Weekend Wanderings: Scottsdale, Arizona Guide

Scottsdale: A Luxe Oasis Surrounded by Dessert

We have been visiting Scottsdale, Arizona since we met. And it's one of our favorite places to spend a relaxing long weekend. Yes it's hot, but what better way to spend a weekend than laying by the pool with a cocktail in hand? Scottsdale is known as Arizona’s luxury watering hole. It's quickly become an oasis of Sonoran mountainside resorts offering, outdoor activities, lavish shopping and an incredible food scene. And Scottsdale has nearly 300 sunny days a year!

How to get there: Most airlines fly in to the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport but low cost airline Allegiant does utilize the Mesa-Gateway Airport on the Southeast side of the Phoenix Metropolitan area. Scottsdale is spread out and about 10 miles from the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. While we normally take public transportation on our weekend trips, Scottsdale is the one exception and we recommend renting a car. Rental cars at the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport are off site and you'll need to take a shuttle bus from the terminal to the rental car garage. We recommend giving SilverCar a try. What better way to visit luxe Scottsdale than driving around in an Audi A4?

Where to stay: Scottsdale is filled with amazing resorts. We've stayed at several resorts in the Scottsdale area and have enjoyed all of them. On our most recent stay, we stayed at the Andaz Scottsdale Resort & Spa. It was probably one of our favorite resorts we've been to thus far. When you check in to the Andaz Scottsdale you won't find a front desk. Guests check in via an iPad while relaxing on a couch in the lobby drinking a glass of complimentary wine or iced tea. You'll also find a complimentary minibar at the Andaz Scottsdale (soft drinks, water and snacks - alcohol is extra). The main pool (the Turquoise Pool) offers complimentary daily delighters (a spiked frozen treat or drink) each day at 11:45 AM. And if you don't want to drive into Old Town Scottsdale (about a 2 mile drive), the hotel has a chauffeured Tesla which will run you into town!

Another one of our favorite Scottsdale Resorts is the Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Montelucia. Nestled at the base of breathtaking Camelback Mountain, in the exclusive enclave of Paradise Valley, Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Montelucia is an intimate oasis inspired by the exotic locale of Spain's Andalusia region.

Where to get coffee: Scottsdale is no Seattle or Portland in terms of coffee, but there are still several great coffee shops where you can get a delicious iced latte to help you cool off on those hot summer days. Our three favorite coffee shops include Press Coffee Roasters, Altitude Coffee Lab and the Cartel Coffee Lab.

Press Coffee Roasters was rated the best coffee roaster in the Phoenix area by the Phoenix New Times in 2015 and 2016. They normally offer two different types of espresso and you can pick which espresso you want your drink made with. Definitely a great coffee experience, so we highly recommend making the drive up Scottsdale Road for a stop at Press Coffee Roasters. And while you are up there, be sure to take a lap around Scottsdale Quarter, a beautiful outdoor mall featuring dozens of shops and restaurants.

And if you make it to the Cartel Coffee Lab, while they doesn’t serve actual food, they do have delicious pastries and we might have indulged in a homemade poptart, and trust us, they are worth a cheat day! So delicious.

Where to eat: Scottsdale is a foodies paradise. There are so many delicious restaurants and gastropubs.

While we have our usual spots that we always visit each time we spend a weekend in Scottsdale, on this trip we added a new place to our favorite list. After a morning hike, we decided to stop by Farm & Craft for a healthy breakfast and it completely hit the spot. Farm & Craft is focused on healthy and sustainable food in a community-style atmosphere. Think modern farm with a contemporary twist. F&C boasts a seasonal “Wellness-Menu” featuring 4 paths to optimal health, including an ‘Anti-inflammatory diet’, ‘Increasing probiotic levels’, ‘Maintaining high level of anti-oxidants’ and ‘Reducing your overall stress’. Yes, the food was delicious (the breakfast burrito was to die for). And they scored a few extra points with us for having Kombucha on tap! Farm & Craft also had sandwiches, salads and wraps for lunch and dinner.

If you're looking for somewhere to grab a bite for lunch, we would definitely recommend Olive & Ivy. Olive & Ivy which has a location near the Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall is a restaurant & bar serving Californian-Mediterranean fare in a stylish, bustling quarters with a patio. Olive & Ivy offers small plates, flatbreads, bruschetta and pastas, alongside an extensive wine list and craft-cocktail menu.

For dinner, we really enjoy a visit to the Old Town Tortilla Factory in Old Town Scottsdale. With an incredible 1400 square foot patio, the food at Old Town Tortilla Factory is Southwestern with a Mexican twist. The restaurant has that intimate feel making it perfect for a date night!

If you want something quick, Scottsdale has two Shake Shack locations(one of our indulgences on our weekend trips since we don't have any in Idaho). Shack Shack has been serving up their delicious burgers and shakes since 2004. The fast food chain started in New York City and now has over 130 locations including the two in Scottsdale. You'll often find a line around the corner at Shake Shack, but don't worry. You can actually hop on their website to check the camera and see how long the line is.

