Happy August Everyone! Can you believe its already August! I know I sure can’t! I recently went to Scottsdale, Arizona for a weekend getaway with my girls for my bachelorette party. Scottsdale was such an awesome city and I seriously cannot wait to go back and explore even more of Arizona. Its located like 15-20 minutes outside of Phoenix and is the perfect little city full of restaurants, nightlife, and desert activities.
First Things First
I went in the middle of July so please understand when I say it was freakin HOT HOT HOT! They told us that we were lucky and came during a “cool” week since it was only in the 105F-108F compared to the previous week when average temperatures ranged from 118F-121F (WTF kind of shenanigans is that). Moral of the story, be prepared for extreme heat conditions.
Second Things Second
It rains intensely during the summer from about 4PM-6PM everyday, on and off. Moral of the story, be prepared to get wet.
Accommodations
We stayed at the Hilton Scottsdale Resorts and Villas specifically in the villas which were located a block away from the main hotel entrance. The villas have its own private entrance with a locked gate and also includes their own private swimming pool for villa guests. Our villa was perfect with 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms and a big living room area for girl time bonding. We spent a good amount of time just sitting in our room (especially during that 4PM-6PM flash storm) hanging out, talking about the past, present, and future while devouring giant cupcakes. Pure Perfection!
Downtown Scottsdale
Downtown Scottsdale was such a unique place. It looked as if you stepped back in time to when cowboys and Native Americans ran this land. There are about 3-4 blocks of “cowboy” themed stores, shops, and restaurants. In addition, there’s another 3-4 blocks of “Native American” themed stores and shops. Scottsdale is also known for its “Fashion Square” mall as well as several outlets located 30-45 mins away from Scottsdale. Being the fashionista and shopping whore that I am, we of course had to make a stop!
There is a large, large, large selection of eateries in Scottsdale to satisfy all of your inner foodie needs. My friends did an amazing job of picking out some amazing restaurants with delicious food and the perfect ambiance. We had our share of restaurants and snacks while in Scottsdale but some of my favorite restaurants were Lolo’s Chicken and Waffles and Farm and Craft (sooo cute).
And if we’re talking dessert, you cannot leave Scottsdale without stopping by Sugarbowl! They’ve been around since 1958, so you know they have to be the sh!t. I ordered a Strawberry Cambelback Soda which is very similar to a root beer float or any other float. Nonetheless, it was so delicious!
Activities
Scottsdale has all of the amenities and perks of a big city with a feel of a small town. There a ton of activities for all ages and people. There’s a ton of outdoor space so hiking and outdoor activities are practically endless (just keep in mind the weather conditions). Scottsdale is also known for having beautiful resorts and spas so if a desert retreat or escape sounds like you, then Scottsdale may be just your next perfect vacay. My friends treated me to an hour long massage treatment which was so needed on my part!
While we’re on the subject of relaxing, make sure that your hotel has a nice pool area for you to lounging. It averages triple digit weather during the summer so its a perfect way to stay cool while getting some R and R. Our hotel pool area came with lounge chairs, cabanas, and….FLOATIES! We took full advantage of both our main hotel pool (pictured below) and our smaller villa pool. There was also a small bar that served delicious mojitos and margaritas to pool guests, definitely take advantage my friends!
Horseback Riding
They also surprised me with a one-hour group horseback ride at Spur Cross Stables. The view of the desert and the landscape is seriously breathtaking. You’re in like a field of cacti and other desert-like plants, it was nothing like I’d ever seen before in California. Besides our guide being a little grumpy and my horse being the least obedient, our hour-long ride was a lot of fun and definitely added to our desert-themed weekend!
Nightlife and Casino
Scottsdale and the surrounding area have so much to offer visitors especially when it comes to nightlife. If you wanna roll in style, flag down one of the golf-cart-ish rides and for about $5-$7 a person they will take you within a 1-2 mile radius so you can get to and from the bars and lounges. We opted to check out the casinos, strip club, and a couple of bars in the downtown area. I definitely would recommend the casino! Not only is it a fun time but it was jam packed and it seemed like the odds were in a lot of people’s favor. Out of 5 of us, only 2 lost money, 2 won money, and I broke even. Not bad odds!
Traveler Tip: Scottsdale is a suburb of Phoenix even though it may not seem like it because of its abundance of activities and population. One thing we did notice is that a lot of places close early, including gas stations, if it is not a weekend.
Thanks to my bride tribe for the amazing time and cannot wait to go back to discover more of Arizona!
<3 Kayla
