A young-at-heart city with ancient roots, this Arizona enclave provides the ideal gateway into the desert from which it was born.
Long before Scottsdale became known as a haven for the rich and famous — it played host to Pueblo Ultimo, one of a string of ancient Indigenous settlements.
At first glance, you’d be forgiven for mistaking Scottsdale for a city without depth. Here, in the primordial expanse of the Sonoran Desert in southwestern Arizona, first impressions are of a town adorned with all the hallmarks of generic modernity: luxury spas, high-end fashion outlets, sprinkler-fed golf courses. But you’ll find that Scottsdale’s history stretches further than its immaculate surface implies — further even than the history of the United States.
It was the home of the Hohokam, or ‘those who have disappeared’, a long-vanished people who irrigated the desert with canals, bringing life to the dust before abandoning such villages in the 14th and 15th centuries. They may be gone, but their reverence for the desert landscape has been taken up by the artists enamoured with Scottsdale’s big skies, and architects who, in the oblivion of the surrounding desert, envisioned new ways of living in harmony with nature.
Today, you’ll find a city embracing its past as it steps into the future. It’s the kind of place where driverless cars hum outside restaurants highlighting indigenous ingredients cultivated in the same way for millennia, and granite peaks ripe for hiking lie a short hop from cryogenics labs where the hopeful await revival. And then there’s the wine scene — a vestige of the homesteaders and botanists who dared to imagine vineyards creeping across Arizona’s undulating scrublands.
Many of Scottsdale’s most fascinating attractions lie some distance from the city centre, occasionally bleeding into the greater Scottsdale area, so renting a hire car is advisable. However, thanks to a well-maintained network of quiet cycle paths, much of Scottsdale is highly bikeable.Co-op Adventure Center offers mountain, road and children’s bikes for rent alongside tips and advice on the best routes. Prices start from $55 per day for a standard road bike.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Coyotes euthanized after an attack in a Scottsdale neighborhoodArizona Game and Fish euthanizes two coyotes after an attack in a Scottsdale neighborhood.
Read more »
Scottsdale Fire Department to construction workers: 'Please stop starting brush fires in our desert'Mendoza is being remembered by community members who say he made a real difference.
Read more »
What to know about Scottsdale’s crackdown on disruptive partiesLillian Donahue is an awarded, enterprise reporter whose career has taken her across the country.
Read more »
Pedestrian struck, killed in Scottsdale crashChandler has seen a decrease in serious crimes since 2017, city officials said. Here's what police said is contributing to the trend.
Read more »
Scottsdale school program offers essentials to students, familiesThe 'closet' at Coronado High School in Scottsdale is looking for donations as it's expanding the space thanks to a partnership with the Scottsdale Police Department.
Read more »
Juvenile to appear in court Tuesday after deadly off-road vehicle crash in Scottsdale last yearPolice say the vehicle was occupied by eight juvenile passengers when it overturned, killing one
Read more »