A long weekend in Scottsdale was born out of a renewed focus on exploring USA spots, popular for hiking. A quick nonstop was also a must.
Good to Know
Scottsdale is in the Sonoran Desert. Avoid June – Sept when Scottsdale highs are at or over 100 degrees. If you are extremely sensitive to heat then make that May – October. The website weather-and-climate.com is a great planning tool. Precipitation hovers about 10 inches per year, and is not a factor for planning.
Airline Travel & Car Rental
Airline Travel
Look for flights into Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), 8 miles from Scottsdale, with nonstop service from 128 destinations. Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (AZA), 32 miles from Scottdale, has nonstop service from 43 destinations. This data was pulled from FlightsFrom.com, a favorite website covered in Strategy Workshops for the Expert Traveler. Check it out.
Car Rental
You need a car in Scottsdale, unless you plan to spend your days and nights exclusively at a resort. Rental cars at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport are in a separate terminal, over 3 miles away from arriving and departure gates. Factor this bus ride, and associated travel time, into planning.
I check my reserved rental car rate a day or so before departure. Prior to COVID-19, rates often dropped, and if the change was material, I rebooked and cancelled, in that order. That is not the case now. Rental car inventory is low across the country, and you could find yourself without a car. Check rental car rates before booking flights to be sure cars are available. Book ASAP. Strategy Workshops for the Expert Traveler cover topics guaranteed to ramp up your travel experience. Note the tips above, and register for the workshops.
Andaz Resort & Spa
The Andaz Resort, a Hyatt brand, located 15 miles from the PHX airport, is a Conde Nast and Travel and Leisure favorite, filled with bungalows, lush landscaping, and the Camelback Mountains for a backdrop,
Hammocks, and fire pits are everywhere.
If you are a boutique hotel lover, this is your place. There are no elevators, no long hallways, plus it’s pet friendly. It’s not a golf resort, so if golf is your main game, look elsewhere. If golf is a minor game, then book an offsite golf day. Options are abundant. Parking is available feet from your bungalow front door. Valet is provided as well. Rooms are simple, functional, and well designed.
The Paolo Verde Spa & Apothecary is an onsite full-service spa, and offers sunrise yoga on its lawn.
Book spa services in advance of your visit. The spa offers a quiet pool option if the lively, music filled, main pool is not your mojo. This is the main pool, early morning, before visitors arrived.
I asked for an early check-in. Not only did we get an early check-in, but we were upgraded from the Knoll Premium Bungalow King to the Saarinen Bungalow King Suite, adding a private back patio to the mix. All rooms come with a Dry Bar Buttercup Hair Dryer too, which is an Allure Magazine Top Performer.
Shout out and thank you to Hyatt for their Friends and Family Rate honoring Healthcare Heroes. This benefit is offered through June 30, 2022. Here’s a tip on using that rate. If you don’t find the rate for your entire stay, try it for certain days, reserve it, then call the hotel or resort to merge reservations with different rates. The images on the Andaz Resort website are on point and what you get. The service start to finish was perfection.
Dining in Scottsdale
The Andaz Resort has one restaurant Weft and Werp Art Bar & Kitchen that caters to hotel guests and locals. Try it for breakfast, lunch and brunch. The dinner menu and patio seating were limited. Consider dinner offsite.
The Andaz resort is an easy walk to shops and dining by way of pretty streets with sidewalks. Scottsdale dining is the larger scale kind, with lots of chains. Some are closed Monday and Tuesday. Reservations are a must. Walkable restaurants with patios, half-mile or less, from the Andaz include Houston’s (pictured here) and Flemings.
SumoMaya is also a popular spot. Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall is about 2 miles from the Andaz with many good dining options. Those with patio dining include Olive and Ivy (pictured here) and Culinary Dropout.
Both restaurants are across the water from Scottsdale’s Old Town, and removed from its high energy, loud evening vibe. The Andaz has a luxury SUV to shuttle guests within a 3-mile radius. Wait time was under 10 minutes every time.
Day Trips
Hiking in Scottsdale
Hiking is a favorite pastime and options are abundant. The short list from Culture Trip is a good one. We hit nearby hikes at Pinnacle Peak Summit and Echo Canyon. Both locations had clean restrooms at the trailhead. REI and AllTrails are other good sources. Echo Canyon is rated extremely difficult. Notice the double diamonds on the trail map. Skiers you know what this means. It’s hard.
