Spotlight :: Scottsdale AZ

[trip style = urban]

When we flew into Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) the announcements proclaimed "voted friendliest airport in the USA." I would take that one step further and say that everyone I met in Scottsdale was very chipper and friendly. Maybe it's the 300+ days of sun they get year-round.  Jealous much?

Whether your interest is: shopping, golfing, hiking, art, walking and/or restaurant-ing, Scottsdale is an ideal destination for a winter, spring or fall visit. See more information about where to stay, where to eat and what to do in this past friday's post.

Pictures of Scottsdale, AZ Scottsdale Desert

Room at 3Palms

Room at Fairmont Scottsdale

Bar at La Hacienda (The Fairmont Scottsdale's Newest Restaurant)

Happy Hour Margarita + Appies at La Hacienda

Stone Rose Lounge

Fairmont Scottsdale Pool

Taliesin West

Taliesen West Breezeway

Scottsdale AZ :: High/Low

[trip style = high/low]

One trip. Two experiences. How to do Scottsdale high, low or BOTH! (Pics coming Monday)

Low

• Stay
  • 3 Palms.  A refurbished motel with a modern flair.  In high season we paid $84 usd/night for a deluxe king room.  With contemporary design throughout, a fitness room, pool, nice restaurant and grocery store across the street, how can you go wrong?
• Eat
  • Buy snacks and/or breakfasts and lunches at a grocery store
  • Share plates at restaurants offering huge portions like Cheesecake Factory, P.F. Chang's, California Pizza Kitchen (all in Scottsdale)
  • Splurge
    • Eat at The Avalon, a funky new restaurant at the 3 Palms.
    • Eat at La Hacienda, the Fairmont Scottsdale's newest addition, offering happy hour pricing from 5 - 7pm. $4 margaritas and appies...which I tested, and are good!  We went in thinking we'd have drinks and appies, then move onto dinner, and got too full with the appies!
• Shop
  • Norstrom's Rack is located in North Scottsdale
  • Other outlets stores near Scottsdale can be found in Tempe (Arizona Mills featuring Neiman Marcus Last Call and Off Sacks) and Anthem (Outlets at Anthem featuring Nike, Banana, J. Crew)
• Do (see below)

High

• Stay
  • Fairmont Scottsdale.  The lobby doesn't do this hotel justice.  Sun-drenched by day and lantern-laden by night, the hotel sparkles and sprawls over the rocky red landscape.  Sitting beside the TPC golf course, this Fairmont Scottsdale could keep you busy all day long with its multiple pools, spa, restaurants/bars and a dedicated Golf Concierge.
• Eat
  • Well, the Fairmont has successfully offered enough varied eating/drinking options to make me want to stay on-site.  With eating and drinking choices to fit every age and budget, there's Hacienda, serving excellent mexi food, Bourbon Steak House, I think this one's offering is obvious:) and to top it all off, sit beside an open fire or order a bevvie from the lounge-inspired, desert-modern Stone Rose.
• Shop
  • Fashion Square is a shopping mecca.  You could walk 10,000 steps just going from one part of the mall to the other. Featuring stores like Barney's, Burberry, Macy's, Nordstrom, etc...
  • Kierland Commons.  An exquisite outdoor shopping experience with a over 14 restaurants and coffee shops.
• Do:
  • Golf is definitely Arizona's activity du jour offering too many courses to count.
  • Hike in and around Scottsdale.
  • Tour Frank Lloyd Wright's winter home/studio/architectural lab: Taliesin West.  Tours daily 9-4 September - May.

Hints

• Most 3 or 3.5 stars tend to offer free parking
• If you have a hybird you can park at the Fairmont for free

Travel Resolution #8 :: Always Carry $1s

Even though I already made my travel resolutions for 2010, who says you can't add to them throughout the year?  Based on recent experience, my newest 2010 travel resolution is: Thou Shalt Always Travel with Multiple US One Dollar Bills. I know, I know, I'm Canadian, but it's not like the rest of the world appreciates the loonie and twoonie like I do.  Maybe one day they will?

Now I'm not planning on being a walking bank with a wad of ones protruding from my pocket, but, carrying enough ones for all the seen and unforeseen times a tip is required is my new travel declaration.

