. So while visiting Scottsdale, I was also able to take a small group, guided, Walking Food Tour in the historic Old Town. The lunch-time tour combined information about many of the local, southwestern historical sites and provided mini culinary tastings at 4 different, popular restaurants. I highly recommend taking a food tour with Arizona Food Tours. It was a lot of fun. Check out their website at www.arizonafoodtours.com
The walking tour began on Main Street in the heart of Old Town, which is full of southwestern charm and character. There are many cute boutique shops, restaurants, bars and adobe buildings in the shadow of the nearby Camelback Mountain.
Our first stop on the Walking Food Tour was at the Old Adobe Mission, established in 1933. It was the first Catholic parish and is the oldest standing church in Scottsdale. It was built by hand by Mexicans who settled in Scottsdale in the late 1910s.
Right next door is the Mission Old Town Restaurant, where their specialty is Modern Latin Cuisine. I highly recommend eating and having cocktails here. Their awesome bar has a beautifully lit, large cross decor piece that can’t be missed. They also have a breathtaking, highlighted, back wall – made of Himalayan Sea Salt in their indoor seating area. If you prefer to eat outdoors, they can easily accommodate your request in their lovely courtyard seating. We really enjoyed this stop and tasted their delicious mini pork shoulder tacos. Estaba muy sabroso!
Our second restaurant stop on the Walking Food Tour was Malee’s on Main for Thai Food. There, we tasted a Vegetable Spring Roll and Tom Kai Gai – a hot & sour soup with coconut milk, chicken, mushrooms, and cilantro. I really had not tasted a lot of Thai food before this, but both menu items were absolutely delicious. www.maleesonmain.com
Our third restaurant stop on the Walking Food Tour was Grimaldi’s – the very best transplanted New York Pizzeria in Scottsdale. Their specialty is NY Pizza (obviously) but baked in a coal-fired, brick-oven. All their pizzas feature their special, signature sauce. I highly recommend the Margharita Pizza – delicioso! www.grimaldipizzeria.com
Our last stop on the Walking Food Tour in Old Town was for dessert in the desert at Chocolade van Brugge. This candy shop was owned by a husband/wife team dedicated to sharing their love of Belgium culture with everyone. They imported high-quality chocolates and made authentic liege Belgian waffles. Having previously traveled to Belgium, I can tell you that their shop was truly authentic and impressive. We tasted their Death by Belgium Waffles and Chocolates. Both made me weak at the knees! www.chocoladevanbrugge
Besides just taking a Walking Food Tour in Old Town, Golfing or visiting a Resort/Spa, there are many other fun activities to do in Scottsdale, Arizona including; Hot Air Balloon Rides, Boutique Shopping, Art Galleries, Specialty Museums, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West (winter retreat & studio), Riding the Party Bike, Hiking Trails, City Jeep Tours, Segway Tours. I would love to hear if you have ever visited Scottsdale. What are your favorite restaurants or activities? Please leave me a comment below.
WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED?
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