Having Fun for Yourself in Scottsdale, Arizona!
Pet Friendly Scottsdale!
Getting Out there and into it in Scottsdale!
Wish your fun activity was featured here? list it!
1) Apache Trail Day Tour from Phoenix- Book it! from $134.99
Goldfield, aptly named after the precious metal that was found in the area, was incorporated in 1892. For 5 long years this town was a gold miner's Mecca, however, soon after the vein stopped producing, Goldfield quickly turned into a gold mining ghost town.During your tour along the Apache Trail, you will be treated to a steamboat ride on Canyon Lake by the famous Dolly Steamboat.
As part of the 6-mile narrated nature cruise, keep your eye out for Big Horn Sheep, Bald Eagles and a host of other desert animals as well as unforgettable views of 1300-foot volcanic cliff walls of Canyon Lake.Following your steamboat ride, visit Tortilla Flat and just beyond that Fish Creek Hill in the Superstition Wilderness. Tortilla Flat has become a fixture of the Apache Trail since its inception in 1904. Read more. From $134.99
2. Sonoran Desert Adventure and Boat Ride: Book it! From $115.99
Marvel at breathtaking desert views on this morning adventure in Arizona's Sonoran Desert. Explore the sprawling landscape of rugged mountains, cactus and wildflowers on an easy hike in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, and learn about the Hohokam Indians who once called this gorgeous land home. Then, cruise along Saguaro Lake nestled in Arizona's Tonto National Forrest. Read more. From $115.99
3) Desert Botanical Garden
The Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix is proud to offer more than 20,000 desert plants, with emphasis on those native to the Sonoran Desert of Arizona. The internationally acclaimed collection provides a delight for the senses and spirit as well as insight into fragile ecosystems. A lovely 1 mile stroll opens a whole world of desert flora and fauna, as Gambel Quail and dozens of lizard species make the garden home. Don't miss it. Do the "Discovery Loop Trail", stay to watch a desert sunset, or come at night and do the "Flashlight Tour" and experience the desert at night - when it really comes to life.www.dbg.org
4. Heard Museum for Native Art & Culture
The Heard Museum shows the art, artifacts and history of Southwestern people, from Native Americans to Hispanic cultures.
Located on Central Avenue in downtown Phoenix, the museum hosts 200,000 visitors a year and "provides Indian artists with a wonderful home that will excite and inspire visitors from around the world," according to Arizona Highways. The museum's 11 spacious exhibit galleries and beautiful outdoor courtyards feature outstanding traditional and contemporary American Indian art. www.heard.org
Hiking and Biking are the most popular ways to see saguaro cacti, red rocks and desert arroyos, no matter what part of town. Phoenix Mountain Park and Recreation Area and Dreamy Draw Recreation Area is located just north of Glendale Ave and 24st Street in Phoenix. Although surrounded by civilization, Phoenix Mountain Park and Recreation Area provides a variety of hikes with amazing city views and secluded valleys. Bring your dog, bike or horse on a number of trails in the area. map
Relaxation and "going to the spa" is a big part of Phoenix: many use inspiration from the botanicals found in the local Sonoran Desert. The Aji Spa uses insight from Native American traditions for their treatments, including red clay from the Gila River and cholla cactus buds. There's even a traditional roundhouse for guests to enjoy. At Agave Spa, the namesake plant is used in almost every treatment, most notably the blue agave paraffin wrap.
There are approximately 240 golf courses in and around the Valley of the Sun, many designed by PGA champions, so all you have to do is pick the location and difficulty and tee off amidst the grandeur of the Sonoran Desert. Here's a nice public golf course: Raven Golf Club - Phoenix (formerly the Raven at South Mountain) provides a unique golf experience in the desert. From the Georgia pine tree-lined fairways to the multi-tiered greens, this Gary Panks and David Graham golf course design is a "must-play" in the Phoenix, Arizona area. List of nice public golf courses in Phoenix.
What a great way to get out into the canyons. Here is one company (among many): Arizona ATV Adventure Tours - their Box Canyon ATV Tour has been voted one of the top 50 Tours in Arizona by Arizona Highways Magazine! It is a half day adventure for the whole family! They will train you and provide everything you need. Follow their certified guides to the heart of the Sonoran Desert. The 37 mile loop follows abandoned mining trails from the late 1800's through giant Saguaro and Ocotillo cactus. Stop at an old gold mining camp, see ancient Indian rock art and discover a stagecoach depot at the bottom of the canyon. The canyon is 7 miles long and 900 feet high.
Why not? Segway Tours West offers 1 1/2 hour tours around the Phoenix area aboard the funnest form of transportation ever built — the Segway!
Join their knowledgeable and talented tour guides as they guide you along, informing your about all kinds of fun facts, while you ride in style. Never ridden a Segway before? No problem! Many of their riders are first-timers (and many ride again and again — these things are addicting!) and their tour includes a 30 minute orientation to get you going. Most riders need only a few minutes of instruction before they are zipping around!
Tired of the heat? Wet 'n Wild Phoenix is open day AND night. You can float along on a river, or..well...scare yourself to death on water. Wear lots of sunscreen. It's always a blast.
11. Wupatki National Museum - Blow hole!
Experience a Legacy: Wupatki! Here in one of the warmest driest places on the Colorado Plateau in Arizona, with little obvious food or water, people lived and others visited from far and wide. Trade items from the Pacific to the Gulf of Mexico have been discovered here. Eventually the builders of Wupatki and nearby pueblos moved on, but on trails, and through items left behind, you can let their stories touch you! The Blow hole is amazing-- watch the movie to see what fun...
Would Your House Look This Good 800 Years From Now? Today we gaze through the windows of the past into one of the best preserved cliff dwellings in North America. This 20 room high-rise apartment, nestled into a towering limestone cliff, tells a story of ingenuity, survival and ultimately, prosperity in an unforgiving desert landscape. Come marvel at this enduring legacy of the Sinagua culture and reveal a people surprisingly similar to ourselves. Montezuma Park and Map
Nestled in the heart of the Superstition Mountains lie spectacular Canyon Lake, home of the Dolly Steamboat. Continuing a tradition of cruising since 1925, the Dolly Steamboat now cruises the secluded inner waterways of this beautiful lake. Explore a favorite destination of President Theodore Roosevelt who declared, “the Apache Trail and surrounding area combines the grandeur of the Alps, the glory of the Rockies, the magnificence of the Grand Canyon and then adds an indefinable something that none of the others have.” http://www.dollysteamboat.com/
One of the top 5 zoos in the nation for children... here is some recent news: 1)The Phoenix Zoo is celebrating the birth of an Andean bear cub born to 17–year-old Rio in early January. The cub and mother appear to be doing well and animal care staff and keepers are monitoring the mother and baby, but will leave Rio to bond with and care for her cub without interference. 2) A new Grevy's zebra is on display to the public along the Africa Trail at the Phoenix Zoo. Born on January 19th to Masika and Punda, the newest addition to the Zoo's herd of Grevy's zebras weighed in at an even 100 pounds. The Phoenix Zoo
15. World Wildlife Zoo & Aquarium
Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium is a 95-acre zoo and aquarium in Litchfield Park, Arizona, near Phoenix. The zoo specializes in African animals and has a 0.6 mile train. The aquarium is huge and has great reviews - in fact all the reviews are great for the whole zoo.