Choose the Scenic Route to Scottsdale This Summer

Summer is here at last! After endlessly long, cold months of being covered up by bulky puffer coats and fuzzy socks, the time is right to don your flip flops and swimsuit and hit the open road on a journey toward Arizona sunshine. While, yes, summer in this state has a reputation for being h-o-t—with the top down, music up, wind in your hair and the beauty of the Sonoran Desert all around you, it’s a wonder of a trip. And with Fairmont Scottsdale’s Adventure Summer as the final destination, we guarantee that there is something here to make any age exclaim with excitement, “Are we there yet”?

So what are you waiting for? Get into the spirit of the southwest and prepare for the road trip of a lifetime. Here are the top three reasons Scottsdale should be your go-to road trip destination this summer.

We Plan, You Save

Avoid summer surge pricing and take advantage of the savings that can be garnered by coming out to Arizona in the summer! Families can enjoy all of the perks of our AAA Five Diamond resort at a valued rate, so they’re able to stay a little longer. Enjoy a special celebratory meal, play that coveted early morning round at TPC Scottsdale or book that sensuous Sisley-Paris spa treatment you deserve—and allow us to plan it all for you! Summer in Scottsdale means you’ll receive all the luxury and tranquility that you’ve been craving at a fraction of the cost. Choose from any of our summer special offers for even greater savings!

We’re Masters at Helping You Beat the Heat

Splish, Splash Summer

As native Phoenicians, we know sizzling summers like the back of our hands, and have mastered the art of staying cool. At Fairmont Scottsdale, we have no shortage of poolside accommodations available for your sunning pleasure. With six sparkling pools on property, you’ll find shaded cabanas and day beds around every turn, super-sized misters at every outdoor gathering spot, and a zingy margarita ready to whet your palate at every watering hole. Whether you and your partner are lounging in flamingo pool floaties at the adults-only Sonoran Landing pool or the kids are rushing down the rip-roaring water slides at Sonoran Splash, there is a pool on property for every vacationer!

Summer Sips & Savories

Our summer menus on property have been designed with the heat in mind. Of course the pools and restaurants serve blended and iced cocktails made with fresh local ingredients all summer long, that’s a given. But we take it a step further than that! From the refreshing Pomegranate Guacamole made tableside at La Hacienda to the local beers and chef-made sushi rolls at Toro, each of our restaurant concepts have specialized items that will satisfy all your culinary cravings and give your taste buds that summer ‘ahhh’ feeling.

Summer Self-Care

Once you’ve had your fill of sunshine, head indoors for some blissfully cool shopping and cultural museums. Spend the afternoon shopping at nearby Kierland Commons, explore the Musical Instrument Museum or Phoenix Art Museum, or pamper yourself at the Well & Being Spa to let the hottest hours of the day pass on by. This will be welcome entertainment, and as a bonus, Arizonans have our AC units so finely tuned, you may find yourself cozying up under the blankets in your guest room!

Mother Nature’s Summer Beauty

While, yes, Arizona does get into triple digits in the summer, have you experienced the thrill of monsoon season? You may be shocked to find it lowers the temps dramatically, bringing much-needed relief between the months of July and September, and you will get to experience the mystique and beauty of the blooming Sonoran Desert right before your very eyes. For maximum enjoyment, find a comforting balcony and a stiff drink and watch as dramatic lightning flashes and purple-hued clouds roll across the Sonoran sky.

We Have The Grandest of Adventures

If you’re anything like us, our ideal way to travel is in finding authentic and local experiences. While the heat is most certainly part of that local experience here, Arizona has plenty of other opportunities to showcase its splendor while keeping you engaged (and cool). Located in North Scottsdale right off of the accessible 101 freeway, the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess is the ideal home base for summer adventures as it sits within a few hours’ drive of spectacular day trips to enjoy Northern Arizona and all it has to offer. Perhaps you rise with the sun and take a hot air balloon ride over the early morning serenity of the desert. If the water is calling your name, maybe get out to the Salt River for a leisurely down-river float. Or, you can always head up to Sedona and slip down slide rock—a natural rock water slide—and then take in a quintessential pink jeep tour of Red Rock State Park that will have all your Instagram followers saying, “I wish I were there!” Whatever adventure you’re looking to get out of Arizona, our expert team Celebration Concierges at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess can help make that bucket-list dream a summer reality.

Summer Road Trip Quick List

Emerson touts, “it’s not the destination, it’s the journey”, and whether you hail from Washington, Texas or Colorado, we know that the journey to get here should be just as fun and memorable! That’s why we’ve created our quick-list of must-see road trip stops from neighboring states. And remember, at the end of your journey, you get to sleep in a feathery Fairmont bed. Isn’t that the real destination?

California

• From LA
  • Joshua Tree
  • Palm Springs and the Desert Hills Premium Outlets
• From San Diego
  • Tucson
  • Tombstone
  • Saguaro National Park
  • Bio-dome, Mini Time Machine Museum, Ostrich Farm

Washington

• Take the scenic route!
  • Pacific Coast Highway – adds 12 hours, but the sights make it worth it!
• Cannon Beach – find your inner Goonie
• Crater Lake
• Red woods & Yosemite
• Wine country/ San Francisco
• Disneyland
• Grand canyon or Sedona
• Lake Powell/ Lake Havasu
• Palm Springs

Texas

• Northern Route
  • Monument Valley
  • Grand Canyon
  • R66 stops
  • Sedona/ Slide rock/ Verde Valley
  • Carlsbad Caverns
  • Albuquerque
• Southern Route
  • El Paso
  • Austin or San Antonio
    • Six Flags/ Sea World
  • Big Bend National Park
  • Petrified national Forrest
  • The Alamo
  • Tombstone/ Tucson

Utah

• Bryce Canyon/ Zion/ Antelope Canyon/ Horseshoe Bend
• Grand Canyon
• Havasu Falls
• Lake Havasu/ Lake Powell
• Utah Shakespeare Festival
• Flagstaff
• Sedona/ Side Rock/ Verde Valley

Nevada

• Hoover Dam
• Las Vegas
• Grand Canyon/ Lake Mead/ Lake Powell
• Flagstaff / Sedona (Slide rock) / Verde Valley
• Montezuma Castle

Colorado

• Vail
• Arches National Park
• Santa Fe or Albuquerque
• Monument Valley
• Grand Canyon
• Colorado River
• Lake Havasu
• Flagstaff
• Sedona
• Meteor Crater