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AZ Trip Report - Scottsdale/Sedona
AZ Trip Report - Scottsdale/Sedona
still working on those photos but here's what I posted over on Trip Advisor this morning. If anyone is heading that way any time soon and wants more info on anything please let me know.
We left the Grand Canyon on Friday 9/25 and headed to Scottsdale. The genesis of this trip was a kind friend who offered us a week in their time share and I chose Westin Kierland where we had a Friday check in.
We took our time leaving the park through the East Gate and arrived in Scottsdale around 4:30pm if I recall correctly. Originally pulled in to the hotel where we were advised Villa check in was a block or so away.
Found our way to the villas where we were checked in and heading to our 1 bedroom villa in no time. I say villa but it is really just a very large hotel room with small kitchenette. There are separate rooms for living area and bedroom but overall I still got "hotel room" feel from it. But it was very lovely, don't get me wrong. We were located on the 2nd floor of building 5 with a nice golf course view.
I do a lot of vacationing but it's been some time since I have been in a resort enviornment. I'm not sure it's for me but we did enjoy our week. When we checked in we were given an "activites sheet" of events going on at the hotel. Much to my husband's delight he spotted a Johnnie Walker Scotch tasting that was to be held on Saturday night. He quickly called for a reservation!
I had learned on this board of Chowhounds, I'm not sure which, that is was restaurant week when we arrived. Was told reservations go quickly so we made our plans in advance. Decided after a travel day that it would be best to stay on property for dinner for we had a reservation @ deseo for our first night, which is located at the Westin hotel.
We took the shuttle over and back so this was really a convenient dining option for us. While we enjoyed this meal in comparison to others it wasn't the most memorable.
Saturday, our first full day at the villas, was planned as a "down" day. I had a spa appt. at Agave in the morning while my husband did his thing, gym and what not. The afternoon was spent relaxing at the pool
I had a facial at Agave at the Westin and I really enjoyed this treatment and spa. The ladies that work there are wonderful and unlike some other spas I have been to there is no sales pitch for products. Yes they sell products that they use in treatment however it was very low key. Upon check out there was a wicker basket waiting for me with the products recommended for me and I was free to look over those at my leisure or just move on. It was not at all uncomfortable and I appreciate that. I'd recommend the spa to anyone.
Saturday night was still Rest. week and we had reserved at Bourbon Steak. I loved the vibe of this place. This was an excellent, excellent meal and a GREAT value @ $29 per person for Rest. week. This dining option could easliy have run us $200+ if we had ordered off menu. Excellent if you are looking for a splurge.
Just to wrap up the dining portion of the trip we had a late lunch at Greene House which was good. I loved my husband's pasta dish and while my chicken sandwich was good the white truffle parmesan fries were other wordly. Half price on all bottles on wine on Sunday and Thursday - good value.
Sept. 30 was our 3 year anniversary and we dined at T. Cook's @ Royal Palms. I loved the setting here, perfect for Anniversary dinner. I made reservations on Open Table and made note of Anniversary and to their credit they read the notes! They wished us Happy anniversary when we arrived and our table had fresh rose petals all over it. Nice touch. The meal here was very good if not as creative, perhaps, as other meals I have had.
Our last night in Scottsdale we dined at The Mission in Old Town. We were early for reservation so opted for drink at the bar first. Got talking to the barternder (Mike who is Bar Manager) and decided to eat at the bar. He was clearly passionate about the food and drink being served at this place. Excellent, excellent, excellent! This was our favorite meal of the trip. Tableside guacamole, Pork shoulder tacos, Pumpkin bread pudding. One dish better than the next but the pork was unreal. Mike has had a hand in developing the cocktails and they are interesting and delicious. Highly recommend!
Won't bore you with details of each day but other things we did include a Steam boat trip on the Dolly @ Canyon Lake. Loved this. Very relaxing way to spend part of a Sunday afternoon and it's just a beautiful trip. Interesting ride out to the lake as well up that mountain road!
I did Taliesin West on my own one morning. This was very interesting to me and I'm glad I went. The fee to get in is $32 per person but it is reduced on Tues/Wed to $24.