Pinnacle Peak is rated moderate. It’s a favorite trail for locals, knocking out daily routines.
Watch out for rattlesnakes. There’s not a bear spray equivalent for those creatures. Arizona State University provides a good article to prepare you for rattlesnakes. Last, double up on your water supply.
Taliesin West
Taliesin West is a UNESCO World Heritage site, spanning 600 acres, that served as Frank Lloyd Wright’s winter home and desert laboratory from 1937-1959. It’s now home of the Frank Lloyd Wright (FLW) Foundation. Guided and self-guided tours are available. Tickets must be reserved well in advance of your visit. Even if you are not a FLW follower, make time for this stop.
Desert Botanical Garden
The Desert Botanical Garden Loop will fill your native flora knowledge bucket, and provide a nice 2.1-mile walk. Pair lunch with your visit.
Two dining options are offered at the garden, Gertrude’s and the Patio Café. Gertrude’s, located at the garden entrance, is a leading Phoenix restaurant. It has a bar, and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The Patio Café, on the opposite end of the garden, has walk-up service, casual fare, with a nice patio, the Ullman Terrace.
Tips on Scottsdale
Plan in advance, specifically for dinner reservations, spa services, and for any ticketed events. Embrace larger scale dining options. Last, watch out for my favorite PHX airport lounge, the Centurion Lounge, which has reopened, as COVID-19 restrictions have lifted. Lounge access, and how you get it, is covered in Strategy Workshops for the Expert Traveler.
Subscribe
If you like this, hit Subscribe for updates and other travel inspiration. Emails are infrequent, and will not wear out their inbox welcome. Follow TravelToolsTips on social media too. Visit the Blog for other great destinations.
A long weekend in Scottsdale was born out of a renewed focus on exploring USA spots, popular for hiking. A quick nonstop was also a must.
Good to Know
Scottsdale is in the Sonoran Desert. Avoid June – Sept when Scottsdale highs are at or over 100 degrees. If you are extremely sensitive to heat then make that May – October. The website weather-and-climate.com is a great planning tool. Precipitation hovers about 10 inches per year, and is not a factor for planning.
Airline Travel & Car Rental
Airline Travel
Look for flights into Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), 8 miles from Scottsdale, with nonstop service from 128 destinations. Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (AZA), 32 miles from Scottdale, has nonstop service from 43 destinations. This data was pulled from FlightsFrom.com, a favorite website covered in Strategy Workshops for the Expert Traveler. Check it out.
Car Rental
You need a car in Scottsdale, unless you plan to spend your days and nights exclusively at a resort. Rental cars at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport are in a separate terminal, over 3 miles away from arriving and departure gates. Factor this bus ride, and associated travel time, into planning.
I check my reserved rental car rate a day or so before departure. Prior to COVID-19, rates often dropped, and if the change was material, I rebooked and cancelled, in that order. That is not the case now. Rental car inventory is low across the country, and you could find yourself without a car. Check rental car rates before booking flights to be sure cars are available. Book ASAP. Strategy Workshops for the Expert Traveler cover topics guaranteed to ramp up your travel experience. Note the tips above, and register for the workshops.
Andaz Resort & Spa
The Andaz Resort, a Hyatt brand, located 15 miles from the PHX airport, is a Conde Nast and Travel and Leisure favorite, filled with bungalows, lush landscaping, and the Camelback Mountains for a backdrop,
Hammocks, and fire pits are everywhere.
If you are a boutique hotel lover, this is your place. There are no elevators, no long hallways, plus it’s pet friendly. It’s not a golf resort, so if golf is your main game, look elsewhere. If golf is a minor game, then book an offsite golf day. Options are abundant. Parking is available feet from your bungalow front door. Valet is provided as well. Rooms are simple, functional, and well designed.
The Paolo Verde Spa & Apothecary is an onsite full-service spa, and offers sunrise yoga on its lawn.
Book spa services in advance of your visit. The spa offers a quiet pool option if the lively, music filled, main pool is not your mojo. This is the main pool, early morning, before visitors arrived.
