It seems like everyone and their mom has been traveling to Scottsdale lately so naturally, we had to check it out. It has become a huge bachelor and bachelorette trip destination and I can see why! I don't know about you but when I pictured Scottsdale AZ I envisioned upscale dining, lots of wine tasting, sophisticated boozy brunch - you know, a classy affair. What I got was a party town full of cliche bar hopping, boozy pedal bikes, and rowdy brunch. Hey, I don't shy away from a good time, this girl is 10 toes down for a good party if it's expected or not!
I'm sure that somewhere far from the party crowd Scottsdale has a version of itself that is posh but that is not what we found on this trip. So, for anyone planning on taking a trip to Scottsdale, here is my itinerary complete with a few things I wish I would have done had I stayed a few more days!
Day 1
We stayed in an adorable vrbo that was a short uber or cab ride away from Old town and the bar district, since we were traveling in a bit of a group we opted for this instead of a hotel. The house that we stayed in had a grapefruit tree and firepit in the back which made for very relaxing mornings and evenings sitting outside and enjoying the HUGE Arizona sky. The lighting in the bathroom was a bit rough and made the getting ready situation a bit rough but we made do.
We landed in Pheonix at like 8 am, I mean we really did wake up at the butt crack of dawn to go on this trip. Luckily we were able to check in to our vrbo rental super early so we could drop off our bags and head to breakfast at Farm and Craft a fun little counter service restaurant in Old Town. The food here was good but the thing that really deserves a mention is their froze, that baby girl was small but mighty if you know what I mean. Next, we headed to Diego Pops a super chic Mexican food and margarita joint. I highly recommend the watermelon mint marg - super refreshing, it was my personal fav!
Dinner our first night was at Sumo Maya, an upscale Mexican Asian fusion restaurant. This place had BANGIN yellowtail and ceviche *chefs kiss* They were completely booked while we were in town except for the dinner reservation that we were able to snag but This place has a great brunch menu so if you are able to get in I would take full advantage! If you are booking this trip far enough in advance that you get to make reservations at the more popular restaurants I would suggest checking out Toca Madera! This is a place we wanted to get into but couldn't, they serve brunch and dinner and have fire dancers!
The District is where we headed next to find Scottsdale's nightlife! This is where you can find the first-ever Bottled Blonde. Personally, I think the Bottled Blonde in Dallas is way cooler but maybe I'm just biased! The club that we had the most fun at in the District was called Riot House and it was a great time! Honestly though, at the end of the day, a club is a club - once you've seen one you've pretty much seen them all.
Day 2
Our second day started off nice and slow, we took our time having our morning coffee outside in the most perfect weather and then headed to the Desert Botanical Gardens which I highly recommend checking out! I mean I had NO idea that cactuses (cacti?) could grow to be so freaking tall!
After the gardens, we went to brunch at R&R, this is the perfect spot to go if you are looking for a trashy rowdy brunch. The food is nothing special but the vibes are immaculate. Not that I care for football but if you are looking for somewhere to watch a big game and get your mimosa tower on, this is the spot! If you are looking to grab a snack here I do recommend the chicken lollipops and the pretzel bites.
We went out again our second night and Chadd and I ended up at STK for a very late dinner. Scottsdale has a super cool STK location so if you are an STK fan or even if you are just looking for an upscale dinner spot this will certainly not disappoint!
Things I wish I would have done
Overall our trip was just a super quick weekend getaway and it was so much fun but I was definitely keeping a mental note of all the things I want to do next time I visit Arizona! I mean first off AZ is just such a beautiful state and I ish we had spent more time outdoors! Next time I would love to rent a car and make a trip to the Grand Canyon. Hot air balloon and ATV tours are also available all around the area where we were staying and that just sounds like an absolute blast to me!
In Scottsdale itself, I noticed a lot of people seemed to have rented Golf carts to drive around to the different bars and shops. This city was so fun and I cannot wait to go back!
Have you been to Scottsdale?? If you have and you think I've missed some absolutely need-to-know spots then drop them down in the comments!
That's all for now!
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