As the summer heat mellows into patio-perfect days, it marks Scottsdale’s prime-time season of outdoor exploration and desert-inspired luxury. Whether you’re seeking elegant resorts and their serene spas, delicious culinary experiences, or scenic desert adventures, ‘tis the season to explore the best of the desert.
Luxe Accommodations
Set against Arizona’s stunning desert landscape, a selection of lavish resorts beckon travelers to unwind. At the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North, (pictured) guests enjoy a mix of seclusion and luxury against the backdrop of Pinnacle Peak with casitas featuring firepits and suites offering private plunge pools. In nearby Carefree, Civana Wellness Resort & Spa is a haven for wellness seekers. With daily yoga and nature hikes, wellness workshops and a spa designed around the desert’s healing elements, Civana is an oasis of relaxation and rejuvenation. For a stunning setting among striking rock formations, Boulders Resort & Spa in North Scottsdale offers stand-alone villas and haciendas, blending luxury with a nature-inspired retreat. And on its sprawling 53-acre property, Sanctuary Camelback, A Gurney’s Resort & Spa provides panoramic views from its perch along with accommodations like the 1,000-square-foot Camelback suites that feature wrap-around decks, glass rock fireplaces and oversized soaking tubs.
Spa Experiences
Scottsdale’s top spas have unveiled treatments incorporating the antioxidant properties of autumnal ingredients. At Well & Being Spa at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, indulge in a Pumpkin Enzyme Facial with manuka honey mask that leaves your skin glowing, or treat your digits to a Pumpkin Chai Manicure or Pedicure with apple cider fizzing soaks while sipping pumpkin mimosas. Visit Joya Spa (pictured) at the Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Montelucia for fragrant Cranberry Orange Spice-infused treatments like a rejuvenating body scrub, massage and pedicure, or head to VH Spa for Vitality + Health at Hotel Valley Ho for a skin-softening Cinnamon and Ginger Massage and Fall Spice Facial redolent of ginger, vanilla and clove. At Luna Spa at The Scottsdale Resort, the detoxifying Pumpkin Chai Mud Wrap and Pumpkin-Turmeric Glow Facial leave you hydrated and enveloped in the cozy scents of fall while Away Spa at W Scottsdale Hotel pampers guests with a Pumpkin Spice Pedicure fragrant with ginger and nutmeg and a soothing Harvest Facial with complimentary pumpkin spice latte.
Connect with Nature
Embrace the beauty of Scottsdale’s desert landscapes with a range of outdoor experiences. Kickstart your day with a hike on one of the many trails through Scottsdale’s McDowell Sonoran Preserve to enjoy the crisp air and lush desert flora. Take to the skies with a sunrise hot air balloon ride, watching as the desert below is bathed in golden light. For adventure lovers, Windwalker Expeditions offers custom horseback riding tours through the Sonoran Desert that provide a unique perspective on Arizona’s history and beauty. Or slow down and unplug with Desert Bathing and a Zen Hike at The Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale. Inspired by the Japanese practice of forest bathing, it’s the perfect way to enhance wellbeing by connecting with nature.
Fall Flavors
Celebrate fall with gourmet restaurants and award-winning vino. For wine enthusiasts, stroll the Old Town Scottsdale Wine Trail and its seven tasting rooms to sample their wares while soaking up the cooler temperatures. Refuel at restaurants along your route such as Sel, where fall harvests find their way into plates of beet salad with pomegranates, pear and local goat cheese or Maine scallops drizzled with lobster sherry crème on a bed of smoked butternut squash puree. FnB, known for its farm-to-table ethos and James Beard Award-winner Charleen Badman, showcases Arizona’s local growers with dishes like fig and pomegranate salad and stuffed Japanese Futsu squash. North Scottsdale’s Course, helmed by Food Network Chopped Champion Cory Oppold, offers five- and ten-course tasting menus that highlight autumn’s bounty in artful plates like buttercup squash with prosciutto, sage, and brown butter or rabbit loin paired with apple stuffing. And at Francine in Scottsdale Fashion Square, Provençal elegance blends with seasonal warmth in a fall menu featuring dishes of sunchoke soup with chestnuts and duck and foie gras-stuffed puff pastry pithivier drizzled with fig gastrique (pictured).
Seasonal Sparkle
Arizona’s fall and winter calendar is packed with exciting happenings. Annual November events include AZ Barrels, Bottles & Brews spotlighting local craft beer, wine, and spirits, while the Arizona Indigenous Culinary Experience celebrates Native American culture through food, performances, and art. Canal Convergence brings displays of interactive light-based art installations, tours and workshops to the Scottsdale Waterfront and the Thursday night Scottsdale ArtWalks transforms Old Town galleries into lively hubs of art and entertainment. And as the holidays approach, Scottsdazzle (pictured) transforms Old Town into a sparkling wonderland with twinkling lights and festive events. Throughout the month-long fete, visitors can enjoy scavenger hunts, live entertainment and magic shows, along with unique experiences like Peppermint Plaza, Jingle Bar Hop, and the Scottsdale Starlight movie series.
