The little sister is getting married so it's only fitting to go out with a bang for her bachelorette! She has always wanted to hit the west coast, especially after seeing our brother, Peter and I out there so often. So that only meant one place was ready for this party: SCOTTSDALE, Arizona. We were coming for you Arizona. Scottsdale, AZ has quickly become a hot spot for bachelorette/bachelor parties and it's easy to see why. There is a little bit of everything for everyone: great food, fun party town and close enough to get outdoors for activities such as hiking and off-roading adventures. One of the staples of Scottsdale is called "Old Town", where there is plenty of shops, restaurants, and things to do.
SCOTTSDALE BEFORE THE VEIL
Below is the quick itinerary I made for the girls, prior to heading west to help all prepare for the weekend of festivities. But like everything else we kind of went with the swing of things due to many places not taking reservations for larger parties.
Thursday was our arrival day, so we staggered airport pickups since numerous of the girls came in on different flights. Since Jenny and I were first to land we had to make a pit stop of an out west staple, In-N-Out burgers. Some people think they are overrated, but maybe that's just the east coast in us, we loved them. Once we picked up the majority of the girl gang after, it was time for a store run. We stocked up on drinks, food, snacks and everything in between for our weekend away. After check-in we sent the bride out to pick up the last of the girls while we decorated the house for all the weekend festivities. See below for some sneak peaks of the house. Upon the return we surprised the bride and the girl gang with all their goodies. With the sun setting so late in the day, the sunshine was calling our names to break in the pool. With plenty of pool floats we soaked up the sun prior to getting ready for night one. For night one, our original plan was to hit up Diego Pops, from everything that I have heard this place is an Old Town Scottsdale Staple. But due to no reservations and a longer wait time we opted to head next store for dinner and drinks from The Montauk* - . Followed by hitting Dierks Bentely's Old Town Row Bar for drinks and some dancing. This bar was located in the main strip of bars of Old Town, which made it convenient to bar hop as you pleased!
We opted for a mix of hanging around the house and heading out to explore on Friday. See below (or click Sedona) for the information on our day trip to SEDONA. This house contained a large open kitchen and dining area, where there was plenty of room for us to cook and sit all together for a family dinner. After our long trip to Sedona, we combined family dinner with the bride's request of a bald night. Now stick with me, I know you are probably like what on earth?! But this made for good laughs and a fun time as we got to dress as various people and act the part for dinner as we hung around the house ate, drank and ended with a night pool party. The full Reel can be found on my travel page @marinaundocked on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/reel/ChP3WWjpb3n/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link . As a sweet surprise to the bride while she was changing into her outfit for the night, we were busy setting up the living room area with her next surprise. A little lingerie shower for the bride! This is always a fun time to get the bride a variety of pieces either for their honeymoon or if they are planning a boudoir shoot. I have found with going to various bachelorettes, it's always fun to get different piece such as super sexy, cute cheap pieces and even some funny costumes to add to their collections. Note these pieces don't always have to break the bank, there's plenty of places out there were you can get super cheap pieces that are very cute!
Saturday, we opted to switch our brunch reservations for Tocca Madera to a Sunday reservation. Note this is not always easy to do, since they do book up well in advance. So, we scooted over to Morning Squeeze for some quick food and early drinks. Morning Squeeze* - is a brunch spot with a retro vibe to her. This place has an open feel with multiple large booths, and also has a patio bar and best of all it is dog friendly! After we took the party back to our house where we had in-house masseuses come for massages as we had a pool party out back all day. Sun, fun and good times; all things much needed after a lot of exploring/off roading on the day prior. After the pool, it was time to get dressed up for a night on the town, first stop was a quick dinner at Hand Cut Chop House* - . Originally, we opted to head to Olive & Ivy a recommendation from some locals we met at Morning Squeeze, but due to the last second change in plans they were completely booked. Oh well, guess we will just have to save it for next time ladies. No bachelorette is complete without some bar hopping and some dancing with your favorite ladies. We finished the night at El Hefe where we got a table with some bottles and danced the night away.
