Scottsdale Trails

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The resort has a total of 493 rooms, of these there are 25 suites and 7 casitas to choose from. A regular room will typically have a balcony or patio with a view of either the water playgrounds or landscaped areas. Facilities vary from room to room but usually include features such as honor bar, coffee maker and mini-fridge. Decor is contemporary southwestern with large potted cactuses providing the natural touch. There are three restaurants on the premises, one featuring Italian, one American and another Southwestern fare.

This Hyatt resort is great in the off-season (that''s the rate above, by the way) simply because you can do a lot right on-site: aside from large-scale swimming, there is the Regency Spa, eight tennis courts, a golf lover''s paradise of 27 holes of championship greens, plus trails for jogging or biking. Take advantage of the concierge''s desk for any information on off-resort adventures as far as horseback riding or hiking and biking outings into the nearby mountains or reserves.

Accommodations consist of 116 rooms and casitas decorated with faux-finish walls, tapestried fabrics, and southwestern handcrafted artificats. If you enjoy a roaring fireplace in your room, then a deluxe casita is the way to go here. Resort amenities include a swimming pool, tennis court and fitness center. The concierge can also arrange off-resort services such as a round of golf at some of the leading courses around Scottsdale/Phoenix, and activities like hiking, scenic bike trails and shopping are all within about a three mile radius of the resort. Royal Palms is also well-tailored to small to medium sized groups, offering intimate boardrooms, a stately library, and outdoor function areas. The resort''s main restaurant, T Cook''s, specializes in Mediterranean cuisine from Barcelona, Spain and the Tuscan region of Italy for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Royal Palms has a couple of different packages, the lowest rates usually occurring during June-September from around $175 per person.

Fairfield Inn Scottsdale/North has 132 newly renovated guestrooms. Rooms feature such amenities as desk area, and remote control TV with free cable. There''s both a laundry valet and self-service laundry services. And there''s also a complimentary continental breakfast, free local calls and a convenient fax service, outside there''s a swimming pool and spa area outside. Parking is complimentary. The hotel is a three story structure and if you can, get a room facing away from the main parking courtyard entrance. Overall, an excellent deal for the quality and location, with summer group rates as low as $40-50.

With its menu for both lunchtime, dinner and takeout dining, Jilly’s reflects a blend of traditional sports fare and more sophisticated culinary adventure. The lunchtime menu, for instance, offers Prime Rib Splitters, featuring shaved prime rib with grilled onions and Muenster cheese, served with cracked pepper au jus and creamed horseradish, for those who enjoy a well-turned out beef plate, while for seafood lovers there is Jilly’s Bayou Shrimp, prepared in Jilly’s own herb wine sauce and served with grilled dunk bread, or Ahi Tuna Roll, served with greens in a herb tortilla and sesame dipping sauce. Even here, the sports touch stays in play with items such as Smokin’ Joe’s Steak Sandwich, Pasta Lombardi and The Babe’s Hot Apple Pie. Both lunch and dinner menus offer a wide selection of salads, "big plate" main course and sandwich and desert fare. The dinner menu’s "big plate" main course ranges from chicken plates such as Lemon Herb Chicken and Jilly’s Roasted Chicken to fresh seafood selections like Grilled Salmon and The Catch to Diamond Back Ribs and Grilled Filet of Tenderloin. If you have the room for it after all that, then consider one of Jilly’s updates on classic dessert favorites in the form of Fried Cheesecake or Warm Chocolate Chip Cookie Sundae.

Jilly’s opens for lunch at 11:00 a.m. every day, with a fully-staffed bar offering pre-dining drinks. There is also a "reverse" happy hour on Sunday through Thursday evenings from 10:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. The kitchen prepares any item til midnight, and there are also $6 appetizers for light eaters available til 12:30 a.m. There is a take-out menu (Monday-Sunday, from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.) featuring many of the items found on the regular lunch and dinner menus.

Buster's serves a wide variety of fresh seafood, steaks, chicken, prime rib, pasta and baby back ribs grilled over pecans. There is a full-service bar and there is seated dining here too, so on occasion when I only wanted a snack at lunch I've just dropped in here and ordered something small like the breaded zucchini to fill up on. The mood is light in here with pictures of Charlie Chaplin and W.C. Fields covering the walls.

The range on the lunchtime and dining menus is extensive, however, with everthing on the seafood side from chilled shrimp, shucked oysters and smoked salmon to meat dishes such as the sirloin steak, prime ribs and baby back ribs which the restaurant seems to have a stellar reputation for in this part of town. And while a-la-carte pricing often seems to bite you hard in the wallet in many eating establishments, this one can work out very well value-wise for you: for instance, a home-made soup (clam chowder, French onion or daily selection) or salad (spinach, garden or Caesar) won't add to your tab at all. Same for the fresh vegetables, choice of potatoes or rice pilaf on the menu. The wine list is predominatly California vintage and by the bottle priced in the $30 range. Casual but elegant, a great menu and service, a dreamy lakeside view, Buster's provides a great taste of contemporary urban southwest.

Soups & Salads: Spinach Salad with Grilled Jicama, Roasted Red Bell Peppers, Cherry Tomatoes, Dried Apricots, Ajenejo CHeese and the house Vinaigrette.