I asked for an early check-in. Not only did we get an early check-in, but we were upgraded from the Knoll Premium Bungalow King to the Saarinen Bungalow King Suite, adding a private back patio to the mix. All rooms come with a Dry Bar Buttercup Hair Dryer too, which is an Allure Magazine Top Performer.
Shout out and thank you to Hyatt for their Friends and Family Rate honoring Healthcare Heroes. This benefit is offered through June 30, 2022. Here’s a tip on using that rate. If you don’t find the rate for your entire stay, try it for certain days, reserve it, then call the hotel or resort to merge reservations with different rates. The images on the Andaz Resort website are on point and what you get. The service start to finish was perfection.
Dining in Scottsdale
The Andaz Resort has one restaurant Weft and Werp Art Bar & Kitchen that caters to hotel guests and locals. Try it for breakfast, lunch and brunch. The dinner menu and patio seating were limited. Consider dinner offsite.
The Andaz resort is an easy walk to shops and dining by way of pretty streets with sidewalks. Scottsdale dining is the larger scale kind, with lots of chains. Some are closed Monday and Tuesday. Reservations are a must. Walkable restaurants with patios, half-mile or less, from the Andaz include Houston’s (pictured here) and Flemings.
SumoMaya is also a popular spot. Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall is about 2 miles from the Andaz with many good dining options. Those with patio dining include Olive and Ivy (pictured here) and Culinary Dropout.
Both restaurants are across the water from Scottsdale’s Old Town, and removed from its high energy, loud evening vibe. The Andaz has a luxury SUV to shuttle guests within a 3-mile radius. Wait time was under 10 minutes every time.
Day Trips
Hiking in Scottsdale
Hiking is a favorite pastime and options are abundant. The short list from Culture Trip is a good one. We hit nearby hikes at Pinnacle Peak Summit and Echo Canyon. Both locations had clean restrooms at the trailhead. REI and AllTrails are other good sources. Echo Canyon is rated extremely difficult. Notice the double diamonds on the trail map. Skiers you know what this means. It’s hard.
Pinnacle Peak is rated moderate. It’s a favorite trail for locals, knocking out daily routines.
Watch out for rattlesnakes. There’s not a bear spray equivalent for those creatures. Arizona State University provides a good article to prepare you for rattlesnakes. Last, double up on your water supply.
Taliesin West
Taliesin West is a UNESCO World Heritage site, spanning 600 acres, that served as Frank Lloyd Wright’s winter home and desert laboratory from 1937-1959. It’s now home of the Frank Lloyd Wright (FLW) Foundation. Guided and self-guided tours are available. Tickets must be reserved well in advance of your visit. Even if you are not a FLW follower, make time for this stop.
Desert Botanical Garden
The Desert Botanical Garden Loop will fill your native flora knowledge bucket, and provide a nice 2.1-mile walk. Pair lunch with your visit.
Two dining options are offered at the garden, Gertrude’s and the Patio Café. Gertrude’s, located at the garden entrance, is a leading Phoenix restaurant. It has a bar, and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The Patio Café, on the opposite end of the garden, has walk-up service, casual fare, with a nice patio, the Ullman Terrace.
Tips on Scottsdale
Plan in advance, specifically for dinner reservations, spa services, and for any ticketed events. Embrace larger scale dining options. Last, watch out for my favorite PHX airport lounge, the Centurion Lounge, which has reopened, as COVID-19 restrictions have lifted. Lounge access, and how you get it, is covered in Strategy Workshops for the Expert Traveler.
Strategy Workshops for the Expert Traveler
Travel is complex. Strategy Workshops are guaranteed to ramp up your travel experience. Move to Expert Traveler status with one or more 50 minute sessions. Workshops are curated based on needs and goals. They are offered live in Austin, Tx, and by Zoom for all locations. Participants range from students, preparing for a summer abroad, to office staff, responsible for travel arrangements. Group size ranges from 1-300. Return is guaranteed for travelers who book travel independently or through a travel professional. Let’s chat and get you, your group, or office staff on the road to Expert Travel. The payoff is great. Email TravelToolsTips@gmail.com.
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Subscribe
If you like this, hit Subscribe for updates and other travel inspiration. Emails are infrequent, and will not wear out their inbox welcome. Follow TravelToolsTips on social media too. Visit the Blog for other great intel.