Your Scottsdale / Phoenix CME conference.

Scottsdale after your study day

Study days finish at 2:00 PM Scottsdale time. For an easy afternoon, choose one outing near your study setting: Taliesin West, Frank Lloyd Wright’s desert laboratory and winter home, the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, or a walk around Old Town. Leave time for getting there and parking, and check current hours before you go. Taliesin West was established in 1937, is a World Heritage site, and strongly recommends reservations because tickets are limited. Its tours are walking tours on gravel and concrete. The site also hosts performances, a Sunsets & Sips program and a Frank Lloyd Wright Store, and it is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and Easter Sunday.

Travel, accommodation and admission are arranged separately. Your conference is built around your specialty and interests; the city is simply the setting you choose for it.

Old Town on foot

Old Town Scottsdale has nine walkable and bikeable districts within just over a square mile, with more than 100 restaurants and more than 100 galleries. The Arts District is home to fine art galleries, casual family-run eateries and Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West. The Thursday night ArtWalk has run weekly since 1975, lighting up galleries along Main Street and Marshall Way, so a Thursday study day makes an easy evening.

Desert gardens, music and trails

The Desert Botanical Garden, at 1201 N. Galvin Parkway in Phoenix, lists 50,000 plants across 4,800 species and protects 520 rare and endangered Sonoran Desert species. The Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix holds thousands of instruments from around the world and also runs live concerts.

For a hike, the McDowell Sonoran Preserve covers more than 30,500 acres of protected desert in Scottsdale, with more than 230 miles of trails and several trailheads. The city advises visiting early in the day and checking the forecast, and several trailheads have no drinking water, so bring your own. The preserve is open from sunrise to sunset, so plan the hike around your 2:00 PM finish and the hour of sunset. Electric bikes, scooters and other motorized devices are not allowed on its trails, and rattlesnakes are a protected species, so wear sturdy footwear. The preserve’s trailheads include Gateway, Tom’s Thumb and Sunrise. Camelback Mountain, in Phoenix, has two trailheads, Cholla and Echo Canyon, and is also open sunrise to sunset.

Resorts, spas and golf

Experience Scottsdale’s resort guide groups stays by interest. Old Town hotels are described as hip and urban, in the middle of shopping, dining and nightlife. Experience Scottsdale describes Sonoran Desert resorts with scenic views and easy access to hiking, and several resorts with on-site spas. The guide also counts 200 courses in the area, and several properties have golf concierges.

Museums in Scottsdale and Phoenix

The Heard Museum, at 2301 N. Central Avenue in Phoenix, is devoted to American Indian art, with collections of baskets, beadwork, Hopi Katsina dolls, jewelry, pottery and textiles. It also hosts the World Championship Hoop Dance Contest and the Indian Fair & Market. The Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, at 7374 East Second Street, focuses on contemporary art, architecture and design in a renovated former movie theater designed by Will Bruder.

The Phoenix Zoo, at 455 North Galvin Parkway, is on the same parkway as the Desert Botanical Garden, so the two can share an afternoon. The zoo’s hours change seasonally, so check them before you plan.

More trailheads and an arts district

The McDowell Sonoran Preserve page names ten trailheads, including Brown’s Ranch, Fraesfield, Granite Mountain, Pima Dynamite, Quartz and Ringtail. Lost Dog Wash, at 12601 N. 124th Street, is listed with parking, restrooms, shade ramadas, water and an accessible nature trail.

Scottsdale Arts lists performances at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts and Canal Convergence, an annual outdoor event of large-scale artworks. Check its dates before you plan around them.

When to visit Scottsdale

Experience Scottsdale describes winter highs of about 68–73°F, spring highs climbing from 78°F in March to 86°F in April, and summers that are triple-digit hot, with July the hottest month. Fall highs drop from 100°F in September to 78°F in November, and the city counts more than 330 sunny days a year. October through April is a useful starting point. Use the local forecast when you plan time outdoors.

Getting to Scottsdale and your study setting

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) is the arrival point shown in this guide. Ground options listed by the airport include the PHX Sky Train, rental cars, ride share, taxis and shuttles, and public transportation. Scottsdale and Phoenix are separate cities, and Taliesin West, Old Town, the Desert Botanical Garden and the Musical Instrument Museum are in different parts of the area, so check where each outing is before choosing where to stay.

The map shows straight-line distances from Shift’s designated center. These are orientation distances, not driving distances or travel-time estimates. Check your exact address against the conference’s check-in area before booking.