Tag Archives: Travel

Perfect Landing Restaurant – Centennial, Colorado

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*Deal*

Perfect Landing – 10th Anniversary Specials

Looking for excellent food, a relaxed, comfortable dining atmosphere and super views of Colorado’s front range -plus a great deal? The Perfect Landing restaurant celebrates ten years at Centennial Airport with $10 specials worth the drive from anywhere in the Metro area. Or, fly in.

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 During the month of April on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings Perfect Landing offers a half-dozen items for $10. We took advantage of the special on Tuesday night. Bob ordered the teriyaki glazed salmon filet served with rice pilaf and broccolini. He pronounced the salmon the best he’s had in a long time; he’s ordered a lot of salmon lately.

I selected the beef filet served with whipped potatoes and broccolini. Eavesdropping on the waitress at the table behind me, I heard her say that their chef cuts the filets himself. She added that the $10 special filet was just slightly smaller than the one on their regular menu. Mine was perfectly trimmed and wrapped in bacon. I’m not a rare beef eater so asked for medium; it was a notch under my idea of medium but not enough to send back. The meat was flavorful, tender and a very sufficient size. The potatoes were creamy and wonderful.

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We devoured the warm,  in-house baked bread, crust ideally crunchy without being tear-up-the-roof-of-your-mouth tough. The bread center perfectly textured. There wasn’t a crumb left in our basket.

From past visits we remembered the key lime pie and added a dessert to our  order. The pecan pie, chocolate souffle cake and key lime pie are all made in-house. On every trip to Florida my sister and I search for the best key lime pie. Forget Florida, all we need do is go to Perfect Landing in Centennial – better than any other I’ve ever had.

Additional $10 anniversary specials include a bottle of cabernet or chardonnay wine and a la carte servings of shrimp scampi, 4-0z Maine lobster tail or 1/2 pound of Alaskan king crab legs.

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A long time Denver favorite, “Boogie” Bob Olsen entertains at the piano bar Tuesdays – Saturdays, 5:30-9pm. Our hostess gave us the option of being near the piano or further away. We enjoyed watching him play and his happy following.  At the cocktail bar and in the piano lounge area $5 appetizers are available from 5-7pm .

perfect-landing-sunset1 The dining room overlooks Centennial airport’s runways  and the western horizon – a panoramic mountain view from Pikes Peak to Rocky Mountain National Park. We watch helicopters come in for a quick refueiling and planes, from small two-seaters to corporate jets, land and take-off. As we finish the last bite of key lime pie the sun sinks below the mountains, capping our evening with a technicolor light show.

Bob says he’s going back every week in April. We’ll see if that happens; however, I’d encourage everyone to put Perfect Landing on their radar.

When You Go: The Perfect Landing opens for breakfast and lunch seven days a week, open for dinner Tuesdays through Saturdays. Nancy’s Note – The breakfasts are tremendous. Dinner reservations strongly advised, especially on weekends and during the April anniversay special.

Centennial – Salinas Pueblo Missions Nt. Monument – NM

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National Monument Celebrates 100 Years

spmnm-gran-quivira-church2Gran Quivira received designation as a National Monument by President William Howard Taft in 1909. Abo and Quarai, previously under the stewardship of the Museum of New Mexico, were added in 1980 and the entirety renamed Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument.

Special events are scheduled every month of the 100th anniversary year, check the website events calender or call 505-847-2585, ext. 0. Events in May include a flint-knapping workshop at Gran Quivira and the 2nd annual International Migratory Bird Day at Quarai, May 9th.

Every Saturday and Sunday, May 2 – September 5, 2009, park ranger Craig Morgan will lead guided 1pm tours titled Voices in the Wind at Gran Quivira.

Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument – New Mexico

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Windows to an Ancient World

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We stand in the afternoon light peering through window after window into the remains of an ancient world at Abo Ruins. The walls stand silent today but we can imagine the sounds reverberating through the village as women ground corn, masons shaped stones and children chased wild turkeys through the courtyard.

In today’s sparsely populated Estancia Basin of central New Mexico evidence of great pueblos recall a time when thousands lived in the valley. Clovis people hunted here 10,000 years ago. As prehistoric populations learned to grow corn they began to stay in one location longer, living in pithouses.

