We just got back from Phoenix last weekend. We stayed at the Villas of Cave Creek, which is closer to Scottsdale than anything else. We took a drive through the Marriott there. Looks nice. There's a new mall right across the street from the Marriott property with lots of restaurants and stores.
We took several trips north. Our favorite was Sedona. Look on line; there are great trails to be hiked. Been there before but never stopped at the places along the way. We stopped at Montezuma Castle (cliff dwellings) and I wish we had more time to look through Jerome. It was an old mining town built on the side of a mountain. It looks like the artsy hippies who couldn't afford Sedona anymore went there. My sister and her husband said there's a very interesting town museum in an old house. It looks like a movie set. We were in a rush to get to Sedona in the late afternoon for the good pictures, otherwise we would have stopped. We also stopped at Camp Verde. They had a nice museum there about this area as a army post in the 1800's.
Don't go to the Pinnacle Peak Steakhouse. It's touristy and fair food.
Our brother-in-law took us to the fancy Scottsdale Gun Club. My husband got to shoot a machine gun. I think walk-ins are allowed. My husband had to fill out releases (obviously), pay, and watch a safety video. My sister-in-law said that they have memberships there that cost upwards of $20 thousand a year.
Have fun.
