SCOTTSDALE
Area: Arizona
Country: United States of America


Location:
In the SW United States, in the S-central part of Arizona State. 12 mls E of central Phoenix. 117 mls NW of Tucson. 297 mls SE of Las Vegas. 10 mls NE of Sky Harbor international airport.

Telephone code from UK:
1 480

Website:
http://www.scottsdalecvb.com

Position:
A long, narrow city (31 by 11.5 mls) sited on flat ground in the Sonoran Desert, at an altitude of 1,259 ft. Surrounded by mountain ranges, foothills and man-made lakes.

Description:
Named after US Army chaplain Winfield Scott, who purchased farmland here in 1888, Scottsdale has grown from a modest farming/ranching settlement into a modern, upmarket residential/resort community measuring about 5» mls by 1º, and living side-by-side with a Native American reservation and various authentic "cowboy" activities. Hotels, golf courses and shopping districts are dotted along both sides of Scottsdale Rd with residential areas farther afield. Its thriving art scene (no fewer than 120 art galleries), cultural events, craft shops and speciality stores draw people to the town to shop or simply browse, creating a lively yet relaxed atmosphere. Although the city's development continues to eat up wide, open spaces, stretches of pristine desert populated with quail, jack rabbits and coyotes still remain. As one would expect in a desert, the weather is dry with more than 300 days of sunshine and low humidity.

Suitability:
Predominantly upmarket, appealing to couples of all ages, mostly Americans, British and Japanese. Some of the larger resort hotels offer good summer/holiday programmes for children. Sports/recreation enthusiasts are well served, particularly golfers.

Accommodation:
Over 50 hotels _ ranging from award-winning 5-stars to more modest motels _ provide over 9,000 guest rooms. Summer visitors willing to brave the three-digit heat can enjoy rates reduced by as much as 60%.

Shopping:
A veritable Mecca with something on offer for everyone. Over a dozen impressive malls and hundreds of shops ranging from the modern stores and cafes of Fashion Square and 5th Avenue to the small, quaint streets of Old Town. Western clothing and Native American jewellery are popular buys. Prices are somewhat high, although no different from any of the other tourist areas.

Entertainments:
Daytime: golfing (with 174 golf courses within reach); tennis; river floats; horse riding; jeep desert trips; gold-panning; boating; gaming; rodeos; and hot-air ballooning. Taliesin West, the home and workshop of the renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Two-storey aquarium at the Scottsdale Galleria. Nightlife: over 900 annual events at the Scottsdale Center for the Arts, including ballet, plays, concerts, film screenings and art exhibitions. Jazz and cowboy/Western concerts as well as comedy and cabaret revues. Handful of nightclubs and live band venues. Major-league baseball spring training at Scottsdale Stadium. Visitors also have the option of riding historic trails with real cowboys or attending an authentic Native American pow-wow.

Eating:
Scores of fine restaurants with a wide variety, making dining on a modest budget fairly easy. Choices range from haute cuisine to dining out in the middle of the desert cowboy-style (complete with chuckwagon). You'll also find Japanese, Chinese, European and the usual fast-food chains. Regional specialities include Mexican selections and Southwestern dishes with indigenous ingredients such as cactus, rattlesnake and buffalo meat! Good local wines and beers.

Public-transport:
Comprehensive bus service stops at every crossroads N_S, E_W throughout the whole Phoenix area. A transfer ticket is valid for 2» hrs, enabling you to hop on and off at your leisure. Horse-drawn carriages available seasonally. If you like more freedom, a car is recommended and comfortable walking shoes are a must.

Local-excursions:
Half day: Phoenix and Valley of the Sun. Full day/2 days: Apache Trail/Hoover Dam, cowboy activities, Grand Canyon (by car, train and/or air), Native American venues, Mexico shopping trip, Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon.