Scottsdale

Overview

On the edge of Phoenix, lies a desert city with its own history, identity, and over 330 days of sunshine a year. Scottsdale feels a little like Phoenix’s more laid-back sister, perplexed by the big city rush and too busy enjoying its own desert vistas and cultural offerings to call it a competition. That competitive energy is saved for the golf course, with Scottsdale offering some of the finest courses in the world.

Old Town Scottsdale is a great place to start exploring the city’s history. You can stop in at Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West for an artistic immersion, or McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park, which is devoted to telling the story of rail travel in the West. If you prefer your vehicles without rails, the Penske Racing Museum thrills car enthusiasts with 9,000 square feet of displays.

More than 200 golf courses dot the Scottsdale area, so if you’re looking to spend a full vacation on the links, the city is a must-visit at least once. Part of its appeal to golfers though is Scottsdale’s natural landscape, easily appreciated at McDowell Sonoran Preserve. Hike up the lookout for superb views over Scottsdale and the surrounding desert. Alternatively, spare your legs and take an ATV tour into the Bradshaw Mountains.

Architect Frank Lloyd Wright was so taken with Scottsdale, he built his winter home here. Taliesin West now offers tours in addition to being the campus for an architecture school. Just to Scottsdale’s north, some very different courses are offered at Cowboy U, which invites students of all ages to learn classic horsemanship and ranching techniques.

Though not as famous as its neighbour, Scottsdale might be the perfect spot to kick off your adventure in the Old West.