Legend Tour: Old Town Scottsdale
Odometer (Legend): 522,664
Odometer (ILX): 47,508
I’m one of 221,789 people who call Scottsdale, Arizona home. The city is located in the Phoenix metropolitan area and was incorporated in July 1951. It probably seems to many of my readers that I must not like where I live, since on any given weekend I’m usually on an Acura trip far from home. Truth is, though, that I love it here.
On Sunday, I took a morning cruise in the Legend to downtown Scottsdale which is only about 10 minutes from my home. “Old Town,” as it’s called, refers to an area at the intersections of Scottsdale Rd & Indian School Rd that is the hub of area night life, commerce, and culture. I had brunch with my friend Kati at RnR Restaurant & Bar.
Fueled by a delicious omelet & a tall glass of orange juice, I took the Legend around to see a couple of the sights.
The city’s seal is a mounted cowboy, and there are signs of him standing on various corners in the Old Town area.
Some fun facts about Scottsdale, thanks to Wikipedia:
Scottsdale in 1993 was named the “Most Livable City”, in the United States by the United States Conference of Mayors. This title is notoriously lampooned across the state because of the high cost of living in Scottsdale. It is continually ranked as one of the premier golf and resort destinations in the world, with a sizable portion of tax revenue being derived from tourism. It is also home to the Phoenix Open Golf Tournament and the Barrett Jackson car auction held at WestWorld.
At 4005 North Scottsdale Road lies Sugar Bowl – the best place in town for foods, ice cream, pastries, and candy. It’s been around since 1958.
On May 29th, I had dessert there with my friend Kevin and I confirm that the hot fudge sundae cannot be beat.
Sugar Bowl’s claim to fame is that it has been featured in many of the “Family Circus” cartoons by artist Bil Keane. Bil lived in Paradise Valley, Arizona and was one of Sugar Bowl’s famous customers.
Bil even wrote a note to the owner of the restaurant on this cartoon that’s hanging at the entrance. Bil passed away in November 2011 but his son Jeff continues to draw the Family Circus cartoons.
Old Town is a fun place to walk around and check out the mom & pop shops.
Just a few blocks away lies the Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall, one of the 20 largest shopping malls in the country.
The “Old West Meets the New West.” Below, the Adobe Mission lies at the intersection of Main Street & Brown Avenue. It was built from 1931-33 and restored in 2000.
Thanks for coming along on the tour of my hometown!
Somebody needs to buy this 1995 Legend LS Coupe 6-speed on Ebay in Denver and become my twin!
$4,999 with 171,000 miles. You know you want it!
Until next time.
drivetofive 
July 31, 2013 at 8:06 pm
I’m hitting up The Sugar Bowl next time I’m in the SW!!!
That DDM 6MT coupe looks nice! Alas I have too many irons in the fire. *sigh*
August 1, 2013 at 6:37 am
Dave, we’re definitely hitting up Sugar Bowl the next time you’re here. In fact, I should start putting together my “top picks” for dining destinations for your next visit. The DMM coupe auction ends in an hour. I’ve watched as the price has fallen all the way from $7,999 (on the initial craigslist posting from awhile back) to the current $4,999. Still no takers on the buy-it-now but I do have a friend who’s interested and following up on it today.
July 31, 2013 at 10:52 pm
Scottsdale is known by many around the US as the home of many MLB baseball teams during Spring Training, The Cactus League if I’m not mistaken. I traveled to Scottsdale with my family many times while living in Colorado to see games in Scottsdale, Peoria, and Tucson.
From someone who has never lived in AZ, it seemed like a fantastic place to visit, especially in February and March, when the weather in Colorado is a tad bit less than desirable. We even spent Thanksgiving there one year at the Fairmont Princess Hotel. Very nice place to spend Thanksgiving!
August 1, 2013 at 6:39 am
Duane, funny thing about your statement about coming here for Thanksgiving is that in my 7 Thanksgivings of living here, I’ve always been in Utah that weekend to visit family! Maybe sometime I should actually stick around. You’re right – I forgot to mention Spring Training. We have some great games hosted here. Ideal visiting time is Oct-Apr or so. The rest of the year is a little warm for most peoples’ tastes.