Step back in time to see how designers saw the future in Modernism Week!
Modernism Week in Palm Springs is here! Festivities kicked off yesterday (February 16) with tours, exhibitions, a lighting of mid-century modern architecture, and, of course, a cocktail party. This celebration of mid-century modern design will run through February 26th and every day is packed with activities, many of which are sold out.
Although I couldn’t be there for the kick-off, I’ve got my bags packed and tickets in hand for lots of different programs and tours throughout the coming week. The weather appears to be cooperating, hitting upwards of 70 to 82 for the foreseeable future. It will be perfect weather for walking tours of famous homes (think Frank Sinatra!), double-decker bus tours of modern architecture, and perusing mid-century concept cars. There is enough to see and do that I’m not sure when we’ll have time to eat and sleep! To keep up with it all, I’ve got the Modernism Week App on my iPhone.
Below is a sample video of what’s to come–a tour of Frank Sinatra’s house, complete with juicy tidbits about his life there!
Stay tuned for pictures and updates about Modernism Week in Palm Springs. And, if you’re there too, drop a comment about what you’re seeing and doing this week.
For more information about what Modernism Week is about, check out the video below:
Autumn at the Arboretum. Photo provided by Boyce Thompson Arboretum.
“Want to go see the snow?” That was the question my sister-in-law asked midway through my first winter in Phoenix about five years ago. I remember looking around: Sunny skies. Temperatures in the 60s. Snow?
She was beaming. The past 12 years of living in the desert must have done something funny to her brain.
“There’s snow in the mountains,” she said, seeming to sense my doubt, and she pointed in the direction of the Superstition Mountains that dot the horizon north and east of the city. Sure enough, there was snow in them-there hills. I had not noticed it before.
Snow in the Superstition Mountains. Photo by Rick Kruer.
An hour later, we were zipping our way along highway 60. In what seemed like minutes, the highway changed from a sprawling, five-lane-in-each-direction highway to a winding, two-lane road that curved up and around the mountains. It took us east, past the Renaissance Festival in Gold Canyon. We blurred past outlying developments and trailer parks, out, out, out until there was nothing but rocky hills and surprisingly green valleys below. This road revealed a change in the desert landscape. There were, of course, the requisite saguaro cactuses and prickly grasses, but the pale, yellow green blushed dark green in spots. There were hints of other colors too: lilacs and bright yellows spun from the stalks of plants whose names I still do not know. Then the earth turned from dusty brown to mineral-rich red and gold. This was the Tonto National Forest we passed into and it was like no forest I had ever seen before.
Smith Interpretive Center. Photo provided by Boyce Thompson Arboretum.
Our destination, as it turned out, was the Boyce-Thompson Arboretum just three miles west of the old, historic mining town of Superior, Arizona. There was no snow there, but once we got onto the main trail of the Arboretum, all thoughts of snow disappeared anyway. I was floored. So much beauty, so much diversity of life, so much to take in, all in one place, all in the desert. Who knew?
Photo provided by Boyce Thompson Arboretum.
Since that day, I have been back to the Arboretum on numerous occasions and proudly count myself among their membership of donors. I try to get back there at least once a year. It is a haven for me, far quieter than a lot of the other more touristy places in Arizona and no less rich with beauty and life.
Spring is possibly my favorite time of year, if I had to name a favorite, only because the wildflowers that light the path on the highway to the Arboretum are just a taste of what follows at the Arboretum itself. I find my heart beating with joy as I make my way to that little slice of heaven. It is a wonder, this place in the desert; bursts of color growing out of a pinkish brown canvas.
Photo provided by Boyce Thompson Arboretum.
From now through the Spring, the Arboretum is open daily from 8am until 5pm. Once the sticky days of summer hit, the hours change, but they are still open for part of the day and it is slightly cooler there than in Phoenix. They have a plethora of activities and classes for hikers, photographers, those interested in learning more about edible or medicinal plants, and more. The Hummingbird Garden is not to be missed any time of year.
