Arizona was not kind of the place I had imagined for a great vacation destination, but when I arrived I was imediately taken by the beautiful architecture and unique landscape even though it was quite warm.  One thing I grew to love about Scottsdale was the beautiful scenery, especially the various cactus that you see everywhere, such as the saguaro which you can only find in this region. The saguaro cactus are only found in Arizona and they were everywhere along my drive to my hotel.  I stayed at The Talking Stick Resort which includes a casino, great pool area and some excellent restaurants.  This way  I could have some fun at the resort and enjoy some fine dining and relaxaion by the pool. I love the Orange Lounge at the Talking Stick Resort.  The outdoor dining area where you can watch the big full moon while enjoying an excellent dinner at night was extremely enjoyable and the evening weather with a light breeze was magnificent. 

Scottsdale Arizona is known for its brand new resorts, great shopping and arts. There are a few great art galleries and jewelry shops in the Old Town area which I highly recommend. The highest concentrations of galleries, studios and museums that are open to the public can be found in Downtown Scottsdale. The Scottsdale Arts District can be segmented into three distinct districts. The largest is the Scottsdale Main Street Arts District, home to the largest and most diverse collection of styles and genres, the more contemporary Marshall Way Arts District, and the more touristy and western-themed Old Town district, which has the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. The very popular Scottsdale Artwalk is held weekly, every Thursday evening.

Scottsdale to me was the perfect example of the American wild west historical place.  This is a destination where you can enjoy a luxurious resort while surrounded by the breathtaking desert of the wild west.  I love the scenic drives in Scottsdale where you can cruise down endless roads while looking out for the different shapes of cactus, especially the saguaro, and enjoy the breathtaking colors of the mountains and valleys surrounding the area. 

I enjoyed the Mexican cuisine here in Scottsdale.  Given the proximity to Mexico, you are able to find great Mexican food here and a selection of great tequilas. I recommend stopping by Scottsdale's Old City where you can find great Mexican restaurants where you cna enjoy a spicy tequila cocktail with habanero chillis or enojy some perfectly executed tacos. In the Old City area there are also many jewelry shops most of which specailize in turquoise jewelry. Here you can shop for some of the most sophisticated of Native American jewelry designs. There are many high end art stores around Old City as well so if you are in the market for some fine southwestern art, Scottsdale is the place for you. Scottsdale is big on southwestern art so check out the art galleries if you a colector and lover of fine art.

If you have more time in Scottsdale, you may want to do something adventurous such as attending a cowboy lesson. It would be great to learn how to be a cowboy and ride a horse while geared up like and old west cowboy to make you feel like you are truly a part of the wild wild west. Don't forget that Scottsdale is a great place to relax as there are some great hotel resorts where you can enjoy great food, spas, golfing, casinos and watching the beautiful sunsets that Arizona is famous for. I have to say that I felt in love with Scottsdale even though I was not a hige fan of the hot weather during the day but it was pretty impressive since Scottsdale was so unique and the landscape itself was so intriguing.  This trip in Scottsdale had a little bit of everything for me and really represent a unique combintation of the modern life style and the wild west of America.