(upbeat music) - I'm Jonathan Thompson, an international travel writer on a mission to discover the most dynamic adrenaline-fueled destinations on the planet.

Come with me as I explore the world's best adventure cities.

Adventure Cities is made possible by the following Alaska by rail.

Passengers can travel the coasts and wilderness of Alaska with baggage, service, meals, and wheelchair access.

Information available at AlaskaRailroad.com Discover the World.

Collette offers small group explorations tours destinations and local experiences designed especially for small groups Explorations by Collette Guided travel since 1918 ♪ upbeat music In4adventure.com Inspiring, educating and encouraging outdoor adventure Host- And by these additional sponsors ♪ upbeat music (gentle music) So this is what it looks like down the rabbit hole.

Welcome to "Adventure Cities," where we've got every angle covered in Scottsdale, Arizona.

How are you doing?

(upbeat music) Scottsdale's motto is "The West's most western town," and it's no denying the relaxed good time vibe in its boutique gallery-filled old town, but look a little closer and you'll also see an intriguing modern game-changer of a destination.

From the driverless taxis on its streets to Frank Lloyd Wright's legendary UNESCO World Heritage Site, Taliesin West.

Design and Art have always been prominent in Scottsdale.

And a delightfully inventive example today is Wonder Spaces at Scottsdale Fashion Square, home to an impressive collection of immersive art.

Including this, which is called "Rules."

But this is art.

So are there really any rules?

It might be in the middle of the sun-drenched Sonoran Desert, but Scottsdale is far from dry.

The food and drink scene here combines the best of the southwest with culinary concepts worthy of any major metropolis garnished with a twist of 1950s Hollywood glamour.

(gentle music) Ballooning is always a great thing to do, and there are many awesome places in the world that you can do it, but Scottsdale is a particular treat.

The fact that it's always sunny is not just good for your town, it's also good for the conditions for flying.

They manage to go up 300 days of the year.

- Not a bad office view, huh?

- That's fantastic.

- It's hard to get much more connected to nature than being completely at her mercy.

Winds have different directions at different altitudes, so the only way I steer is by changing my altitude.

- So what's interesting is when you think about a pilot, you think about the guy flying your plane.

But what I learned was that hot air balloonists are actually the original pilots.

- The word pilot is derived from the name Pilatre de Rozier, who was one of two of the first people to ever take flight in the history of mankind, which happened in 1783 in a hot air balloon.

- At this time of the morning, I'm normally snoring rather than soaring over the Sonoran, but the early start energizes me and makes me even more curious to experience Scottsdale at ground level.

When most people think about Arizona, they think about desert.

And today I'm leaning fully into that.

I've come out to Tonto National Forest to the Four Peaks Recreation Area and I'm gonna be trying my hand at UTV driving, which is basically desert buggies and they go very fast.

Saddle up, cowboy.

(upbeat music) Chad from Stellar Adventures was the guide who took me out into the vast and wonderful Sonoran Desert, and he was the perfect driving instructor, completely unflappable.

He just pointed me in the right direction and let me go for it.

- JT drove this side by side today, amazing, very proud of him, the entire time, he was really progressively faster and faster and faster and sometimes I'm like, "Come on, JT, hit the gas, let's go."

It's gonna get a little bumpy.

- Doing good, bud.

There are over 550 miles of trail in this particular area and the trails are 100% zero maintained 100% natural.

They change constantly, which is what makes customers come back over and over again because every ride is different.

- If you look around me, this is the desert, but it's so green, it's full of life.

Not only is this a fun adrenaline brush, but it's also a great way of learning a little bit more about Arizona and the unique environment out here in the Sonoran Desert.

Following the trails through the towering cartoon-style cacti, we reached one phenomenal plateau offering us breathtaking views for miles, including a humongous lake.

And just to look at the view, take it all in and just.

(sighs) One of the things that happens when you're driving around the desert all afternoon is that you get a little bit thirsty, your mouth gets a bit dry, and you get a lot of dust in your throat.

So what's the perfect way to deal with that?

Well, it's to go tequila tasting.

Yeah!

