TRAVEL GUIDE: SCOTTSDALE

You know what’s funny- just over a year ago I had never been to Arizona!
I was however always intrigued to visit…. and as I write this I recently returned from my THIRD trip to Arizona in 365 days!

There’s something about Arizona that brings me a great deal of peace, joy + inspiration.
I’ve always been a ‘water girl’ and have felt a lot of happiness when I’ve been around water- whether it be our backyard pool or the big, beautiful ocean, made even more magical if it includes swimming with dolphins!

I’m now splitting my love between the ocean AND the desert. Upon our return from our most recent trip to Arizona, it took me a few days to get realigned, which is interesting because I left with my head + heart FULL of inspirtation! One of my wellness practitioners shared with me that Arizona is an energy vortex, and when you’re visiting you are constantly manifesting and upgrading your frequency and VIBING HIGHHHHH, which you know I’m all about!

So its safe to say that Arizona has quickly become an annual trip for us, as well as a massive goal to call that our winter home in the very near future…..

Looking to visit Arizona? Let me help!

So many cute photo ops at the Scott Resort!

SCOTTSDALE:

This is a must visit on our Arizona trips, ideally our first stop (before our second stop that I’ll get to in my next blog post….).

I love staying at the Scott Resort - the property itself is beautiful and has a lot of character, the greenery on the property is a plant lovers dream, the lobby is aesthetics goals, the location is prime and they offer complimentary car service with a 3 mile radius, which is perfect for many of the great dining and shopping spots. We haven’t experienced their spa just yet but they have a beautiful pool, clean + efficient small gym on the property and the rooms are super cute!

I haven’t yet found a killer gym or studio spot in Scottsdale…. BENCHMARK FITNESS Scottsdale perhaps? I think that sounds like an EPIC idea!

For coffee we hit up Press Coffee every morning, which is about a 1KM walk from the hotel. Our current favorite drink is an iced espresso (their house roast) with a dash of oat milk.

Press Coffee Scottsdale = our go to morning coffee spot!

On this last trip we found a killer smoothie bar, Kaleidoscope Juice, holy smokes you guys it’s SO GOOD! Sadly we only had 2 mornings to enjoy their delicious blends but I would recommend trying the Mint Chip, Strawberry Shortcake and the Blue Majik. Be prepared to photograph your smoothie…. they’re beautiful!

If you want to add in a little self care date while you’re there, I’d recommend a visit to the Away Spa Scottsdale for a treatment. The Spa is located in the W Scottsdale which is a total hot spot and has a massive rooftop pool + bar that would make for a super fun afternoon or evening! The vibes there are next level - lots of bachelor and bachelorette parties there so just FYI if you’re feeling more of a relaxed vibe, this might not be the spot for you lol.

From a shopping standpoint, I’d definitely recommend a visit to Fashion Square Mall - so many great stores here and a gorgeous luxury end include Saint Laurent, Dior, Jimmy Choo + Prada to name a few.
It also happens to be close to some of my favorite Scottsdale restaurants include Francine, Toca Madera and Nobu. I’d highly recommend making a reservation before your trip, especially at Nobu and Toca Madera! The bar at Francine is so beautiful, if you can’t make it for a meal I would definitely treat yourself to a post-shopping glass of wine, or perhaps you’re weighing the pros and cons on a splurge purchase (and maybe running the numbers on the USD to CDN dollar… its painful LOL)

Seriously love all of palm trees in my photos!

If you’re more of a list kind of gal/guy, I got you - here are some of my favorite Scottsdale spots to visit. I’ll look forward to adding to this list year over year!

Food + Drink:

Nobu - exceptional + pricey dinner out, but a must visit spot; dress up attire in my opinion
Toca Madera - great for cocktails or a late night dinner out; dress up attire in my opinion
Francine - great for cocktails or a dinner out; casual to smart casual attire in my opinion
Farm + Craft - great for a boozy brunch, lunch, frosé on tap, kombucha cocktails; casual attire
the Montauk - great spot for brunch or mid day snacks; casual attire
Wine Girl - such a fun spot to visit with girlfriends for afternoon wine; instagrammable attire
STK - a classic upscale steakhouse in a great location; dress up attire in my opnion
the Canal Club - located in the Scott Resort, great for lunch or cocktails; casual attire in my opinion
the W Hotel bars - so many spots to visit at this hotel whether it be happy hour or late night; dress up attire in my opinion
Kaleidoscope Juice - must visit smoothie spot; (post) workout attire
Press Coffee - our favorite coffee spot to visit in Scottsdale ; casual coffee attire