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| - After spending an afternoon in Old Town I feel like this area of Scottsdale is torn between two identities. Does it want to be a tourist trap or a foodie, arts, shopping haven? Probably a little bit of both, and it takes on these identities with pride. "The West's most western town" will provide you with an afternoon or evening of activities, great restaurants, and plenty of Native American themed shops. There is free 3 hour time limit parking available in abundance and a free trolley service that loops around Old Town, perfect for those painfully hot days.
Our first stop was Mexican Imports and we really enjoyed it. It's basically a large Mexican themed gift shop geared towards tourists, but some of the items for sale are really interesting. After that we took the free self-guided walking tour. The tour showcases some of Old Town's historic spots and takes you right past the beautiful Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. Some of the places on this tour are very cool, like the still functioning blacksmith shop, the olive trees, and the Sugar Bowl, but others can be skipped - sorry, but there is nothing historic about your public library or city hall.
Old Town is worth checking out. We really enjoyed the day we spent there. We ate a great meal at The Mission, had delicious camelback sodas at the Sugar Bowl, and got a kick out of the "Old West" atmosphere of this area. As always, bring plenty of water, as it does get extremely hot!
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