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Published: March 7th 2015
Hello once again friends and family! Don't worry - you haven't been forgotten. We have just been busy creating stories to share with you! This time, we will tell you all about our experiences in the great and diverse state of Arizona. Buckle up, it's a long ride. Since our last post, we have traveled up and down and all around the state (including the Grand Canyon!). We entered the state through the southeast and drove into Tucson. Here, we spent the day on University of Arizona's version of Kirkwood Avenue. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Kirkwood (shame on you), it is the main drag in Bloomington, Indiana, and a place that Madison and I call home. At the end of the street, we were surprised to see what we interpreted as the Southwestern version of IU's Sample Gates! It was a warm welcome, but we didn't stay long.
After spending time on U of A's campus, we packed up and started off to Phoenix, which is about two hours north. We were eager to read the books we purchased at a used book store in Silver City, NM, so we sought out the public library. What
a pleasant surprise that was! It was an architectural beauty and the epitome of a community learning space. We walk inside to see we're standing over water. Once our glances turned upward, we saw five open floors of books and activity centers open to everyone. I spent the rest of my time there exploring and then writing about the potential of public libraries to be one of modern society's greatest achievements. I never thought I could be so inspired by an institution.
The next day, Madison and I explored Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, and Fountain Hills, all of which are situated increasingly northeast of Phoenix. Scottsdale reminded us a bit of Zionsville, small and well-to-do. This is the town where Frank Lloyd Wright spent his winters. Seven structures around town were designed by him, so Madison and I decided to check a couple of them out. We visited the First Christian Church and the Arizona Biltmore. Both of the buildings were uniquely designed and constructed. If you're at all interested, please look at the pictures below!
Paradise Valley is further up in the mountains. It felt like the Beverly Hills of Arizona - huge, extravagant homes, pristine streets, and
lots of synagogues. One of these hills is Camelback Mountain, and yes, it looks like a camel back. Madison and I walked amongst its boulders. It was a cool, sunny day and perfect for hiking. After the hike, we set out to Fountain Hills - home of the World's Largest Fountain! And this is where we have to confess that we aren't as romantically rugged as we'd like you to believe. We caved and rented a hotel room for the night! And oh, boy, was it glorious. We open the door to our room to find we each had our own queen-sized bed dressed in fluffy white sheets waiting for us. We must've looked like little girls standing in the threshold of a giant candy store. So, in accordance with that little girl spirit, Madison turns to me, and without a word, runs and jumps on one of the beds. She's always been the more daring sister, and usually her risks are worth the reward of ecstatic fun. So, of course, I joined her. And there we were: two (halfway) adults forgetting the rules and just having a good time. We broke another rule that night - we brought beers
down to the hot tub. I think we spent about three hours in total soaking in that tub and talking. Afterward, we slept like babies. A hotel stay never felt so luxurious. Thank you, Mom and Dad, for making that weary traveller dream come to fruition.
So, let's see, at this point in the story we are well-rested and ready for our trek to the Grand Canyon. But we aren't there yet. We took the long way up to Flagstaff through the Tonto National Forest. An excerpt from Madison's journal perfectly captures our experience:
The colors that are naturally on display here are incredibly vibrant. It's as though the sky, plants, and Earth have made a secret pact to be as brilliant as can be. I find my eyes continuously getting lost in the landscape, each resting point offers a delightful array of beauty. Cacti take the role of trees here, a job they do not take lightly, as they stand proud and tall, shooting skyward. Each harbor a bushel of yellow flowers, their species I do not know, but the kind Kayli admires so dearly. The clouds, impossibly surpassing the mountains in size, cast dark shadows over
the land. We watch as the darkness slowly captures each mountain, and then releases it back to the light, time and again. Spring has already arrived in this foreign land, you can feel it in the sun's warmth and in the song of the birds. It is the kind of Spring day that makes you feel grateful to be alive and human.
We climbed higher and higher in elevation until we reached Flagstaff. This little mountain town is situated way up in the San Francisco peaks. It did not feel like spring here - there was snow everywhere and it was quite cold! Nevertheless, we enjoyed exploring the town's historical landmarks and health food stores, the first two things we look for when we enter a new place. We woke up refreshed in the Walmart parking lot and refueled at Dunkin Donuts (the other two places we search for in each town) and then began our trek to the Grand Canyon!
The drive from Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon is wild. We found ourselves rapidly descending down the cold blue mountainside into a vast, red desert canyon. What a dramatic convergence of opposing landscapes! We tried to capture
it in a photo for you. We dipped down into the canyon for dozens of miles and then gradually made our way back up another mountain. On the other side was something we could have never imagined. Cut through the earth were giant gashes - canyons that dropped straight down one thousand feet right below your own feet! The sight literally took my breath away. (Madison couldn't stop giggling.) After gazing into this hole in the earth I found myself shaking out of fear. It wasn't that I was afraid of falling, it was that my tiny ant body revered the immensity of the space before me to the point of physical trembling. And this was just the Little Colorado River Gorge, a tiny fraction of what Madison and I would see at the Grand Canyon. I'll let the pictures tell the rest of the story, even though they couldn't even begin to compare to the actual experience. Enjoy and thank you for listening!
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Helen
non-member comment
I'm speechless
Beautiful pics! Absolutely love the stain glass by FLW. Breathe taking pics of the canyons