ART CULINARY
The options to experience art in Scottsdale are endless. Famed
architect Frank Lloyd Wright spent his winters in Scottsdale. He and his
team of apprentices built a huge compound called Taliesin West in the
1930s, modifying and expanding it until his death in 1959. Highlights
of the tour include seeing where Wright
worked, entertained and even slept. The
compound continues to be a working
school of architecture and houses the
Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. Nearly everyone you meet in Scottsdale will say you must try The
Mission. The interior of the restaurant is beautiful with the centerpiece
being a huge wall made of Himalayan salt blocks that you can literally
lick before your tequila shot. (Salt is aseptic.) Chef Matt Carter
reinvents his French culinary training with a
menu focused on modern Latin flavor. Start
with delectable tableside guacamole and try
entrée favorites such as Malbec-braised short
ribs and chorizo porchetta.
Scottsdale’s Museum of the West is the
latest museum to open in the city and
is a Smithsonian Affiliate. The stunning,
contemporary space, located in Old Town
Scottsdale, is filled with art from and
of the American West, including Hopi
pottery masterworks. Enjoy the sublime
curves and an Allan Houser original or
FOR THE KIDS
Saddle exhibit at Western Spirit:
Scottsdale’s Museum of the West
Over the holidays a must-do for kids of all
ages is to visit Christmas at the Princess. The
AAA Five Diamond award-winning Fairmont
Scottsdale Princess hotel transforms into a
winter wonderland complete with a 6,000
square-foot real ice skating rink, a
Build-A-Bear workshop, HD video
the impressive collection of saddles and
cowboy accoutrements.
ADVENTURE
The beauty of the natural landscape in
Scottsdale will have the whole family
yearning for outdoor adventures. Get to
know flora and fauna with a guided hike,
backpacking or biking experience from
local adventure tour company AOA. Single
day trips offered around the area include
river rafting, stand-up paddle boarding,
kayaking, road and mountain biking, and
hiking. There are loads of trails to climb,
if you’re feeling fit, climb to the top
of Tom’s Thumb Trail located on the
McDowell Sonoran Preserve. Enjoy
expanded views of the region
from the top of the 4-mile trail.
Kayaking with Arizona Outback Adventures
Credit: Ryan Cordwell for Experience Scottsdale
SPA
Scottsdale is a noted spa
destination with many world-class
options. After a long flight from
the East Coast, check into Joya Spa
at Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa
at Montelucia. Before treatments,
guests are encouraged to
experience a Hammam ritual.
This includes a slow warm in the
Hammam room, then into the
heat of the steam room, and from
there to a cold deluge of water from above. This treatment is great for
resetting the body and getting rid of toxins. The must-try treatment is
the 80-minute Signature Massage — a strong deep touch is incorporated
with circular movements and stretching à la traditional Thai massage.
These techniques stimulate blood and lymph circulation and ease away
travel tension.
Mountain Shadows
projection shows, S’mores Land, a
Christmas tree with 70,000 twinkling
LED lights and Santa’s Secret
Headquarters. General admission
includes access to Princess Express
Trains, Copper Canyon Village Light
Show, Enchanted Plaza Experience,
4.5 Million Holiday Lights, Holiday
Characters, Nativity Garden, S’mores
Land Family Campfires, Christmas
Carousel, Ice Slide and Ferris Wheel.
Additional fees for photos with
Santa, Desert Ice Skating Rink, Build-
A-Bear Workshop and Rink-side VIP
Fire Pit rentals.
WHERE TO STAY
Mountain Shadows is a new upscale
boutique resort nestled between
Scottsdale and Phoenix with roots
in 1950s modernism and history. The
original property closed in 2004 and
a $100 million new-build opened its
doors in April 2017.
Guest rooms are works of art, with
bold and unmistakable elements
and no detail overlooked, from
geometric lighting, plush bedding
and open floor plans with floor-to-
ceiling glass to an in-room cocktail
cart with recipe menu and artwork
of authentic vintage postcards. The walls of The Gallery at Mountain
Shadows are adorned with rotating artwork from artists with a strong
tie to the Arizona community. Renowned Chef Charles Wiley stands
at the helm of Hearth ’61, serving seasonal American fare made in a
stunning exhibition kitchen with a stone oven as the focal point.
WINTER 2018/19 41 FLYWASHINGTON.COM