Hello all! Well it’s been almost 2 years since my last post. I wonder what was going? ;-) I’ve been feeling nostalgic for pre-pandemic life and just trying to figure out how to adapt daily to the incessant changes while staying hopeful for what’s to come. Last year was challenging, but some really fun things came from it too! I started my own Personal Training business and Rob and I (and our dog) did a big road trip last summer! We spent about 2 months between Idaho and Colorado. Something we wouldn't have had the chance to do before, so there are some silver linings to all of the madness. Stay tuned for more about that trip!

Today, I’m sharing about our trip to Scottsdale, Arizona. It was our first time flying in over 2 years! Scottsdale is a great destination for a long weekend, but you could easily spend 5-6 days here visiting the art galleries and enjoying some of the unique experiences. Scottsdale averages 330 days of sunshine a year! I don’t know about you, but I love a very sunny place for vacation!

How much time do you need?

I would recommend at least 3-4 nights. But it’s totally personal, you could easily spend a little more time or add a few days to go up to Sedona!

Getting there:

From the Phoenix Airport it’s less than a 20 minutes drive into Scottsdale!

Stay:

eat:

The Mission

This was definitely my favorite meal of out trip. The duck carnitas empanadas were incredible! The atmosphere was cozy, but the music pumping made it feel a bit more like a club! Would be a really fun place for a group dinner.

Tommy V’s

This a solid experience. We made a last minute decision when we realized our other reservation was not walking distance (walking is big for us). We both really enjoyed our entree’s and wine. I got the scallops and Rob got the braised short rib.

Farm & Craft

Cute spot for breakfast with a cheery atmosphere. I got an Acaí bowl (it was ok), but Rob’s steel cut oatmeal was amazing!

The House Brasserie

We just got light meal here, but the atmosphere was so cozy. Perfect!

Explore:

Desert Botanical Gardens

This is one of the coolest botanical gardens I’ve been too! The Saguaro’s towered over us! I never knew they could get so tall! We were fortunate enough to visit during the Chihuly exhibit. Artist, Dale Chihuly makes magic with glass. It looks like this exhibit will be going on through late June of 2022. I highly recommend buying tickets in advance. Apparently we got the last two tickets. The Botanical Gardens was about a 10 minutes drive from Hotel Valley Ho.

For more info, visit here.

E-bike tour through the Desert

Our tour was canceled due to rain and we weren’t able to reschedule, but this experience was rated so highly I would recommend it and I hope we get to try it another time! The company is called Journey Rides and you can book a tour here.

Frank Lloyd Wright House- Taliesin West

A UNESCO World Heritage Site and this was Wright’s winter home built in 1937. The Chihuly exhibit is here as well! It was sold out during our trip, so again plan ahead! More info here.

Walk around to Old Town

Old town is filled with shops, restaurants and art galleries galore! We had fun just wandering through the different galleries. Most of the galleries close around 6pm so plan to do this during the day, before dinner!

Also be sure to check out Anticus which is a bookstore and art gallery combined! Does this sound like Heaven to you? It was to me.

Here’s a list of all the art galleries in old town.

Visit Sedona

This would be an add on to your Scottsdale itinerary as it is a couple of hours away. Another thing on our list we didn’t get to do because it was snowing there. But I’ve heard it’s gorgeous with some incredible hikes.

Hot Air Balloon Ride

I’ve been wanting to do a hot air balloon ride for years! When I found out they offered them in Phoenix I booked it right away! We went with Rainbow Ryders. You shuttle from their store to an area and the guides estimate the winds to decide where to launch. They get the balloons set up, (blown up) and then everyone gets in to prepare for take off! It’s really amazing as you start to lift off the ground! And it’s really fun watching all the other balloons around you too! We’ve done some helicopter rides and this is completely different. It’s quite a serene experience floating over the desert. There were times throughout the ride I was in awe of how still it was. Our basket was completely full (12 people which included some small kids). It was hard to move around and take pictures from different angles because we were packed in, but was a small thing! I’m probably the only person that would complain about this though. We booked a sunset tour, so maybe would have less people if you did the sunrise tour. Once you land then you enjoy a little champagne with your group and guide! So fun! They also had some light snacks when we returned back to the store. You can book a private tour if you choose, it’s approximately $400 a person. The group tour was about $200 per person, not including gratuity. So happy we got to experience it! Book it here.