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Mission walls and kiva at Abo Ruins reflect the blending of Indian and Spanish missionary cultures.

Mesa Verde in southern Colorado was once the center of Anasazi culture. After abandonment of Mesa Verde circa 1300 some groups from that culture moved south along the Rio Grande and into the Estancia Basin. Stone villages and towns were built, fields farmed, trade flourished. Salt was collected from nearby lake beds, the commodity used for trade with plains Indians and other pueblos, such as Zuni 200-miles to the west.

In 1598 Spanish explorers entered the area, within the next 20 years missions were established in most of the Rio Grande pueblos. Fransican priests directed the building of churches and conventos, each larger and grander than the previous one. Cultural conflict, Apache raids, disease, drought and famine ensued. The entire Salinas district was deserted by both Indian and Spanish populations by 1677.

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View from Abo Ruins

Three missions and portions of their villages comprise the Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument. We’d passed through Mountainair, New Mexico on several previous trips only slightly aware of the missions. This time we stopped at the small in-town visitors center. A video and museum displays gave background information, piquing our interest in visiting the three sites: Quarai, Abo and Gran Quivira (Las Humanas).

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Interior of Quarai Mission

Quarai

Stepping through the entryway to the old stone mission church at Quarai I’m struck by the walls towering nearly 40-feet  high centuries after the last villager departed. Imagine the effort and engineering required to construct this grand church, the largest church of the Salinas Province as the Spanish called the region. The stones beneath our feet are believed to be from the original flagstone floor, an unusual feature since most mission church floors were packed earth at that time.

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Quarai Mission

 

The mission at Quarai was built in the shape of a cross with side altars and a choir loft. Rows of empty sockets once held vigas, or roof beams; today we look up to open blue sky. We can imagine how imposing this structure seemed to the pueblo people use to living in small, low rooms.

Along a half-mile trail we see mounds signifying unexcavated house blocks, evidence of the 400-600 people living here before the Spaniards. After winding through the mission ruins the trail leads to the spring and stream that provided water essential for the community and fields. Giant cottonwoods shade the stream banks.

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Abo Ruins

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We arrive at Abo in the late afternoon, the low angle of the sun warming the red sandstone walls. The stone found at Abo broke easily into horizontal pieces. There’s more symmetry here than we see at the other two sites; row upon row, mortar of clay and water holds the tabular blocks together.

What strikes me at Abo is the sense of the convento – dining room, kitchen, storerooms, residence cells where the friars lived, porteria, stables and corral. This is where much of the business of the mission occurred. We don’t view these rooms from afar – the interpretive trail leads us along convento passageways and through waist-high doorways.

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Mesa top ruins at Gran Quivira

Gran Quivira (Las Humanas)

We were so inspired by our stops at Quarai and Abo the next morning we decided to put Gran Quivira on the agenda. Called Las Humanas by Spanish explorers, Gran Quivira was the largest of the Salinas pueblos. Once home to as many as 2,000 people, today it is the most remote. From Mountainair we travel 25 miles southeast. Unlike the other two pueblos, Gran Quivira sits atop a mesa with no immediate water source. Runoff from sporadic rains was trapped in shallow pits to supplemented the limited water from wells and roof-fed cisterns.

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Gran Quivira Mound 7 and Church

As we approach the ruins we realize they are much larger than those we’ve seen at Abo and Quarai. Yet, Mound 7 is only excavated one of 20 house blocks that once stood at Las Humanas. The square-room ruins we walk through were constructed between 1550-1670, stones held together with an ashy-colored mortar. Beneath these walls archaeologists uncovered 200 wedge-shaped rooms arranged in five to six concentric circles built around a grand kiva. Yellow caliche mortar was used to construct this pueblo in the 14th century. We can stand atop the later pueblo and peer down a shaft into the lower rooms.

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Unfinished second church at Gran Quivira

Construction on the first Las Humanas mission church began in 1630. The pueblo did not always have a resident priest, instead it was a circuit parish served by clergy from Abo. A second church was begun around 1659, the ambitious cross-shaped sanctuary never saw completion.

The museum at Gran Quivira exhibits examples of the various pottery styles used in the pueblos through the centuries.

