What is the Scottsdale Sedona Connection?

It’s a way to experience the best of all Arizona has to offer, with just about 90 minutes on the road. If you love high culture and high altitudes, soaring scenery and sizzling nightlife, red dust on your hiking boots and the sexy sheen of a brand-new pair of designer shoes, you might want to consider a Sedona/Scottsdale itinerary for your next Arizona adventure.

On one end of the spectrum, Sedona has the charm of a small town surrounded by mind-boggling scenery and prime outdoor adventure, while Scottsdale shimmers like an oasis of the urban “good life” in the desert. They meet in the middle with vibrant art scenes, sumptuous resorts and a kind of elegance unique to the best places in the Southwest.

What’s there to do in Scottsdale? You could sample some of the city’s 100+ art galleries on the Thursday Night Art Walk. This weekly tradition is over 30 years old, and features fantastic music, food, and of course, gallery openings showcasing classic and contemporary Western art, modern painting and sculpture, glass art, Southwest Native American art, and every other artistic endeavor you could imagine.

Scottsdale golf course by the lake. Scottsdale features picturesque lakes, hundreds of golf greens and great weather.

Orange and pink electric sunsets and stark, expansive landscapes textured by saguaro cactus greet visitors to Scottsdale, Arizona.

In fact, only New York City has more art galleries, and just try strolling through Soho in January wearing a sundress and sandals.

Since the early part of the 20th century, Scottsdale has been a mecca for artists drawn by the unique beauty and lifestyle the desert offers. America’s most famous architect felt compelled to build a second home base here, which is still a beacon to lovers of art and architecture today. Taliesin West was conceived by Frank Lloyd Wright as a school and self-contained community for his architecture students, a private residence for himself and a tribute to the landscape of the Sonoran desert. Be sure to make a public or private tour of this cultural hot spot part of your Scottsdale visit.

Camelback Mountain rises 1,400 feet above Phoenix to 2,704 feet above sea level. The mountain is a 75.8 acre city park with trails starting from east and west. Camelback Mountain is home to abundant wildlife and birds and takes about an hour to hike. See the Camelback Mountain Webcam.

And the shopping...let’s just say, there’s Rodeo Drive on the West Coast, Fifth Avenue on the East Coast, and the only place to go in between? Scottsdale. The city makes no bones about being a gathering place for the Beautiful People, and they "gotta get their shoes somewhere!"

The best way to make sure you’ve got that sun-kissed look to compliment your new wardrobe? Soak up some sun playing one of Scottsdale’s world-class golf courses. The golf magazines’ “Top 100” lists are flooded with Scottsdale courses, and in the dead of winter, Scottsdale is home to the FBR Open, the biggest spectator event on the PGA tour. With sunshine 94.5% of the year, you’re virtually guaranteed a blissful golf experience in Scottsdale.

Check back often for more Scottsdale news and travel information!