Weekend Getaway in Sunny Scottsdale (lots of photos!)

Friday 12/10-Sunday 12/12: Taliesin West, Dinner with Friends, Desert Botanical Gardens

Mr. E and I enjoyed a quick weekend in Scottsdale, AZ, with sunny skies and daytime highs in the 60s and evening lows in the 40s. Lovely! The perfect backdrop for our visits to Taliesin West and the Desert Botanical Gardens to see both parts of the Chihuly in the Desert exhibition. 

Our flight on Friday afternoon was a little late, so once we got to the Scottsdale Marriott Old Town, we decided to have dinner at the hotel. I took a short walk to the nearby CVS to pick up some snacks while Mr. E enjoyed a cocktail and placed our dinner order (blackened salmon for him, arugula salad for me). I got back just as our food was ready. 

Our suite on the 7th floor overlooked the pool, which was quite helpful on Saturday morning so that I could get a quick preview before heading down to swim laps. I was the only person there, which wasn't surprising since the morning was chilly, but the pool temperature was just fine for my workout. Very cold getting out, though! I popped over to the whirlpool briefly to warm up my feet and hands before heading back to the room. Thanks to Mr. E's Bonvoy status, we had vouchers for the breakfast buffet for both days, so we didn't have to go look for another morning eatery option. 

We were just in time for our 11am tour at Taliesin West with guide, Frank, who led us around the property for 90 minutes, providing an engaging and informative narrative about Frank Lloyd Wright, his life and work, the apprentices, the construction of Taliesin West, and of course the link with Chihuly and the amazing glass installations that were scattered in and around the buildings.

We learned that the apprentices were charged with using local materials to build everything at Taliesin, keeping in alignment with Wright's approach to "organic architecture." The buildings really do seem to just emerge from their natural environment, blending in with the surrounding mountains and desert rather than interrupting them.

After the tour, we made a few purchases at the gift shop and then returned to Old Town for lunch at the Original Chop Shop, a spot I remembered from my most recent visit back in December 2017 (CPCA work trip). Mr. E had a chance to work out in the afternoon while I took a stroll along the canal to see the holiday lights display. 

Then we headed to K & M's house for pre-dinner wine and snacks before our 7pm dinner reservation at Soul Cafe. So wonderful to catch up with friends after [too] many years! The food was fresh and tasty although the service was a bit slower than anticipated, likely at least partially due to the fact that a group of 25 had been seated outside just after we arrived. But the conversation just kept flowing, and we could have spent several hours together! We're definitely planning for a return visit sooner rather than later, most likely in the spring since we'll also be able to have a self-guided tour of Taliesin later in the day so that we can view the glass sculptures all lit up for the evening.

I skipped the pool on Sunday morning since it was even chillier and just made do with in-room workouts via YouTube. Breakfast buffet again, and then off to the Desert Botanical Gardens for more Chihuly, including and entire indoor exhibit that provided additional information about his life and his work along with examples of his drawings, which neither of us had ever seen before.

We had a late checkout at the hotel, which gave Mr. E time to workout while I grabbed takeout lunch at the Original Chop Shop and chatted with my sister. Then back to the airport to return the rental car. Our flight was initially on time, but we had to wait almost an hour on board for a maintenance issue, so we ended up landing nearly 30 minutes late in Sac. Miss Calypso was very glad to welcome us home, and we made sure she got some good extra snuggles (even though she'd had lots and lots of TLC from E and C during our absence).

Next up, Austin for the Christmas holiday!