Reflecting on our Salinas Pueblo Missions tour we realize that these churches were built, used for worship and totally deserted nearly a century before the first of the famed California missions was established. We’ve had the opportunity to see into an ancient world.

spmnm-grinding-stoneWhen You Go: Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument is open daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. The monument visitor center is in Mountainair, New Mexico. From Mountainair Abo is 9 miles southwest, Quarai is 8 miles northwest and Gran Quivira 25 miles southeast. Each of the three sites have a small visitor center and picnic areas. Camping is not allowed; campgrounds can be found in the nearby Cibola National Forest.

Golden Shanghai – Denver, Colorado

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Golden Shanghai

Golden Shanghai on South Parker Road serves up a golden experience. For several weeks I’ve felt the need for a Golden Shanghai dinner, tonight we satisfied that need. From the initial greeting to the final thank you all was as it should be for a pleasant dining experience.

A pot of hot tea is brought to the table as soon as we’re seated. We selected the family dinner for two at $13.95/person. Each person receives soup, choice of egg drop, wonton or hot and sour, an egg roll, cheese wonton, rice and any entree on the  menu priced up to $9.95. Bob ordered wonton soup and hot and spicy chicken, Nancy went for the hot and sour soup and pork with garlic sauce. Soups were  flavorful and served piping hot, of the two we prefer the hot and sour. Vegetables used in the entrees were fresh and cooked to perfection – maintaining a bit of a snap. All dishes can be ordered with no vegetables, no sauce,  or sauce on the side and can be prepared hot, mild or not spicy at all. MSG is not used in any dishes at Golden Shanghai.

We resisted the temptation tonight but I highly recommend the plum wine ice cream, it’s a lovely ending for a Chinese dinner. Individually wrapped almond cookies are presented along with traditional fortune cookies. My fortune said to, “Trust your instincts.” I believe we did just that by heading to Golden Shanghai for dinner.

Service matches the quality of the food, attentive without intrusion. From the outside Golden Shanghai looks like just another Oriental restaurant in a strip mall. Inside the dining room is attractive with tall, padded booths along the walls, and well spaced tables in the center of the room. An alcove offers a degree of privacy for small groups (I would guess up to a dozen). A well-kept aquarium and small bar complete the room.

Beyond the Chinese dishes you expect are specialties like lobster in garlic sauce, Cantonese or Szechuan style. I’m not a scallop person but I hear the sesame scallops are to die for. In addition there are a number of Southeast Asian fusion dishes on the menu. Golden Shanghai always appears to have a devoted take-out clientele and delivers in the immediate area.

With the quality of food, preparation, service and ambiance it is no wonder Golden Shanghai has been named one of the top 100 Chinese restaurants in the country.

I went hungry and totally concentrated on our meal. When all was said and done I realized I should have taken pictures, my mistake. Check Golden Shanghai’s website to see their photos and menus. Then, stop in and have your own golden experience.

University of Arizona – Tucson, Arizona

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Travel Destination – Campus Bound

I’ve long been an advocate of university and college campuses as rich resources for travelers. Some of the best art, historic and earth science collections are held by higher education institutes. The University of Arizona in Tucson perfectly illustrates my hypothesis.

University of Arizona Campus Highlights

  • arizona-t-shirt-logoUA Visitor Center– Campus information center, weekly guided tours, ticket sales for UApresents, parking. Open Monday – Friday 9am-5pm.
  • Arizona State Museum – Oldest and largest anthropology museum in the Southwest, Smithsonian Institution affiliate, world’s largest collection of Southwest Indian pottery, permanent and temporary exhibits, gift shop. The Paths of Life permanent exhibition showcases the origins, history and culture of American Indians of the Southwest with artifacts, historic items, artwork, videos and dioramas. Open Monday – Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday noon-5pm. Closed state and national holidays. Suggested donation $3.
  • Center for Creative Photography – Museum, research center and photo archives, rotating exhibits. Established by Ansel Adams and UA, holds more archives and individual works by 20-th century North American photographers than in any other museum in the US. Gallery Store offers a large selection of photography related titles. Open Monday – Friday 9am-5pm, Saturday & Sunday 1-4pm, closed major holidays. Free admission, suggested donation.
  • Flandrau: The UA Science Center– Hands-on exhibits, planetarium and observatory for public viewing of night skies. Check website for hours and programs, admission fee, night telescope viewing free.
  • The Jim Click Hall of Champions – The heritage and traditions of athletics at the university showcasing student athletes and coaches. Hours vary, free admission.
  • The University of Arizona Museum of Art – Wide-ranging collections of European and American fine art from the Renaissance to contemporary. Changing exhibits and highlights from the permanent collections. Open Tuesday – Friday 9am-5pm, Saturday & Sunday 1-4pm, closed university holidays. Adult admission $5.

