Scottsdale (cont)

Get out there! Hiking and biking are great ways to actively enjoy the beautiful weather and spectacular scenery. In addition to the McDowell Mountain Preserve, family-friendly trails and pathways abound in the Indian Bend Greenbelt, Pinnacle Peak Park and Camelback Mountain.

Rather ride? Look down on the sites from a hot air balloon. Paddle your way in a river raft. Or choose from horseback trips, jeep rides and Hummer tours. No matter what your mode of transportation, local guides can fill you and your family members with enough history and local lore to impress the folks (and teachers) back home. Learn about the flora and fauna of the Sonoran Desert, spot a coyote in the distance and investigate mysterious petroglyphs, the ancient drawings of the area’s earliest Native American inhabitants.

You can nudge your study of the desert up a notch with a visit to the Desert Botanical Garden. Home to more than 50,000 plants, you’ll get a first hand glimpse of one of the world’s largest and most diverse collections of desert flora as you walk the Garden’s winding paths.

And just over the ridge, you’ll find the Phoenix Zoo. One of the nation’s largest non-profit zoological parks, and home to more than 1,300 animals, including more than 200 endangered or threatened birds, mammals and reptiles.

A Taste of the Old West.  Kids love Rawhide. The 1880s come to life in this Wild West town where a dusty Main Street hosts shoot ‘em up fights between craggy-faced cowboys and down-on-their-luck desperados. Check out the performances at the Native American Village, the petting zoo, stagecoach and burro rides, and the chance to pan for “gold”. Don’t miss the memory-making opportunity to take an old time Western family photo, complete with period costumes.    

Come dinnertime, make your way to the Rawhide Steakhouse and Golden Belle Saloon for some foot stompin’ Western entertainment and introduce the youngsters to Cowboy Beans and Fried Rattlesnake.

Up the road at Pinnacle Peak Patio you’ll find more gunfighters, and singing cowboys. Kids line up for a chance to be deputized by the resident “Old Timer” and earn their very own junior deputy badges. Make sure dad wears his ugliest tie and be ready for the “photo op” when the scissor-wielding waitresses enforce the “no necktie” policy. Older cowboys like sampling from the on-site microbrewery’s handcrafted beers to help wash down their mesquite-broiled steaks and cowboy beans. 

You can saddle up with the best at the D-Spur, a working cattle ranch with great horses to ride and a friendly atmosphere. Located in the foothills of the legendary Superstition Mountains in Gold Canyon, Arizona, the ranch folks are committed to preserving the cowboy lifestyle. They can help find the “cowboy” in you and your family members on trail rides, cook-outs and overnights no matter where you might hail from!

Art for all Ages. In the heart of downtown Scottsdale, you’ll find friendly gallery owners, one-of-a-kind shops and museums and a rich artistic tradition. While the romance of Native American and Western art remains alive and well you’ll want to introduce the family to the latest in modern art exhibits at SMoCA, the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art on Scottsdale’s Civic Center Mall.

On Thursday evenings, take part in a 30-year ritual, as you stroll through the galleries along Marshall Way and Main Street. Held from seven until nine p.m., the lively Scottsdale ArtWalk includes live music and artist demonstrations.

A visit to Taliesin West, architectural visionary Frank Lloyd Wright’s desert masterpiece is a memorable experience. Set amidst 600 acres of beautiful Sonoran desert, this magnificent complex was built as Wright’s personal residence and architectural school. Created from native materials, the site still serves as a living, working, educational facility.

There are plenty of hands-on activities for families at the Heard Museum where you’ll find an outstanding collection of Native American art and artifacts from tribes throughout Arizona. “Native People’s of the Southwest” is the museum’s award- winning exhibit filled with thousands of the finest pieces of Native American Art including basketry, pottery and textiles. 

Tee it Up. Thanks in part to Tiger Woods, golf is fast becoming a family sport. And there is no better place to hit the links than Scottsdale, where the sun shines down on more than 200 pristine courses. Perhaps your family makes for its own competitive foursome. Or maybe your game could use some fine-tuning. Whatever your skill level, there is a golf professional ready to assist, and a signature hole to test your game.

