Scottsdale is a desert city in Arizona, east of the state capital, Phoenix. It is renowned for its spa resorts and golf courses, including TPC Scottsdale. Further north, trails wind through McDowell Sonoran Preserve, a desert landscape of hills, rock formations, and cactus. Nearby is Taliesin West, the former home and studio of architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
The old town of Scottsdale, in the center of the city, has buildings from the 1920s and olive trees from the 19th century. Scottsdale is proud of its natural areas and art scene, which are worth exploring while you're here. You can also visit Taliesin West, which for a long time was the winter home of the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright, now an architectural school, and take a look at his legacy. Art installations, another attraction in the area, can be found all over the city and are most evident when walking around old Scottsdale.
You can also stop by some of the museums and galleries to admire the incredible art of the West. Taliesin West was the winter residence of architect Frank Lloyd Wright, and today this UNESCO World Heritage Site is home to the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. Old Town Scottsdale is a lively and vibrant area, perfect for an afternoon or night out. If you work up an appetite while strolling around, Old Town Scottsdale has excellent dining options with restaurants featuring cozy outdoor patios.
The center of Old Town Scottsdale is located at the intersection of East Main Street and North Scottsdale Road. Nearby are the Civic Center shopping center and the public square with works of art such as the famous LOVE sculpture, as well as surrounding restaurants and the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. Two of the best golf courses are Troon North Golf Club and TPC Scottsdale. Troon North has two golf courses designed by Tom Weiskopf that are beautifully located in a desert landscape with unusual granite rocks, ravines and rolling hills.
The Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North offers free shuttle service and special rates at the Troon North Golf Club for guests staying at its property. A short drive from old Scottsdale is the Desert Botanical Garden which offers an incredible view of life in the desert. The gardens do an especially good job of combining artistic elements with unique works of art scattered around its grounds. Pinnacle Peak, covered in rocks and shaped like a cone, is a popular hiking area in Scottsdale.
A moderate one-way 1.75 mile trail with 1,300 feet of elevation will take you to the top of Pinnacle Peak where you'll enjoy incredible views of North Scottsdale including the green streets of Troon North Golf Club. Scottsdale is proud of its natural areas and McDowell Sonoran Preserve is one of its best attractions. The reserve which actually takes up a third of the city's landmass has recently been expanded and now covers 36,000 acres making it the largest urban reserve in North America and it's well known for its 225 miles of easy-to-use trails suitable for hiking, walking, biking or horseback riding. The main attraction is an outdoor mini-train which runs through the park on a regular schedule but there's much more to enjoy such as a colorful carousel from the 1950s built by Allan Herschell that plays music from that time as well as a massive 10,000-square-foot model railway building showcasing several miniature railroads on different tracks that you can make move along by pressing buttons. Follow the path through this 200,000 square foot building passing through 70 exhibits and more than 6000 animals at The Aquarium at Scottsdale where you can experience what it's like to be a raindrop falling from the sky on your journey to the ocean! Many of its exhibits are interactive such as taking a trip on one of five simulated submarines that will take you on a 20-minute journey through four larger exhibits inside you'll find a colorful array of fluttering butterflies as well as exhibits featuring hard-working honey bees edible insects rainforest reptiles and arthropods plus there's also a 3D cinema screening a fun film about insects that almost seem to jump off the screen. Every year this center hosts more than 1000 performances both indoors and outdoors as well as festivals and learning programs with its educational and outreach programs involving more than 20 000 adults and children each year - perhaps that's why it's best known as one of performing arts halls in western United States! I recommend visiting interesting gift shop that sells unusual items on site as well as dining at least one several restaurants offering outdoor dining nearby along with city's modern art museum. Overall a visit here would be an interesting time for everyone! For family treat on Saturday morning visit Singh Farms for delicious fresh produce such as home-baked whole-grain breads organic fruits vegetables all grown lovingly cared for on this lush farm just east Highway 101 in Scottsdale it's easy to find - farm very popular with locals (including me) who have been known to call it “an oasis in desert”! Some delicious fresh delicacies include tasty muffins cinnamon rolls all kinds preserves - enjoy watching how pizza made while enjoying their tasty kale bean soup. Northeast city center Butterfly Wonderland popular family attraction collection thousands butterflies from around world - Butterfly Wonderland in Scottsdale unique facility that has indoor rainforest environment that houses largest butterfly pavilion United States - museum has 3D theater butterfly gallery conservatory colony live ants honey bee exhibition coffee shop gift shop - state-of-the-art facility features large glass atrium that creates rainforest habitat thousands butterflies from around world. In addition there are many other attractions worth exploring while visiting Scottsdale AZ such as Pinnacle Peak McDowell Sonoran Preserve Desert Botanical Garden Taliesin West Singh Farms Civic Center shopping center public square LOVE sculpture museums galleries Troon North Golf Club Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale Butterfly Wonderland 3D cinema model railway building aquarium exhibits interactive submarine journey honey bees edible insects rainforest...
