We spent a couple of chill days in the Phoenix and Scottsdale area. We were in need of a little break from all the go-go-go, so we set ourselves up for a couple nights at a hotel and enjoyed the slower pace of things.
We paid a visit to the Heard Museum of American Indian Art and History in Phoenix, which we both really enjoyed. We joined in on a free tour and spent the next couple of hours learning about the fascinating history of Native American culture.
On a more ambitious day, we hiked 1.2 miles to ascend 1,280 feet to the top of Camelback Mountain, which is a mountain in Phoenix that is shaped like the hump and head of a kneeling camel. After hiking Cathedral Rock in Sedona and Camelback here, we learned that "hiking" in this region is largely different than hiking in the standard mountain terrain we're accustomed to. It's more a hybrid of rock climbing, scrambling, and hiking in 102 degree (or more!) temperatures. Needless to say, we chugged lots of water a felt very accomplished (and exhausted!) at the end of these hikes. I also learned that going back down on this type of terrain terrifies me. :)
One evening we discovered what I'll call the more hipstery area of Phoenix, Roosevelt Row. Things were quiet on this particular evening, but it was fun to see the character of the neighborhood and I'm always a sucker for art on the side of buildings.
On our last day in the area, we walked through Old Town Scottsdale, where we tried on cowboy hats and perused the many cowboy boots.
And Taras says hooray for water misters!
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Gorgeous art collection, each photo shows the history of Csottsdale culture. I visited the Old Town Scottsdale recently through the phoenix grand canyon tours . This old town is kitschy and fun for tourists. There are plenty of gift shops hawking hot sauce and tiny cacti, as well as lots of fun photo opportunities. However this is a great place to spend a warm summer evening walking around and enjoying the food, drinks, and sights.
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