Where new and old west meet ...... Scottsdale!

Our fourth stay in Scottsdale, a very pleasant town, in which we are enjoying staying in a favourite hotel. It was good to start the day with a pool-side breakfast in sunshine and we planned to have a laid-back day. We began by taking a short drive to the Desert Botanical Garden, a tranquil sanctuary in which the scenery is well worth the effort and heat!

Its a relatively small, but popular venue, and it was surprising to spot a free electric car charging space in the car park.

We caught a free ten o'clock tour, during which the special adaptive features of several desert plants (enabling them to thrive in the Sonora Desert) was explained by our guide, Carol. (We also noted that much of Arizona is dedicated to Indian reservations and National Parks)

With the energy sapping heat on full throttle, we then drove to the Fashion Mall, downtown, parking in its unlimited free undercover parking garage. Entering Nordstrom, we continued through its vastness (noting a Tesla car showroom on one of the upper floors! to the Food Court, where we bought a sandwich from a bakery. It was freshly made, great quality, and came with a complimentary cookie. Nice! The Food Court also boasted a  (non-singing) Johnny Rocket's and 5 Guys, next to each other. We ducked into the Harkins Cine Complex, to see The Martian on its opening day ..... an entertaining film and good air-conditioning! A late afternoon drive to the Holiday Inn and then out to dinner at the Olive Garden, where yesterday we encountered a real cowboy (boots, stetson and all) checking in for dinner. (For the record we had their famous salad, with chillies, followed by Marsala Chicken'!) We aimed for a laid-back day ...... mission accomplished! As for some music, I was inspired by a Western theme ...... and went for Apache by the Ventures: