Arizona … A Visual Wonder!
Recently, we visited Arizona. I have never been to Southwest states and particularly wanted to see the Grand Canyon. Isn’t it on everyone’s Bucket List?
However, first on our list, just outside of Phoenix, was a 90-minute tour of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West, a not-to-be missed architectural treat. We had previously seen his Falling Water, Kentuck Knob and other edifices designed by Wright and looked forward to this. We were not disappointed.
At the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and Zoo who could resist taking a photo of this little guy on a leaf?
Second only to the Grand Canyon, Sedona was breathtaking! The red rocks and formations are spectacular and I’m so glad I listened to someone back home who recommended taking the Pink Jeep Tour. It was the highlight of the trip! You get to go places not easily accessible by foot.
What’s AZ without a ride on Route 66? Although most of it is highway and developed, we did find some old-time spots where nostalgia ranked high. Williams, an old “cowboy” town on the route, was where we stopped overnight to take the train into the Grand Canyon.
You know how kids use the word “awesome” for everything from commenting on your new shoes to your choice of dinner on the menu? When I got my first glimpse of the Grand Canyon, I truly understood the meaning of the word. I was awestruck! Hard to capture the vastness and dimensionality in photos, but here are two.
On the way back to Phoenix, we slept one night in the Wigwam Motel on Route 66:
Finally, in Scottsdale (a lovely suburb of Phoenix), Dia de Los Muertes was being celebrated at the Desert Botanical Garden.
Other not-to-be missed sights in and around Phoenix which I will leave for you to look up are: the MIM Museum, Wrigley Mansion, Cosanti Foundry, Old Town Scottsdale and the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. We enjoyed the AZ State Fair but I was disappointed because there was too much expensive food and not enough interesting state exhibits like livestock and crafts.
There you have it. A beautiful state, a wonderful vacation!
(A)Musings by Arlene 