SCOTTSDALE: WHAT TO SEE AND WHERE TO STAY
If your idea of a perfect holiday is somewhere between hiking and cocktails, Scottsdale has many options to fill the day. (It’s best to check the website of each attraction and accommodation to see whether there are any further temporary closures as countries continue to cope with the coronavirus pandemic.)
TO SEE
Art: The Scottsdale Rodeo Museum is not the only one in the city dedicated to western life.
On a much grander scale is the Smithsonian-accredited Western Spirit: Museum of the West, which is temporarily closed. Permanent exhibits include western bronzes and sculptures, as well as the Abe Hays Family Collection, a large gallery with old newspapers, sheriff’s badges, halters, saddles, metalwork, spurs, frontier knives and chaps.
At the other end of the spectrum is the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, housed in a renovated former movie theatre. It houses nine to 12 rotating exhibitions a year. It is temporarily closed until April 5. Music: Don’t miss the Musical Instruments Museum once it reopens. Interactive and family-friendly, the MIM can easily take hours as you wander through galleries dedicated to global music. Seemingly every country in the world is represented, along with displays of native instruments whether it be bagpipes, tribal drums or goat hoof belt rattles.
An Artist Gallery includes everyone from Johnny Cash and Elvis to Tito Puente and Randy Bachman. Special items include Pablo Casals’ cello and Adam Levine’s rare Ibanez electric guitar.
Every exhibit in the museum includes musical selections from that country or artist which play on museum headphones as you approach.
Once inspired, head to the Experience Gallery where you can try out guitars, gongs, a Peruvian harp, a West African djembe or Native American communal drums.
Architecture: Frank Lloyd Wright architecture is iconic. Some of his major projects include the Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Arizona Biltmore Resort and Taliesen West, a UNESCO World Heritage Site just outside of Scottsdale, which is closed through March 31.
Wright was famous as the creator of “organic architecture,” a term he coined to describe buildings that harmonize with their inhabitants and environment.
“If you have an open concept house, you can thank Frank Lloyd Wright. He saw that American families were changing how they lived and he opened up the idea of home,” explained a docent leading a recent tour at Taliesin West, Wright’s winter home and design school from 1937 until his death in 1959.
See his remarkable home, meeting room, theatre and cabaret and learn about Wright’s ingenious designs that captured the desert light and water with non-conventional materials.
The tour volunteers tell Wright’s life story in a way that captures his unorthodox and controversial character. You’ll come away with a real appreciation of the man and his work.
TO STAY
Scottsdale is well served with accommodation, from family hotels with lazy river rides to ultra luxury resorts like Sanctuary, which Jay-z and Beyoncé reportedly booked for their honeymoon. Two top options are Mountain Shadows and the Four Seasons.
Checking into Mountain Shadows in Paradise Valley, you can forgive yourself for expecting to see Frank Sinatra or Sammy Davis Jr. lounging about in the bar.
The Rat Pack would have been at home in this hotel which originally opened down the road in 1959 and attracted stars like Lucille Ball, John Wayne and Elizabeth Taylor.
But while the vibe is vintage, the furnishings, food and service are anything but. Rooms are massive, with glass-walled showers and floor to ceiling windows opening onto either the executive 18-hole golf course or the Instagrammable pools. The restaurant Hearth ’61 and adjacent bar are hopping nightly. Bar tables spill onto an outside deck for poolside dining.
On the other side of the city is
Four Seasons Resort and Spa at
Troon North. The adobe-style hotel melds into the arid landscape with some units built right into the rocks. Casita-style rooms are massive with fireplaces, couches and chairs, well-appointed bathrooms and secluded outdoor patios that take advantage of the commanding views of hills and cacti.
The large pool area is in the centre of the resort, making a great gathering spot. So, too, is the outside terrace of Onyx Bar and Lounge. Get here early for a drink at sunset as it fills quickly with guests seeking the perfect photo.
After drinks, head into the resort’s signature restaurant, Talavera. Headed up by a rising young chef from Mexico, Samantha Sanz, the contemporary Spanish menu includes specialties such as paella, dry-aged steak, Jamón Ibérico seafood and tapas. Check out the special gin room where you can help create your own handcrafted cocktail.