 UA Unique

  • SOML – Stewart Observatory Mirror Lab – Tours give a behind the scenes look at cutting-edge optical technology and spin-casting processes used in making giant telescope mirrors. Tours on Tuesday and Friday, reservations required, cost $15/person.

More on UA Campus

  • Campus Arboretum – Pick up a map and enjoy a campus walk among the unique collection of trees, shrubs and plants from arid and semi-arid climates. Free.
  • Performing Arts – Theatre, dance and music performances and film screenings staged throughout the year. Admission fees required.
  • Sonett Visitor Center– Self-guided tour at the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory – HiRISE Mars camera, the Phoenix Mars Lander and the Cassini mission to Saturn. Free, 520-626-7432.
  • UA Bookstore– I once heard someone espouse if you want your child to go to a particular university, as a pre-teen take them to the campus and buy them a sweatshirt. All sorts of insignia apparel and gifts are available at the official bookstore in the Student Union Memorial Center. 
  • UA Library Special Collections – Collections of rare books and archival materials in many subject areas including Arizona and the Southwest, changing exhibits.
  • UA Mineral Museum– Fabulous collection of minerals, gemstones and meteorites from around the world – over 2,000 on display. Located on the lower level of Flandrau: The UA Science Center. Check website for fees and hours.

  • UApresents – Professional performing arts – classical, jazz, blues and world music events plus dance performances. Admission fees.

UA off Campus

  • Biosphere 2– Management of the living laboratory of global scientific issues is now under management of the University of Arizona. Tours at the complex 20 minutes north of Tucson. Fee.

  • Boyce Thompson Arboretum – Plants from the earth’s varied deserts alongside unspoiled examples of Sonoran Desert vegetation. The Southwest’s oldest arboretum and botanical garden is located near Superior, 90 minutes from Tucson. Fee.

  • UA SkyCenter– Observatories atop Mt. Lemmon, SkyNights, DiscoveryDays and SkyCamps open to the public by reservation. Located 90 minutes north of Tucson. Fee.

Adjacent to Campus

  •  Arizona History Museum– Focus on southern Arizona history – Spanish colonial through territorial eras. Mining and transportation featured exhibits. Not part of the University but worth visiting while in the campus neighborhood. Check website for current hours and fees.

This list doesn’t begin to include all the possibilities, pick up a University of Arizona Visitor Guide and follow your interest from cutting-edge science to sport competitions. Be campus bound in Tucson.

Casa Grande National Monument – Casa Grande, Arizona

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America’s First Archaeological Reserve

Arizona’s casa-grande-with-sign3Casa Grande National Monument preserves the remains of structures built by the Hohokam people in the 1300s. In the Gila River Valley these ancient people built over 1,000 miles of  irrigation canals, successfully growing corn, beans, squash, cotton and tobacco. Today several Native American tribes believe they have ancestral links to the Hohokam. The O’odham people of Southern Arizona still use the ruins for ceremonials and special events.

Spanish missionary, Father Kino, rode through the valley in 1694 and refered to the deserted structure as Casa Grande, or Great House, in his records. The site became the nation’s first archeological reserve in 1892 – the fifth oldest unit in the National Park system. Casa Grande was designated a National Monument in 1918.

We watch a 15-minute film and browse the compact but informative museum relating background on the Hohokam people and Casa Grande before taking the short walk out to the ruins. The largest structure – four stories and 11 rooms – has a metal roof protecting the ancient walls from weather damage. Signs along the self-guided path relate informative details.

casa-grande-doorway1Unlike most of the ruins we see in the Southwest Casa Grande was not built with stone or adobe bricks. Caliche is a concrete-like hardpan found several feet below the surface in this region. The Hohokam mixed ground-up calice wth water to procude a sticky mud for building walls, sealing roofs and plastering walls.

