SCOTTSDALE – The crack of a bat. The sun on your face. And hardly a Zamboni in sight. It’s spring training time in Arizona, where roughly half of major league ballplayers gather to hone their skills in time for the regular season. All big league teams have their spring headquarters in the Scottsdale-Phoenix area, which makes Scottsdale the ideal base. Scottsdale proper is home to three major league teams for spring training: the San Francisco Giants, Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks. You’re also within a few minutes drive of all the other teams in Arizona, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, Read more
Scottsdale
We Canadians have it pretty good when it comes to weekend getaways. There are fantastic American and Caribbean destinations only a few hours by plane from our biggest cities. Thanks to Rogers, they all can be visited at a very reasonable cost. If you use your Rogers Roam Like Home plan, you can use your phone’s roaming feature in great cities all across the U.S. for just $6 Cdn. a day; about what you’d pay for a Starbucks café latte in Manhattan. On top of that, you can spend two weeks or even three and your bill will be capped Read more
THIS ITEM ORIGINALLY APPEARED JAN. 11 on POSTMEDIA AND SUN MEDIA SITES IN CANADA. The loonie remains in the doldrums. But winter’s getting you down and you’re dying to hit your favourite U.S. getaway spot. Lucky for us, there are still some great American destinations that aren’t too expensive. There also are ways to save on visits to cities and places you might think of as outside your budget. Here are some suggestions. ST. PETERSBURG/CLEARWATER This is a favourite area for Blue Jays fans, as the Jays play their spring training games in nearby Dunedin. Dunedin is a great spot Read more
SCOTTSDALE – From service to food to crazy beautiful pools and great golf, The Phoenician is a resort that stands the test of time. I recently had a couple nights at the hotel, just a few minutes from downtown Scottsdale and close to the airport in Phoenix. And I loved it. You pull into the place feeling special, cruising past one of Arizona’s most beautiful golf courses and winding your way to the foot of Camelback Mountain. The valets are quick and efficient and friendly, even if you arrive in an Uber driver’s Hyundai instead of a Porsche 911 convertible. Read more
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA – I get to travel to some pretty amazing places in the world, and I check out a lot of great hotels. But I try not to research things too much for fear of raising my expectations and spoiling a nice surprise. That was definitely the case for my brief stay at the Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort in beautiful Scottsdale, Arizona. I was in town for a travel writers’ conference and didn’t arrive until late in the day. But I was immediately taken with the wonderful lobby entrance and the look and feel of the place, which Read more