And Chad, of course, knew the best local spot for the perfect desert thirst-quencher.

Prickly pear cactus Margarita.

Cheers, Chad.

(gentle music) (gong ringing) With more than 50 spas, Scottsdale is arguably America's capital of rest and relaxation.

Whether you're into reiki or reflexology, massage or mud baths, legendary spots like The Boulders allow you to retreat from reality and replenish your energy levels.

And maybe, just maybe, play a little bit of golf.

(upbeat music) Of course, Scottsdale is synonymous with golf, but you don't need to be an expert to enjoy yourself on the fairways, far from it.

At The Boulders, they promise to turn hatless beginners like me from zero to semi-competent hero in just one day.

All of the frills, none of the skills.

- Hey JT.

- Yes, Donald.

You're gonna teach me how to play the glorious game of golf.

- I'm Donald Crowley, the Director of Instruction here at The Boulders.

I'm a PGA member, both the British and the US PGA.

- It was really fascinating to me that tiny little things like the angle of bend in your back or the positioning of your knuckles can have a massive, massive impact on your golf swing.

- Beautiful, knees a little flexed.

So this is called the pre-shot routine in golf, aim, stand, tip, and grip, which is imperative as a new golfer.

- Aim, stand, tip, grip, tip.

- Stiff upper body, and through.

That was brilliant.

Well done.

What do we do in England?

We don't do this.

Do we have this in England?

- Yes, we do it in England.

- Thank you sir.

Well done.

- To be taught by such a legendary golf instructor really made a big difference.

I now feel that I may not have gone from zero to hero, but I think I've gone from zero to one.

D'oh!

(upbeat music) I've come out to the beautiful Saguaro Lake Ranch in the Sonoran Desert on the outskirts of Scottsdale, and today, I'm gonna find out what it takes to be a real life cowboy.

Yay!

- Hi.

You must be Lottie.

- I am.

Welcome to Saguaro Lake Ranch Stable.

- Thank you so much.

I'm looking forward to learning a little bit more about what it takes to be a dude rancher.

- Saguaro Lake Ranch is very historical.

It was actually originally built by the men who built Stewart Mountain Dam.

Once the dam was complete, the barracks were renovated, and they became the guest ranch that it is today.

- [Jonathan] A dude ranch offers visitors the opportunity to experience a more authentic cowboy lifestyle by getting involved in all aspects of living and working on a ranch.

Hey, he just bit me.

- No no no.

I didn't know that he liked Englishmen, sorry.

Cowboys have always mounted and dismounted their horses throughout history from the left side of their horse because they carry their gun on the right side.

- Really?

As a kid, my favorite dressing up costume was a cowboy outfit, which my mom made for me.

I wore that costume until it fell apart.

So it was always my dream to experience the cowboy lifestyle.

- Give him a couple kicks and that'll make him go, there you go.

- That's like turning the ignition and off we go.

We're idling down the street now.

- JT was eager to learn.

We got him out there and showed him the ropes, and right away he took to it.

You're ready for the trails.

- How do we jump the fence?

(Lottie laughing) It was really fun to ride a horse in a real wild west setting.

It felt a little bit like riding through a scene from a cowboy film.

Are you almost expected to hear gunshots in the distance and a posse riding fast towards us.

- These are called the Saguaro cactus.

The Saguaro cactus is only found in the Sonoran desert and nowhere else in the world.

- Oh really?

- Yeah.

- My horse, Bob, was amazing.

He behaved himself most of the time, although he was very food-oriented.

Hold up, Bob's just refueling.

- I think most people that are out here in Arizona love the weather.

They love the climate it's one of the five C's.

And the five C's of Arizona are copper, cattle, cotton, climate, and citrus.

So climate is really important.

It's really good for horsing around and getting outdoors.

(upbeat music) - To get that experience, especially in this authentic setting was brilliant.

A day in the life of a wannabe cowboy wouldn't be complete without roasting marshmallows over an open fire.

And that's another of Scottsdale's major advantages.

Even in the relative cool of winter, it's still pleasant to socialize outdoors.