We also went to the Biltmore one morning just to see it and take a look around. Gorgeous. I could have spent a lot of time looking around there but my husband gets "funny" when he thinks he doesn't belong some where - he felt like an intruder. So we didn't stay too long.
On Monday the 28th we headed to Sedona for an overnight. Had booked the Best Western AR and really loved this place. Would choose it again in a heart beat if returning to Sedona. Also the best bed of our entire trip
Turns out the Heavenly Bed @ Westin is not for me LOL. Great views from our room and we even enjoyed the pool for a bit.
Our first stop when we hit town was to Tlaquepaque. I'm not a shopper but I loved strolling around here. So lovely. We had lunch at the Oak Creek Brewery - husband loves a beer sampler! When we left here we took 89A up through Oak Creek Canyon just to see the sights. We went up past Slide Rock and beyond and it was a lovely drive and not too many people on the road. Back down 89A to check in to hotel. Later that evening we went up Airport Mesa road for sunset. A lot of people up there but that was ok. It was a great sunset.
Plan had been to go to Elote for dinner. That was until I realized, on the plane heading to PHX reading my Frommer's guide, that it is closed on Monday. DOH! No idea how I missed that in my planning but oh well. Decided to just play dinner my ear and by the time that rolled around we were pretty beat and noticed there was a Mexican place across the street. Oaxaca. I did a quick check of this board from my iphone and knew the reviews were mixed but we chanced it. It was fine. Food and service were acceptable. It was also very quiet so maybe that makes a difference as opposed to busy times.
On Tuesday we enjoyed the breakfast at BWAR and then headed to Chapel of the Holy Cross. So lovely and a place that was high on my list to visit. We spent over an hour here.
After the Chapel we headed out 89A and took it all the way through Jerome. Walked around Jerome a bit. My husband found an old theater that really intrigued him and he enjoyed touring that. Very interesting drive through Jerome. Lots of fun! All the way up to Jerome and then up up up some more until you eventually come down in to Prescott Valley where we made our way back to I-17 to return to Scottsdale.
I regret not having more time in Sedona but we did the best we could. Next time!
That pretty much wraps up our trip. We really enjoyed our visit to Arizona - a first for both of us. It's a lovely part of the country and I must say I noticed it's also very very clean and well kept. That's impressive to a visitor so kudos to you folks for taking pride in where you live.
We left the Grand Canyon on Friday 9/25 and headed to Scottsdale. The genesis of this trip was a kind friend who offered us a week in their time share and I chose Westin Kierland where we had a Friday check in.
We took our time leaving the park through the East Gate and arrived in Scottsdale around 4:30pm if I recall correctly. Originally pulled in to the hotel where we were advised Villa check in was a block or so away.
Found our way to the villas where we were checked in and heading to our 1 bedroom villa in no time. I say villa but it is really just a very large hotel room with small kitchenette. There are separate rooms for living area and bedroom but overall I still got "hotel room" feel from it. But it was very lovely, don't get me wrong. We were located on the 2nd floor of building 5 with a nice golf course view.
I do a lot of vacationing but it's been some time since I have been in a resort enviornment. I'm not sure it's for me but we did enjoy our week. When we checked in we were given an "activites sheet" of events going on at the hotel. Much to my husband's delight he spotted a Johnnie Walker Scotch tasting that was to be held on Saturday night. He quickly called for a reservation!
I had learned on this board of Chowhounds, I'm not sure which, that is was restaurant week when we arrived. Was told reservations go quickly so we made our plans in advance. Decided after a travel day that it would be best to stay on property for dinner for we had a reservation @ deseo for our first night, which is located at the Westin hotel.
We took the shuttle over and back so this was really a convenient dining option for us. While we enjoyed this meal in comparison to others it wasn't the most memorable.
Saturday, our first full day at the villas, was planned as a "down" day. I had a spa appt. at Agave in the morning while my husband did his thing, gym and what not. The afternoon was spent relaxing at the pool
I had a facial at Agave at the Westin and I really enjoyed this treatment and spa. The ladies that work there are wonderful and unlike some other spas I have been to there is no sales pitch for products. Yes they sell products that they use in treatment however it was very low key. Upon check out there was a wicker basket waiting for me with the products recommended for me and I was free to look over those at my leisure or just move on. It was not at all uncomfortable and I appreciate that. I'd recommend the spa to anyone.
