Old Town Scottsdale

Old Town Scottsdale is a vibrant, walkable area that is worth a visit for shopping, eating, entertainment and the arts.

The Scottsdale Fashion Square, home to more than 200 retailers, is at the north end of Old Town. The area continues south for about one mile from Camelback Road on the north to Osborn Road on the south.

Old Town consists of nine neighborhoods, each filled with galleries, restaurants and shops. Several museums are also in the area, including the Museum of the West.

We visited on a Sunday morning when crowds lined up outside numerous restaurants for brunch. The area also has numerous nightclubs for evening entertainment.

At the far southeast corner of Old Town is Scottsdale Stadium, spring training home of the San Francisco Giants.

Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum

A great stop for people of all ages is the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum located about 30 minutes outside of Tucson near Saguaro National Park. The museum is about a two-hour drive from Phoenix.

Located on 21 acres, the museum has more than two miles of walking paths through various habitats with exhibits about a multitude of plants and animals.

We arrived around 9:30 and learned that we were just in time for the raptor show that starts at 10 a.m. (Daily except for Wednesdays, Oct. 30-April 10). The 25-minute show featured four types of birds in free flight with lengthy narratives about each type of bird. The birds land in trees very close to the spectators and sometimes fly just inches above their heads. It's an impressive show.

From there we took the half-mile desert loop trail that highlights numerous desert plants and also includes coyotes and javelinas. The path continued into mountain woodlands where there is a mountain lion, black bear, gray wolves and mule deer.

From there we went underground into a cave that highlights the history of the Earth as well as gems and minerals.

Wandering to the next section of the grounds, we went into the hummingbird aviary where several species of hummingbirds dart around feeding at colorful plants and feeders throughout the building. Further on the trail there is another enclosed aviary with other species of birds. We saw a tanager, cardinal, quail, ducks and more.

Kids will enjoy the opportunity to touch and feed stingray. The final two stops for us as we continued on the trails were Cat Canyon and the Riparian Corridor. Cat Canyon features a bobcat, ocelot and gray fox. In the Riparian Corridor, you can see a river otter and a bighorn sheep.

The museum also has an aquarium and reptile exhibit. There is a gift shop and several options for food.

Adult admission is $24.95.

We spent just under four hours at the museum and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Superstition Mountains (Arizona)

The Superstition Mountains are about 50 minutes from Scottsdale and make for a great day trip. 

Our first stop was Lost Dutchman State Park where there are multiple trails for hiking and mountain biking. Dogs are welcome on some trails but not all. 

We chose to hike the 2.4-mile Treasure Loop Trail. It was rated moderate, but was fairly easy for 90% of the time. There was a short section that was steep and wasn't as smooth as the rest. The hike, which had a 500-foot gain in elevation, took us to the base of the mountain. As we hiked in spring, the terrain was fairly green with plenty of cacti and wild flowers.

Just a few miles away from the state park is Goldfield Ghost Town, the remnants of an 1893 mining town that has been converted into a tourist attraction. You can stroll the main street, visiting shops and businesses to learn about the history of the town and life in the wild west. Attractions include a zip line, train ride, mining for gold, a reptile museum and more. There are several options for food.

On weekends, a group of local volunteers stage a gunfight in the street every hour from 12-4.

Finally, we made a 25-minute drive to Canyon Lake, a recreation area for boaters and beachgoers.