Scottsdale or Steamboat Springs?

Neither city has a coast, and neither is a place to plan a swimming vacation. Scottsdale's water time centres on large, warm resort pools, with Saguaro and Canyon Lakes about an hour away and tubing on the lower Salt River in summer.

Steamboat's swimming is colder and briefer: mountain reservoirs such as Steamboat Lake and Stagecoach are only bearable in July and August, and tubing the Yampa through town is a gentle float rather than a swim.

Scottsdale gives more choice at the table. Old Town and the resort corridors run from steakhouses and sushi to smart brunches, and the real local draw is Sonoran Mexican food, with plate-sized flour tortillas and green chile, plus Phoenix's stronger restaurants a short drive away.

Steamboat's cooking is hearty and western, built on Colorado lamb and beef, with pizza, casual Mexican and a few breweries on Lincoln Avenue and at the ski base. It feeds a hungry skier well but offers little to explore.

Scottsdale has more to see. Taliesin West, Frank Lloyd Wright's desert studio and part of his UNESCO listing, is a sight worth crossing a state for, and the Museum of the West, the contemporary art museum and many Native American art galleries add depth. The Heard Museum and the Musical Instrument Museum are close by.

Steamboat's culture fits into an afternoon: old storefronts on Lincoln Avenue, the Tread of Pioneers Museum on homesteaders and skiing, and the historic ski jumps of Howelsen Hill.

Scottsdale is the place for a night out. Old Town's few blocks of patio bars, clubs and rooftop lounges fill up at weekends and in spring, with dress codes and a loud, party-minded crowd until closing time.

Steamboat's evenings start with après-ski at the gondola base and move to brewpubs and saloons on Lincoln Avenue. There is no club scene, and outside the peak weeks the town goes quiet well before midnight.

Both sit at the edge of wild country, but Steamboat's is bigger and lasts all year. Its ski mountain, aspen glades and Rabbit Ears Pass make it a serious winter destination, and summer brings mountain biking, the Mount Zirkel Wilderness, Fish Creek Falls, fly fishing on the Yampa, and elk and moose.

Scottsdale's desert is impressive in its own way, with saguaro trails in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, steep climbs up Camelback and Pinnacle Peak, and balloon flights over the Sonoran landscape. The catch is the summer heat, which leaves only the cooler months and early mornings for any real activity.

Scottsdale is the far better base for exploring. Sedona's red rocks, the Montezuma Castle cliff dwelling and the hillside mining town of Jerome are about two hours north, Tucson and the San Xavier mission are as far south, and Phoenix and the Goldfield ghost town are close.

Steamboat is remote. The nearby ranching towns are only coffee stops, Vail and Grand Lake are two hours of mountain roads away, and most excursions head into the hills rather than to another town.

Both work well with children, in different ways. Scottsdale builds a family stay around resort pools with lazy rivers and kids' clubs, plus the miniature trains at McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park, the OdySea Aquarium and the Phoenix Zoo, though everything means a drive and summer afternoons are spent indoors.

Steamboat suits active families: a strong ski school, gentle slopes at Howelsen Hill, slides at the Old Town Hot Springs, and summer tubing and the rodeo. It has no zoo or aquarium, and the altitude can tire small children for the first day or two.

Steamboat is easier without wheels. Its flat downtown is walkable, a town bus links it with the ski base, and many skiers can walk to the gondola, though a car is still needed for the hot springs, the lakes and the passes, with winter tyres in the snow months.

Scottsdale is spread along wide arterial roads that the regional light rail does not reach. Old Town and the free trolley cover a small area, and for the airport, trailheads and Phoenix you will need a hire car or ride-hailing, helped by easy driving and plenty of parking.

Scottsdale is a genuine shopping destination. A luxury mall with the big fashion houses, open-air centres to the north and Old Town's dealers in turquoise, Navajo and Hopi silver, Pueblo pottery and cowboy boots make it worth setting aside a day.

In Steamboat the shopping comes down to an hour on Lincoln Avenue, browsing ski and outdoor shops, a few galleries and the western outfitter F.M. Light & Sons, an institution for more than a century.

Neither is cheap, but Scottsdale is easier on a careful budget. Its resorts cut their rates sharply in the hot summer, business hotels and motels line the main corridors, and Mexican food across the metro area costs little.

Steamboat is expensive in every season, and costliest at Christmas and during spring school breaks, when lift access, equipment hire and slopeside condos pile up. Summer and the shoulder months help, and self-catering and free trails save something.

Scottsdale has more evenings to fill. Its Old Town performing arts centre stages jazz, dance and touring acts, the Musical Instrument Museum hosts world music, and Phoenix's symphony, opera and ballet and the Broadway tours in Tempe are within half an hour.

Steamboat's music belongs to summer, when the Strings Music Festival fills its pavilion and Perry-Mansfield, the performing-arts camp founded in 1913, puts on theatre and dance. In winter there is little beyond bar bands.

Both are excellent places to unwind, with a different kind of comfort. Scottsdale offers polished resort spas with desert-inspired treatments, palm-lined pools and yoga retreats under dry, sunny skies, all private and fairly costly.

Steamboat's relaxation comes from the ground: mineral springs gave the town its name, and soaking in the rock-lined pools of Strawberry Park Hot Springs on a snowy evening is something no Arizona spa can match.