Is there anything quite like standing in the middle of a desert, attempting to snare a fake cow by the horns with a lasso? A recent trip to Scottsdale, Arizona, proves that no, there is not.
On a Wednesday afternoon at the local Cowboy College, lessons are in full swing. A morning is spent learning how to handle a horse, carefully (but thoroughly) clean its hooves and – the highlight – ride like a true cowboy round an arena surrounded by desert. And where better to do so than what’s been dubbed the Wild West’s most modern town?
While it boasts a long list of former residents and fans (try popping into a bar in the Old Town and not hearing a song by Stevie Nicks, who is from Scottsdale), the town is known for much more than being a coveted retreat. Just 20 minutes from metropolitan Phoenix, tourism in Scottsdale has soared in the last decade.
Aside from the Old Town, which resembles a scene from an old Western film, the area’s history is lush. And not just because of the hundreds of characterful saguaro cacti, which take 50 to 75 years to grow. Nowadays, Scottsdale is known for its desert spas, rich Native American heritage and, somewhat bafflingly, its burgeoning wine industry.
Stay
There’s plenty of hotels to choose from in Scottsdale. If your idea of downtime is a pool party, then the W (marriott.com, rooms from £450 per night) – a huge, luxurious structure with a rooftop bar and excellent poolside snacks (try the seafood cocktail) – is a perfect pick. The Phonecian (thephonecian.com, rooms from £588 per night) is a gleaming giant resort, with nine pools, possibly one of the most beautiful spas, and an entire golf course on site. But for opulence with elegance, the Andaz Resort and Bungalows is pretty much unbeatable.
Private, mid-century stone villas subtly reflect the sandstone at Andaz (andazscottsdale.com, from £382 per night), and the granite, looming Camelback Mountain, serves as a centre piece to the area. These and features like scattered fire pits and earthenware crockery used in the restaurant are all designed by local artists, based at the nearby Cattle Track Arts Compound (cattletrack.org, tours are free. The result is a peaceful haven with a minimalist edge.
Eat
Arizona’s southern border means that its food scene benefits from a very decent dose of Mexican and south-American influence. Stand-outs include The Mission Old Town, where romantic gothic decor gives an unexpectedly understated atmosphere, and where the guacamole is made fresh at the side of your table. Try the Almejas Al Vapor – a Peruvian clam stew with rock shrimp, chorizo, ají amarillo and roasted corn – for a delicate dish packed with flavour.
To start the day off with a buzz, build your own bloody mary at Hash Kitchen, or for an East-London-wellness vibe, sip elderflower lemonade at Farm and Craft.
Citizen Public House serves the best chopped salad in town according to locals; the bacon-fat popcorn shouldn’t be missed.
Drink
There are more than 120 wineries in Arizona and a wine trail through Scottsdale could give you a real taste for it. The Wine Collective has several flights (wine selections) and a wealth of knowledge to be consumed by its affable owner, Zoya Vora-Shah.
If it’s beers you’re after, visit Craft 64, a wood-fired pizza restaurant with 36 craft beers on tap for a very reasonable price.
Platform 18 at Century Grand – a cocktail bar on a Presidential-Pullman style train carriage might be a tad cheesy, but the knock-out cocktails go some way to make up for that.
Failing that, perch on a stool in one of the many low-lit all-American bars and catch a country band playing (you guessed it) Stevie Nicks covers. A delight.
Shop
If you’ve ever wanted to own some genuine cowboy boots, or a Stetson, Scottsdale has you well and truly covered. They are, of course, painfully expensive, but it’s likely you’ll be tempted anyway.
For jewellery, gifts, homeware and knick-knacks, the Native Art Market is a joy to browse; Vintage by Misty is a jumble sale of Chanel, vintage Gucci and the like.
Do
First of all, learn to be a cowboy. At the Cowboy College (www.cowboycollege.com, stay for four days for around £2,000) owner Lori Bridwell and senior instructor Rocco Wachman will welcome you on to the ranch to learn how to ride Western-style (it’s all in the hips), with no experience necessary.
You’ll be taught how to catch a plastic cow which is tethered to the ground, with a rope (lasso is actually the name of the fabric used, rather than the act of throwing itself); a useful skill to bring home if ever there was one.
To get a proper view of the sprawling desert, take a hike up Camelback Mountain, kayak on Saguaro Lake (rei.com, lessons from £100 with a private guide) or book a memorable hot-air balloon ride (hotairexpeditions.com, £180 per person) to catch the sunrise light up the cacti.
Mix up the horticulture with a relaxing walk around the Desert Botanical Gardens. And, while en route anywhere, play a game of trying to guess which cacti are real, and which are telephone poles masquerading as Saguaro. It genuinely didn’t get old.
Extracurricular
There’s a fascinating duality baked into Scottsdale’s land. Find it in the Native American art encasing modern motorways, or at Scottsdale’s Museum of the West, where the town’s history is told in meticulous detail. Even in the present day, Arizona itself often teeters on the edges of being republican or democrat, rendering it a so-called ‘purple’ state.
Everywhere you look there is a subtle but distinctive element of clashing culture and ideas. It makes for interesting viewing, no more so than in Scottsdale’s fascinating architectural history.
The eventual feud between Guggenheim designer Frank Lloyd Wright, and his former student, Paolo Soleri now plays out in their respective legacies. Soleri’s remarkable urban utopia and the first example of archology, Arcosanti, is moulded from the ground itself, and Lloyd Wright’s desert laboratory and school, Tallesin West, are both architectural marvels and, now, tourist attractions at opposing edges of the town.
Whichever side of the tracks you fall on in Scottsdale, there’s plenty of tales to be found.