Finishing my visit to Scottsdale at the Canal Convergence Festival, which is held every November, gives me a chance to reflect on a week well spent in this gem of a destination.

This is a place where cowboys meet comfort under the ever-present sun of the west's most charmingly western town.

A true oasis in the heart of the desert, which is impossible to leave without feeling rejuvenated.

(bright music) Welcome to Montréal, where the adventure is just beginning.

Looking back on almost 400 years of history, Montréal is one of the oldest cities in North America, which is strange to consider when you visit because Canada's largest French speaking metropolis also emanates a distinctly youthful joie de vivre.

Montréal is just 45 minutes drive from the US border, but in many ways feels closer to Europe.

Bustling, dynamic, creative international hub where the old and the new fuse seamlessly together to create an enthralling medley of neighborhoods and urban adventures.

Wow.

There are certain skylines in the world that really stand out, and Montréal is one of them.

The best place to take it all in from is the mountain that gave the city its name, Mount Royal.

Winter is no barrier to enjoying the view either.

All you need is a good guide and a good pair of snowshoes.

- Well the park was built in 1876 by the famous Frederick Law Olmsted, which is the same landscape architect that did Central Park in Manhattan.

- Hiking to the top of Mount Royal at the start of your visit is the perfect way to catch some fresh air, get your bearings of the city.

You can see just how close to downtown we are.

This is actually quite ridiculous.

- We're really in the center of the city, and we can see that Montréal is an island too.

You can see the Saint Lawrence River.

- That was a great start to my visit to Montréal.

You can see just how much adventure there is right on this city's doorstep.

I can't wait to discover more.

(upbeat music) Montréal is a serious foodie hotspot, and one of the hottest reservations right now is Kwizinn with a K where a legally blind Haitian chef is cooking up a Caribbean storm.

- Kwizinn is part of the Montréal vocabulary.

We bring flavors from all over the Caribbeans.

We also get into the Latin side too.

So I want people to experience what I experience with the food, with the texture, the flavors, and to bring them to my world.

- And Mike's world does not disappoint.

At the heart of Montréal in more ways than one is their beloved hockey team, the Canadiens.

And today, I'm gonna be getting a little taste of the action for myself.

(upbeat music) In this town, it's all about the hockey, and more specifically, the Montréal Canadiens.

This team has been the heartbeat of the city for decades, so I was honored to be able to pull on the jersey and join them for a day.

The one thing that worries me is why does the armor need to be this thick?

And that's probably because the puck travels really fast and potentially fatal speeds.

Yeah, I mean I feel a little bit like Bambi on ice, but well-armored Bambi.

On the ice, two Stanley Cup winning legends and their rather strange friend are warming up for me.

Uh-oh.

I'm not that worried about how many goals I save, I'm just concentrating on staying alive.

These guys mean business.

- What I really appreciate about Montréal, I think it's the most storied franchise in the NHL, in hockey, 24 Stanley Cups.

It's the best place to win when you win.

- We have the best mascot in the history of hockey.

- Yeah, good man.

(upbeat music) - I've never been in front of a firing squad, but I can imagine that this is exactly what it feels like.

- Some pad works.

There you go.

Oh!

(laughs) The fans really know their hockey, so they can appreciate obviously goals, but a really good defensive play.

- But when the team loses, we blame it on the goaltender.

Maybe it's just because the goal is quite small and I'm quite big in all my pads, but you know what?

I did save those shots and I'll take the credit for that.

As I get more confident, I even start throwing myself towards the puck.

Maybe it's beginner's luck.

I'm actually making some serious saves here.

Oh yeah!

This game is easy.

- What'd you say?

What did you say?

- I mean, I got a bit lucky there didn't I?

- Okay, better say.

- Now he's got an ego.

He thinks he's good.

We gotta show him what's what.

- He's warmed up, right?

From England.

Can you believe that?

You're going down, JT, you're going down.

- [Mathieu] JT Ready?

- [Jonathan] Maybe I spoke a little too soon.

- Welcome to Montréal, JT!

Woo!

- Yeah, I guess I asked for it.

