Carol Baker Cotton on sun 30 nov 08
As others have said there is much more to the Valley of the Sun. If you
can, get out of the city and explore. The Botanical Gardens is a great
place to start, but also hike the McDowell and Superstition Mountains and
Spur Cross. Go to Jerome, our funky, artsy mining town and to Sedona to
hike the Red Rocks. Skip the Mystery Castle. Go to Greasewood Flats to see
urban and real cowboys, mixed with bikers and execs in Italian suits. Great
hamburgers and country/western dance floor under the stars. Get out to Cave
Creek and Carefree. Beautiful scenery, western shops, boutiques, western
galleries, souvenir stuff, cowboys... sometimes touristy but western flavor
without having to travel for hours.
Be sure to go to the Heard Museum. Have lunch on the museum's patio at
Arcadia Farms. Sit under the paloverde trees, soak up the sun, listen to
the fountains, and enjoy a Navajo taco. Don't forget Frank Lloyd Wright and
Taliesin out in Scottsdale.
Scottsdale is must. Good shopping....high end at Fashion Square, the Canal
shops, and Kierland and tourist stuff on Fifth Avenue. Great galleries on
Marshall Way. Art walk on Thursday night. There are very expensive
contemporary galleries right beside equally expensive Western art. Good
restaurants everywhere. Party at the Valley Ho with the beautiful people
and the plastic surgery.
The Arizona Biltmore and the Royal Palms are beautiful. T. Cook's at the
Palms is old world elegance, but it very expensive. Bush stays there when
in town. The Az Biltmore is a grand old place, but a less expensive place
to eat on the grounds is at the golf club....pretty patio overlooking the
greens. Binkley's in Cave Creek is excellent, but also very expensive.
And then there is the Mexican and Southwest food: the old Garcia's on 35th
avenue is authentic, but there is so much Mexican food here. My absolute
favorite is the Barrio Cafe at Thomas and 16th...this is Mexican cuisine!
Voted Best of Phoenix for years. Go to for reviews of
others.
Other good restaurants: Quiescence at the Farm at South Mountain; Lon's, a
restored hacienda by a cowboy artist..great Southwest ambience; the Coronado
Cafe; My Florist Cafe; La Grande Orange Pizzeria; Cibo; Pizzeria Bianco;
Coup des Tartes; Rancho Pinot Grill; Richardson's; Carolina's; Spotted
Donkey Cantina; Carlsbad Tavern...great Hatch chilies anything; Cowboy Ciao,
Kazimierz Wine Bar and more, and more.
And pottery....Arizona State's Ceramic Research Center in Tempe.
And sunshine, and blue skies, and mountains......and the desert!
Would be glad to answer questions.
Carol Baker Cotton
Scottsdale, Arizona
http://carolbakercotton.blogspot.com/
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