If you’re looking for a good workout indoors, you can find fitness classes galore. And no worries, they’ll have the AC cranked for your comfort.
Shop, shop, shop. You’ll want to do lots of this here, especially if you like boutique-y emporiums that put charm and a certain je ne sais quoi above everything else. From Native American jewelry and arts to chic clothing and accessories to specialty cigars, shopping here is plentiful and fun. No big impersonal department stores on this side of town.
Just like in the nearby cities, spa going and beauty treatments in this part of the world reign supreme. (You have to take care when in the hot, desert sun. Plus, healing and the desert go together like misters and Arizona patios.) As with the shopping, the approach is intimate and full of care. (Did you get that pun? Haha.) Keep in mind that you can do a mini treatment at one of the area’s day spas or splurge for a full spa getaway–even if it’s just for one day–at a deluxe hotel such as the renowned Boulders Resort & Spa or the Four Seasons, both of which are located in North Scottsdale. Plan on having breakfast, lunch or dinner at these resorts as well in order to fully experience the superlative settings of these world famous destinations.
From family-styled Mexican food to tapas to thick steaks hot off the grill to innovative cuisine, the ever-burgeoning dining scene here offers something for everyone at all price points. Whether on a pleasant patio surrounded by trees or within a cool, air conditioned interior, you’ll have to decide what kind of an outpost you want to tie your pony–or Lexus–up to for a spell or two.
Thankfully the watering holes are as welcoming and abundant as the flowers in this region’s many desert gardens. Icey margs, frosty beers and cool wines always taste better when you’ve really worked up a thirst. The coffee in these parts is so good, too, that it would round up most of the cowboys off the range. Local favorite Black Mountain Coffee Shop also serves up breakfast. Tea lovers must don their prettiest floral prints and jaunty hats to best delight in sipping tea and shopping at the English Rose Tea Room, one of the most charming tea salons and shops west of the Mississippi.
From live music to a visit to a local museum, the cultural offerings in Carefree, Cave Creek & North Scottsdale further enhance the movie lot feel of this place, which is, in fact, the real deal. Giddy up!