Say ‘howdy’ to the current Scottsdale
“The West’s Most Western Town” has a nice cowbell ring to it, doesn’t it? Scottsdale’s motto is fitting: Many of the buildings in the Arizona city are the colour of leather chaps and a giant cowboy sign in Old Town greets visitors with a permanent “howdy” on his lips. During my March visit, I counted several Stetsons among the baseball caps accessorizing the heads of spring training fans. I even contacted the spirit myself at a Western-wear store that predates Stagecoach by more than a decade. (I found it lurking inside a pair of pink cowboy boots.)
Luckily, Scottsdale boasts a second tagline, “Most Livable City,” and I quickly felt at home among the racks of vintage clothing, vegcentric dishes and Frank Lloyd Wright architecture — real and inspired. The golf-cart taxis blasting party tunes kept me rooted in civilized Scottsdale, but whenever I heard the howling coyotes, I returned to wilder times.
GO
Local favourites
Odysea, the largest aquarium in the Southwest, provides residence to 30,000 animals. Start your visit in the bathroom, whether you need to go or not: The sinks overlook a shark tank. Guests follow the journey of a water drop, which travels through several marine environments, including rivers, shores (the habitat of African penguins and otters), oceans and reefs. The drop finally gets to sit down on a carousel ride that spins by three aqua-scapes. The finale: viewing the sharks that watched you lather up.
9500 Via De Ventura odyseaaquarium.com
Learn to hitch a horse, stare down a bison and swagger in an Old West scene at the Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West, a Smithsonian affiliate that holds several exhibitions a year. The museum tells the campfire tales of the American West through paintings, sculpture, photography and such artifacts as Meriwether Lewis’s tomahawk. One of the star collections features more than 1,400 items that detail every inch of the Western lifestyle.
3830 N. Marshall Way scottsdalemuseumwest.org
Guidebook Musts
This year, the world celebrates the 150th birthday of Frank Lloyd Wright, and Taliesin West honour the event with US$1.50 tours of his winter abode on June 8. Even on non-caking days, immerse yourself in the World According to Frank on a guided visit of his office, private residence, garden room, performance spaces and drafting studio, where he designed the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in Manhattan.
12621 N. Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd. franklloydwright.org/taliesin-west
Scottsdale’s sprawl stops at the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, a 30,000-acre (12,140 hectare) swatch of the Sonoran Desert buttressed by mountains. Bike or hike along 182 miles (293 kilometres) of trails studded with the Mutt (saguaro) and Jeff ( barrel) of cacti. The Gateway Trail Loop, for instance, is a 4 1/2-mile (7.2km) route that peaks in popularity during the sun’s rise and fall. In the distance, listen for the Valley of the Sun Orchestra, a symphony of coyote howls and sirens.
18333 N. Thompson Peak Pkwy. scottsdaleaz. gov/preserve
EAT
Local favourite
FnB co-owner Pavle Milic holds high praise for chef Charleen Badman: “She has the uncanny ability to take ugly duckling vegetables and elevate them.” Her magic green wand electrifies such dishes as hinona kabu long turnips with chimichurri and grilled spicy broccoli with tangerine aioli and pistachios. (She also prepares several meat entrees.) The restaurant has also earned accolades for its beverage program, which includes a full page of Arizona wines and beers. 7125 E. Fifth Ave. No. 31 fnbrestaurant.com
Guidebook Must
At the Mission, you won’t get scolded for licking the wall of Himalayan salt; some patrons enjoy a pink buzz with their tequila. If you prefer to use proper utensils, dig into the Latin American dishes, such as Peruvian clam stew and chorizo porchetta. Order the guacamole and a waiter will pull up to your table with a cart laden with small bowls and a mortar. You are the maestro of the chunky dip. 3815 N. Brown Ave. themissionaz.com
SHOP
Local favourites
At the Simple Farm, Michael and Lylah Ledner invite visitors to play with their girls, Penny, Chloe and Beatrix. The couple’s Nubian goats provide the milk for their homemade caramels, which come in such flavours as sea salt bourbon vanilla and coffee. The store, which is open during select hours on Thursdays, also sells fruits, vegetables and herbs grown in their suburban garden, as well as accoutrements (mugs, dish towels, soaps, cutting boards) that add rustic charm to any chic kitchen. 9080 E. Cactus Rd. thesimplefarm.net