City: Carefree, AZ

Category: Accommodations

Telephone: (480) 488-9009, (888) 579-2631

Address: 34631 N. Tom Darlington Dr.

Description: The Boulders, set on the edge of Scottsdale in the foothills of the far Northeast Valley, is logistically the best place to get away from it all without leaving civilization. Carefree is a small, laid-back town with beautiful hillside homes about 30 miles north of central Phoenix. The Boulders is on the main route into town and has a 24-hour security gate, separating it from the community of affluent Midwest and East Coast transplants. The resort’s name pays tribute to the 12-million-year-old geological curiosity at its center: a 90-foot-high mound of boulders. Other rock outcroppings dot the grounds. The resort was designed and built in the early 1980s with early eco-friendly construction principles in mind. The resort offers on-site geology tours; ask when you reserve. The low-slung adobe-style buildings are painted to closely match the color of the boulders. Almost all the landscaping is indigenous to the area.A network of trails on resort grounds lets guests enjoy the mountain scenery, including the reported 350 species of birds and other wildlife in the area. The list of amenities is pages long, topped by the Boulders’ 2 scenic 18-hole championship golf courses. In 2010 the resort unveiled its remodeled Bogey’s bar at the golf club, setting it apart from other more traditional “19th hole” golf club bars. The Boulders also offers an academy to train with the pros and swing doctors to help you spend less time in the sand on your vacation. Staff members at the Boulders say service is just as important as amenities. With an eye toward anticipating their guests’ every need, they keep detailed preference histories—for instance, who likes feather pillows over synthetic.The 160 guest casitas and more than 60 villas are nestled into the terrain. The most recent interior renovations added warmer colors, regional artwork, Native American artifacts, and vintage-style furniture. Each of the accommodations has a fireplace and private patio or balcony. Families and golf groups can take advantage of the 1-, 2-, or 3-bedroom villas, complete with laundry facilities and kitchens. All units have plugs for personal tech gadgets, wet bars, large dressing areas, upgraded bathrooms, and wood-beam ceilings.Dining is exceptional, with 6 restaurants to choose from, including the casually elegant Palo Verde and The Latilla, offering a more formal menu and views of a waterfall. There are 8 tennis courts, with tennis pros offering private lessons and weekly clinics. You’ll also find 4 swimming pools and rock-climbing sessions that guide you up the boulders formation. The luxurious Golden Door Spa, with its innovative wellness program and state-of-the-art fitness center, features a detox program in addition to yoga and tai chi classes. A “back to the womb” experience and Native American-inspired programs are also offered. It’s a short stroll away from the boutiques and galleries of El Pedregal Festival Marketplace or a short drive to the touristy town of Carefree. Complimentary shuttles get you around the 1,300-acre resort. Native American art is showcased in the main lodge and dining areas. Transportation to Sky Harbor and Scottsdale airports is available, or you can fly your private plane right into Carefree Airport.

City: Carefree, AZ

Category: Accommodations

Telephone: (480) 488-5300, (800) 637-7200

Address: 37220 N. Mule Trail Rd.

Description: If you like the idea of being close to the mountains, this cozy, hidden-away resort in Carefree is a great choice. You’ll enjoy learning the names and whereabouts of such landmarks as Black Mountain, Elephant Butte, and Skull Mesa. The resort’s casitas, tennis villas, and restaurants were remodeled and redesigned beginning in 2010. The updated resort has 222 rooms, including standard ones with panoramic views, casitas, and privately owned luxury villas. Several championship golf courses are located close by. The resort offers 2 pools where you can sip the resort’s signature prickly pear margaritas, in addition to 5 tennis courts, an upscale restaurant, a fitness center, and a full-service spa. Through concierge services, you can head out on desert jeep tours, hot-air balloon rides, or horseback riding trips. Other innovative offerings include cowboy-style cooking classes and campfire storytelling. The western-themed Red Horse Saloon was closed and reopened as a meeting facility, further enhancing the venue with 22 meeting rooms. The 11,000-square-foot Opera House is a popular Northeast Valley site for formal programs.

City: Carefree, AZ

Category: Accommodations

Telephone: (480) 488-9009, (888) 579-2631

Address: 34631 N. Tom Darlington Dr.

Description: The Boulders, set on the edge of Scottsdale in the foothills of the far Northeast Valley, is logistically the best place to get away from it all without leaving civilization. Carefree is a small, laid-back town with beautiful hillside homes about 30 miles north of central Phoenix. The Boulders is on the main route into town and has a 24-hour security gate, separating it from the community of affluent Midwest and East Coast transplants. The resort’s name pays tribute to the 12-million-year-old geological curiosity at its center: a 90-foot-high mound of boulders. Other rock outcroppings dot the grounds. The resort was designed and built in the early 1980s with early eco-friendly construction principles in mind. The resort offers on-site geology tours; ask when you reserve. The low-slung adobe-style buildings are painted to closely match the color of the boulders. Almost all the landscaping is indigenous to the area.A network of trails on resort grounds lets guests enjoy the mountain scenery, including the reported 350 species of birds and other wildlife in the area. The list of amenities is pages long, topped by the Boulders’ 2 scenic 18-hole championship golf courses. In 2010 the resort unveiled its remodeled Bogey’s bar at the golf club, setting it apart from other more traditional “19th hole” golf club bars. The Boulders also offers an academy to train with the pros and swing doctors to help you spend less time in the sand on your vacation. Staff members at the Boulders say service is just as important as amenities. With an eye toward anticipating their guests’ every need, they keep detailed preference histories—for instance, who likes feather pillows over synthetic.The 160 guest casitas and more than 60 villas are nestled into the terrain. The most recent interior renovations added warmer colors, regional artwork, Native American artifacts, and vintage-style furniture. Each of the accommodations has a fireplace and private patio or balcony. Families and golf groups can take advantage of the 1-, 2-, or 3-bedroom villas, complete with laundry facilities and kitchens. All units have plugs for personal tech gadgets, wet bars, large dressing areas, upgraded bathrooms, and wood-beam ceilings.Dining is exceptional, with 6 restaurants to choose from, including the casually elegant Palo Verde and The Latilla, offering a more formal menu and views of a waterfall. There are 8 tennis courts, with tennis pros offering private lessons and weekly clinics. You’ll also find 4 swimming pools and rock-climbing sessions that guide you up the boulders formation. The luxurious Golden Door Spa, with its innovative wellness program and state-of-the-art fitness center, features a detox program in addition to yoga and tai chi classes. A “back to the womb” experience and Native American-inspired programs are also offered. It’s a short stroll away from the boutiques and galleries of El Pedregal Festival Marketplace or a short drive to the touristy town of Carefree. Complimentary shuttles get you around the 1,300-acre resort. Native American art is showcased in the main lodge and dining areas. Transportation to Sky Harbor and Scottsdale airports is available, or you can fly your private plane right into Carefree Airport.