No one knows why the unusual structure was built or how it was used – center of government, education, religion or trade are speculations. I’m fascinated with how architectual details signify astronomical occurances. A small circular window in the west wall aligns with the setting sun on the summer solstice. A square hole in an upper wall aligns once every 18.5 years with the setting moon at an extreme point in its cycle. Additional windows and doorways align with the sun or moon at significant times of the year. Was this an observatory? We believe the Hohokam devised a calendar based on the motions of the sun and moon and incorportated that calendar into their architecture. Did it relate to their crops and farming?casa-grande-big-house2

Casa Grande was part of a much larger community. Excavated walls and unearthed mounds indicate several compounds comprised of houses, work areas, courtyards and storage rooms. In the center of the compound an oval ballcourt was used for community activities.

We don’t know the reasons Casa Grande was abandoned – disease, drought, flood, social or political issues. By 1450 the Hohokam culture, that had lasted 1,000 years, had come to an end. Today agriculture is still key to the region; irrigated casa-grande-cotton1fields support Arizona’s cotton industry. Standing in the shadow of the ancient walls and gazing across wind-blown fields one is almost transported into a world as the Hohokam knew it.

When You Go: Casa Grande National Monument is open 8am-5pm every day of the year except Thanksgiving and Christmas. The monument is located in Coolidge, Arizona about an hour’s drive from both Phoenix and Tucson.

Wisdom’s Cafe – Tumacacori, Arizona

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Wiser About Wisdom’s

We now know what all the regulars are wise to about dinner at Wisdom’s in Tumacacori, Arizona. The doors open at 5pm. On a March Tuesday night there will be a full house by 5:05. They haven’t even had time to remove the “Closed” sign.wisdoms-outside

The day before, on our way to Santa Cruz Chili & Spice Company we noted the number of cars at an adobe roadside restaurant. The sign above the door read, “Wisdom’s.” That’s all it took for me to be intrigued, I did a bit of Internet searching and decided we couldn’t leave the area without partaking of a little Wisdom’s for ourselves.

In search of birds at Madera Canyon we made lunch a Drumstick ice cream. We were saving ourselves for an early dinner at Wisdom’s and ordering dessert – the fruit burrito they’re credited with “inventing”. We literally pull into the parking lot at 5pm – WWV time according to Bob’s watch. By the time we make it to the front door every table is taken – inside and out.

wisdoms-herbWe’re lucky to grab a couple of seats at the bar where owner/family patriarch, Herb, sets up a steady stream of drinks. I start on a margarita served in a pint glass fruit jar. Before long I’m in conversation with two ladies from Green Valley (20+ miles north), they’re absolutely rapturous discussing Wisdom’s menu. They tell me Tuesdays are 2-for-1 margarita night and you need to get in line 20-30 minutes before opening.

While I’m getting the low down on what to order one of Herb’s sons comes over and asks if we’re willing to share a table. A couple at a four-top feel guilty since so many are waiting and they have two empty chairs. We join a charming retired couple from East Lansing, Michigan who winter in Arizona. They too are Wisdom’s regulars and highly recommend the tortilla soup. It looks delicious – I so badly want to put my spoon in their bowl and try a taste, but I resist. We’re also told to order the dessert fruit burrito as we order the meal and mini-margaritas are available.

wisdoms-diners1We decide on one cherry burrito – split in half with a scoop of ice cream for each of us. Bob selects the bacon wrapped shrimp served with salsa, guacamole, sour cream, tortillas, rice and beans. I want to try a half-dozen items but settle on a chile relleno, turkey enchilada, rice and beans. Food arrives hot, tempting and oh so good. No wonder people drive for miles to eat at Wisdom’s. Our dinner partners introduce us to Herb’s granddaughter, Sasha. I’m guessing she’s about 10 years old and already a charmer.

Not that we’re at all hungry for dessert but we both dive into the cherry burrito – yummy! Local legend has it that one afternoon a tortilla spread with jam fell into some hot cooking oil. Quite by accident the fruit burrito had its start to becoming famous. Apple, peach, cherry and blueberry always appear on the menu plus a daily special – banana cream the night we were there. I was curious but stayed with the cherry choice. The hot, crisp fruit-filled burrito is rolled in cinnamon sugar and served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Wisdom’s has been owned and operated by the same family since 1944. It ‘s the kind of place that feels like everyone is a regular yet you’re not out of place as an outsider. Before the Green Valley ladies left they came to our table to see what we ordered and how we liked it. The food is worth waiting for and the margaritas strong – there’s no way I could have two and not peacefully fall sleep for the night.