The Spa Life.  You deserve it. After a day on the links, the courts, or the trails, let’s face it. The body needs a little TLC. Shall it be the hot rock massage, the Turquoise Wrap or a toe reading? How does one decide between a gentle exfoliation with corn meal and a eucalyptus herbal bath? With more than 25 resort and day spas to stir your senses, the choice of ambience and unique therapies is yours.

Among the latest in choices is whether to bring your teens along to the Spa. At several Scottsdale spas older teens can enjoy manicures and pedicures. At the Spa at Copperwynd, the teen facial provides a “deep cleansing exfoliation designed especially for the needs of young skin.” Yoga for youth is another possibility at Copperwynd where children as young as three can experiment with downward dog under the watchful eye of an experienced instructor while mom and dad enjoy a French Spa Peel or a Detox Seaweed Body Mask.

The Resort Life – Family Style  

Scottsdale is a magical place. A multigenerational destination, where everyone’s dreams of relaxation, excitement, adventure and experience can come true. Many of the community’s resorts offer special programs for children that allow for youthful exploration while older family members pursue their own interests.

Among them:

A Hopping Good Time at Camelback Inn, a J.W. Marriott Resort and Spa

Young guests at Camelback can participate in morning and evening sessions where they'll enjoy arts and crafts, water games, tennis clinics, bicycling, playground activities, nature walks, pizza parties and much more. Hopalong College operates during the peak travel seasons only and the cost per child is $40 for either the morning or evening session and includes lunch or dinner. Children under 12 eat free at ordering from the children’s menu and dining with an adult. www.camelbackinn.com.

The Funician’s Kids Club at the Phoenician Resort

This year-round camp makes every day memorable with daily activity themes such as “Wild West Day” and “Desert Discovery Day.”  The themes merely set the tone and the kids fill in the blanks, choosing activities, games and recreation from an extensive menu of options. With activities like nature walks, ranger presentations and jungle gym fun, the hardest part for “club members” is deciding what to do first!   480-946-9446 or visit www.thephoenician.com.

Camp Hyatt Kachina at the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale

Camp Hyatt Kachina combines fun and learning in one package featuring activities designed to teach camp-goers about Arizona flora, fauna, geography and culture. The award-winning program offers activities including Navajo bead-working, reptiles of the desert, cowboy storytellers, kids in the kitchen, Southwestern sand art, and design your own camp T-shirt. 

The Native American and Environmental Learning Center at Hyatt Regency provides young guests with opportunities to learn and experience aspects of living Native American culture.  An introduction provides an orientation and demographic details of the Hopi Reservation, coupled with the Hopi perspective on their own origin and identity.  Topics that follow include Hopi art, the preservation of the Hopi language, the significance of the Katsinam (plural form of katsina), katsina carvings and the rites of life’s passage.  The fifth topic highlights the katsina named Angwusnasomitaka, (Crow Mother) who plays an important role in Hopi ceremonial life.

The Resort’s new Native Heritage Seed Garden was developed to represent early agricultural practices of traditional Native cultures. The Garden serves as an extension of the Learning Center, where guests can discover over 30 different varieties of indigenous plants.  www.scottsdale.hyatt.com.

Kid for All Seasons at the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North

Upon check in at the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale, younger visitors receive welcome letters inviting them into the resort’s “Kids for All Seasons” program. The adventure continues with in-room amenities including a stuffed animal, complimentary milk and cookies, and special kid-size toiletries such as bubble bath, shampoo and soap. While the adults plan their day, children have a daily itinerary of their own that can include horseback riding and desert jeep tours to treasure hunts and mini-Indian headdress-making. The program also offers complimentary children’s videos and games, night-lights, kid-size terrycloth bathrobes, toys and sporting equipment.  www.fourseasons.com.

“Dive-In” movies at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess

Sun by the pool by day, and dive in and watch a movie by night. This summer splash of entertainment takes place at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess with “Dive-In” movies for children and adults of all ages. When the sun goes down the large screen goes up at the South Pool allowing guests to watch movies poolside or in the water. Colorful floats are provided for guests to kick back, relax and enjoy family Disney favorites like “Aladdin” or “Toy Story.”  Evening barbecues and theatre snacks are also available poolside at Cabana Café. www.fairmont.com.