Sunday came in hot and fast, and we were a bit exhausted from the night before. We made some breakfast snacks and enjoyed our coffee reminiscing on the weekend of adventures before getting ready. Due to our late flights on Sunday, we were able to enjoy one last brunch at Tocca Madera* which we switched from our original Saturday plans. This place came highly recommended by all I had reached out to or across any research I did of Scottsdale. Brunch was at 11 and the place inside and out was very thoughtfully done as the decor and architecture is so beautiful. We tried a variety of appetizers and brunch selections, and all of the food was not only plated very pretty but also tasted amazing. Can't go wrong with any of the options. There also was a DJ to keep the party going and they are also there for dinner too. As one of the girls said it best, "this place is just a vibe". I would highly recommend adding this to your trip for a meal! Before we knew it, it was time to head back to the house clean up and catch our flights. Follow along below for recommendations through Scottsdale as well as Sedona for places to stay, where to eat and fun activities you can do at both locations if you ever visit the Scottsdale/Sedona areas.
Where to Stay:
Where to stay while visiting Scottsdale really depends on how many people you have and what kind of things you are looking to do. Since we had a bigger group, we opted to stay at the cutest little BOHO house just about 10 minutes from Old Town Scottsdale, a staple of the town. This location ended up being perfect for our itinerary because it was only 15 minutes from the airport and close to a highway when we decided to head north to Sedona for a fun day trip. I would definitely recommend using this house especially for a bachelorette party. The hosts kept such a cute and clean house, had plenty of activities outside such as the cabana, games, fire-pit as well has had plenty of bachelorette theme pool floats!
Whatever we had planned, and no matter how many times we changed our plans, this house made it easy for a fun time for all!
Other options to stay:
Hotels:
Hotel Adeline: Hotel Adeline™ - Old Town Scottsdale's BEST Boutique Hotel
The Scott Resort & Spa: The Scott Resort & Spa | Scottsdale Hotel & Event Venue Near Old Town
Saguaro Hotel: The Saguaro Scottsdale | Boutique Old Town Hotel
Airbnb/VRBO:
Fun Activities:
Hot Air Balloon Ride:
A great unique way to see Pheonix, a little on the pricier side. They offer Morning and Afternoon Ballon Rides, depending what time of the year you decide to visit.
Amazon Bike Party:
The peddle pub crawl is a fun way to drink and explore through Scottsdale. Yes, it still will move around town if you take a break from the peddling. It holds up to 15 people on one peddle pub crawl.
The Desert Botanical Garden:
The Desert Botanical Garden offers a variety of activities for all ages. This exhibit includes garden trails/galleries, dinning, a butterfly pavilion, a cute shop and a Schilling library which features over 9,000 books and journal titles about native plants of the desert region.
Olive Oil Tour at Queen Creek Olive Mill:
The Queen Creek Olive Mill, provides a variety of things from tours to an Olive Oil 101 course/tasting and even dining experiences. This is about a 45-minute ride southeast of Scottsdale.
Camelback Mountain Hike:
There are two main hikes, Cholla and Echo Canyon. The Cholla trail is not for those that have a fear of heights but at 1250 feet of evaluation and 1.42 miles it would take on average 2-3 hours. The Echo Canyon trail is about 1.23 miles and ascends approximately 1280 feet. With either hike, make sure to pack plenty of water!
Papago Park (Hole in the Rock) Trail:
A close hike to Pheonix, this is approximately 0.3 miles hike and is located close to the zoo. This is a very short family friendly hike, takes about 10 minutes.
Gateway Trailhead Hike:
A 4.4-mile hike near Scottsdale and is considered a moderate hike that would take about 2 hours.
Spa Day:
Various of the hotels offered SPA Day packages. While it is easier to do one of these while staying at the hotel, they still allowed reservations for others to come and enjoy the various amenities. The other option is to do what we did and have masseuses come to you and set up their in-house massage services.
Scottsdale Wine Trail:
A 6-stop tour around Old Town Scottsdale. Fun for a daytime or nighttime activity to explore the town. A wine trail passport is available for purchase for $5 and can be bought at any of the six stops. This passport gives you a $2 off a wine tasting at each of the locations. This can be used in one day or over time!
