Hi everyone,
My mom and I are planning a 4 night getaway to Phoenix towards the end of June. We will be staying at either the JW Marriott, Hyatt, Sheraton, or Westin.

We are looking for a lot of relaxation and laying by the pool, with a little shopping, eating, and exploring thrown in. Neither of us has ever been to this part of the country before, we are from Massachusetts.

1.) What are some good mid-price restaurants in the area? We will have a car, so off resort is fine. We like all kinds of food!

2.) What horse-back riding excursion would you recommend?

3.) Since we will only be there a short time, what would you recommend we see while we are there?

4.) RT plane fares for the end of June right now are about $245-$265 on American Airlines. Is this a good fare, or is it possible it will dip even more?

Thanks so much, these boards are always great when planning my trips!

I went to Scottsdale in October with girlfriends and had such a good time I am returning with my husband the first week of June. We went to a little weekend crafts type of fair in Cave Creek which we all enjoyed. I bought a huge turqouise and silver belt buckle (the only thing I really had on the shopping list) for $85. In Old Town Scottdale the same type of buckle could be found for several hundred dollars. When I bought a belt to go with it in Aspen at Christmas similar buckles were $800-1200. So it seemed to be a good place to get a deal on turqoise if you are into that.

I loved going to Pischke's in Old Town Scottsdale on Sunday morning and eating alone but talking to the locals and the waiters. Loved the bananas foster french toast. In Old Town my friends and I loved the chips at the Salty Senorita. We were pretty big on the salsa that had shrimp in it also.

The four of us climbed Pinnacle Peak, north of Scottsdale which was much tamer than Camelback which can be rather treacherous. Pinnacle Peak has a well traveled trail and has beautiful views.

I can't offer advice on airfare as I'm not on the east coast but I (have to brag) got a roundtrip fare of $146 on a nonstop flight from Indy to Phoenix which I was pretty excited about.

BTW, not on your list but my friend recently stayed at the Fairmont Princess and loved the upscale restaurant there and was enamoured of the lavender scented misting system in the pool area.

amwosu: Thanks for those great tips! I am thinking the same might happen to me...I will love it with my mom, and have to return with my husband! The off-season rates for summer are so great, my mom and I couldn't pass it up!

Also, maybe this is a stupid question, but how far is the Grand Canyon from Phoenix? Close enough for a day trip, or no? Thanks!

We took a 2 day bus trip to the Grand Canyon from Phoenix. We had an early start, stopped a few places on the way. I had time for a Pink Jeep ride in Sedona and a rush thru a couple of shops. We overnighted in Flagstaff and were dropped off at Bright Angel Lodge at the Grand Canyon around 10AM the next morning. I think we had about 4 hours at the GC, not quite enough time but good enough for a quick visit. We stopped for the IMAX movie which was better than I thought it would be. The bus deposited us at the airport at 10PM for our midnight flight.
Since we had been attending a convention this was a terrific way to end our visit. However, we were there for Memorial Day weekend before it got too hot. On the way to the airport I saw it was 104 deg at 9pm. It is a lot cooler at the GC however. Near the convention center was our favorite restaurant Sam's Cafe. It was in a small plaza called the Arizona Center which contained several shops and restaurants. We kept going back to try a new dish. Even the mashed potatoes had a southwestern flair.
Hope you have a great time. Don't forget hats and sunglasses.

Hope you all remember that June is usually our hottest month. Laying by the pool is not even doable at times. Any outdoor things you do need to be done early am or after the sun goes down.

correct response about the weather. Probably too hot for horseback riding. Consider a 4 wheel drive tour -- Wild West Tours is very good.

Restaurants: Los Sombreros, Scottsdale and Barrio Cafe, Phoneix. Both are don't miss mid priced and special to this area. You will experience a wait at both of weekends, and probably during the week at Barrio since it's quite small.

GC is a two day trip, 4.5 hours by car. Sedona is a one-dayer, consider adding Jerome to the itinerary.

Can't help on airfare as I already live here in paradise.

I live in Phoenix and recently attended a wedding a the JW Marriot Desert Ridge. The Desert Ridge shopping center is close by with quite a few shopping areas and restaurants. That area is becoming more and more developed and you should have no problem finding places to eat.
The hotel itself was beautiful and I found the staff to be quite friendly. The resort is huge and there were a few restaurants at the resort as well.

Sorry, beachgirl, I forgot to ask if you had tried orbitz for airfare? I'm sure you have, but it doesn't hurt to ask. We found America west to be the only airlines that had non-stop service from Phoenix-Boston.
Making our first trek to Boston in two weeks.