[JKnight]

It looks like 3 Palms is located in a decent area, so I wouldn't worry from that perspective. I know nothing about the hotel, so can't really help you there. If you can swing the price, the Royal Palms is a seriously nice place.

For playing in the pools, the Pointe Hilton Tapatio cliffs hotel would be nice. They have a cool waterpark. It's not really in Scottsdale though, so you might have to do a bit more driving for dinners. It's safe, but if you venture south you'll get to see a bit more of the...uh...cultural side of Phoenix.

The Mariners spring training field is out in Peoria/Glendale, so you're looking at a 35-40 minute drive around the 101 to get there from Scottsdale. The Pavilions is only 10-15 minutes from most parts of Scottsdale, so you could hit that on the weekend easily.

If you like breweries, make sure you go to 4 Peaks. Their beer is very good and their food is really really good. It's one of those places we always take out-of-towners because everyone leaves happy. The 4 Peaks in North Scottsdale at Frank Lloyd Wright & 101 would be the one to go to for a family and moreso for your location.

Mom and Pop restaurants aren't really Scottsdale's "thing" in my opinion, as it tends to cater more toward the fancy side. There's lots of good options, just not very "down-home". Richardson's/Rokerij in Phoenix or Carlsbad Tavern in South Scottsdale are pretty decent for mexican food, if that's your thing. I'm sure Weld can point you in the direction of some good Scottsdale eats too.