Places to EAT:
Not every location below takes reservations, but if they do, I highly recommend making them in advance especially if you have a bigger party. This caused us a few times to switch our locations a few times. But every place we hit had a variety of food options and definitely hit the spot and did not disappoint. I have noted the spots we ended up at throughout our trip with a *.
Diego Pops
A staple in Old Town. This spot does get busy fast. Great Tex-Mex food, lively atmosphere and great Happy Hour stop to get the night rolling.
The Montauk*
A beach side vibe making you feel like you are in the Hamptons. A great variety of tapas and dinner options. Make sure to get the burrata!
Farm & Craft
A light and healthy farmhouse style spot. Great for brunch/lunch, dinner or a good happy hour. This place provides a sustainable, gluten-free, organic, and hormone-free ingredient options for all.
Wow Wow Hawaii Lemonade
A spot for juices, smoothies, acai bowls and healthy eats.
Hash Kitchen
A fun lively brunch spot home of the original make your own bloody Mary bar!
Merkin Vineyard
Italian dinner with various pastas and pizzas and salads, this is one of the stops on the Wine Trail of Scottsdale.
Prep & Pastry
Breakfast, lunch and Brunch, this place has amazing, beautiful food and pastry options.
Tocca Madera*
Modern Mexican Steakhouse, with bold flavors and food. This place has an extraordinary brunch and dinner party feel. We highly recommend this spot for either brunch or dinner especially if in town for a bachelorette, a girl's trip or just a fun weekend!
The Local Donut *
Quick stop for local Fresh Donuts
D'Lite Healthy on the Go
A great stop for a quick breakfast or lunch on the go. The have a variety of juices, smoothies, breakfast, wraps and sandwiches.
Morning Squeeze*
A groovy, retro brunch spot. Known for their mimosa flight. This place has an open feel with a patio bar and is dog friendly!
Arcadia Farms Cafe
A fun cafe that has both lunch and brunch. This place also offers a marketplace and cooking classes. A fun activity to do as a group.
Hand Cut Chop House*
A modern chophouse with a variety of chops, burgers and pastas. Of course, complemented with various cocktails and a large wine list.
Snooze AM Eatery
A fun, retro breakfast and brunch spot that loves to add seasonal favorites and new items.
The Herb Box
A variety of option for either Brunch, Lunch or Dinner.
Olive & Ivy
A spot highly recommended by Scottsdale locals. It has both a marketplace and restaurant which has a variety of options for Brunch, Lunch and Dinner.
Citizen Public House
Recommended by Scottsdale locals, a great dinner spot no matter the party size.
Bars:
Note various of these spots are on the northeast side of old Town Scottsdale in a two-block radius. Over the weekend the street traffic is blocked off and provides a great spot to bar hop!
Wine Girl:
A cute wine place for daytime fun in the middle of old town Scottsdale.
AZ 88:
A fun bar known for their martinis.
Dierk's Bentely Whiskey Row:
A mix of hip hop and country bar. A fun casual day or night spot to have drinks and enjoy.
Bottled Blonde:
This place is a three-story spot, that gets packed quick and is known for a great time. Make sure to get there early. Great for lunch and drinks during the day and a fun atmosphere for a nighttime party!
Clubhouse Maya:
A day club/ pool side spot but also fun at night. They have games and giant beer pong and Jenga.
El Hefe:
Definitely a nighttime club, plays great music and has a variety of tables that line the entire place with a large bar.
SEDONA
As part of the bachelorette, we decided to take a day trip up to Sedona for some hiking, exploring and of course a Sedona Staple, Pink Jeep Off Roading Tour. Note Sedona is just under two hours from Scottsdale, so this took most of our day on Friday. After arriving in Sedona, a little before lunch we decided to hit a hiking trail first. This was my second time visiting Sedona. After sending the bride numerous hikes prior to our arrival, she had selected Cathedral Rock for our morning hike. Note Thursday through Sunday there is designated spots for parking and taking the Sedona shuttle (which is Free) to the various trail heads. This shuttle runs every 15 minutes and is not always required for every trailhead in Sedona. Click below for the breakdown of all you need to know.
