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Old Jul 11, 2001, 9:59 pm
  #2  
j379pa
 
Join Date: Apr 2000
Posts: 1,950
Tapatio Cliffs is more central in the city and will have some nice views, but still enjoys a level of isolation. The Boulders is north of Scottsdale on the edge of Carefree, and is at a higher elevation and so will be _slightly_ cooler. It also strikes me as more exclusive, and isolates you more from the outside world. You'll also have to drive further to get to outside things, if that's what you want to do. Either would be a great place to stay.

There's loads of stuff to do here, all depending on what your likes are. Loads of good restaurants, golf (cheaper in summer, but start early to avoid the heat), shopping, hiking at higher elevations. If the Diamondbacks are in town, you can usually get tickets to a game at Bank One Ballpark. Alice's Cooperstown is a great place to eat if you go down there. Also downtown are occasional Pops concerts, directed by Doc Severinson, who is entertaining even without the orchestra. Also a fair amount of theater around. I like "Late Night Catechism" which is currently in a long run at the Scottsdale center for the arts. Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West is on the eastern edge of Scottsdale and is well worth a visit. If you're into cool cars, go to the corner of Scottsdale Rd & McDowell and head east. Dealers include Land Rover, Aston Martin, Lotus, Ferrari, Rolls Royce, etc. The Humvee dealer is further north on Scottsdale, as is the Barrett-Jackson auto auction. If you stay at one of the resorts, you might be content hanging out at the pool all weekend, with occasional visits to the spa.

Sedona is two hours to the north, and is well worth a day's visit. It will be cooler there, to boot, but will be busy on weekend days. Drive 89A over Mingus Mountain, and spend some time in Jerome, an old semi-restored mining town clinging to the cliffside.

Nogales is maybe 3 hours south and can give a nice change of pace, even if it is a border town. You can park on the US side and walk in, avoiding worries about car insurance when you cross. The San Xavier del Bac cathedral just south of Tucson is a nice example of an old spanish mission that is on the way. Friends did Organ Pipe National Monument last year and liked it a lot, but I've not been there yet.

You might try a local bookstore to see if you can get a Sunday copy of our newspaper (Arizona Republic)to see what's going on when you're here. You can also log onto www.azcentral.com for information.

Think outside stuff in the morning until about 11:00 AM, then inside or to the mountains the rest of the day. Bring a full water bottle for wherever you travel in the state.

There's obviously lots more to do here than you can cover even in several weeks. Let me know what your interests are, and I'll try to give more detail, etc.

JP

[This message has been edited by j379pa (edited 07-11-2001).]
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