A whirlwind trip to Arizona ...
The farmer had a conference to go to in Scottsdale, AZ
I tagged along
and
we made a trip of it!
First stop on our way was to see the Frank Lloyd Wright
"Taliesin West".
It has always been his dream to see some of the FLW sites and this was our first.
It did not disappoint.
Nestled into the desert hills with cacti all around, we were guided
through this amazing facility, baked in the hot Arizona sun.
It truly was a WOW and now we for sure want to see more structures
designed by this brilliant man.
Next stop - the luxury hotel "The Pheonician Scottsdale"
Wowza - this place was fancy - the farmer and his wife were in awe
and probably didn't quite meet the guest expectations.
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| Balcony View |
However, we stayed two nights and enjoyed it just the same.
While the conference was in session I joined a party of spouses to hike up Camelback Mountain.
I soon learned why they insisted that
we each carry at least 2 bottles of water!
Very hot and oh so dry.
I have never seen such tall cactus.
Thankfully no rattlesnakes were spotted.
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| A view into the Scottsdale Valley from Camelback Mountain |
The hotel even had it's own beautiful 2 acre Cactus Garden
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| Evening and Morning strolls |
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| A fancy and magical lawn dinner party to end the conference! |
We felt so pampered and amazed.
Over the next week and a half we travelled and experienced more awesomeness
and "take your breath away" sites.
Sedona, AZ
"Sedona has long been considered a special and sacred place. It is believed to possess several unusual energy fields collectively known as Sedona vortex sites. ... They believe that the vortexes (or vortices) in Sedona are swirling centers of subtle energy emanating from the surface of the earth."
This truly felt like a sacred place to us ... we hiked amongst the giant red rocks and
gazed from high buttes on this beautiful ancient land.
What a privilege to experience this special place.
Grand Canyon, AZ
South Rim
Pictures simply do not do this incredible place any justice!
Wow!
Pictures simply do not do this incredible place any justice!
Wow!
We hiked below the rim on the South Kaibab Trail
and lived to tell the story!
Next stop was Zion National Park where we stood in the valley
and gazed upwards to the magnificent peeks!
This was the Farmer's favourite.
It was a perfect warm Fall day with leaves floating gently to the ground.
A rare California Condor hatchling was spotted high on a cliff's edge.
Barely visible, this black fluff spot caused some great excitement with these
avid birders.
One more place to explore - as we headed further North into Utah.
Bryce Canyon, UT
Again we were looking down deep into this breathtaking canyon.
We felt the high elevations and chill in the air as we did a short hike above the rim and as
we travelled from point to point.
This Canyon was explored all in a day and with the long trek ahead of us back
to Phoenix, we headed back south to Flagstaff, AZ.
The next day we were back in the Phoenix area with a quick stop
to see the Montezuma Castle - so interesting!
Oh my, this post is getting far too long ...
A few days before catching our flight home we did a quick stop
in Apache Junction, had coffee with a cousin and his wonderful wife
who own a beautiful summer home there,
explored part of the Apache trail, dined at a real Western (ride your horse to)
eatery, and visited a "shoot'em up" museum village.
Before returning our rented vehicle, we paid a visit to Phoenix's
Musical Instruments Museum.
This was a surprisingly amazing museum and we were so glad that a friend
had recommended this. Well worth the visit!
All in all, it was a wonderful 2 week get-away.
We ended the trip with a cab ride to the nearest shopping mall, of course, and relaxed with
a huge bag of popcorn while watching Ford vs. Ferrari at the IMAX theatre, of course!!!
He loves his IMAX movies.
and lived to tell the story!
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| Early Morning at Ooh Aah Point |
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| Full Moon peeked out just as my camera battery died |
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| A glimpse of the mighty Colorado River that carved this place! |
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| Pinch me - I've experienced part of this wonderful world! |
Next stop was Zion National Park where we stood in the valley
and gazed upwards to the magnificent peeks!
This was the Farmer's favourite.
It was a perfect warm Fall day with leaves floating gently to the ground.
 |
| Court of the Patriarchs |
A rare California Condor hatchling was spotted high on a cliff's edge.
Barely visible, this black fluff spot caused some great excitement with these
avid birders.
One more place to explore - as we headed further North into Utah.
Bryce Canyon, UT
Again we were looking down deep into this breathtaking canyon.
 |
| Natural Bridge - Bryce Canyon, UT |
We felt the high elevations and chill in the air as we did a short hike above the rim and as
we travelled from point to point.
 |
| Incredible! |
This Canyon was explored all in a day and with the long trek ahead of us back
to Phoenix, we headed back south to Flagstaff, AZ.
The next day we were back in the Phoenix area with a quick stop
to see the Montezuma Castle - so interesting!
Oh my, this post is getting far too long ...
A few days before catching our flight home we did a quick stop
in Apache Junction, had coffee with a cousin and his wonderful wife
who own a beautiful summer home there,
explored part of the Apache trail, dined at a real Western (ride your horse to)
eatery, and visited a "shoot'em up" museum village.
Before returning our rented vehicle, we paid a visit to Phoenix's
Musical Instruments Museum.
This was a surprisingly amazing museum and we were so glad that a friend
had recommended this. Well worth the visit!
All in all, it was a wonderful 2 week get-away.
We ended the trip with a cab ride to the nearest shopping mall, of course, and relaxed with
a huge bag of popcorn while watching Ford vs. Ferrari at the IMAX theatre, of course!!!
He loves his IMAX movies.
Sorry I kept you so long.
Till next time - wishing all our US of A friends and families a very Happy Thanksgiving.
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I've been to all these spots except Bryce---but hope I'll see it one day. Looks like you stayed at a grand hotel in Scottsdale. Fun to get spoiled for a couple nights!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful opportunity to get away to a place that is like a world unto itself. I lived there for nearly three years and it was the longest three years of my life. That said, nothing equals the Grand Canyon and I have mightily enjoyed seeing it through your eyes. Awesome place!
ReplyDeleteReally? I never knew that you lived in Arizona once upon a time.
DeleteI'm sure that was an amazing trip . . . great that you were able to tag along! :)
ReplyDeleteI don't know about the "energy" of Sedona, but I think that you two have lots more energy than I'll ever have! Look at you doing all that hiking and climbing those peeks! Good for you!
You packed a lot into your whirlwind trip to AZ! We visited many of the same places when we were there...just never stayed in any swanky hotels! :) Wonderful pic's!
ReplyDeleteWow, what a marvelous trip! I have been to Scottsdale, but never Sedona or the other national parks. They are high on my list, especially after oohing and aahing over your pictures!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful trip to the desert. I love the desert in the fall and winter. You really enjoyed some beautiful sites for sure. How nice to be able to venture afield to Utah and to the Grand Canyon. Wonderful photos. I miss those tag along business trips! Hope your Advent season is full of joy and wonder.
ReplyDelete