Scottsdale, AZ

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May 22, 2022

Chris and I love taking road trips together, and with just about a 5 hour drive time, we are frequent flyers to Scottsdale. The warm (sometimes HOT) weather, fabulous selection of restaurants, and change of scenery provides a fun weekend getaway when we want a dose of summer in the off-season. Scottsdale is a popular destination for groups like Bachelor/ette’s, golfers, and family vacationers. Home of the Waste Management Open, you can definitely find reasons to party but also ways to relax here.

One of our favorite places to stay is the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa. This resort is a gorgeous, sprawling property complete with a lazy river, organic spa, expansive golf course, an adults-only pool, and a handful of restaurants to choose from on site. The Westin also has a host of Villas behind the property as well which is fantastic for larger groups or family vacations and you still get access to everything on the main resort.

I really appreciate that there are different pools, both adult and kid-friendly, sprinkled throughout the property. The pool servers are super friendly and I found myself ordering their frozen boozy lemonade every time. Sweet, sour, and spiked! Name a better poolside drink!

Its nice because there is a lot to explore right on the property and when that gets old, directly across the street is a promenade of restaurants and shops. When the desert heat isn’t so extreme, the famous Tommy Bahama Restaurant is in walking distance from the hotel. I usually don’t order Mai Tai’s but they have a pretty legit one on their Happy Hour menu that packs a kick. Vacation mode: On.

One of the best restaurants in the area and comes highly recommended is Sumo Maya. With an LA vibe and swanky space, you’ll find a selection of items typical to a sushi restaurant alongside creatively concocted tacos. It sounds like a strange mix but they deliver on either flip of the coin!

Try the Crispy Rock Shrimp and the Thai Fresco Roll, our favorites. Chris loves the Match-A Date cocktail, which tastes dangerously like a green Pressed Juice and gives you the feeling you made a healthy decision while vodka is somehow hidden in the mix.

A great spot for an afternoon Aperol spritz and a appetizer is North Italia. There are a few scattered through the AZ area, the prettiest of which is located in Scottsdale. The outdoor patio is along the sidewalk of the shopping promenade and is a perfect spot for people watching while the relaxed attitude of this Italian eatery will make you feel like you can post up for a drink or two.

Every visit, we try and book massages at the New Serenity Spa. This spa has the best massueses and an incredibly nice staff. Our first couples massage here was SO good that as we checked out, Chris literally booked us both two more 90 minutes massages for the very next day! Those massages are something we ALWAYS try to fit in when we are in town.

If you’re looking for dinner and a show, check out Kasai or Toca Madera. Kasai is a Japanese restaurant with hibachi tables and creative specialty sushi rolls. I love the Sugar Daddy roll and Chris goes with the Surf n Turf roll, both are exceptional. The hibachi chefs are super fun and entertaining – they aren’t afraid to light a few fires, literally…my eyebrows almost burnt off lol. The waitstaff is friendly and they gave our entire table pineapple Dole Whip on the house for dessert. When Chris told our waitress that I love ice cream, she came back out with two cartons of dole whip for us to take home!

Toca Madera is also a fun place to catch a little entertainment as well with a live DJ, loud music, and a fire breathing dancer. It’s all about the vibe and showmanship here, which unfortunately leaves the food neglected in my opinion. I’ve not been impressed with what’s on the menu, but the cocktails are inventive and fresh. My advice, go here for post-dinner drinks and and dessert. You’ll still enjoy the flashy atmosphere without regretting what you ate.

Another staple of Scottsdale to check out is Old Town, which feels just like you walked into an old Western movie. Or Fort Worth without the train and daily cattle drive, for that matter! Trinket shops line both sides of the street where you can find a variety of specialty items from authentic American Indian jewelry to local art. Two of my favorite stores to pop into are Spice and Tea Exchange, where you can find any loose-leaf tea and spice imaginable, and Outrageous Olive Oils and Vinegars, for ultra premium, imported Italian olive oil and balsamic vinegars.