ABOUT THIS ADVENTURE
This Spring three of my best friends and I decided to take trip to Scottsdale, Arizona that we called #brocation. Our friendship spans over 13 years and one of the things we have in common is our love of adventure! When researching things to do in Scottsdale, we came across Desert Wolf Tours — ranked #1 for Outdoor Activities on TripAdvisor. After a few clicks, we were hooked on taking a half-day Tomcar ATV Tour throughout the Arizona desert. Thanks to Desert Wolf Tours, they hooked us up with the epic adventure we had hoped for.
TRAVELING THERE
Desert Wolf Tours operates out of the Roadrunner Restaurant and Saloon (47801 N. Black Canyon Highway, New River, Arizona 85087), about a 45-60 minute drive north of Scottsdale off of 1-17 N.
If you’re inspired to visit Scottsdale and are coming from outside Phoenix, check flights to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX). Scottsdale is less than 10 miles from PHX so it’s easily accessible via flying.
WHAT I DID
Upon arriving at Desert Wolf Tours for our Tomcar ATV Tour we met Tanner and Sarge, our fearless leaders! Tanner introduced himself as a former member of the Navy who grew up in Idaho hooked on outdoor sports. Sarge grew up in Phoenix and was a member of the Marine Corps for eight years. For the next 15 years he served as a police officer. It’s an understatement to say these guys immediately made us comfortable and pumped to go ATVing! Before hitting the dirt, we also learned about the Tomcar vehicles themselves. Here are three important things to know about operating a Tomcar:
- Tomcars are designed to drop from helicopters; they’re rough machines that are capable of tackling rough terrain and clearing 16 inches above the ground.
- There is no power steering! The wheels move individually so it’s important to maintain a loose grip while steering. If you hit rocky ground the wheel will spin.
- The Tomcar vehicles use “old-school” brake pedals. It’s important to stay 3-4 car lengths behind the vehicle in front of you.
Tomcars can accommodate 2-4 passengers so it was the perfect size for our 4-person #brocation.
When it was finally time to hit the road dirt we piled into our Tomcar behind Tanner and Sarge. For nearly four hours we went ATVing around the Sonoran Desert in one big, badass tour of Arizona.
So what makes Desert Wolf Tours one of the best things to do in Scottsdale?
A half-day Tomcar ATV adventure allows you to experience the Arizona desert by feeling it with all your senses. Vibrating and bouncing as you hit rocks at full force will make you feel like you’re on an Indiana Jones amusement park ride — that’s actually real life! Going deeper into the desert, exposes the cars to gorgeous scenery — mountain views surrounded by a variety of desert flora and fauna. ATVing gave us the chance to experience Arizona in an action-packed, adrenaline pumping way.
I expected my Tomcar ATV tour to be exhilarating and fun (which it was!), but I did not expect it to also be extremely educational.
Throughout the tour, Tanner and Sarge stopped to teach us about the terrain and wilderness survival techniques. At one of our stops we learned how to use a Cholla cactus to survive if we got stuck in the desert — perfect for my “Survivor” superfan soul! If the Cholla cactus touches your skin its hollow spines attach with needle-like pain (I can verify because I accidentally brushed up against one with my leg, doh!). When burned, the Cholla cactus loses its needles and turns into a source of food and water.
What happens after four hours of ATVing through the desert? You’re covered in dirt!
WHERE I STAYED
For #brocation we called the Andaz Scottsdale Resort & Spa home for the weekend. We enjoyed our stay with a good hotel pool area and cabana style rooms on a large piece of property.
JUSTIN’S TAKEAWAYS
There are a lot outdoor options for things to do in Scottsdale. If you’re someone who is willing to get down and (literally) dirty exploring the beautiful Arizona desert, I highly recommend a Tomcar ATV tour! Desert Wolf Tours gave us exactly what we were looking for on our #brocation weekend: quality time spent with quality friends on a quality outdoor adventure!
