Wyndham Wisdom

Southwestern Chic

Scottsdale's upscale reputation is just a sliver of its desert charm

IN LATE FEBRUARY, a parade of snuffling horses, cowboys and rodeo queens takes over Scottsdale Road, the main artery of Scottsdale, Arizona. The annual event, known as the Parada del Sol, ushers in March and April, a magnificent pair of months to visit this chic desert city. The nights are cool at this time of year, and the days hot enough for a swim. But be warned: The parade is the last time you're likely to see a live cowboy in this burgeoning desert city.

Scottsdale used to be considered a ranchy, country-club suburb to Phoenix, known for its celebrity-studded resorts, impeccable golf courses and bougainvilleaclad mansions. But in recent years this city of 230,000 residents has taken it up a notch, garnering comparisons to Beverly Hills and Miami's South Beach. Scottsdale has moved well beyond its old motto, "The West's Most Western Town."

Today there are 8.4 million annual visitors, and multi-million-dollar hotels seemingly popping up around every corner. At night, runway models slink down illuminated nightclub counters while gleaming luxury cars crowd the streets. You can stroll around the city in the warm sun to admire the public art, cutting-edge architecture and more than 125 galleries. But all this Southwestern glamour is just a fragment of Scottsdale's appeal. The desert is the real highlight, and it's free: hiking up Camelback Mountain, biking in the expansive McDowell Mountain Regional Park and marveling at the vivid cactus blooms that paint the desert come spring.

ANCIENT WATERWAY
Scottsdale is bordered by the McDowell Mountains to the northeast, the city of Phoenix to the west, the Pima-Maricopa Indian Reservation to the east and the Salt River to the south. Through it runs the Arizona Canal--a concrete ditch that began as part of the Hohokam Tribe's 300-mile irrigation system, established in the valley more than 2,300 years ago. Miles of cycling paths run along the canal and through the Indian Bend Wash greenbelt, but Scottsdale is ultimately a car town, with an easily navigated grid.

The main hub of activity is downtown, along Scottsdale Road. That's where you'll find the hottest new and retro hotels, from the W Scottsdale to the mid-century Modern Valley Ho. A celebrity hot spot that opened in the 1950s (Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner had their wedding reception here), the Valley Ho was meticulously restored to its original retro glamour in 2005. Shoppers flock to the swanky stores of Fashion Square and to Old Town, the historic, cowboy-infused retail district. The Fifth Avenue shops sell art and Native American wares.

A few miles up Scottsdale Road are the beautiful, sprawling resorts that have come to define North Scottsdale, including the Four Seasons Troon North and The Boulders. This is also where you'll find the city's prime nature escapes: the 16,000-acre McDowell Sonoran Preserve and the beloved Pinnacle Peak Park.

NO SWEAT
Hiking in Scottsdale is a treat. Short, strenuous climbs to ego-payoff summits are easy to find, and the odd cactuses and spectacular rock formations along the trails provide continuous surprises. You'll barely perspire, thanks to the moisture-sucking desert air, but you should bring plenty of water, as hikers can easily become dehydrated even in the cool spring months.

Start with a hike up Camelback Mountain's rocky flanks to the 2,704-foot summit for a view of downtown. To avoid the crowds, take the longer 1½-mile Cholla Trail, and go early in the morning when it's cooler. You'll share the route with savvy runners sporting double-barrel water-bottle fanny packs.

Farther north is the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, 36,000 acres of desert mountain land. Adjacent to the preserve is McDowell Mountain Regional Park. Miles of bike trails range from flat terrain past amazing cactuses (bring extra tubes for the errant cholla puncture) to rough single-track that leads up the peaks. For a good ride, start in the preserve at the trailhead on 124th Street past Via Linda Road, and take the 4½-mile Lost Dog loop. It follows a scrubby dry wash then climbs to a saddle overlooking Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West, built in 1937 as his winter hideaway. It's now the headquarters of his foundation and an architecture school (480-860-2700; franklloydwright.org).

While you probably won't see a coyote, bobcat or Gila monster in Pinnacle Peak Park (though they are here), you'll glimpse rabbits, pack rats and quail as you wander the 1¾-mile (one-way) trail among the red-blooming fairy dusters and ocotillo. Afterwards, join ranch hands and fashionistas over green chile cheeseburgers on the picnic-table patio at Greasewood Flat, a Scottsdale landmark around the corner.

UNTIL YOU DROP
Ease back into civilization downtown with a plate of fresh mascarpone raspberry crepes at Arcadia Farms Café. Then start a walking tour of Old Town Scottsdale's over-the-top Western stuff. Troll the hundreds of cowboy boots lined up at Saba's Western Wear (7254 E. Main St.; 480-947-7664), then browse the dusty first editions at Guidon Books (7117 E. Main St.; 480-945-8811), where the shelves hold rare volumes on everything rawhide and musket related.

Take a break from the sun to visit the five galleries in the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, just off Old Town (7374 E. Second St.; smoca.org). The gorgeous garden is home to James Turrell's Knight Rise skyspace, a concrete enclosure that focuses your attention on an "ocular" hole in the ceiling where the desert sun creates its own sculpture.

In spring, when the cacti and wildflowers are in full bloom, be sure to visit the enchanting Desert Botanical Garden, in south Scottsdale near Papago Park. Stone walkways meander past towering saguaros and fragile bloodflowers--accented this season by the snaky, bulbous glass sculpture of Dale Chihuly (480-941-1225; dbg.org).

DESERT TEE
For golfers, Scottsdale is Shangri La, where desert golf--designed to use less land and incorporate natural features--was born. There are more than 50 public and semi-private courses around the city, and several have won worldwide acclaim. The PGA lands at the Tournament Players Club of Scottsdale (888-400-4001) for the FBR Open (formerly the Phoenix Open) every January; the rest of the time you can test your game on the 36-hole championship course. The Troon North Golf Club (480-585-7700), designed by British Open champion Tom Weiskopf, uses the landscape's rocky rumples and ravines in its breathtaking layout. Due south, in the desert plains of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, the Talking Stick Golf Club (480-860-2221) offers expansive views of the peaks on the horizon.

SPA TIME
With the clear desert sky and serene landscape as a backdrop, Scottsdale has some of the most acclaimed spas in the world. Drop by the Sanctuary Camelback Spa (sanctuaryoncamelback.com) for a tandem massage in an outdoor room: Two masseuses work for 60 minutes, assuring no crick is missed. Follow up with an Espresso Mud treatment that uses black clay, volcanic ash and organic coffee beans in warm wrap, before a moisturizing balm. Afterwards, stretch out in your terry-cloth outfit by the lap pool.

The 33,000-square-foot Golden Door Spa, at The Boulders in north Scottsdale (theboulders.com), has smooth camel-hued adobe rooms, private pools and whirlpools. Try the Turquoise Wrap, which exfoliates with turquoise clay and honey butter, followed by a "rain-stick" ritual intended to deliver protection and positive energy. Have a snack at the café (which uses produce from the resort's organic garden), then settle into the pool for a long soak. Water, warm sun and a desert view: a simple formula for a very lasting impression.

STAY

RCI-AFFILATED RESORTS IN SCOTTSDALE INCLUDE:

SHERATON DESERT OASIS
SCOTTSDALE VILLA MIRAGE
SCOTTSDALE CAMELBACK RESORT