Travel Diaries: Scottsdale – What I Wore, Where We Stayed, Where We Ate in Scottsdale, Travel on 02/21/19Helloooooo from beautiful Scottsdale! Well, technically Chicago. But I ~was~ recently in Scottsdale (you can even watch my vlog and subscribe to my YouTube channel as proof hehe) and had the absolute best time. It was my first ever time out to Arizona, and between the beautiful landscape, the copious heat lamps and fire pits, and the quality of tacos and margs, safe to say it stole my heart. Levi’s Sherpa Lined Denim Jacket / Anine Bing Sweatshirt / Madewell Black Distressed Skinny Jeans / Zara Boots (similar) / Club Monaco Wool Hat (similar) It was a super quick trip; I flew out Thursday night to meet my girls Molly of Champagne Getaway and Allison of West Off Felicity at the Andaz Resort & Bungalows, and we all flew back home late Saturday afternoon. So, tight schedule, but we were able to squeeze in a packed itinerary. Definitely am going to need to plan a trip back at some point because there is SO much to do in the area besides eat and drink (which is exactly what we did, no shame in the game). The hot air balloon rides and hiking trails are definitely calling my name next time! Also worth noting that around this time of year, it is much chillier than you might think it’s going to be. The forecast showed a daily high in the mid to high 60’s, but it only got that warm in the very late afternoon, and once the sun got down it was pretty cold. Obviously the majority of the months are a very different story, but if you’re coming to Scottsdale in the winter, definitely bring cozy layers and a light jacket. Like I mentioned earlier, essentially every bar, restaurant, and hotel seems to have heat lamps and fire pits, so you can definitely still be outside! Like I mentioned, we stayed at the Andaz Scottsdale. I flew into the Phoenix airport which was only about a 20 min drive to Scottsdale (who knew). We didn’t get a chance to go into the city, but my Lyft driver was telling me that it’s suuuuper lit. Great food scene, bars, parties, etc. Essentially, the main reason I flew out was 1) because Molly had literally arranged the entire trip (she is such an f ing hustler and the ultimate fun organizer), and 2) I wanted to hang out with my blogger friends, take cute pictures, escape the snow for a bit. Molly’s blog is primarily all things travel, and she features a ton of bachelorette friendly ideas, showing you where to go, where to stay, what you need to do with your group, etc. So, she wanted to scope out Scottsdale through the lens of a perspective bachelorette party weekend, and I was like yep cool see you in AZ then I guess!!! Anyway, can vouch that Scottsdale would be a killer place to have a bachelorette, but also nice to know that there is a big city nearby in case you wanted to paint the town. Like I mentioned, I tried my hand at my very first vlog during this trip if you’re interested in more views of the resort along with seeing the adventures we got into (50% of the video is me just embarrassing myself tbh). I’ll put a little bit more info about the resort along with everywhere we ate at the immediate top of this post; scroll down for more pictures and links to all my outfit details 🙂 Where to Stay: Andaz Scottsdale Resort & Bungalows Ohhhhh how I loved this resort. Little bungalows/casitas are spread out all over the sprawling grounds, giving you the essence of more space and privacy than a typical hotel. We were in a two queen bed room, which I would describe as pretty but simple; it did have a beautiful modern bathroom and a little table you could sit at out front. Which we totally would have done if it was a bit warmer! The actual grounds were gorgeous— mountains in the background, cacti and palm trees everywhere… We were able to park our rental car in private parking spot right out back, and then take any of the winding paths to go to the pool or the restaurant area. It just felt really private and luxe; I loved leaving our bungalow in the early morning and immediately being thrown into the scenery and just walking in the peaceful quietness, taking it all in. One of the days the staff set us up at a cabana by the pool, where we took a ton of pictures and had a ton of drinks, which were amazing. Over the course of the trip, I probably had 10 of what they call the “Diamondback Fizz” cocktail, which is made with tequila, grapefruit, lime jalapeño agave, cucumber, and