Scottsdale
I’ve already intro’d Amy, my badass friend and former colleague, in her first guest post on a romantic rendezvous to D.C. Next up, she’s taking us along on her one year anniversary trip to Scottsdale, AZ, a place I’ve never been but one that’s been on my list for awhile. I’m just going to live vicariously through her while I sit here super preggo, unable to travel and probably out of commission for a bit once the babe finally comes. My wanderlust is seriously struggling right now (I’m itching for a trip, anywhere, really. Even Target alone feels like a luxury right now. Insert sad emoji face here.). Thank goodness for Amy and Mike. Whether you’ve got summer plans on lock or are daydreaming like me, follow along on their jaunt (and Amy’s brutal- and beautiful- honesty about finding the love of her life) to the desert…
I can’t believe it has somehow already been a year with my boyfriend. To many, this would just seem like a fun milestone but for me the significance of this anniversary runs very deep. I’ve been through relationship hell and had to work harder than I ever thought possible to walk through the fire of divorce during which infidelity, financial swindling and general dishonesty were revealed and the shattering of every ounce of trust, dignity and belief in myself and common decency I once had left shards of my former life scattered around me. I spent five years putting out the fires, taking a long, hard look at myself and facing down demons both new and old in countless hours of therapy and later in Reiki. I worked on myself, creating a vision of the life I wanted and tried to cling to the small threads of hope I could find in myself, carefully weaving them together until they became a thread I could hold and eventually the fabric I’ve been able to use to begin to build the life I have always wanted. It was only when I could start to really trust myself again, with some serious help from friends and family, that I was able to make room in my heart and my life for Mike to enter.
It’s funny that he was there from early on in this process. We’d met by working together on a TV show and had started a friendship rooted in daily conversations, little jokes and a safe place for him to talk about his failing marriage and me to talk about my then on-going divorce. I left the show after two years but we remained friends and would see each other at mutual friend’s parties and the like. I never thought of Mike as someone I would date- I was busy chasing after a string of narcissistic, creative man-child types, while passionate and fun were careless with my heart and emotions. I didn’t believe I deserved the love of someone who treated me with respect, kindness, consideration, dignity and truly loved me for just being me.
Four years after meeting, Mike filed for divorce, I got out of my own way and we met for a drink to catch-up. And, we did all of the things you shouldn’t do- sleep together on the first night, date your friend, start something with someone going through a divorce… Oh and our first date was on Friday the 13th– I guess we’re not terribly superstitious. But, our atypical, ill-advised first date has lead to the greatest love story of my life and I could not be happier. I’ve finally learned to forgive myself, love myself and trust myself and I got the greatest reward of all- the man I’m lucky enough to share everyday with, who mirrors the love I’ve found within back to me in the most incredible, sincere way. His love has healed my broken heart and made me realize what all of those silly love songs and Instagram quotes are about and I’m lucky enough to now know a kind of love I truly did not believe existed for me. I’ve never been more glad to be wrong.
Sooo… back to our anniversary. Needless to say, a simple dinner out was not going to cut it so I planned a little desert getaway for us to relax, reflect on the year we’ve shared, set intention for what we want for the next year of our relationship and celebrate the most special year of our lives.
A surprisingly short flight from LA later, we landed in sunny Scottsdale and headed over to The Andaz Resort & Spa. A friend recommended the recently-opened property and she was smart to do so- it’s clean, quiet, thoughtfully decorated, there are beautiful architectural details everywhere you look and the property has a bespoke luxe feel. Basically all of the things I love for a getaway, especially a romantic one.
Our room was in a little casita-inspired bungalow on the property and the mid-century modern vibe of our room was nicely complimented by great pieces of art created by local artist. I have to say, though, our favorite part of our room was a toss up between the private terrace off the back, perfect for sunbathing and star-gazing and the amazing marble, dual-head shower that is almost the same size of my entire apartment bathroom back in LA. We’re still talking about that shower!
