The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Scottsdale, Arizona
Hop a four-hour and 20-minute flight to Phoenix in the morning and drive 25 miles east to be basking in the Sonoran Desert by early afternoon. A quintessential Southwestern escape, Scottsdale is well-known as a golf destination, but desert pursuits abound here, too. Scottsdale Adventure Tours (thescottsdaletours.com) hosts daytime and sunset off-road Jeep sojourns through the stunning desert landscape.
The Phoenix suburb offers more than 800 restaurant choices. Scottsdale Culinary Institute graduate and former “Chopped” champion Cory Oppold helms the recently debuted Course (courserestaurantaz.com). Gear up for a superb five or 10-course prix-fixe meal with an emphasis on vegetables.
Art lovers will enjoy the Scottsdale ArtWalk (scottsdalegalleries.com) that takes place every Thursday evening when dozens of the town’s galleries remain open late. And public art is on display all over Scottsdale. Two projects of note are, “The Desert’s Garden,” a new work using mosaic tiles by artist Tammi Lynch-Forrest, and Robert Indiana’s brilliant red “LOVE” sculpture. Find both works in the Scottsdale Civic Center (scottsdaleaz.gov) in Old Town, a 9-acre park that reopened in 2022 after a multimillion-dollar overhaul.
The parent company for Caesars Palace in Las Vegas opened its first nongaming property this year. Caesars Republic Scottsdale (caesars.com) is an 11-story, 265room slick glass hotel featuring two Giada De Laurentis restaurants and a rooftop pool showcasing panoramic views of Camelback Mountain.
■ Experience Scottsdale, 480-4211004, experiencescottsdale.com