Oh, nearly, nearly!

Is it karma that's a dish best served cold?

And to send me off, the boys decided to give me a traditional Montréal farewell.

- We have a one game contract that's just terminated, his first and last game.

(upbeat music) After dark, Montréal transforms, particularly in the cultural district where the power of light is used to give the grand old buildings a dramatic new life.

One of the best spots to grab dinner here is Le Central, an eclectic food hall which underlines Montréal's creativity and diversity with a gastronomic flourish.

Here, 25 signature restaurants serve global cuisine in a lively setting from spicy ramen to rich Basque tapas.

I'm in Parc Jean-Drapeau in the middle of the Saint Lawrence River, and today, I'm gonna be trying my hand at ice climbing.

- I would say that it's really unique to have a wall like this where you can practice ice climbing so close to the city.

- [Jonathan] Always trust a Canadian.

They're the nicest people.

- It's really an elbow movement and it's gonna be elbow and a little bit of a flick of the wrist.

I would say this wall is perfect for first timers.

We get a lot of people who are curious because they climb inside or they rock climb, but then they have never tried ice climbing.

Perfect place to try.

- Now it's time to really break the ice.

It is brilliant that you can actually have a go at something like this as a complete novice.

And this is a great place to try ice climbing because the wall isn't particularly tall, but it's just challenging enough.

You get to experience the proper equipment and learn the correct techniques, and you get to summit an actual ice wall.

Wow.

This is insane.

I'm literally hanging off a wall of ice and I am so close to downtown Montréal that I can see the rush hour traffic.

This is urban adventure at its finest.

(upbeat music) Winter is Montréal's defining season, and in these conditions, you need to get one thing right above all others.

Your outerwear.

Tonight I'm headed to one of Montréal's favorite winter events, Igloofest.

And for that, I'm gonna need to dress the part.

Wow.

This is like a Aladdin's cave of vintage delight.

- [Shawn] There's a lot of gems.

They're all very unique.

- So you rent these out to people for Igloofest?

- Actually, it's for their whole ski season that we do this, mainly for Igloofest also because it's such a fun experience to have something different for a festival.

And they're so colorful that it is the perfect occasion.

- [Jonathan] Visiting Ribotti Vintage is like emerging from a hot tub time machine into a 1980s ski resort in all its neon splendor.

The trick with Igloofest is to treat it like a tight ski turn and lean into it.

Then I just had to find the perfect wooly hat to finish the look.

- People are gonna see you.

They're gonna be like, "Ah, what nice style."

(upbeat music) - All right, I'm dressed to impressed and I'm ready to party.

Now it's time for one of the biggest winter festivals in the world, Igloofest.

♪ I'mma kick back when you fake that ♪ - Igloofest has grown into something approaching a winter Coachella.

It's a big vibe with big looks and big DJs on stage.

Above all, it's an opportunity when the days are short and the temperatures are low for Montréalers to come out in the tens of thousands and let their collective hair down in style.

There's plenty to do besides dancing too.

From toasting marshmallows by the fire to adult slides, zero winter blues in sight.

And even aerobics dance lessons to loosen you up, practice your moves, and keep you warm, as long as your onesie isn't too tight.

♪ Back back back back back back ♪ - This is winter worship at its finest.

Even a little light snow couldn't stop the crowd.

In fact, it just make the party harder.

From its culture to its food to its sports to its nightlife, Montréal is a city that thrives on spontaneity.

A city that's turned winter into an art form while embracing its own unique, eclectic, international spirit.

There's nowhere like this anywhere else in the world, and that is the best reason of all to add Montréal to your adventure wishlist.

Adventure Cities is made possible by the following Alaska by rail.

Passengers can travel the coasts and wilderness of Alaska with baggage, service, meals, and wheelchair access.

Information available at AlaskaRailroad.com Discover the World.

Collette offers small group explorations tours destinations and local experiences designed especially for small groups Explorations by Collette Guided travel since 1918 ♪ upbeat music In4adventure.com Inspiring, educating and encouraging outdoor adventure Host- And by these additional sponsors ♪ upbeat music