Flying to Arizona this Saturday. Staying in Scottsdale for 3 nights and then driving to Williams and taking a train to the Grand Canyon. After a few days in the Canyon, train back to a Williams for the night and then a night in Pheonix.
First, any suggestions for must sees or dos that should be included in this itinerary? Also, we are arriving in a heat wave. I lived in Santa Fe for several years and traveled to Spain in 2014. So I have experienced altitude and dry heat ( it was 107 degrees in Spain). But it is suppose to be 114 degrees in Arizona when we are there. Any insights as to what to do and what not to? I know to have lots of water.
What not to do? Go outside, What to do? Do you absolutely have to stay there for 3 nights? Can you get to Flagstaff sooner? My Scottsdale relatives go to Flagstaff (or LA) in the summer. I guess Williams is same weather as Flagstaff, ie 91 degrees when Scottsdale will be 113.
Hopefully you have a reservation at a nice resort, as they can be a bargain at this time of year. Museum time! The Heard, the Music Museum. Get outside early in the day. Shopping prices are lower in summer if interested in jewelry and the goods in downtown Scottsdale.
I agree however, get out of the Valley and up to Flagstaff and the Canyon.
The Botanical Garden is beautiful, but you’d have to go first thing in the morning. I second great lake mom’s suggestion of the Musical Instrument Museum. I’m not really into music, but found it fascinating. Fashion Square Mall is nice, if you like to shop. My favorite Happy Hour is at El Chorro, in Paradise Valley, near the Scottsdale border. It might be cooler at the Salt Cellar, an underground seafood restaurant, with a good Happy Hour, on Hayden Rd. in Scottsdale.
You do not want to be outside doing stuff when it is 114 degrees. That’s life-threatening. In terms of discomfort and danger the practical difference between say 80 and 90 degrees is modest. The difference between 105 and 115 degrees is huge.
You do nothing outside when it is over 110, which is afternoon till sunset. Realize the temperature drops at night in the desert, and you can be outside at 7 am when it is in the 80s.
The weather will be much cooler in Williams and the Grand Canyon, but there are a few things you can do while in Scottsdale. Swimming is near the top of the list! You could also visit the Butterfly Wonderland Rainforest Experience in Scottsdale. What about visiting the Talking Stick Casino (it also has entertainment)? This trip would be a good time to go see a movie in a nice, cold theatre. The Arizona Science has lots of great exhibits. If you want to go hiking you would need to start at 5:30 am, but there is always a risk of rattlesnakes, so this wouldn’t be at the top of my list of things to do! You could find a restaurant with a mister system to enjoy breakfast or a late dinner on their patio (lunch would be too hot). I think someone already mentioned the Heard Museum and the Phoenix Art Museum. If you like shopping you could go to Scottsdale Fashion Mall. If you are staying at a resort they may also have some suggestions for you. Oh - up at Williams my family has always enjoyed the Grand Canyon Deer Farm. It is a small zoo-type set up with a really cool gift shop and lots of deer and other animals that you can get up close to. You can feed the deer by hand. Have fun (and bring lots of sunscreen!)
Nordstrom Last Chance clearance store is near Scottsdale. This is where things go after the Rack and also where returns to Nordstrom (that have been worn) go. There are some great deals here if you know what to look for. My Ds and I went in March when we were in Phoenix for a wedding and found some good bargains.
Thirding the Musical Instrument Museum especially and Desert Botanical (they may have evening hours now too). Somewhere a ways out that is kind of fun is The Olive Mill in Queen Creek…an olive grove with café that serves lots of delicious food and has “tastings” of like 20 different oils. There is Tallisen a Frank Lloyd Wright house.
Some lovely spas at resorts with good deals. Do not plan on partaking of outside seating anywhere or doing more than walking from a parking lot to a destination.
Last time we went to Nobuo I think we spent a couple hundred bucks, then afterwards went across the street for a pizza because we were still hungry! :))
Joking aside, the food at Nobuo is excellent, but pricey and small portions. Pizzeria Bianco is the pizza joint across the street and was called the best pizza in America by a NY Times food writer.
Scottsdale Kierland and Quarter are cool/fun outdoor shopping plazas literally across the street from each other. You’ll be ducking in and out of stores and they have aggressive misting systems so definitely doable in hot weather. A fun place for shopping and dining. http://www.kierlandcommons.com/ http://scottsdalequarter.com/
Sedona would be a good day trip and runs about 5-10 degrees cooler, so should still be hot but tolerable during the day.
Let me know if you want some restaurant recommendations and if so what kind of food/price-point you’re interested in, and which part of town.
Thanks for all the suggestions. And yes anomander, would love restaurant suggestions. We love any kind of food. Although, H would probably prefer Mexican and not Asian. Also love vegetarian. Something other than steak and potatoes.
@morrismm Reinforcing the suggestions to go to the MIM. Desert Botanical Gardens are beautiful but too hot to go there now. As for restaurants, there’s a locally based chain called Fox Restaurants that includes True Food (Scottsdale Quarter and Biltmore Fashion Park) and Flower Child (90th & Shea or 44th & Camelback) which are both very vegetarian friendly and favorites of my vegetarian daughter… http://foxrc.com/. The chain includes Blanco which is Mexican, although if you want something hotter and more authentic I’d recommend Los Dos Molinos. Pizzeria Bianco is excellent and reputed to be the place where chefs like to eat when they come to town.
We had a great meal at Chelsea’s Kitchen in Phoenix when we were there for my brother’s wedding in March. We sat on the patio then, but it was only 80 degrees! The ahi tuna tacos were excellent.
