The Phoenix Traveler

I was headed to Kierland Commons to meet my boyfriend for breakfast at the Corner–a breakfast and lunch counter that we’d been to before. Located in this upscale mall at the northwest corner of Scottsdale and Greenway roads, you can actually get a cup of coffee for 25 cents at the Corner (formerly The Counter). Unusual in this day and age, I know. But, it was closed at 7:30 a.m., wouldn’t open till 9 a.m. So I opted to meet him in the Cave Creek/Carefree area where he’d just finished an early morning run.

Perfect day to drive up north, I thought.

And sure enough. It was hot outside, but in my air-conditioned car, the drive along the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive–the six or so miles of Scottsdale Road after you pass Pinnacle Peak–was comfortable and perfect. I was so busy being mesmerized by the scenery–the mountain vistas, desert plants, desert sky–that I turned off the road too soon and had to make a U-turn back to Spanish Village–That’s the shopping area where I promised to meet my boyfriend so I could join him this time at the Black Mountain Coffee Shop on Ho Hum Road.

If you’re new to the area, don’t know what to do on a Sunday afternoon, but want something leisurely, I recommend this drive. It’s not only going to take you to an old fashioned coffee shop where the cinnamon rolls look and taste like they were baked right on the farm–and you have to pay cash for your meal–but it’s also going to give you glimpses of some of the area’s most beautiful scenery–the McDowell Mountains on the east, The Boulders up ahead, Black Mountain on the West, and Tonto National Forest further north–not to mention the desert flora and fauna right beside you on the road.

You’ll also pass MacDonald’s Ranch where you can sign up for trail rides, El Pedregal if you want to shop for expensive jewelry and home furnishings, Heard Museum North for your Native American art fix, The Boulders resort where you can stop in for a facial at the spa, and then you reach the two towns of Cave Creek and Carefree.

Back in the 60s, when this short stretch of the road was first named “scenic”–and not all of it was paved–there wasn’t much up here you could call civilization. Most of it was wild and woolly desert. Today, the road is a 4-lane highway, and there are plenty of residential communities and shopping centers to go around. Times have certainly changed.

But preservationists back then realized the importance of saving the views and some parts of the desert. This designated scenic drive is the result of that dedicated activism. Along the way, you’ll see several redwood signs, low to the ground and unobtrusive. On them are the names of the plants on the side of the road. You may miss a few if you’re driving too fast, but for the ones you catch, they’ll teach you names of the plants, trees and cacti that grow naturally in the region. You might see the ironwood sign, or the jojoba sign, or maybe one that points out where the catclaw grows. The visitor exhibit tells the full story. To find that, watch for the “Desert Foothills Scenic Drive” sign about 1 and 1/2 miles north of Pinnacle Peak Road. It’ll be on the east side of the road.

If you’re coming from the airport, from downtown, or Old Town Scottsdale, turn north onto Scottsdale Road and keep driving north. Once you pass Loop 101, you’ll be about 10 minutes away.

Not just for Sundays, however, the road’s open daily, 24/7.   

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