Saturday night was still Rest. week and we had reserved at Bourbon Steak. I loved the vibe of this place. This was an excellent, excellent meal and a GREAT value @ $29 per person for Rest. week. This dining option could easliy have run us $200+ if we had ordered off menu. Excellent if you are looking for a splurge.
Just to wrap up the dining portion of the trip we had a late lunch at Greene House which was good. I loved my husband's pasta dish and while my chicken sandwich was good the white truffle parmesan fries were other wordly. Half price on all bottles on wine on Sunday and Thursday - good value.
Sept. 30 was our 3 year anniversary and we dined at T. Cook's @ Royal Palms. I loved the setting here, perfect for Anniversary dinner. I made reservations on Open Table and made note of Anniversary and to their credit they read the notes! They wished us Happy anniversary when we arrived and our table had fresh rose petals all over it. Nice touch. The meal here was very good if not as creative, perhaps, as other meals I have had.
Our last night in Scottsdale we dined at The Mission in Old Town. We were early for reservation so opted for drink at the bar first. Got talking to the barternder (Mike who is Bar Manager) and decided to eat at the bar. He was clearly passionate about the food and drink being served at this place. Excellent, excellent, excellent! This was our favorite meal of the trip. Tableside guacamole, Pork shoulder tacos, Pumpkin bread pudding. One dish better than the next but the pork was unreal. Mike has had a hand in developing the cocktails and they are interesting and delicious. Highly recommend!
Won't bore you with details of each day but other things we did include a Steam boat trip on the Dolly @ Canyon Lake. Loved this. Very relaxing way to spend part of a Sunday afternoon and it's just a beautiful trip. Interesting ride out to the lake as well up that mountain road!
I did Taliesin West on my own one morning. This was very interesting to me and I'm glad I went. The fee to get in is $32 per person but it is reduced on Tues/Wed to $24.
We also went to the Biltmore one morning just to see it and take a look around. Gorgeous. I could have spent a lot of time looking around there but my husband gets "funny" when he thinks he doesn't belong some where - he felt like an intruder. So we didn't stay too long.
On Monday the 28th we headed to Sedona for an overnight. Had booked the Best Western AR and really loved this place. Would choose it again in a heart beat if returning to Sedona. Also the best bed of our entire trip
Turns out the Heavenly Bed @ Westin is not for me LOL. Great views from our room and we even enjoyed the pool for a bit. Our first stop when we hit town was to Tlaquepaque. I'm not a shopper but I loved strolling around here. So lovely. We had lunch at the Oak Creek Brewery - husband loves a beer sampler! When we left here we took 89A up through Oak Creek Canyon just to see the sights. We went up past Slide Rock and beyond and it was a lovely drive and not too many people on the road. Back down 89A to check in to hotel. Later that evening we went up Airport Mesa road for sunset. A lot of people up there but that was ok. It was a great sunset.
Plan had been to go to Elote for dinner. That was until I realized, on the plane heading to PHX reading my Frommer's guide, that it is closed on Monday. DOH! No idea how I missed that in my planning but oh well. Decided to just play dinner my ear and by the time that rolled around we were pretty beat and noticed there was a Mexican place across the street. Oaxaca. I did a quick check of this board from my iphone and knew the reviews were mixed but we chanced it. It was fine. Food and service were acceptable. It was also very quiet so maybe that makes a difference as opposed to busy times.
On Tuesday we enjoyed the breakfast at BWAR and then headed to Chapel of the Holy Cross. So lovely and a place that was high on my list to visit. We spent over an hour here.
After the Chapel we headed out 89A and took it all the way through Jerome. Walked around Jerome a bit. My husband found an old theater that really intrigued him and he enjoyed touring that. Very interesting drive through Jerome. Lots of fun! All the way up to Jerome and then up up up some more until you eventually come down in to Prescott Valley where we made our way back to I-17 to return to Scottsdale.