Cathedral Rock Trail is a 1.2 miles round trip hike, which starts off very mild, but steeping very drastically for the second half of the trail heading to the top. Make sure to stop along the way and take in the various panoramic view sights of Sedona and its Valley as you head to the top. Not everyone wanted to complete the last portion of the hike due to the steepness so a few of us scooted to the top, grabbed some pics and then headed back down to catch the rest of the group and to head into downtown Sedona.
Downtown Sedona has a nice strip of food locations, stores and activities in which you can enjoy. Along this strip, there is various free parking sites as well. We parked the car and stopped in one of the food courts to grab a light lunch and snack prior to our Pink Jeep Tour. Our hike took longer than expected and we had to check into the Jeep Tour 30 minutes prior, so we had a shortened time for lunch. Note below for various locations to grab a bite and catch amazing views of the red rocks.
Activities:
Pink Jeep Tours
The Pink Jeep tours offers various different trails for a variety of off-roading and length of tours. We did the Broken Arrows Trail, which is their most popular tour. This is the only tour company allowed in Sedona but the route is open to others as long as their vehicle can handle it (4-wheel drive required). The Jeep fits eight people and was a fun mixture of off-roading and getting out to explore the valley in Sedona. This tour is about two hours and definitely recommend it. Must make a reservation prior, and this tour does get booked fast.
Along our hike, the tour guide pointed out various famous rock formations and plants found throughout the trail. Told us what the locals/natives use to use these for such as clothing, medicines, etc. At certain spots along the trail, we would park the Jeep and get out to learn about the various formations found within the Broken Arrows Trail. These included but were not limited to Submarine Rock, Snoopy, Chicken Point, the Two Sisters, Devil's Dinning Room Sinkhole, the Fault Line of Sedona, Mushroom Rock. If you go, we definitely recommend our tour guide Mike, who had plenty of jokes and was great at giving us the breakdown of all the photo spots (what a trouper). Fair warning you will bounce around quite a bit throughout the trail, and this is why the make you buckle in, when driving in the back of the Jeep! Definitely worth every penny of the tour.
Submarine Rock
Chicken Point
Devil's Bridge
A 3.9-mile round trip hike, this is one of the most popular hikes of Sedona. Takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes to complete.
Cathedral Rock Hike
A 1.2-mile round trip hike. Warning, this hike starts off easy and about halfway ascends rapidly marking this a hard trail. I do not recommend if you are afraid of heights. We made the most of trail before we had to turn back around for our sloted Jeep Tour Time.
Robbers Roost Trail
3.4-mile hike round trip
Bear Mountain
4.9-mile hike round trip
Yoga Hike
Page Springs Cellars
A fun wine vineyard about 20 minutes southwest of Sedona
The crack at Bell Crossing/Wet Bever Creek
This is a little over a 7-mile hike, that has amazing scenery along the way. The trail leads to a swimming hole (3.5 miles in) for a great spot to cool off and do some cliff jumping.
Grasshopper Point
2 miles north of Sedona in the Coconino Forest Park is another swimming hole and picnic area.
Slide Rock State Park
A fun popular swimming hole near Sedona that is only about a 0.25-mile hike, great for all ages.
7 Sacred Pools
A 1.1-mile hike, that is extremely popular for hiking and running.
Solider Pass
A 4.5 mile moderately challenging hike. Along this hike you can also catch the 7 sacred pools.
Subway Cave Hike (Boynton Canyon Trail)
A 6.1 mile moderately challenging hike, which ends a subway cave cutout overlooking the valley. This is a highly popular hike.
Where to Eat:
Elote Cafe
Mexican/Southwestern cuisine restaurant that overlooks the scenic red rocks of Sedona. A spot for great tequila and mezcal.
Mariposa
Latin inspired restaurant with unbelievable views of Sedona. This is a fine dining spot with known tapas and amazing wines.
Pisa Lisa
Authentic wood fire pizza spot.
The Cowboy Club
A local's recommendation, great for a quick bite at lunch or sit down for dinner and drinks. There is food and drinks for everyone at this spot.
UNTIL NEXT TIME SCOTTSDALE/SEDONA XOXO
