Scottsdale is a year-round destination that offers something for everyone. From its incredible food and drink scene to its stunning natural beauty, Scottsdale is a great place to visit no matter the season. Despite the hot summer temperatures, the dry heat makes it bearable and the city is easily accessible from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, just a 20-minute drive away. The Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North is a great place to stay and experience the beauty of Sonora's high desert.
Located near 3,169 foot high Pinnacle Peak and its popular hiking trail, the resort features a spa, split-level pool, three restaurants, a bar, access to two golf courses in Troon North, and adobe cottage style rooms with fireplaces and balconies or patios. Taliesin West was the winter home of famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright and today it is the headquarters of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and the Taliesin West School of Architecture. Students transition between Taliesin in Wisconsin and Taliesin West in Scottsdale, spending summers in the north and winters in the south, just as they have been doing for decades. Taliesin West is a working architecture school, and you might see students working hard on their drawing boards if you visit during the winter.
The tours take place inside and outside. One of the requirements of students is to create their own simple housing in the desert, where they live while they are here. Old Town Scottsdale is a lively and fun area, perfect for spending an afternoon or night. Covered sidewalks line the front of Western-themed buildings and interesting stores selling everything from blankets, clothing and Mexican trinkets to Native American art, crafts, and jewelry.
In addition to this, high-end galleries present works by world-famous artists. If you work up an appetite as you stroll, Old Town Scottsdale has great dining options, with restaurants with cosy outdoor patios. Nearby is the Civic Center shopping mall and the public square with works of art, including the famous LOVE sculpture, the surrounding restaurants and the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. Two of the best courses are Troon North and TPC Scottsdale.
Troon North has two golf courses, designed by Tom Weiskopf, beautifully located in the desert landscape and with unusual granite rocks, ravines and rolling hills. Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North offers free shuttle service and special rates at Troon North Golf Club for guests staying at your property. The Desert Botanical Garden offers an incredible view of desert life. The gardens do an especially good job of mixing artistic elements with unique works of art spread across the grounds. The Western Scottsdale Museum celebrates the history and culture of 19 western states, along with neighboring Canadian provinces and several Mexican states. Rock-covered, cone-shaped Pinnacle Peak is a popular hiking area in Scottsdale.
A moderate 1.75-mile one-way trail with 1,300 feet of elevation will take you to the top of Pinnacle Peak, where you'll enjoy incredible views of North Scottsdale, including the green fairways of Troon North Golf Club. McDowell Sonoran Preserve is one of Scottsdale's best natural areas. The reserve covers 30,000 acres and has trails suitable for hiking, hiking, biking or equestrian options. In the heart of downtown and connected to Old Town Scottsdale is the Scottsdale Civic Center. Here you will find wonderful outdoor green space, water fountains with ducks, seating areas and spectacular rose gardens. The main attraction is the outdoor mini train which runs through the park on a regular schedule but there is much more to enjoy such as colorful carousel from the 50s built by Allan Herschell which plays music from that time. Nearby a massive 10,000-square-foot model railway building showcases several miniature railroads of different calibers.
This free attraction allows you to make trains move along the tracks by pressing buttons. Inside are a colorful array of butterflies fluttering as well as displays of hard-working honey bees edible insects rainforest reptiles and arthropods. A 3D theater shows a fun movie about insects which almost seem to jump off the screen. Scottsdale is home to some of Arizona's best luxury resorts many of which are clustered around picturesque Camelback Mountain Major cultural institutions are also located in this area such as the Scottsdale Performing Arts Center and the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. Scottsdale is ready for millennial travelers thanks to its dining scene great nightlife and quirky features such as golf cart taxis operating in Old Town Scottsdale. Scottsdale home to more than 50 resorts and day spas offers experiences that range from treatments based on traditional Native American medicine wheel at The Spa at The Boulders to aerial hammock yoga at The Well & Being Spa at The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess.
