Showstopping Experiences BY KERIDWEN CORNELIUS PHOENIX & CENTRAL ARIZONA Ready to make this the greatest trip of all time? Arizona’s capital is a hub for unforgettable indulgences and bucket-list pursuits. TOP TO BOTTOM: FOUR SEASONS RESORT SCOTTSDALE; SANCTUARY CAMELBACK MOUNTAIN Think of the $240 tasting menu at Binkley’s Restaurant in Phoenix as an epicurean odyssey into a sublime realm. Chef Kevin Binkley, a James Beard Award finalist, conducts gourmands from the garden to the bar to the dining room as they delight in a succession of 20-ish dazzlingly creative delicacies. Sunsets and Sips —the happy-hour program at Taliesin West in Scottsdale— allows culture vultures to contemplate Frank Lloyd Wright’s vision of deeply connected desert living. Venture into various parts of this UNESCO World Heritage site and relish the way the sunset is reflected in thoughtfully designed water features. Ever fantasized about blasting around a racetrack in a roaring Ferrari? The seasoned pro instructors at Chandler’s Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park teach motorheads to race exotic supercars including Lamborghinis, Porsches and Corvettes. If you prefer slower sports, Troon North in Scottsdale represents the platonic ideal of desert golf. Designed by Tom Weiskopf, the two courses’ pristine fairways—occasionally prowled by bobcats—undulate among saguaros, golden boulders and dramatic mountains silhouetted against an endless blue sky. With dreamy views of palm trees and sienna peaks, the Spa at Sanctuary Camelback Mountain in Paradise Valley fuses sumptuous settings with a Zen sensibility. Harmonize your yin and yang in a Golden Lotus Balancing Ritual, or melt into the meditative sounds of singing bowls during a Nidra Sound Voyage. There’s no wrong way to indulge. Troon North, Scottsdale Sanctuary Camelback Mountain, Paradise Valley WITH JUST ANYWHERE IN ARIZONA. As if paddleboarding down the Salt River wasn’t spectacular enough, our local wildlife population will add even more oohs and aahs to your lifelong memory. Mesa is known as that surprising place with unlimited Sonoran Desert activities just minutes away. VISITMESA.COM confused This is not to bE 49
Arizona Official State Travel Guide Arizona 2022-23: Page 49
