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The Perfect Scottsdale Girls’ Trip in 16 Steps

Kate and her two friends in floppy hats and sunglasses, with the modern red building of Taliesin West behind them.

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Three of my closest friends and I just came back from an incredible girls’ trip in Scottsdale, Arizona. And we had a big reason to celebrate — this year, the four of us are all turning 40!

On this trip were me, Beth, Lisa, and Jen, and the four of us have been best friends for 25 years. (Jen is a pseudonym; she requested anonymity and I’m honoring her wishes.)

We used to travel together a lot when we were younger! Montreal at 18, where we tasted our first legal alcohol. Vegas at 23, where we took selfies with Ice-T and Coco. After moving away, we would visit each other for the weekend in DC, in New York, in college towns in Pennsylvania and upstate New York.

But as we got into our thirties, the trips slowed to a stop. I’m sure a bunch of you can relate to that. We were busy with marriages, babies, jobs, and degrees — soon the closest thing we had to a girls’ trip was an overnight stay for a mutual friend’s wedding.

But this time, we were determined to make up for lost time, and plan the ultimate girls’ trip in Scottsdale, Arizona. A trip with amazing food, pool time, wine tasting, culture, and so much bonding.

Our trip was SO good that you could follow the blueprint for it and be thrilled. So I decided to share our blueprint for you. Feel free to steal it for your own trip!

This post is brought to you by Experience Scottsdale. Many thanks to their incredible team for organizing a trip we’ll never forget!

This post was published in July 2024, based on a trip taken in June 2024.

Kate and her two friends in floppy hats and sunglasses, with the modern red building of Taliesin West behind them.

Why We Chose Scottsdale

Why did we choose Scottsdale for our 40th birthday trip? We wanted to go somewhere reflecting the women we’ve now become.

What we wanted, overall, was VARIETY. A destination that could offer culture, relaxation time, great food, and nightlife. But not a place overrun with twenty-somethings or hard-partiers.

Also on our list: direct flights or driving distance from Boston, and decent weather in late June.

After research, discussion, and anonymous voting, we narrowed it down to three finalists: Scottsdale, Bermuda, and distantly behind the other two, Newport, Rhode Island.

We axed Newport for being too close and “same-y” to our home, the North Shore of Massachusetts, and began debating the merits of Scottsdale vs. Bermuda.

Honestly? Scottsdale offered far more variety in things to do,…

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