historic,  travel

Old Town Scottdale

August 13, 2025 /

I stayed in Scottsdale a few years ago for my brother’s wedding, but we didn’t had time to do much sightseeing, and only had hiked near where we stayed. So when Jodie mentioned the possibility of spending some time in Old Town Scottsdale, I jumped at the opportunity. I was surprised at how picturesque and fun it was, and there is more to explore for another time! I am thinking that if the hubby and I make an anniversary trip there in the fall of 2026, that a couple days in Scottsdale followed by a stay in Flagstaff or somewhere within an hour’s drive would be really cool.

This horse fountain in Old Town Scottsdale was donated in the late 80’s and is located in the 5th Ave shop and gallery area. The 5 horses are modeled after Tom Chauncey’s Arabians.

The Arizona canal is 50 miles and goes through Scottsdale. A waterfront project was created to revitalize the area around it and the pathways were built along it. Paolo Soleri designed the bridge below. “The suspension bridge has two steel-clad, 64-foot pylons create a light beam on the walking surface to mark solar events”.

The area is really quite beautiful and I enjoy our walk through, even though it was hot. Thankfully, there were a few areas with shade to take a breather.

Of course, a trip to Arizona isn’t one without me noticing something cool: I had not heard of Waymo (even though it appears they are in Atlanta too), and we saw several of these driverless cars (like Uber) on the roads. Last year, I saw my first cybertruck in Arizona.

We visited the Bischoff gallery which was a short drive away. It was really interesting and we learned about turquoise as well as saw artifacts replicas. There are a number of sculptures outside too which were really cool.

The gallery is located in an old bank.

We enjoyed lunch at Barrio Queen. While the food presentation is really pretty, these tacos were not my favorite. The sauce was overpowering and it didn’t compare to my first meal at the Heard Museum restaurant. But the company was excellent and the guacamole (with pomegranate) very tasty.

 

A bientôt, Scottsdale and Arizona!

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