City Guide: Scottsdale

Just twenty minutes from Phoenix sits Scottsdale, Arizona – a historic and picturesque Southwest desert town and the perfect place for a winter escape. I’m happy to report that the food scene and The Arts are alive & well in Scottsdale and the list of outdoor adventures in the area are endless. Ali, Olivia and I had never been to Scottsdale, and we were excited to dive in! We took a bike ride around Old Town Scottsdale and made sure to get some delicious snacks along the way. Most of our dinners ended up being in Old Town and the area hosted many small art galleries and boutiques. Old Town is a great place to start your trip when you touch-down as it has so much Arizona character and you won’t run out of things to do or see there. Some of the highlights of this trip were checking off ‘Hot Air Balloon Ride’ off my bucket list and a full day of R&R at the Scottsdale Omini – two things I’d highly reccomend! Below I’ve outlined some of my favorite things that we ate/drank and got to do!

As it was already starting to feel like spring in Scottsdale, I decided to whip out this slim-fit linen suit from Sandro. OOf ~ it’s so good! The fit on most things Sandro is European and trim, but the tailoring is never overboard. The skinny lapel and simple design of this suit make it the perfect spring & summer suit option. So expect to see this suit a few more times in the coming months! I’ve been very into linen lately ever since going to Sydney, Australia over New Years as it’s the perfect textile for down under’s summers. I couldn’t wait to get into some linen the minute it started warming up ~ so here I am! For a casual suit feel I paired a white long sleeve tee with some subtle texture (to keep it interesting) and a pair of white sneakers to create a comfortable and easy outfit.

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Eat & Drink:

• FNB – one of the tastiest restaurants in the city! I’d make sure not to miss this amazing spot for dinner – they’ve got unique and veggie-forward dishes.
• The Mission – Be sure to get the Avocado Margarita and the Pork Tacos
• Farm & Craft – Great lunch and brunch spot with delicious healthy options and did somebody say ‘kombucha cocktails’?
• Jade Bar
• Blind Dragon – Korean-style Karaoke
• Ruze Cake House – This place knows what is up. They’ve got a really cute and Instagram-able “Stop & Taste the Roses” neon sign and serve uniquely flavored macaroons — oh, did I mention their boba tea comes with  with a ball of cotton candy on top
• Prado – Located at Scottdale’s Omni Hotel, this fine dining restaurant has a beautiful open flame tapas bar
• Hash Kitchen – When you use ‘brunch’ as a verb and live in Scottsdale, you’re probably talking about this spot. With a full bar dedicated to bloody marys, a DJ set and menu items such as “Canoli Donuts’, this place knows their brunch.
• Blue Clover Distillery
• Gold Water Brewing Co. 
• Hearth ’61

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Stay

• Mountain Shadow – With equal parts Mid-century modern and American Southwest, this new hotel hosts some amazing views of the desert. The rooms and interiors of the hotel were gorgeous with
• Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Montelucia – Camelback Moutain happens to be in the Omni’s backyard, so with 3 restaurants on the property and an amazing luxury spa, you’ll need a pretty good reason to leave. The Spanish-style grounds of the resort definitely transport you back to the southern coast of Spain with colorful stucco and red terracotta roofing. Be sure to get a spicy avocado margarita (they were our faves!)  by the pool and don’t forget about taking advantage of that spa!

To Do:

• Hike the Gateway Loop Trail – a 4.5-mile hike that wanders through the McDowell Mountains is the perfect dose of outdoors + workout between meals – or before brunch!
• Take a hot air balloon ride over the desert with Balloons AZ
• Pool Party at the W Hotel
• Get a workout in at Bodi Gym
• LOVE sculpture
• Walk along the Scottsdale Waterfront
• Spa treatments at the Omni Scottsdale – Their Joya Spa is in a league of its own as I felt transported back to Marrakech and got the best deep-tissue massage of my life!

We made a little behind-the-scenes vlog of the trip you can watch here:

If you’re not already subscribed to my YouTube Channel, be sure to subscribe and follow along! I’ve got some fun upcoming trips and videos coming out!

Stay Risky,

– John

Photography by Ali Stone & Scottsdale Tourism