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A Romantic Sojourn in Scottsdale, Arizona
Recharge, Refuel and Refresh Your Body and
Spirit
By Norm Goldman
Lily Azerad-Goldman-Artist
 What’s all the fuss about Scottsdale, Arizona?
Our travel mavens informed us that every year millions
of visitors are drawn to this oasis in the beautiful
Sonoran Desert, reflecting Native Indian, Spanish, and western pioneer
cultures.
Did we know that it is one of the nation’s top 25 art
destinations, and was once described by the New York Times as the “Beverly
Hills of the Desert?”
Pardon our ignorance; we did not even know that it is a
city surrounded by marvelous views of the Black Mountain, the McDowell
Mountains, the Mummy Mountain and the Camelback Mountain, and where the sun
shines more than 300 days a year.
Hooked, we set out to discover what we were missing.
BRIEF HISTORY OF SCOTTSDALE
Scottsdale’s earliest settlers were the skilled
Hohokam people, who apparently were descendents from the ancient
Mesoamerican cultures (Mayan and Aztec)
From about 300 BC to 1400 A.D. they farmed the area and
built some of the most ingenious irrigation canals the world has ever known.
The name Hohokam translates as “vanished,” unfortunately, they disappeared
without a trace.
The Hohokam’s unbelievable legacy was in their creation
of more than 125 miles (200 km) of canals to provide water for their
agricultural needs.
In order to maintain their settlements and sustain
their crops of corn, beans, squash and cotton, they drew freshwater from the
Salt River.
The remnants of this ancient irrigation system were
adapted and improved upon in 1868 by the first Anglo company to stake a
claim in the Valley of the Sun, when
Jack Swilling set up the Swilling Irrigation Canal Co.
Twenty years later Scottsdale’s fortunes began to turn
sharply upwards, when a U.S. Army Chaplain, Winfield Scott, paid the paltry
sum of $2.50 an acre for a 640 stretch of land where the city is now
located.
Winfield’s brother, George Washington Scott, was the
first resident of the town that was then known as Orangedale and later
changed to Scottsdale in 1894.
After retiring from the army in 1893,Winfield returned
to the area joining his brother in growing citrus and other fruits as well
as peanuts and sweet potatoes.
In 1951 the Town of Scottsdale was incorporated with a
population of 2000. Since then it has grown to a little over 200,000.
A good place to enjoy some of the remnants of
Scottsdale’s past is to take a stroll around
Old Town Scottsdale or walk through history at the
Scottsdale Historical Museum
THE MULTIPLE PERSONALITIES OF SCOTTSDALE
Scottsdale has something to please everyone with its
trendy restaurants, boutique hotels, luxurious spas and fantastic art scene.
The difficulty isn’t in finding what to do; it’s in deciding which to
choose, especially if your time is limited.
If your idea of a romantic getaway is combining the
pleasure of golfing with experiencing vibrant cultural attractions within
the environment of a small town, you are in the right town.
There are over twenty- eight distinctive golf courses
that attract some of the most well known golf pros in the world. There is of
course the PGA tour at The Phoenix Open at the Tournament Players Club of
Scottsdale.)
A must experience is the weekly
ARTWALK, when you can visit many of the one hundred and twenty five art
galleries located along the art and shopping districts of Main Street,
Marshall Way, Old Town and 5th Avenue.)
Other activities you may want to experience are hot air
balloon rides over the Sonoran Desert or a desert Jeep or Hummer touring.
One of the most prestigious city’s attractions is the
world headquarters of
Frank Lloyd Wright's architecture at
Taliesin West. This giant of an architect has often been acclaimed as
the greatest architect of the 20th century, and his legacy has been
preserved at Taliesin West.
A branch of the
Heard Museum of Native Cultures and Art is another must see, however, it
is highly recommended that you visit the main branch in Phoenix just a few
miles away.
Don’t forget to check out
Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art.
