Midcentury design tours, locavore meals and hikes in the countryside are among the many diversions for weekend visitors.
By Elaine Glusac | The New York Times
cottsdale may look like a suburb of neighboring Phoenix, but its own origins in agriculture and as a haven for culturally enlightened visitors from the East and Midwest had nothing to do with the city that would eventually eclipse it in size. The retreat vibe is still intact in Scottsdale’s shop- and gallery-filled Old Town, replete with the occasional kitschy Western trappings. The rangy city, which runs 31 miles south to north, has filled up with golf and spa resorts that make it a popular snowbird destination. For visitors seeking what many of Scottsdale’s original residents came for — including communion with nature and stimulating culture — the destination, with a dip here and there into neighboring communities, has much to offer, including new design tours, foraged meals and art attractions, in addition to warming doses of Arizona sunlight.