When we’re anywhere in the Tubac area we’ll become regulars and now we know – get there early!

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When You Go: Wisdom’s Cafe is located at 1931 E. Frontage Road (off I-19), Tumacacori, Arizona – 4.5 miles south of Tubac, 15 miles north of Nogalas, AZ. It is a short distance north of Tumacacori National Historical Park. Open year-round, Monday – Saturday lunch is served 11am-3pm, dinner 5-8pm, closed Sundays, daily specials, excellent childrens menu.

 

Colossal Cave Mountain Park – Tucson, Arizona

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Down Under and More

Curiosity about Colossal Cave Mountain Park propelled us to the longtime Tucson area attraction that’s on the National Register of Historic Places. We joined a cave tour with several family groups. As we waited kids stayed busy finding the Discovery Tour stations and collecting the different paper punches on their maps. Aftccmp-ramadaer completing all 18 they receive a “Treasure” from one of the two gift shops.

 Because Colossal is a dry cave the formations don’t have that moist sheen frequently seen on “cave bacon” or “draperies.” No beads of water gather on the stalactite  tips waiting to be the next drip.

ccmp-caveOur guide was pleasant if not exactly animated. She shared human history at the cave as well as natural history. In the late 1800s the cave was a reputed bandit hangout. Imagine the wide-eyed expressions on the youngest tour members’ faces. Early in the 20th century a local dude rancher encouraged visitors to explore the cave and bring back a formation piece to prove they had been inside.

For a dramatic ecology lesson visit Colossal followed by a tour at Kartchner Caverns State Park. It’s a graphic demonstration of abusing an environment verses protection and preservation. There are two other caves in Colossal Cave Mountain Park that are carefuccmp-windmilllly protected and used for research.

I don’t regret visiting, however, it goes on the list of “Been There, Move On, Don’t Need to Go Again.” That list is much shorter for me than the “Want to Repeat” one. For those who had never before been in a cave seeing the underground world was a treat.

After our cave tour we drive to the La Posta Quemada Ranch section of the park – a working ranch for more than a century. We didn’t have time for a horseback ride but a ride in the Rincon Mountains along the National Mail Stagecoach Route would be very scenic.

ccmp-cccThe Civilian Conservation Corps were largely responsible for development of Colossal Cave Mountain Park in the 1930s. The adobe CCC office building has been renovated, housing a museum recalling their efforts and the men who served. From developing the tour route through the cave to the limestone buildings and ramadas the CCC deserves great credit.

The ranch house serves as a museum with exhibits covering topics from ancieccmp-human-sundial2nt Hohokam Indian culture to modern cave research. I was most intrigued with the Analemmatic Sundial which I renamed the human sundial. The horizontal calendar grip is unlike any sundial I’ve ever seen. I tried to get Bob to stand still long enough to serve as the gnomon (vertical rod).

Cave, museums, natural areas, horseback rides, picnic area, and mining sluice –  a family can easily fill an entire day at Colossal Cave Mountain Park.

ccmp-whoaWhen You Go: Colossal Cave Mountain Park is open every day of the year. The park is located about 17 miles southeast of Tucson. Saguaro National Park – Rincon Mountain District lies north of Colossal Cave.  The basic cave tour lasts about 50 minutes covering a half-mile route with numerous stairs, temperature inside the cave is a consistent 70° – a pleasant relief in mid-summer. Reservations are not required, tours are not pre-scheduled; they promise you’ll never wait longer than 30 minutes after purchasing your ticket. There are also Ladder, Wild Cave and Candlelight Tours – these do require reservations. They also suggest reservations for the trail rides.

Colossal Cave Mountain Park participates in the Tucson Attractions Passport program (see blog). The Passport covers the park use entrance fee. Regular fees for cave tours and trail rides apply.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West – Scottsdale, Arizona

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Night Lights on the Desert

flw-sun-on-logoFrank Lloyd Wright created Taliesin West as the winter home for his school of architecture. The campus sits on the flank of the McDowell Mountains overlooking Scottsdale, Arizona. Protected acres of pristine Sonoran desert surrounds the Wright designed buildings as suburbia creeps ever closer. Visitors from around the world come to tour Taliesin West and learn more about Wright’s design philosophy.