Scottsdale also has a Hopdoddy Burger Bar. An Austin-born hamburger-and-beer chain, Hopdoddy has been featured on the Food Network. While Hopdoddy is known for their handcrafted beef hamburgers (a chuck and brisket blend), if you're not feeling beefy, the menu also includes bison, lamb, chicken, turkey and tuna burgers, as well as a vegetarian black bean and corn patty. We had an order of their truffle fries (large enough to share) and they were also quite tasty. And for dessert, be sure to try one of their adult only boozy milkshakes!

Where to get dessert: Portland has several great options for dessert. One of our favorite places that we've been stopping at since we originally started vacationing in Scottsdale is Shakes & Cones. Shakes & Cones located in Old Town Scottsdale, serves up their soft serve ice cream, which is made from scratch using their own exclusive recipe. It's gluten free and only made with organic, non-gmo ingredients! They of course are known for their soft serve shakes and cones.

Another place that we've often featured over the course of our travel and reviews is Sprinkles Cupcakes. And of course Sprinkles Cupcakes has a location right across from the Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall in Downtown Scottsdale. Sprinkles Cupcakes is a Beverly Hills, California-based cupcake bakery chain which first opened in 2005. It is considered one of the first cupcake bakeries. The Cupcake Bakery features numerous flavors of cupcakes (some of our favorites include the Black & White and Cinnamon). Be sure to see our entire write-up on the Sprinkles Cupcake Bakery & Cupcake ATM.

What to do: Yes, we won't sugar coat it. It's hot in Scottsdale during the summer. Most days see temperatures exceed that 100 degree mark. So we typically sleep in each morning, get up for brunch and then spend two to three hours sipping cocktails by or in the resort pools.

The heat of the afternoon makes for a perfect time do some shopping and Scottsdale has some terrific shopping. We recommend checking out the Fashion Square Mall in Downtown Scottsdale and the Scottsdale Quarter, an open air mall in Northern Scottsdale.

By the time we've shopped and grab a happy hour drink or early dinner, we typically return to laying by the pool for the evening.

Another great way to spend the early morning or late evenings (before or after the heat of the day) is taking a hike. Scottsdale has numerous hiking trails including the famous trail up Camelback Mountain.

The Bottom Line: Scottsdale is a great place for a weekend getaway anytime of the year. Summer is an extremely affordable time to visit as resorts deeply discount their room rates due to the hot temperatures. But the hot weather has never impeded our weekend getaways. We lay by the pool in the morning and early afternoon, have lunch, go shopping and then return to the pool in the evening. Scottsdale has great food, great shopping and an incredible nightlife. It's definitely worth a visit if you haven't been and if you have, well it's time to go back! Let us know if we can help!

Weekend Wanderings: Portland, Oregon Guide

Portland: A Weekend Foodie Destination

We love Portland, Oregon! We visit the Rose City at least once a year. Portland makes for a perfect long weekend destination. So why do we love Portland so much? Portland has an incredible food, coffee and craft beer scene. Portland is way more than just Downtown. Granted, the downtown area (particularly Pioneer Courthouse Square) is great, but Portland has some incredible neighborhoods full of vibrant restaurants and shops. And on those sunny, clear days, you have a view of Mount Hood in the distance.

How to get there: The PDX Airport has been consistently rated the number one Airport in the United States for several years now. After you arrive at PDX, it's easy to get into downtown. The TriMet Max Train will take you straight from the airport to Downtown Portland. For only a few bucks, the 40-minute TriMet bypasses all of the Portland Traffic and you'll end up being able to choose between several convenient Downtown stops.

Where to stay: We like Hilton Hotels (in case that wasn't obvious yet) so consider us a bit bias. But The Duniway, a Hilton Hotel, which recently reopened following a massive renovation is an incredible hotel and probably one of our favorite Hilton hotels. The Duniway is located near Pioneer Place and a mere three blocks from the TriMet Pioneer Courthouse stop. One thing you'll notice in the hotel is all of the nods to the Portland Culture (art, history, etc.). The Duniway is a full service Hilton Hotel and Gold & Diamond guests receive a complimentary breakfast at the Jackrabbit restaurant located in the lobby of the hotel and the breakfast is top notch (try their fresh squeezed juices).

Where to get coffee: Portland is full of incredible coffee shops, so you definitely won't have trouble finding a Cup of Joe while you are visiting PDX. One of our favorite coffee shops in Portland is Barista Coffee. Another favorite for us is Stumptown Coffee (known for their incredible cold crew coffee). Our other favorites include Courier Coffee and Water Avenue Coffee (located just across the street from The Duniway Hotel).

Where to eat: This one is hard. Portland has SO MUCH good food. So we'll throw a few of our favorites at you. Mother's Bistro is an absolute must for breakfast/brunch. Mother's is extremely well known in the Portland area and for that matter much of the Pacific Northwest, so grab a reservation if you can (you'll need to call 2-3 weeks in advance).