I regret not having more time in Sedona but we did the best we could. Next time!
That pretty much wraps up our trip. We really enjoyed our visit to Arizona - a first for both of us. It's a lovely part of the country and I must say I noticed it's also very very clean and well kept. That's impressive to a visitor so kudos to you folks for taking pride in where you live.
Nice report and pix MB.
That Frank Lolyd Wright stuff at the Biltmore and Taliesan West is very cool. I would like to visit that FLW house somewhere in the mid-West (?) that has the waterfall that runs thru it.
Chapel of the Holy Cross is very nice. Always stop on the way in and out of Sedona.
What, no Pink Jeep? Probably not enuff time (we havent done it either)
We are due for a Sedona visit. Think we may have stayed at that Sedona BW. If not, that's one of the places I'll check. Plus, may do a dawn or sunset Pink Jeep tour. Probably going Easter to visit the in-laws in PHX. Their daughter got married at the Royal Palm a few yrs ago - imagine a wedding on that property (and the $!).
Have not taken the ride out to Jerome. Worth it for a couple hrs/lunch?
Based on what I'm hearing so far, seems like a return trip to AZ may be in your future. Lots to experience in that state. Sometimes you can catch a pretty cheap NS out of PHL on Southwest.
That Frank Lolyd Wright stuff at the Biltmore and Taliesan West is very cool. I would like to visit that FLW house somewhere in the mid-West (?) that has the waterfall that runs thru it.
Chapel of the Holy Cross is very nice. Always stop on the way in and out of Sedona.
What, no Pink Jeep? Probably not enuff time (we havent done it either)
We are due for a Sedona visit. Think we may have stayed at that Sedona BW. If not, that's one of the places I'll check. Plus, may do a dawn or sunset Pink Jeep tour. Probably going Easter to visit the in-laws in PHX. Their daughter got married at the Royal Palm a few yrs ago - imagine a wedding on that property (and the $!).
Have not taken the ride out to Jerome. Worth it for a couple hrs/lunch?
Based on what I'm hearing so far, seems like a return trip to AZ may be in your future. Lots to experience in that state. Sometimes you can catch a pretty cheap NS out of PHL on Southwest.
When we come to place where the sea and the sky collide
Throw me over the edge and let my spirit glide
Throw me over the edge and let my spirit glide
We had a great trip and we loved every place we visited. Would we return, yes. Will it be in the next few years. Doubt it. We'd like to try some other places.jmq wrote:Nice report and pix MB.
That Frank Lolyd Wright stuff at the Biltmore and Taliesan West is very cool. I would like to visit that FLW house somewhere in the mid-West (?) that has the waterfall that runs thru it.
Chapel of the Holy Cross is very nice. Always stop on the way in and out of Sedona.
What, no Pink Jeep? Probably not enuff time (we havent done it either)
We are due for a Sedona visit. Think we may have stayed at that Sedona BW. If not, that's one of the places I'll check. Plus, may do a dawn or sunset Pink Jeep tour. Probably going Easter to visit the in-laws in PHX. Their daughter got married at the Royal Palm a few yrs ago - imagine a wedding on that property (and the $!).
Have not taken the ride out to Jerome. Worth it for a couple hrs/lunch?
Based on what I'm hearing so far, seems like a return trip to AZ may be in your future. Lots to experience in that state. Sometimes you can catch a pretty cheap NS out of PHL on Southwest.
Sedona is under major contrustion right now when you come in via 179 - I think that is the road. It really takes away from the charm of the town if you ask me. I'd wait until that was over to return.
Jerome is a quirky town. Hard to say if you would enjoy it enough to take the drive. For me the drive itself was worth it. Sort of like STJ driving!
The Asylum is a restaurant there that gets a lot of talk.
I'll share some pic's when I get to them. Still working on GC edits.
SJ - we did the sales pitch at the Westin. It was worth it for a $150 AMEX gift card and 50% off our next Starwood stay. Financially it is not possible for us right now but I did like the flexibility of the program. It was good information for us as we had little knowledge of time share programs. If we ever considered it I'd seriously look at Starwood.
