A girlfriend getaway in the "Miami of the Arizona desert" provides the perfect mix of fitness, spas—and a little polo.
STAY: The Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort was our home base, where the recently renovated Mountain Casitas have huge bathrooms and spacious seating areas from which to catch the stunning pink sunsets over the mountains. The amazing array of challenging fitness activities, from spinning to tennis drills to Bilates (Barre/Pilates) kept all the girls happy. 5700 E. McDonald Dr., Scottsdale. 855-245-2051. www.sanctuaryoncamelback.com
DO: The Bentley Scottsdale Polo Championships, held every October, was the perfect excuse to gather the girls for an afternoon of Moët drinking and stomping divots. Do splurge on the VIP tent, where you can watch all the action from the comfort of a sofa, champagne flute in hand. Don’t forget your fascinator! 16601 N. Pima Rd., Scottsdale. www.thepoloparty.com
PRIMP: The Sparkle Bar is a new addition to Old Town Scottsdale and is an excellent starting point for your festivities. We tried the “Blush Rush,” a makeup application which took us from plain to pretty for just $25. 4200 N. Marshall Way #7, Scottsdale. 480-941-3438. www.thesparklebar.com
POOL PARTY: The legendary Wet Deck at the W Scottsdale Hotel is a huge weekend party with DJs, casitas and a constant flow of cocktails. When the sun sets, head downstairs to Sushi Roku for soft shell crab rolls and delicious fluke sashimi. 7277 East Camelback Rd., Scottsdale. 888-627-8347. www.wscottsdalehotel.com
DINE: Twenty minutes from Scottsdale, Chelsea’s Kitchen, in Phoenix, is a fun locals gathering spot (think short rib tacos and green chile burgers), as is the owner’s new Buck & Rider seafood and oyster bar not far away. Neither takes reservations, so be prepared to start in the bar. Don’t forget to grab complimentary warm chocolate chip cookies at Chelsea’s Kitchen on the way out to your Uber. 5040 N. 40th St., Phoenix, 602-957-2555. www.chelseaskitchenaz.com; 4225 E. Camelback Rd., Phoenix, 602-346-0110. www.buckandrider.com
JUICE: Now with five Arizona locations including a gluten-free bakery, Kaleidoscope organic cold-pressed juice is a local success story founded by former Vancouverite and mother-daughter team Alexandra and Andrea Maw. We loved The River and The Green Dragon, as well as their peanut butter cookies to fuel our morning hikes. 7119 E. 1st Ave., Scottsdale. 480-980-8677. www.kaleidoscopejuice.com
SPA: Sensei, the Asian-themed spa at The Sanctuary is an oasis of bamboo and tranquility in the desert. The massages and body treatments come highly recommended from our group of discerning testers. www.sanctuaryoncamelback.com
See you next time, Scottsdale! —Sarah Bancroft
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