North Scottsdale is a fantasy land of multi-millionaires and multi-million dollar homes. It's a world of luxury cars, full of crazy saltwater swimming pools that look like works of art. It's rich, rich, rich... and some of the houses seem bigger than an entire city block, absolutely vast edifices worth seeing for their size and bling-ability alone. South Scottsdale is, in contrast, much more down to earth with a traditional western flavour.
The Sonoran Desert gets more rain than any other. It's also the nation's hottest and most bio-diverse.
Visit McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park, home to beautiful old steam trains, 15 inch gauge railway and museum. Explore the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art or hike in the beautiful McDowell Mountains.
Here are just three of a host of excellent things to see, do and experience in Scottsdale and beyond.
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Petrol Heads adore the town's annual luxury car event, the Barrett-Jackson Auto Show
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Browse Kierland Commons, and the famous Fashion Square
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Climb Pinnacle Peak
Take trips into stunning, bleak and lonely landscapes. Add a spot of top notch shopping and you've nailed it.
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If you love golf, there are 50 or more courses including the Troon North Golf Club, TPC and the Estancia, all ridiculously luxurious, all exceptionally beautiful. But there's plenty more:
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Hike and bike on gorgeously dramatic Camelback Mountain
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This is Frank Lloyd Wright country. If you're fascinated by architecture try his old winter home and school, the lovely Taliesin West
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Take a tour of the lush Sonoran Desert
Go rock climbing for serious desert thrills and massive views. Take an air balloon trip above the desert to experience Arizona in all its remarkable glory. Or visit one of countless excellent art galleries for unique souvenirs.
There's a choice of firms offering guided segway tours of the town, a great fun way to explore on two wheels complete with entertaining running commentary.
At Butterfly Wonderland you can walk among thousands of butterflies, the largest butterfly atrium in the country.
If you're into American sport you can visit the Fiesta Bowl Museum and immserse yourself in it. Or go wild in the city's famous Green Belt, a full 12 miles of adjoining parks to wander in on foot or by bicycle: Vista Del Camino, Eldorado, Indian School and Chaparral. Every winter Native American representatives present a host of fascinating and free outdoor programmes featuring music, dance and cultural insight. And the Parada del Sol Rodeo takes place every year too, with professional cowboys arriving from all over the US. If you want a taste of old-school USA, it's perfect.
Love art? The annual Arizona Fine Art Expo and Celebration of Fine Art are both enormously popular attractions. And every Thursday night there are all sorts of free art exhibits, receptions, demonstrations and more. Love food? Every April the town hosts a festival of food, music and entertainment. You can take a free downtown tour on the Scottsdale Trolley to find out about the different districts, galleries, restaurants, shopping and history. Or you could grab a skateboard or a pair of inline skates and head for Eldorado skate park, free for all.