The Ultimate 1st Time Guide to Scottsdale

Raise your hand if you’re OVER winter! We’ve got both of ours raised which is why we opted for another little getaway to the desert. But this time, we traded in Palm Desert for Scottsdale. We knew we’d have nice warm sunshine-filled weather, but didn’t know we’d also find lots of great activities (eating included of course) to keep us busy.

After four full days, we feel like we’ve still barely scratched the surface on Scottsdale though. So, in the spirit of quick getaways to a new locale, we thought we’d share some must-do’s if you’re going to be a first-timer like we were.

SPRING TRAINING.

Of course, Spring Training doesn’t happen all year long in Arizona, but if you’re visiting the area between February and March, be sure to catch a game! Our team – the Seattle Mariners – was playing while we were in town so we ended up catching not one, but TWO games! Tickets range from $10 – $40 which is a total steal (pun intended) and nothing quite beats a cold beer, hot dogs and some good old American baseball.

HIKING.

No joke, there are 50+ hikes you can do in the Scottsdale area – overwhelming I know! Lucky for you, we already did the research. Piestewa Peak is only about a 15-minute drive from Scottsdale Road (the main road that runs through Scottsdale) and has 10 different trails to choose from ranging from easy to moderate/difficult.

Word of advice – don’t bite off more than you can chew. Our 1.2 mile moderate/difficult hike was fab, but much more grueling than any of us expected. If you need a mantra to get you through it, try “we’re hiking for tacos.” Trust us, it works.

SHOPPING.

As girls who like to get our shop on, we’ve done our fair share of shopping. But it’s safe to say some of the best shopping happens in Scottsdale. Between Fashion Square Mall and Old Town Scottsdale, you’ve got the perfect mix of big store names and the little local boutiques to spend all your money at. Oh and they are pretty much right next door to each other, so you don’t need to go far.

Walking around Old Town Scottsdale also makes for a fun evening activity. The lights, people and food scene make you feel like you’ve been transported to an old quaint little town – something you don’t experience often in big tourist cities.

SOAKING UP THE SUN.

While there are plenty of hotels with great pools for lounging in the sun in Scottsdale, we highly recommend you spend a day by the pool at The Saguaro Scottsdale hotel. This hotel may sound familiar, as it’s sister location is pretty popular in Palm Springs. And now we understand why. The bright colors, retro decor and extremely nice staff make it impossible to leave in a bad mood.

Unfortunately, in order to spend a day by the pool as a non-hotel guest, you must rent a cabana for the day which can cost a few hundred dollars, but if you split it between you and your crew it’s fairly reasonable. But even if you don’t want to spend a day at the pool here, this hotel is 100% worth checking out just for fun. Who knows, you may be inspired to do a little photo shoot like we did. I mean, do you blame us?!

EATING.

Eating… our favorite past time. No need to explain. I’ll let the photos do the talking.

Barrio Queen.

Sugar Bowl.

Fourtillfour Coffee.

The Beverly.

Nekter Juice Bar.

Now go find that sunshine!

Xoxo,

Hayley and Abigail