A Weekend In Scottsdale - Now Choose Life

Could you use a getaway right about now? I’ve got the perfect place for you-a weekend in Scottsdale, Arizona. Life has been stressful lately. I wanted a fun getaway with Dr. T so we picked Scottsdale. We also called our fun travel friends, Fred and Ethel, and they were happy to meet us there.

Where We Stayed

The Scottsdale Resort At McCormick Ranch– Let’s face it, hotel prices are much more expensive post COVID. We want to stay somewhere nice, but we also don’t want to break the bank each time we travel. The Scottsdale Resort at McCormick Ranch was reasonably priced. We went on a holiday weekend so prices were higher than usual, but this was a nice resort that wasn’t as expensive as some of the others you find in Scottsdale. We had a nice stay and the staff was attentive and courteous.

What We Did

Day 1

The guy played golf our first morning at the McCormick Ranch Golf Club. Did you know that there are about 200 golf courses in Scottsdale? This was very close to our hotel and the guys enjoyed their morning.

While they golfed, Ethel and I went for a walk near our hotel. There was a great path along a small residential lake. We walked about 4 miles and it was lovely!!

Taliesin West– After lunch our first day we went to tour the winter home of Frank Lloyd Wright called Taliesin West. It was fascinating, and I learned so much more about this eccentric architect!!

I love how Wright incorporated nature into all the buildings

His apprentices built the entire property- took 20 years. They paid him to be there, worked on the buildings and lived in tents in the desert while doing it.

While we were there we say the visiting exhibit of the works of Chihuly.

Day 2

We got up and went for a great hike on the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy. We hiked the Lost Dog Wash Trail. I’m still a little confused as to which one we did! It was an out and back that ended with a spectacular view. We were short on time because of brunch reservations, but decided to go all the way to the end to see the view. We just had to run part of the way back- total distance about 4.5 miles.

After brunch, we rested by the pool the rest of the afternoon. It was so nice to be in warm weather. We had just had a snow storm in New Mexico!

Where We Ate

I know- let’s just skip to the good part, Right? We ate at some amazing places!!

We traveled on several road trips this past year. One thing I learned is that if there is more than 2 of you, you better get reservations for restaurants that you really want to try. We had a very hard time getting reservations for 4 two weeks out so these weren’t our first choices, but we still had a great time. It just means that we’ll have to go back.

The Mission– Known for it’s modern Latin cuisine, The Mission in Kierland was beautiful. The food was delicious too.

Cholla Prime Steakhouse– What we didn’t realize about this place until it was too late is that it’s in a casino. The reviews were great, and we were not disappointed!

Maple and Ash-My daughter recommended this place, but I could only get reservations for brunch. Let me just say- it was more than a meal. It was an experience! After discussing it all with my daughter, she realized that the Scottsdale M&A is quite different from the M&A of Chicago.

First, we raised the average age of the patrons quite a bit the minute we walked in. Most tables were full of young women who were in Scottsdale for bachelorette weekends! Needless to say the husbands were in heaven dining amongst beautiful girls!

BUT- the special part was a surprise. My daughter told me that M&A loves to do special things for diners at the Chicago location so when confirming our reservation, I told them that Dr. T and Fred were friends since the 2nd grade. They were both turning 60 this year, and we were having a friends reunion weekend in Scottsdale.

They were so sweet with a fun surprise at the end of our meal. I wish my husband and our friends were so private so I could show you picture, but trust me, it’s cute!!

So, I highly recommend, and be sure to let them know what special occasion you are there for!! We all agreed that the food was amazing!! And, I personally enjoyed the bottomless mimosas!!

The meal started with a brunch espresso cocktail and beignets.

For brunch everyone pays a set price of $75.00. This gives you a choice of your entrée plus the family style extras of steak, potatoes, bacon, and scones. All was delicious. It’s a beautiful restaurant with large candelabras on the tables.

Vic and Ola’s– This is a beautiful restaurant. I wish I could tell you that the food was delicious, but sadly, we all thought it was lacking. We still had a great time sitting outside under lovely lights and heaters, but the food was just disappointing.

What We Missed

I’m already ready to go back! I’m making my list of things I want to do next time!

Butterfield’s Pancake House

Western Spirit Scottsdale’s Museum of the West

Many more hikes!! Also- there are so many wonderful restaurants in Scottsdale! You need to decide what type of food you want, what you want to spend and search Yelp or Trip Advisor! You can’t go wrong!!

A former students is a blogger, and she wrote this post about her trip to Phoenix and Scottsdale a few years ago. Phoenix and Scottsdale