City: Carefree, AZ

Category: Accommodations

Telephone: (480) 488-5300, (800) 637-7200

Address: 37220 N. Mule Trail Rd.

Description: If you like the idea of being close to the mountains, this cozy, hidden-away resort in Carefree is a great choice. You’ll enjoy learning the names and whereabouts of such landmarks as Black Mountain, Elephant Butte, and Skull Mesa. The resort’s casitas, tennis villas, and restaurants were remodeled and redesigned beginning in 2010. The updated resort has 222 rooms, including standard ones with panoramic views, casitas, and privately owned luxury villas. Several championship golf courses are located close by. The resort offers 2 pools where you can sip the resort’s signature prickly pear margaritas, in addition to 5 tennis courts, an upscale restaurant, a fitness center, and a full-service spa. Through concierge services, you can head out on desert jeep tours, hot-air balloon rides, or horseback riding trips. Other innovative offerings include cowboy-style cooking classes and campfire storytelling. The western-themed Red Horse Saloon was closed and reopened as a meeting facility, further enhancing the venue with 22 meeting rooms. The 11,000-square-foot Opera House is a popular Northeast Valley site for formal programs.

City: Carefree, AZ

Category: Tours & Attractions

Telephone: (480) 488-3381

Address: 748 Easy St.

Description: These two neighboring communities south of Tonto National Forest make for fun excursions because of their scenic surroundings, boutiques, Western shops, and easygoing ambience. The half-hour drive from Scottsdale is pleasant in itself. Head north on Scottsdale Road, and you’ll see how acres of new development are interspersed with stretches of unspoiled desert. The McDowell Mountains draw your eye to the east, and the northern view spotlights the hills of the national forest. Several miles of Scottsdale Road north of Scottsdale have been designated the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive, and small signs tell you the names of the various desert plants that flourish in the area.Using this route you’ll reach Carefree first. The planned community was founded in 1956, and today it’s dotted with expensive hillside homes. The world-class Boulders Resort is in Carefree, as is the upscale boutique/art gallery enclave called El Pedregal Marketplace. Several boutiques and galleries are in the town center, along with the K.T. Palmer Sundial, one of the largest sundials in the world. In tune with the town name, Carefree has fun with street names. Walk along Ho and Hum roads, for instance, or Easy Street.Find neighboring Cave Creek by following the signs that point west to Cave Creek Road. You’ll know you’re there when you start to see storefronts and restaurants that hark back to the Old West, motorcycle enthusiasts, and bohemian artists. Modern residential development is springing up all around Cave Creek, though town center is able to retain its traditional character. Like Carefree, it’s a fun place for souvenir shopping and antiques hunting. Take a break at one of the saloons on Cave Creek Road before heading back to the metropolis.

City: Carefree, AZ

Category: Tours & Attractions

Telephone: (480) 488-3381

Address: 748 Easy St.

Description: These two neighboring communities south of Tonto National Forest make for fun excursions because of their scenic surroundings, boutiques, Western shops, and easygoing ambience. The half-hour drive from Scottsdale is pleasant in itself. Head north on Scottsdale Road, and you’ll see how acres of new development are interspersed with stretches of unspoiled desert. The McDowell Mountains draw your eye to the east, and the northern view spotlights the hills of the national forest. Several miles of Scottsdale Road north of Scottsdale have been designated the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive, and small signs tell you the names of the various desert plants that flourish in the area.Using this route you’ll reach Carefree first. The planned community was founded in 1956, and today it’s dotted with expensive hillside homes. The world-class Boulders Resort is in Carefree, as is the upscale boutique/art gallery enclave called El Pedregal Marketplace. Several boutiques and galleries are in the town center, along with the K.T. Palmer Sundial, one of the largest sundials in the world. In tune with the town name, Carefree has fun with street names. Walk along Ho and Hum roads, for instance, or Easy Street.Find neighboring Cave Creek by following the signs that point west to Cave Creek Road. You’ll know you’re there when you start to see storefronts and restaurants that hark back to the Old West, motorcycle enthusiasts, and bohemian artists. Modern residential development is springing up all around Cave Creek, though town center is able to retain its traditional character. Like Carefree, it’s a fun place for souvenir shopping and antiques hunting. Take a break at one of the saloons on Cave Creek Road before heading back to the metropolis.