SCOTTSDALE
Taliesin West, a counterpart to the architect’s Wisconsin Taliesin.
Using it as his winter home and studio from 1937 until his death in 1959, Wright found as much beauty in the ochre-colored desert and the foothills of the McDowell Mountains as he did in the bucolic environs of southern Wisconsin.
He once famously described the view from atop his mesa as “a look over the rim of the world.”
Visitors experience the same awe at this National Historic Landmark and UNESCO World Heritage Site as they wander from room to room, all connected by a series of terraces, pools and gardens.
EAT, DRINK AND STAY IN STYLE
As befits its place as a popular getaway, Scottsdale boasts a number of first-class eating and drinking establishments, and some incomparable lodging options.
In the former category, book a table for lunch at The Mission Kierland (try their homemade tortillas, arepas and salsas and the meats prepared on a plancha, a grill using pecan and mesquite wood to achieve a unique flavor), or enjoy a wine tasting at Merkin Vineyards Old Town where you can try local wines from estate vineyards in the Verde Valley (yes, Arizona does produce wine).
When it comes to stylish accommodations, the Scottsdale/Paradise Valley/Phoenix area takes a back seat to no one. On my visit, I stayed at two equally luxe properties.
Mountain Shadows Resort in Paradise Valley has been a desert icon since its opening in 1959. It quickly became a favorite of Hollywood celebrities, sports stars and politicians who flocked here. To see those who contributed to its lore, check out the photo gallery lining the wall of the main building.
Cocktail enthusiasts will love the circular bar, described by no less an authority than Architectural Digest as “the most beautiful bar in Arizona.”
Likewise, foodies will appreciate the inspired cuisine at Hearth ‘61, the resort’s fine dining restaurant. I ordered the Winter Squash Soup with maple cream, chervil and pomegranate, followed by the Niman Ranch prime beef tenderloin, bleu cheese fondue and truffled mash, and ended with carrot cake bread pudding.
I would have been extremely reluctant to leave Mountain Shadows had I not been spending my last two nights at the Four Seasons Scottsdale, tucked invitingly into the foothills of Pinnacle Peak, and offering stunning vistas of the high Sonoran Desert.
My adobe-style casita came with a private balcony, gas-burning kiva fireplace and eye-popping view.
On-property restaurants
– whether casual (Proof, billed as an American cantina) and Talavera (an upscale Spanish steakhouse) – are typical of the Four Seasons level of excellence.
The imaginative desserts at Proof will have you smacking your lips, and the steaks, jamon Iberica and paella at Talavera
will make it tough to choose.
If it’s relaxation you’re in search of, you’ll find it at the 12,000-foot fullservice spa. For a treatments specific to the region, I recommend the Nopal massage where warm gel from the nopal cactus, high in vitamins and minerals, is gently
massaged into the skin.
Walking around the property on my last night, I was again struck by that purple wash of sky, a graphic that I will forever associate with “the Gateway to the West.”
For more information on Scottsdale, go to ExperienceScottsdale.com.