The BIG country
Beneath the blazing sun of the Sonoran desert, Kevin Gleeson finds himself Arizona dreaming
It’s roughly 8am and underneath Arizona’s blazing Sonoran desert sun I’m both trying to hide my giddy excitement at my surroundings, as I walk slightly behind my guide, while also trying not to freak out at every sound underfoot.
I immediately assume every snapped twig and loose rock I tread on to be one of the many rattlesnakes that call this place home. This part of the desert is also home to many other wild animals, including coyotes, roadrunners and wildcats but my guide Steve assures me that all the wildlife sleeps during the day so we should be safe.
Thankfully, I was eased into the desert experience with the Gateway Loop Trail, a manageable four miles long, while there are an extensive series of other trails of varying lengths for all abilities. This section of the desert, the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, offers more than 180 miles of shared-use trails to enjoy on foot, bike or horseback. For an Irishman in these wild surroundings, this is the stuff that western movies are made of.
And while I didn’t get to explore the desert on horseback this time, it will definitely be top of my list if I ever get to return. But here’s the thing, I’m only 15 minutes from the city of Scottsdale, itself just a short drive from Phoenix’s International airport and a destination which provides you with all of the luxury accommodation, cocktail bars, top-notch food and hospitality that has drawn some of the biggest Hollywood stars here since the 1950s to today. From Bing Crosby to Beyoncé and Jennifer Aniston it’s really no surprise to see why either.
While the US offers lots for Irish visitors Scottsdale struck me as truly different. After finally arriving at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, the welcome I received was nothing short of the mental hug I needed after my journey.
With six pools, numerous bars and restaurants and a pretty impressive spa, complete with waterfalls, I would have gladly spent my whole stay here. But having encountered delays on the flight over due to a passenger experiencing a medical emergency, unfortunately it wasn’t to be. But once relaxed and ready to go, I had to move on and get out to do some exploring.
Being spring, the temperatures weren’t as daunting as I’d anticipated, hovering somewhere around the mid20s. This was first thing in the morning though and while it’s a very dry and comfortable heat, I’m reliably told summer can get pretty, pretty hot. I’m still starting to acclimatize myself when I’m eased even further into Arizonan life by the cool, modern design on check-in to the newly-opened Midnight Shadows resort in Paradise Valley. Originally opened in 1959 and completely rebuilt and opened again in April of this year, the resort now offers slick accommodation and fine dining along with amazing views of Camelback Mountain. I visited just as the property had reopened and even as they embarked on their new beginning, it still managed to retain a large amount of the feel of how I imagine it was when The Monkees shot an episode of their TV show there way back when.
But no lazing under the palm trees by the pool for me, unfortunately. Anyone who knows me will tell you I am not a morning person. So the 4.45am start the next morning was already pretty challenging to start off with. The fact that I’m not great with heights either and was about to set off in a hot-air balloon was likely to pose another. But I needn’t have worried as it turned out to be just as awe-inspiring to see the desert from above. With the early morning sun
The early morning sun casts cactus shadows across its dusty floor
casting cactus shadows across its dusty floor against the backdrop of the mountains and the silence only punctuated by the sporadic burst of the gas canisters to keep us aloft, it really was worth getting up for at that ungodly hour.
Almost as rewarding was that for once, the early start meant I was already back in my hotel for 9am and still had the whole day ahead of me.
Like many American destinations, it’s preferable if you can hire a car during your stay and if you do, then the Grand Canyon and the OK Corral in Tombstone are both just a short drive away. But with everything Scottsdale has to offer, you would be hard pushed to find the time. From hiking and biking to climbing and rafting, there are a huge amount of outdoor activities to take part in here.
Considering Scottsdale is a small city surrounded by desert it makes it even more remarkable that back in 1947, architect Frank Lloyd Wright chose this location to build one of his greatest masterpieces Taliesin West.
Renowned the world over by lovers of architecture, this still isolated compound is both breathtaking and fascinating. My guide was local legend, Ace Bailey of Ultimate Art Tours. Ace really knows her architecture and design but almost as important she is used to this hot weather and so manages to not only share with me all of her knowledge of Taliesin but also how to be a ‘shadow rat’ and stay out of the sun. Travel lessons for life right there folks.
A combination of jet-lag and early starts convinced me at this stage that it was time to put the sites on hold for a bit and see what Scottsdale has to offer a food lover like myself.
A recommendation brought me to the wood-fired pizza joint Craft 64. As the name suggests, it’s not just pizza on the menu but also a dizzying array of over 35 Arizona craft beers. I opted for their very own ‘Smoove Hoperator’ pale ale and I tell you that pint went down well. An airy, friendly neighborhood restaurant the pizza certainly didn’t disappoint either. While this culinary pairing won’t come as a surprise to anyone, what might is that Arizona is also home to over 100 wineries. The pavements of pretty downtown Scottsdale are shaded from the sun with wooden porches beneath which you can find any number of art galleries and boutiques selling Native American artifacts and jewellery. It’s here you will also find Aridus Wine Company’s Tasting Room where you can try a selection of the wines that the state is slowly becoming well known for.
If Scottsdale is starting to sound a little too hip and trendy at this point, don’t fear, it’s such a friendly city with plenty of old-school charm to appeal to all visitors. I spent the last couple of nights of my visit in the Hotel Valley Ho.
Back in the day when Hollywood legends, including the Rat Pack, could no longer find solace in places like Vegas and Palm Springs, they started to come to the Valley Ho. Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood chose the hotel to get married in and the place still oozes 1950s glamour.
An afternoon by the pool in my cabana was the perfect end to a perfect trip. Finally soaking up the sun surrounded by the towering palm trees, marguerita in hand, was a pretty nice way to look back on all I had discovered during my extrarordinary adventure.