Fallingwater is in PA, western PA near Legoiner (sp?) and Johnstown. We have visited at least 7 times in conjunction with an annual event we attend in the area.jmq wrote:Nice report and pix MB.
That Frank Lolyd Wright stuff at the Biltmore and Taliesan West is very cool. I would like to visit that FLW house somewhere in the mid-West (?) that has the waterfall that runs thru it.
Chapel of the Holy Cross is very nice. Always stop on the way in and out of Sedona.
What, no Pink Jeep? Probably not enuff time (we havent done it either)
We are due for a Sedona visit. Think we may have stayed at that Sedona BW. If not, that's one of the places I'll check. Plus, may do a dawn or sunset Pink Jeep tour. Probably going Easter to visit the in-laws in PHX. Their daughter got married at the Royal Palm a few yrs ago - imagine a wedding on that property (and the $!).
Have not taken the ride out to Jerome. Worth it for a couple hrs/lunch?
Based on what I'm hearing so far, seems like a return trip to AZ may be in your future. Lots to experience in that state. Sometimes you can catch a pretty cheap NS out of PHL on Southwest.
If you like construction and architecture, it is worth the trip. We find something new to marvel at each time we visit.
There is another Llyod house, Kentuck Knob, not to far away from Fallingwater.
Thanks PA girl. I thought maybe Ohio or IL. Looks not too far from Pittsburgh and another reason to take ride out there some weekend during baseball season - thats a city & ballpark I really want to see.PA Girl wrote: Fallingwater is in PA, western PA near Legoiner (sp?) and Johnstown. We have visited at least 7 times in conjunction with an annual event we attend in the area.
If you like construction and architecture, it is worth the trip. We find something new to marvel at each time we visit.
There is another Llyod house, Kentuck Knob, not to far away from Fallingwater.
(sorry for temp thread hijack MB)
When we come to place where the sea and the sky collide
Throw me over the edge and let my spirit glide
Throw me over the edge and let my spirit glide
And I would love to return to AZ! I was in Flagstaff (at NAU) in high school and we did the canyon during that trip. For a young teen from the east coast, AZ was something to see! I burned thru rolls of film taking pictures of catuses. (or is it cati?)
MB - where you stayed in the park is just the type of thing we are looking to do in a couple of years.
Much like STJ, you either "get" Fallingwater or you don't.
While we loved it enough to return yearly (like STJ!) the next person could have the attitude of "I just drove 20 miles through no man's land to see 50+ year old couches and some house that is ready to fall into the creek?"
MB - where you stayed in the park is just the type of thing we are looking to do in a couple of years.
Much like STJ, you either "get" Fallingwater or you don't.
While we loved it enough to return yearly (like STJ!) the next person could have the attitude of "I just drove 20 miles through no man's land to see 50+ year old couches and some house that is ready to fall into the creek?"
Falling Water... had a friend in the 60's who was a political science grad student - he worked as a docent there most every weekend and loved that place.
mbw1024, you've convinced me that Arizona must be added to my bucket list. I love New Mexico, as well as what I have seen of Nevada, but haven't been across the border... yet.
Good to know that you and Charlie had a really good two weeks in the West. I'm still looking at the pics - they are great! Thanks for all.
mbw1024, you've convinced me that Arizona must be added to my bucket list. I love New Mexico, as well as what I have seen of Nevada, but haven't been across the border... yet.
Good to know that you and Charlie had a really good two weeks in the West. I'm still looking at the pics - they are great! Thanks for all.
... no longer a stranger to paradise
New Mexico is on my list. Maybe we could trade noteslprof wrote: I'm still looking at the pics - they are great! Thanks for all.
I just added pic's to that link if anyone wants to go back and take another look.
I have a handful more to edit from the camera Charlie was using and then I can move on to Scottsdale pic's
Hi MB---Thanks for the report. I do go to Phoenix/Scottsdale occasionally (usually on business---but I try to have a little fun too), so I enjoyed reading your report. There are a lot of chain restaurants, but also some unique and interesting places, and it sounds like you did your research and hit some good spots.I looked up the menu at the Mission and that sounds great.
---Jim
