After my conference, I took the weekend off to stay in downtown Scottsdale before heading back home. Scottsdale is one of the other cities that is sort of part of Phoenix and is the cultural centre of Phoenix with plenty of arts galleries and performances around. I didn’t have many options but to stay in Scottsdale because I didn’t have a car and Phoenix is really one of those places where you need one, even to get to tourist attractions because of a dire lack of a public transport system.

Walking around Scottsdale is easy enough with a tourist centre providing big maps plotting out all the interesting sights. It’s easy enough to walk around the entire city within a day but it did give me an opportunity to unwind and enjoy the warmth of the desert. There’s plenty of cultural entertainment and I was lucky enough to catch a Native Trails performance produced by the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, sharing many of the indigenous American traditions including music and dance.

I don’t think the city is sustainable at the rate of growth and development they’re pushing for though. In the midst of the desert, they are trying to bring back the canal into huge use and continue the development of “water-front” apartments. I’m lead to believe there is already a water issue coming and yet many people insist on having grass on their front lawns, and the water-hungry plants that they might be used to in other parts of the country, not realising the demands it requires from their current environment.