On past visits we’ve taken the 90-minute Insights and the 3-hour Behind the Scenes Tours, each time learning about, perhaps, the best known of 20th-century American architects. This time we made reservations for the Night Lights on the Desert Tour.flw-sculpture-in-sun1

Beginning just before sunset, the two-hour tour includes everything on the daytime Insights Tour plus a stop for refreshments. On most evenings participants are also treated to colorful sunsets followed by star-studded skies and the lights of Scottsdale/Phoenix in the valley below.

Before the tour begins Bob scurries to catch photos as the late afternoon sun warm buildings, sculpture and landscape. As our guide gives background on Wright and Taliesin West we keep eyes focused westward, not to be rude but to watch the kaleidoscope of changing colors – from pinks, violets and lemon yellow to bronze, burnt orange and deep purple.

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When the color show fades we visit Wright’s private office and the living room. Labeled the Garden Room by Wright, this was the social center for family, guests, associates and students. We sit in Wright-designed furniture while the guide tells us about construction methods and materials. This evening we are guests in the Wright home, perhaps his dynamic spirit hovers there with us.

flw-sun-on-studio1After stopping in the bedroom wing the group partakes of tea, lemonade and cookies in an alcove outside of the dining room. Wind prohibits the fire-breathing dragon from staying lit but an outdoor corner fireplace nips the slight chill in the air. The tour concludes with visits to the Kiva, Cabaret Theater and Music Pavilion.

Although there is some duplication, each tour we’ve taken has offered new information and insights. Every guide has been extremely well versed with an obvious dedication to accuracy, however, you do get a slightly different view as the guide’s own interest, knowledge and background come through. We plan to take the Desert Shelter Tour the next time we’re in Scottsdale. 

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When You Go: Taliesin West offers the Insights and Panorama Tours Daily except Easter, Thanksgiving Christmas and New Years. Other tours are available either seasonally or on particular days of the week. The website gives tour details and rates. Reservations taken by phone at 480-860-2700 Ext. 494. Tours often fill to capacity, especially those not given daily, reservations are strongly advised.

Gracie’s Station Restaurant – Benson, Arizona

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New in Benson – Gracie’s Station

I was thrilled when I heard a new restaurant had opened in Benson, Arizona. With much to explore in the area we’ve frequently stopped for meals, never finding one that especially excited us for a return visit. There was no question we would have dinner at Gracie’s Station.

It got even better when we discovered Gracie’s was next door to our hotel. We didn’t have to get back in car, we could stretch our legs and walk to dinner – yea! A red stagecoach sits out front, the building facade reminds us of an Old Western town movie set. The interior is fashioned after a late 1800s railroad station and decorated with railroad memorabilia and historic photographs. Each of three dining rooms reflect unique atmosphere – Jenny’s Hotel, TJ’s Round House and The Brothel. Of course, there’s The Saloon for before and after dinner beverages and Makena Kate Goods & Needs Store for a bit of shopping.benson-gracies-2

The menu presents a potpourri of choices. There are sandwiches, burgers, soups and salads, steaks and pastas. Station Stop Favorites include good old fashioned comfort food such as meatloaf, turkey dinner, chicken pot pie, catfish and chicken fried steak. Each entree accompanied with soup or salad, homemade bread and two side dishes. Skillet corn bread, pueblo pinion-pumpkin bread and forge fry bread fills the enticing bread basket. Gracie’s offers an all you can eat fish fry on Fridays and prime rib on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

We’re impressed to find gluten free items on the menu and a note that gluten free pasta can be substituted in any of the pasta entrees. What a nice option for those who need such consideration.

After dinner at Gracie’s we knew that new can be better. Welcome to Benson.

When You Go: Gracie’s Station is located just west of Hwy 90 south of I-10, exit 302, on the west side of Benson, Arizona. Open seven days a week 4-10pm.

One Negative: When we approached the Gracie’s hostess stand a half-dozen employees were grouped around a waitress who was having a hissie fit about something. My impression was that it was a conflict with the kitchen. Whatever the cause it was the wrong place to deal with the issue; not a good first impression for the customers. Hopefully this was an isolated instance and management is wise enough to remove such tantrums from the public view in the future. Our waitress was very pleasant and service oriented.