Phoenix Vacation Days 1 & 2

Our travels this week are taking us to Phoenix, Arizona, and areas surrounding it. What a welcome relief weather-wise from the frigid cold Kansas weather that we left. We left a cold and windy 14 degrees to arrive at a sunny 67 degrees early afternoon. It's amazing how the sun can feel A LOT hotter than the actual temperature, but when you step out of the direct sunlight it does feel different. Then when the sun goes down, and evening approaches it does get somewhat chilly....in the 40s I believe last night...still better than back home this week.

We flew out of Manhattan on the 29th (yes, that's someone's birthday gift), and arrived at one of the many airports in the Phoenix area. Bruce was somewhat worried when we landed because unbeknownst to him, this was not the airport that he thought we were arriving in and had booked the rental car at a different airport. Thank goodness that I think it happens more frequently than we might anticipate, and the rental car people were very gracious and easy to get along with...as they should be. Allison had to recreate a New Orleans rental car moment by trying out the trunk area! :)

We hadn't eaten lunch yet, and needed a little bite of something, so on the way to find out accommodations and the such we were on the lookout for a 'fun' little place for lunch. The name "El Pollo Loco" jumped out at me. It's just another type of simile of Taco Bell, but much better and much more fun! Allison had to try out her Spanish she is learning. :)

While in the area, we were lucky enough to meet up with Cousin Shelly. It was wonderful to be able to see her in her environment. I only wish we would have had more time with her, and been able to go see her church, etc. but it didn't work out this trip. She is such a sweet young lady, and it was great to see her.

Bruce told me it was for my birthday, and technically it was, but we stayed in a magnificent hotel the first night. It was the Hyatt Regency in Scottsdale...not shabby at all. It was quite impressive. Allison asked her daddy if there was a swimming pool. He told her no, and of course, she was disappointed. He then filled her in on the "punch line"...no there wasn't one pool, there were 10 pools! And yes, 10 pools.... She had a grand time trying out a small portion of them. This is a shot standing outside the front of the hotel looking out the driveway...so pretty with the palm trees. They were really pretty at night all lit up with Christmas lights as well.

We actually got a pretty late start today. Bruce and Allison are both fighting colds, and I didn't sleep all that great the night before (and this night thanks to fighting for bed space with a certain 9-year old...as I get relegated to those sleeping arrangements on vacation!). It was like 10:30 before we left the hotel this morning. But, we are on vacation, right? So, we should be able to move at a leisurely measure.

The BIG item on the agenda was seeing Taliesin West, a Frank Lloyd Wright home in Scottsdale. We had been to Taliesin in Wisconsin and Falling Waters in Pennsylvania, so this was a real treat as well. While awaiting our tour time, Allison enjoyed building at a little table set up in the children's section of the gift shop.

Talisin-West is basically the "winter home" or "winter school" area of the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture with the "summer" home being in Wisconsin. It was cool to know that we had already seen the other part of it, and could now complete the 'puzzle' so to speak.

With water being very scarce and a rare luxury in Arizona, this was a real oasis. The tour guide said that FLW had his people dig 400+ feet down until they hit an aquifer on the property, allowing for their own water system for the 'compound'. What determination though to dig that far in concrete like desert ground.

This is the landscape around the home...desert and cacti and other desert vegetation. Lovely in its own right, and fine to look at for awhile, but I would definitely miss the grass and leaves and trees after awhile.

The squarish design hanging from the wall is the insignia or logo for Taliesin West. I thought it was really pretty.

It was a lovely area, and really neat to visit. It was a real treat for Bruce so that is always a good thing too. Allison even enjoys a good Frank Lloyd Wright property.

When we left it was kind of at that awkward time of day of being able to find something to do.....things usually close at 5:00, so weigh that with cost, etc. We found the Museum of Musical Instruments which received a very high review on Travelosity, but we got there a little before 4:00. They recommend 3 hours for a visit, so we will decide tonight if we want to tackle that in the morning or not.

We are looking towards traveling north tomorrow, heading towards the Grand Canyon and Flagstaff area. I really want to go to the Grand Canyon. We've been warned that they can get bad weather up there and snow, thanks to the much high elevation. The outlook looks good for the rest of the week, in terms of lack of snow, so we are planning on heading that way, and keeping our fingers crossed. I really want to go to Winslow, Arizona while we are up that way....cuz you know you have to take a picture "standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona"!