We love Picnic House PDX for lunch (but would also be good for a romantic dinner). Picnic House PDX is located in the extremely Historic and original Heathman Hotel building and they utilize classic French techniques to prepare creative dishes that playfully reference the nostalgic comfort foods of childhood.

For dinner, we really enjoy the Departure Restaurant, located on the top floor of the Nines Hotel. The Departure Restaurant serves up Asian cuisine in a sleek, cosmopolitan setting with two outdoor decks and stunning views of the city, mountains and river. Another great place is Little Bird Bistro, an eclectic, inventive French bistro fare served in a sexy spot with red banquettes & a mezzanine level.

The same owners of Little Bird Bistro also one one of the most famous restaurants in Portland, Le Pigeon. Le Pigeon serves up a rotating menu of creative French-inspired fare served at communal tables or the bar in a snug room.

If you decide to stay at The Duniway Hotel, be sure to check out the Jackrabbit located adjacent to the lobby of the hotel. The Jackrabbit combines the creative approach of Chris Cosentino's behind the scenes kitchen craftsmanship with the grit, flavor, and character that makes Portland one of the country's premier dining and lifestyle destinations.

Finally, it wouldn't be a trip to Portland without a visit to one of their famous food carts (food trucks). Portland has over 500 food carts available at any given time. Most of the food trucks are organized into what are call “Pods.” And there is a food truck for everyone. One of our favorite food trucks is the Grilled Cheese Grill.

Where to get dessert: Without a doubt, we can't visit Portland without a stop at Salt & Straw. Salt & Straw is a farm-to-cone ice cream shop scooping up artisanal flavors (Nick's favorite is the pear, blue cheese and I'm a sucker for the cinnamon snickerdoodle).

If a scoop of artisanal flavored ice cream isn't quite what you had in mind, you could always stop by Ruby Jewel for a homemade ice cream sandwich. Ruby Jewel is a scoop shop selling freshly made, handcrafted ice cream sandwiches in both standard and the Portland style unusual flavors.

A few of our other favorite dessert places include Lauretta Jean's Bakery. Lauretta Jean's is a counter-serve bakeshop with seasonal handmade pies, breakfast & lunch sandwiches, plus beer & wine. But you'll want to try one of the delicious slices of homemade pies (flavors like Chocolate Banana Cream and Strawberry Short Pie).

And of course you can't forget about the famous Voodoo Doughnuts. Located in Old Town’s popular nightlife district, Voodoo Doughnut is one of Portland's most unusual (and delicious) foodie spots. The doughnuts are topped with creative ingredients such as bacon, Captain Crunch cereal and Oreos. And they are almost as fun to look at as they are to eat. You could try the official doughnut of the City of Portland, the Portland Cream. It's raised yeast shell is filled with Bavarian cream and then topped with chocolate and two eyeballs. Or you could try the namesake Voodoo Doughnut which is shaped like a voodoo doll and oozes blood red jelly. Voodoo Doughnuts is open 24 hours a day, and you'll almost always find a line out the door. If you are heading to Portland for a romantic weekend, good news! Voodoo Doughnuts offers legal wedding services, complete with doughnuts and coffee for the reception.

What to do: Yes, there is more to do than just eat and drink in Portland, haha! Portland is full of amazing neighborhoods, cute boutiques and plenty of outdoor activities. On our last trip to Portland, we took time to visit the International Test Rose Garden. The International Rose Test Garden is a rose garden in Washington Park where there are over 7,000 rose plants of approximately 550 varieties. The International Test Rose Garden will be holding their centennial/100 year celebration on Saturday, August 26 2017 from 11:00 AMto 8:30 PM.

We also took time to hike through Forest Park. At 5,157 acres, Portland's Forest Park is one of the largest urban forest in the United States. Forest Park flanks the hills on the west side of the city, just 10 minutes by car from downtown and has over 70 miles of walking and hiking trails.

Then when you need a break from the heat (or humidity), stop in Powell's City of Books. Powell's City of Books is the the largest independent new and used bookstore in the world. Located in the Pearl District on the edge of downtown and occupies a full city block between NW 10th and 11th Avenues and between W. Burnside and NW Couch Streets. It contains over 68,000 square feet, about 1.6 acres of retail floor space. CNN rates it one of the ten "coolest" bookstores in the world.

And our last two recommendations are to take time to explore a couple of the great neighborhoods in Portland. The Pearl District which was formerly occupied by warehouses, light industry and railroad classification yards is now noted for its art galleries, upscale businesses and restaurants. On a side note, another hotel we are looking forward to opening is the Canopy by Hilton which is under construction in Portland's Pearl District.

Another great neighborhood in Portland is NW 23rd Street/Nob Hill. There are so many wonderful and unique attractions around NW 23rd Avenue. Walk the street and find inspiring shops and boutiques, tantalizing restaurants, and comforting coffee houses.

The Bottom Line: Portland is incredible. As foodies and coffee lovers, we absolutely love spending a long weekend in PDX and having two or three cheat days in a row! Portland is a vibrant, culturally rich city and we could write a book about all of the wonderful things to do. Needless to say, you won't find yourself bored or hungry in Portland!