Family Fun in Scottsdale
Category: Travel
At sunset every night at the Westin Kierland Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona a lone bagpipe player, Michael McClanthan or one of his kin, plays a few songs to a crowd of guests.
Sitting outside near a chiminea or one of the firepits, guests enjoy listening to the unique sound while viewing Kierland’s golf course and the McDowell Mountains. Children find this fascinating, because they rarely see a man or woman dressed in kilts.
As the sun sets and the bagpipe player leaves, guests linger outside with a glass of wine or cocktail to see the stars appear overhead before going to dinner.
The Westin Kierland offers 732 traditional guest rooms and suites with views of the golf course or pool area. The majority of the rooms are two expanded double beds for families of four or a King size bed with a pullout chair-bed for couples with one child. Each room has a Heavenly bed with crisp 230-to 300-thread count sheets and a cozy down blanket.
Inside the multi-story lobby are two glass habitats for the resident Western Diamondback rattlesnake, Mohave rattlesnake, Gila monster and California King snake. Westin Kierland has partnered with the Phoenix Herpetological Society to showcase and educate guests about reptiles. Each showcase offers a description of the reptile with tips on how to handle them and common myths.
Children enjoy spending the day doing various pool activities, including tubing down a lazy river, shooting down a water slide or surfing at the Kierland Flowrider. Parents enjoy playing a round of golf at the challenging Kierland 27-hole golf course or get a massage at the full spa. Nearby is the health club for workouts. A block away is a premier shopping center with a variety of stores and dining destinations.
In the evening, children ages four to 12 can participate in the Kid’s Pajama Party with dinner, games and a movie, while parents dine at one of the onsite restaurants. Families gather in the front of the Rim Lobby lounge from 5 o 9 p.m. to order a sweet treat from the Hershey’s Sweet Shoppe dessert bar, featuring at least six to eight different snacks from caramel apples to bourbon pecan pie.
6902 E. Greenway Parkway, Scottsdale, AZ 85254, (800) 354-5892, [email protected].
About the Author
Jill Weinlein is an award winning travel, food and entertainment writer published in various newspapers/ magazines. Check Jill’s articles out http://dineandtravel.wordpress.com
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