sparkling water… Unreal. Need to learn how to make them myself! The food in general was a highlight for me; the first night I arrived I ordered these black bean and corn tacos and oh my….. Y’all, they were special. Photographic evidence a few pictures down. Other favorite parts about the resort were obviously all the cute photo ops, the vintage black Cadillac convertible parked out front, and the sweet staff!! They seriously took the best care of us and made our stay over the top fantastic. The resort had a really intimate feel to it, and as a guest you felt like the management knew who you were and were genuinely invested in ensuring you had a great time. Where to Eat/Drink Weft & Warp Art Bar & Kitchen (at the Andaz) In addition to the delightful cocktail and tacos, we had two amazing breakfasts at the resort. Each time we ended up ordering a spread of things to share— avocado toast, waffles, scones, and fresh juice… Simple but always super fresh and yummy. Diego Pops I freakin loooooove this place!! We had so, so much fun here (check out my vlog for the full experience). It was an Instagrammer’s dream with neon light signs, bright colors everywhere, fun wallpaper… The restaurant/bar is located right in Old Town Scottsdale, also known as the downtown area, and it was the perfect place to sit for a few hours, drink margs, lots of cocktails, all the tacos, just have yourself a TIME. I had the “Guava Coconut” cocktail in the pictures below; it featured coconut ciroc, coconut water, guava, house made sweet and sour, and was served in a real baby coconut! I also got the Watermelon Mint margarita; let the record be known that this is the trip I discovered I actually prefer sugar rims to salt rims when it comes to margs. Just in case you were wondering. As far as food goes, everythiiiiiiiiing here is good. The grilled street corn comes topped with cotija, lime, flaming hot cheetos dust, and is definitely worth checking out. The restaurant is famous for their brussels sprout nachos which is a must order for sure. They come with a fried egg on top, along with queso oaxaca, pickled onion, fresno chili, and roasted garlic beet crema… They were truly heavenly. The Montauk Located just down the street from Diego Pops, we had such a good time at this Montauk, NY themed bar and restaurant that we went back a second time the following morning! It kind of reminded me of The Hampton Social in Chicago— fun, themed decor, a more “club-y” feel Friday night, an acoustic guitarist performing during Saturday brunch… We grabbed drinks after our dinner and came back the following morning to take some pictures by the cute outdoor fireplace patio area out back. We didn’t get a chance to eat here, but the menu looked good and we had heard really good things about the food. Hash Kitchen Hash is a must do for a boozy Saturday or Sunday brunch. They have a DJ, the most insane bloody Mary bar I have ever seen in my life, and basically every sort of fun, over the top, brunch treat that you didn’t even know you needed. A “Lights Out” mimosa served in a giant light bulb, adorned with cotton candy and a pinwheel straw? Yep. A flight of cereal shots, which are basically coconut milk, different liqueurs, and crushed cereal rims? Yep. Cannoli donuts?? Drinking IN the parking lot while you wait for you’re table?! You betchya. Like I said, things that you didn’t even know you needed. I’m a big bloody girl, and they definitely were a highlight on my meal. They are not only bigger than your face, but totally customizable, down to your type of salt rim, flavor of vodka, and preference of hot sauce. Then, you basically get as many skewers as you need to deck out your drink. I got different types of olives, pickled veggies, cheese, freshly made jalapeño poppers… I was totally in my element. Red Dress Boutique Sweater / Sequin Necklaces Levi’s Sherpa Lined Denim Jacket Anine Bing Sweatshirt Madewell Black Distressed Skinny Jeans Zara Boots (similar) Club Monaco Wool Hat (similar) eberjey bikini set via Revolve (Top) Bottoms Lulus Bucket Bag Zara Button Down Shirt Lulus Floral Mini Dress Gucci Belt Bag Vince Camuto Heels Lulus Off the Shoulder Floral Print Midi Dress Gucci Belt Bag Another Love Matching Set M. Gemi Leather Sneakers Will 100000% be back to you soon, Scottsdale! A huge thank you to the Andaz Scottsdale for hosting us and the teams behind Diego Pops, the Montauk, and Hash Kitchen for having us in.