The mental news flash leading to this resolution occurred on a recent trip to Jamaica when I only had seven $1s in my possession, and knew I'd need more.   It reminded me how easy it would have been to go the bank either before my trip OR at various intervals throughout the year in order to accumulate $1s for travel.   Second time's a charm?  Another  similar experience I had was sitting in a rental car shuttle bus back to Kahului Airport (OGG).  On the ride, I realized I didn't have any ones left; all I had was a twoonie.  Knowing that the Canadian and US dollar were pretty much on-par at that point, I handed over my twoonie as a thanks for the two-min ride.  The driver was gracious, but I know he thought I was 'out to lunch.'  Better something than nothing?  Not so much.  Appears people aren't so big on coins.

On vacation one's mind tends to rest--I know mine does.  With this in mind, I vow to let it rest while away and take 10 mins before I leave to go to the bank and make sure I have enough $1s a)so I'm never in a lurch and b)to thank people for their service 100% of the time.

[photo by photosteve101]

All-Inclusive Tricks of the Trade

[trip style = all-inclusive]

Booking your Trip

• Who to book with
  • Resort direct.  If you have a preferred all-inclusive, get on their newsletter list.  This way, you'll be the first to know about insider-only deals.
  • Resellers.  Here are a few of my faves:
    • Canada - itravel2000.com, aircanadavacations.com
    • USA - applevacations.com, resortvacationstogo.com
• What to Ask for
  • Top-floor, many all-inclusives have tile floors which can be loud if you're on a bottom or middle floor
  • Quiet room away from elevators or stair wells
  • Room away from the resort's night club or cabaret
  • Some resorts have two sections: regular + enhanced.  Prior to booking, double check if your resort has this offering.  Sometimes the prices are cheaper than expected for a far superior offering.  Once when I was in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, the Resort offered us an upgrade to their premium area for only $10 extra/day. Stupidly we said no.  After being at the resort for a few days and seeing the premium area, I wish we'd said yes.
• When to Book
  • Find most discounted prices: fall, spring, late summer.
  • With the exception of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao, hurricane season hits the Caribbean from June - November with September usually being the most problematic month.  Note that most major resort chains like Superclubs and Club Med offer weather and hurricane guarantees.
• Double Check
  • Does the resort require reservations for restaurants?
  • What's the dress code?
  • Does the resort offer premium-brand drinks?
  • Do they have a tipping policy (ie - some resorts forbid it, others unofficially encourage it)
  • Are motorized sports included?

Getting There Most resorts outsource the airport transfer, therefore, make sure you have a few extra dollars (between 2 - 5) for tipping the driver to and from the airport.

While There

• If you go in high season and want a premium spot on the beach or at the pool, you may have to get up early to reserve your preferred spot.  This is not true for every resort.  I just stayed at the Sandals Whitehouse and always got an excellent spot on the beach between 10 - 11am.  This depends on occupancy, time of year and beach chair to guest ratio.
• Bring an insulated travel mug to minimize trips to the bar and keep your drink cool.
• Also make sure to pack some sort of beach bag.  When you're catchin' rays away from your room for the better part of the day, you'll want a place to store items like camera, room key, water bottle, books, mags, ipod, cover-up, etc...
• Don't come back with bites all over your legs (don't laugh, I see it happen to guests every time I visit all-inclusives in the Caribbean).  Always bring insect repellant just in case.  The Caribbean is lush and sandy, hence noseeums, sand flies, etc...

Related Don't Judge an All-Inclusive until Day 3 :: 7 Reason to Wait to Evaluate A Redo trip :: What to do when an all-inclusive experience goes belly-up Update on my Redo Trip :: An overview of the highs and lows of the Sandals WhiteHouse

Travel iphone Apps :: National Geographic World Atlas

National Geographic World Atlas has joined the App parade.  A great tool for those times you're lost in the streets of Buenos Aires sans map book, find wireless and voila, gps your current location.   I imagine this app being used by the technology saavy and distinguished traveller who will appreciate using their iPhone/Touch to preform a map 'tri-search' using antique, classic view or satellite view (similar to Google earth enabling you to zoom to street levels).

According to the World Atlas App, their point of difference is "utilizing our highest resolution, “press-ready” images, providing you the same rich detail, accuracy, and artistic beauty found in our award-winning wall maps and bound atlases."

Nat'l Geo World Atlas Travel App Details

• $1.99
• browse search and zoom detailed maps of the globe
• search the globe in three ways: antique, classic, satellite
• 6 million database entries with major cities preloaded for offline search
• world flag and fact database with socio-economic and geographic data
• save your fave places with the 'pin' tool
• map your current position with gps

Other Travel iphone Apps we've Reviewed

• hostelworld.com
• kayak first class
• flight control (game)