Starters/Small Plates: Grilled Shrimp Tostada with Black Beans, Baby Greens, Red Onion, Tomato, Avocado, Pico de Gallo, Orange-Chipotle Dressing and Cilantro-Lime Crema

Sandwiches: Grilled Eggplant, Portabella Mushrooms, Red Bell Peppers, Basil & Tomatoes on Foccaccia with Herbed Goat Cheese

Signature Plates: Large Prawns Stuffed w/ Herbed Goat Cheese on a Southwestern Tomato Coulis; also...

Angus Fillet Wrapped in Bacon Over a Gorgonzola-Sage Sauce. Served w/Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Ribbon-Cut Vegetables.

Desserts: Chocolate Moussie Pie - but I don't usually bother with the desserts, I'm too full. Instead, an Espresso or Iced Mocha Latte is fine to end this experience. Beers? There are lots from Dos Equis to the house ale to "Sonoran Ale" and, of course, margaritas.

Aside from the actual merchants on the premises, The Borgata provides something different in the way of atmosphere. By atmosphere I mean both the actual design of the complex--which recreates the style of a medievial Tuscan village complete with turrets and towers, thick stone walls and fountains, and arched walkways, along with courtyards where you can have a leisurely lunch or drink--but also the more relaxed and cool ambiance of the place, which is pleasant on a roaring hot mid-summer day when you will appreciate the absence of the sun and crowds. There's also a farmer's market which takes place in The Borgata every Friday during October through April. On such a Friday afternoon (between about 1 and 6 p.m.), over 30 vendors turn out to offer everything from fresh fruits and vegetables to exotic fresh and dried flowers, fresh baked breads and local wines.

McCormick Ranch Golf Club offers any level of player two spectacular resort golf courses which are open to the public. The lush, well-manicured greens are located amidst desert mountain vistas and surrounding palm trees and lakes. The "Pine" and the "Palm" championship tees are over 7,000 yards long each, in addition to some challenging men's and ladies' tees. Maintenance crews keep the courses in immaculate condition making golf available year round here: many's the time I've driven by on either a blistering summer day or just after one of our winter storms, to see the faithful back out on the green with hardly a day missed. The Club has over 100 sets of club and shoe rentals, and a great teaching staff. The Pro Shop offers a wide selection of all the essentials, along with clothing and shoes. The dining areas are a popular meeting point for either after-play get togethers or casual meals.

The pink sandstone building housing this museum is quite unusual, a circular affair (although you may only notice a curving front as you drive in from off old Bell Rd. onto Perimeter) and inside a multi-level circular structure houses its exhibits. The Fleischer's permanent collections consist mostly of the California School of American Impressionism from 1880 through about 1930, which hangs in one gallery, and also a Russian Impressionist collection in another gallery with works from the 1930's through the 1970's. When I visited, there was also an interesting collection of bronze and metalic sculptures of western legends and animals installed on the immediate outside grounds, which will make for an ideal photo op for you too.

The Fleischer Museum is open daily except holidays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and there's no admission fee. Tel: (480) 585-3108

Year round (check ahead for variations in summer/winter schedules), there are tours of the architectural studio which is set amid some 600 acres of the neighboring Sonoran desert. If you've had the chance to see either the PBS bio-documentary on Frank Lloyd's life--his personal and professional triumphs and tragedies--or read up on his life a little, you might find visiting Taliesin even more interesting. In addition to touring the studio and grounds with docent guides, you get to see examples of Wright's work in models, photos and a video presentation. There is a visitor center with a good selection of books and gift items. There's also a cafeteria with indoor/outdoor seating.

Getting there: from central Scottsdale go north about 10 miles on Scottsdale Rd. to Cactus Rd., turn right going east and continue as far as 108th St. You'll start to see signs for the turnoff road to Taliesin before you turn onto 108th

So you want to explore the desert or uphill terrain? There are preserve and park areas where you can get to quite easily either adjacent or even within Scottsdale, for instance: my favorite, at Camelback Mountain Park. Entry here is off McDonald Rd. from the north side of the mountain. Trails lead up the mountain, which will take you no more than 15 minutes, but the ascent is steep and popular along the stepped routes with cardio workout enthusiasts. The views of neighboring Paradise Valley and Scottsdale are spectacular from the upper levels of the mountain, as is the mountain surface itself which derives its name from its somewhat unique shape.

For getting out into the Sonoran and natural desert areas, you can check conditions/routes/trails with:

McDowell Mountain Preserve - Tel: 471-0173

McDowell Sonoran Land Trust - Tel: 998-7971

Maricopa County Parks & Recreation Dept. - Tel: 506-2930

Camelback Mountain Park - 256-3220

Living in Scottsdale doesn't require commutes into the next major adjacent area, namely Phoenix, since Scottsdale has its own municipal center, business facilities, entertainment, and actually more world-class events and resort facilities than Phoenix itself. Scottsdale is a wonderful place to decompress, whether you're escaping the pressures of large scale urban population with all its usual problems, or just retreating here part-time for the peaceful environment. There is growth here too, and controversy about the sustainability of growth, there are issues like anywhere else on our planet today. Still, I catch my breath at the end of a typical day, looking at the surrounding mountains turning from ochre to purple in the early evening shadows, and I know what won't change about Scottsdale and why I came here.