Visting Scottsdale, Arizona

[bgpro611]

I'll be going to Scottsdale for business this coming weekend and will have 1/2 a day Saturday and all day Sunday to do a little wandering around. Does anyone have any ideas for some good shooting locations in the general area? I'll be taking my D-700, 16-35, 24-70, and a 24-120. The Grand Canyon seems a little far for a days drive so something more local would be nice.

[camera shy]

I've been to Scottsdale a few times. The Canyon is a 4 hr drive. You could go saturday and spend the night, but it will be fairly crowded on the weekend.
There are lots of beautiful golf courses in and around Scottsdale. Some have access, some don't. Go to the Biltmore Hotel and look around the grounds. Also check out Fountain Hills just east of Scottsdale.

[brewercm]

Hmmmm, Scottsdale. I'd be thinking of shooting hopefully a lot of pars with at least a couple of birdies mixed in there and as little bogies as possible.

Oh sorry, wrong forum. I would think the sunrises and sunsets in the area would be amazing, especially with that desert background. Possibly even using the golf course for a beautiful green seen with the desert as a great backdrop. Again I gravitated to golf for some reason.

Have a blast whatever you end up with .

[lfmerrell]

South Mountain for sunset. Echo Canyon = the back side of Camelback Mountain, occasionally climbers on the cliff face. There is or was an easy climb to the crest.
The Borgata, patterned after a walled Italian renaissance town San Gimignano in Scottsdale, AZ! A daughter and I used to do some night photography there back in our Canon AE-1P days.
Then the Sacoton Reservation Cultural Center on I-10 south of the city.
The Boyce-Thompson Arboretum ( http://cals.arizona.edu/bta/ )was quite neat it is close by in the Miami-Globe region. The Boojum tree alone is worth the drive, if still there.
Then there is the Salt River Canyon drive and the Mogollon Rim country
( Scenic drive: 200 miles along Mogollon Rim )

All of this with the understanding I left there in 1985. Still miss Arizona.

[bgpro611]

Thanks Lewis, I'll check those out!

[bgpro611]

Scottsdale has been a great place to visit so far. Went to the Frank Lloyd Wright Taliesin center yesterday, it was amazing. So far today we went to Echo Canyon which is a very beautiful place to climb around. I'll post some pictures when I return to Houston.

[Atfulldraw]

just missed this....we spent all of October and some of November in Snottsdale (as they call it in Phoenix) ;)

South and North Mountain are cool for climbing and photos.
next time take the drive to Payson - really great up there and only about an hour away.....

[Stargazer77517]

We were in Phoenix last year. If you can make it Squaw peak (close to the airport) and White Tank Mountian park are some good places to shoot. If you can the climb on Squaw Peak the back side overlooks Phoenix. Quite a view at sunset.

[bgpro611]

Went to Squaw Peak this morning what a cool place. Every time I get into a area with even small mountains I wish there was a little more to Houston than traffic!

[lfmerrell]

Piestewa Peak. I believe the peak was renamed to honor Lauri Piestewa, a woman from the Hopi tribe and an enlisted soldier in the US Army, of Arizona. She was killed by enemy fire during the first gulf war.