Scottsdale, Arizona – Places to See

We are finally back from vacation mode and I’m so excited to be sharing picture overload from our vacation!  Keith and I have been dreaming of getting away for months and really had our sites set on the Washington area but when we found out Riley would be in Arizona we decided to change our plans.  Arizona is a beautiful state with so much to do and see!  Come along and see what we settled on.

Of course we arrived in time for some Arizona fall league baseball and were lucky enough to see this one get some time on the mound!

Ballpark snacks!  I was definitely not counting calories on this trip!

Since we knew we would be spending very little on outings, I splurged on our accommodations. We chose Sanctuary at Camelback Mountain and it was the perfect choice for an adult getaway.  The grounds were beautiful, our casita was amazing and we barely heard or saw another person the entire time we were there.  If you are looking for a getaway with lots of privacy, peace and quiet I would highly suggest Sanctuary.  Keith even saw Larry Fitzgerald as I was checking us in!

The first night we headed to North Scottsdale to North Italia for dinner and it was delicious.  I had my first mule, a milner mule, and it was delicious.  I tried the diver scallops and Riley loved the chicken parmesan.  Keith played it safe with the Pig pizza and it looked amazing too.

On Sunday we headed out bright and early for a little road trip to Sedona.  It was Riley’s one full day off so I thought it would be fun to take him to see some of what Arizona has to offer.  The last time I visited Arizona we traveled through Sedona on our way to the Grand Canyon so I knew it was a short drive and so beautiful.

We hiked Soldiers Pass and Brins Mesa Trail and finally made our way back to our car via Jordan Trail.  My Fit Bit logged 6.72 miles and 125 floors.  It was worth every step to have this time with my guys!

The town of Sedona was a buzz and we weren’t really too keen on a crowd but we were starving.  Thankfully when I searched for Mexican food a little restaurant caught my eye due to the craft margaritas and it was perfect!  SaltRock Kitchen is tucked away and has an amazing patio with great views.  The margaritas were also pretty darn amazing!  

They also had a build your own guacamole which was fun.  I ate the carnitas from the apps menu and it was definitely enough for a meal.  If you are interested in full visit to Sedona, check out Cassie’s Trip Report.  I didn’t see her review until we returned but she also loved this restaurant!

Monday morning Keith and I were up early and decided we might as well work out the kinks from our Sunday hike by tackling Camelback Mountain. We chose to take the Cholla Trail which is suppose to be a little easier.  This hike is no joke.  While we had some steady inclines in Sedona, Camelback was full on incline most of the way up.  We were huffing and puffing and really thought once we made it to the saddle we would feel accomplished enough to call it good.  

We may both still have a little competitive nature and when we saw some of the people who were coming back down we caught a second wind and knew we had to conquer the climb!  It was so worth it!  Not only was the view amazing but just the adrenaline of finishing the climb was priceless.

So here is my advice.  You can do this hike!  If you are in decent shape and take it slow with lots of breaks and plenty of water it is doable.  I really think the last part is what causes the rating of “extremely difficult” as it is more of a rock climb than a hike.  Honestly the coming back down was a little more challenging for that part.  We drank 6 bottles of water between the two of us and it was definitely a requirement.  I read this review by the Hiking Guy and it definitely gave great pointers and set us up mentally to know what to expect.

We had breakfast at a local spot nearby, Scramble, and I’m not sure if it was amazing or we were just starved but there was no crumb left behind!  We headed back to Sanctuary and I spent the rest of the morning relaxing with some mimosas enjoying our view.  While it was still heating up to the 90’s in Scottsdale, the mornings were still very pleasant with low humidity compared to Texas.

We spent the afternoon by the pool with some margaritas.  Did I mention there were no kids allowed at the infinity pool?  There were also no cell phones allowed so you will just have to keep silent about this picture.  Ha!  We enjoyed some more relaxing before heading off to another baseball game.  Afterwards we dined at Culinary Dropout which had a cool vibe.

Tuesday we really had no plans but breakfast is always high on our list.  We decided to check out Breakfast Club as it was high on many lists.  Aside from the mimosa just the way I love them with a splash of OJ, the food was just so/so.  Keith especially was not impressed with his biscuits and gravy.  The menu was kind of fancy for us where breakfast is concerned but I did play it safe with Eggs Benedict.

More relaxing!  I’m telling you guys, this was the best!  And I fell in love with this cozy blanket and am trying to convince myself I need it for my updated living room!  It is the perfect weight and I loved the pattern.  Since I didn’t buy any other souvenirs it works right?

Another location I read about when researching places to eat was Barrio Queen and it was so good!  We read the table side guacamole was a must and I loved the addition of the pomegranate seeds.  The hot sauce was amazing as was the atmosphere and the tacos! 

Again, the property was just so beautiful at Sanctuary and my pictures do not capture it well.  See that highest rock on the mountain?  That’s where we were when we hiked Camelback!

We grabbed a drink and dessert for a lazy afternoon treat before heading off for our last baseball game of the week. The tart was so delicious and we realized it was our first sweet treat since arriving.  

Postino Wine Cafe was another restaurant I read about and we happened by after the game.  On Tuesdays they have the bruschetta board and a bottle of wine for $20!  You pick from a selection of bruschetta choices and all were delicious.  Such a fun atmosphere for a date night or girls night out! 

We said goodbye to Riley over breakfast at Matts Big Breakfast (our second time since arriving) on his 24th birthday!  I love this kid so much beard and all!

Getting away from all the daily stress is amazing for a marriage!  We had so much fun and it sure was nice to know we still do love being alone together.

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