The performing arts certainly do not take a backseat to
any American city, as evidenced by the various jazz and classical
performances that are staged at the
Scottsdale Center For The Arts.
WHERE TO STAY IN SCOTTSDALE?
 The choice of where to stay in Scottsdale can be
overwhelming. Do you opt for one of the brand named chains or stay in one of
the timeshare properties?
If you are like us, we enjoy staying in a place that
permeates a homey feel.
At the same time, our idea of a romantic getaway also
includes rejuvenating our bodies and spirits, where we can recharge, refuel
and refresh.
With this in mind, you will understand why we chose the
Interval International Five Star Award vacation boutique resort, the
Scottsdale Resort Club on our recent visit to Arizona.
The vacation property was also extremely convenient to
the 101 freeway, which takes you anywhere in the Valley and provides a
twenty minute connection to the Phoenix Airport.
Within a three- mile radius of the resort there are 10
golf courses including the adjacent Silverado Golf Course, where owners and
guests of the resort enjoy preferred tee times.)
Although first appearances may sometimes be deceiving,
don’t let this put you off.
Behind the plain modern façade of the resort are
high-end comfortable and spacious condos with designer furnishings and
interior appointments of the highest quality. All have private backyard
patios overlooking a huge swimming pool.
Each of the suites have fully appointed kitchens,
fireplaces, telephones, televisions, CD stereo systems, high speed internet
access, Jacuzzi tubs, washer/dryers, dishwashers, microwave ovens, and top
of the line cookware and flatware.
The resort is the brainchild of Harvard Law Graduate
and developer Robert Hing, and according to Hing, it has been called by some
of his friends as “Robert’s Folly.” It certainly is far from a folly!
Hing indicated to us that his initial project began in
the early 70s.
Being an avid tennis enthusiast, Hing tried to find
tennis facilities providing lighted evening hour courts.
Unfortunately, none were to be found in the area, and
that is when he had the brainy idea of building his own athletic club. The
club would provide facilities for night tennis. The result was the
Scottsdale Racquet Club born in 1971 that eventually would be succeeded in
1999 by the rebuilt Scottsdale Athletic Club.
Today, a stay at the Scottsdale Resort Club or a
purchase of one of the timeshares permits guests to enjoy the best of both
worlds. Resort guests or timeshare owners automatically enjoy the athletic
club with its eleven lighted tennis courts, aerobic and circuit training,
Tai-Chi Pilates, yoga, meditation classes, aquatics, kickboxing, spinning,
cario sculpt, facials, massages, aromatherapy, body wraps, European spa,
sauna, Jacuzzi, two swimming pools, and steam rooms.
There is even a dining facility-the Club’s Eurasia Bar
and Bistro- that will help you replenish yourself with delicious health
cuisine.
If you are thinking of purchasing one of these
timeshares, perhaps as a wedding or anniversary gift for your loved one, it
is noteworthy to mention that Hing does not believe in the aggressive
selling techniques so common to many of his competitors. His motto is: “no
gifts, no gimmicks, just real value,” and he has pledged himself to the
highest construction standards that is very much in evidence when you stay
in one of these condos.
Consequently, he is able to sell the timeshares at very
moderate prices reducing the standard fifty percent cost of marketing to
about twenty percent and passing the savings onto the purchasers. Not a bad
deal when you think about it!
MORE INFORMATION
Scottsdale Convention and Visitors Bureau
7343 Scottsdale Mall
Scottsdale, AZ
Tel: 800-782-1117
Scottsdale Resort & Athletic Club
8235 E. Indian Bend Road
Scottsdale, AZ 85250
(480) 344-0600
Toll free: 1-877-343-0033
info@scottsdaleresortclub.com
www.scottsdaleresortclub.com
Norm's Review of an Excellent Guidebook to Arizona
Norm and Lily Goldman are a unique husband and wife
team, writer and water colorist, who write and paint about romantic
destinations.
l.Goldman@sympatico.ca
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