We checked-in, walked around the property and explored for a bit and got ready for dinner in town at The Henry. A super cute, eclectic vibe welcomed us as we entered this Scottsdale hot spot. I can see why it’s so popular. We started with a locally made Panther Creek Pinot Noir– light, well-balanced and easy drinking, just what we wanted. Plus, I always love trying out local products. My love of kale knows no bounds so of course we started with the warm kale and truffle dip- it was delicious and even Mike, not as much of a kale lover, was fighting me for the last bite. He opted for the roasted chicken, which was moist, flavorful and perfectly seasoned and I the roasted branzino, which was delicious. Calories don’t count on vacation so we opted for the olive oil cake with basil ice cream for dessert and it was worth every bite. After dinner, we made our way back to the hotel where we enjoyed a nightcap and gazed up at the stars from the privacy of our very own terrace. It was heaven.
I had grandiose visions of getting up in time for a dawn hike at nearby Pinnacle Peak but forgot to set an alarm so we woke up after said sunrise… c’est la vie, I guess. Mike and I were booked for a mid-day couples massage so we decided to give the restaurant on the property a try for breakfast.
I’ve traveled a lot for both work and fun and usually find the hotel restaurant to be great for drinks and average for any meals. Weft & Warp Art Bar + Kitchen is the exception to this rule. The service is on point and everyone we encountered was friendly and knowledgeable but not overbearing and the food is on par with any great restaurant in town. Delicious, approachable, seasonal and did I mention delicious? Everything we tried was great but the blue corn pancakes and dirty hash browns, which come with a selection of homemade hot sauces (I seriously considered stealing these to take home but Mike told me to “get a grip” so I decided against it.) were our runaway favorites.
We went for a post-breakfast stroll to try and burn off some of the caloric sins of vacation and made our way to the Palo Verde Spa. Before we started dating, Mike had never had a formal massage in a spa. I found this tragic and after our first couple’s massage, a few months into dating, it’s safe to say he’s hooked and wants to know if we can get massages anytime we go anywhere! This couples massage did not disappoint. We got to choose from a trio of locally made, organic aromatherapy oils and the massage itself was heavenly. 60 minutes of bliss where all of our knots and worries of daily life dissolved into the desert around us.
The spa itself was beautiful- clean lines, minimalist décor, immaculately clean and it even had a private pool in the back! After our massages, Mike and I camped out by the pool and had it mostly to ourselves for the better part of the afternoon. You would think being in Scottsdale you’d hear the hum of the city around you but the way the property is situated all you see is Camelback Mountain off in the distance, the desert around you and the chirp of occasional birds flying in the breeze. It felt like we were in our own little desert oasis and it really gave us time to talk, laugh and connect.
We were having so much fun at the resort, we decided to go back to Weft & Warp for dinner. We were seated facing a huge picture window with a beautiful view of the sun setting behind Camelback Mountain. We shared a variety of small plates over the course of the evening and, while we loved everything, the roasted pork and street corn were incredible.
After dinner, we made our way to the terrace that overlooks the pool and watched the last blue of the sky give way to a starry night with warm breezes, enjoying the last of our wine and savored the most magical anniversary weekend either of us could have hoped for.
Sadly, the next morning marked our last in Scottsdale before we had to head back to LA. We went for a last walk around the property and had a less decadent but still delicious breakfast on property. Our flight was not until the late afternoon so after a leisurely morning of reading the paper, sipping on coffee and packing we decided to checkout downtown Scottsdale before heading to the airport. Since it was Sunday, a lot of stores were closed, which I was a little surprised about and wish I’d know before because I would’ve tried to get into town on Saturday, particularly to see more of the art galleries featuring works by local artist but it’s really just another reason to return to Scottsdale. We were super relaxed and rested and just enjoyed walking around and exploring some of the city and plotting how soon we could return.
We usually think of going to Vegas or Palm Springs for desert getaways but the serene environment, beautiful landscape and wonderful experience we had in Scottsdale is fast making this great city our new go-to and I cannot wait to plan our next trip to this beautiful oasis.