I could go on and on, but really, the best way to experience the Boyce-Thompson Arboretum is to go there.
As the sun rises in the East, so too do hot air balloons around the Phoenix valley. The season is ripe for it too, not just because the winters in the Southwest are so sunny and mild, but because it is February, the month of Valentine’s Day and a celebration of romantic things.
Whether it is to celebrate an anniversary, to pop the question, or simply something to do on your bucket list, riding in a hot air balloon is a dream for a lot of people. Phoenix has a quite a few companies vying to make those dreams come true. This time of year is the busiest time, so most offer daily rides at sunup or sundown as time for lift-off. Apparently, that’s when the winds are least restless and perfect for sailing peacefully across the sky at 3000 to 5000 feet above the earth.
The company I flew with was Aerogelic Ballooning and, although I always felt safe and thoroughly enjoyed being up in the sky, watching the world below pass beneath, the owner/manager of the company swore at his crew on several occasions and made snide remarks throughout the flight when someone asked a question. Amazingly, it did not seem to ruin the day for the six guests he had in his basket. It is hard to stay upset when you feel like a rockstar, waving to people below you. If I were to do it again, though, I would go with a different company.
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Happily, there are many companies to choose from and this experience is one that is not to be missed. I went with my mother-in-law because it was on both of our bucket lists. She is known for having severe motion sickness, so she was a little uncertain about how she might do. She brought along Dramamine in case she felt any pangs of wooziness, but she never needed it. The ride itself was smooth and easy; landing was the bumpiest part, but it didn’t hurt or jar. It just took a few gentle bounces to find that right balance between lift and grounding. Up in the air, floating felt like the most natural thing in the world. Cares that weighed so heavy on the ground disappeared. Nervous chit chat peetered out as breathtaking views took over. I could have stayed there all day.
Prices with Aerogelic for approximately 60 minutes of air time start at $165 per person. The total time involved, however, is about four hours. It took about an hour to set up and get flying, another hour to fly, and another hour to land and get the balloon deflated and loaded up on a trailer that followed the balloon’s progress to its landing. The additional hour was how long it took to drive to the take-off location and the drive back to where we were parked.
The price included our passage on board a colorful hot air balloon and a glass of champagne and some nibbles at the end of the ride. Other companies in the area show similar prices for similar “public” flights, meaning that, unless you book the entire basket with six of your closest friends, you will be making new friends on your flight. To charter a private basket for just you, your honey, and the pilot, the price goes up to $700.
Check out these other companies in the area for other hot air balloon options. Please note that I cannot speak from experience about the quality of these companies.
Rainbow Riders: They have great reviews on Tripadviser.com and would likely be who I will go with the next time I ride in a hot air balloon in Phoenix.
A sunny, 65-degree day at the Gilbert Farmers Market located about 15 miles outside Phoenix, Arizona, is a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon. If you’re visiting Phoenix in the winter, take a look around at all the local farmers markets happening in the area. Most of the booths provide produce, art, jewelry, homemade jams and jellies, mouthwatering honeys–all locally grown, picked, created, and produced. It’s a great way to find some unique gifts and souvenirs, as well as the fixings for a memorable picnic.
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Doctor Hummus is a favorite hummus in the Phoenix area, known for delicious flavor without added tahini.
One of my favorite booths to visit at almost any farmers market in the Phoenix metro is the Doctor Hummus booth. Doctor Hummus makes his flavorful concoctions without the use of tahini (with the exception of the raw and original hummuses). In all my travels, I have yet to find a better-flavored hummus that does not use tahini. Locals are lucky because, not only is Doctor Hummus available at Whole Foods and AJ’s, a gourmet grocer, they can now go to Herb ‘N Flavor, a restaurant that is all about the Doctor (as well as some really good soup).
While you’re out enjoying the sunshine and local produce, take advantage of the Western Canal Trail that runs through Gilbert, Chandler or Tempe. Or, plan to navigate one of the other canal trails in the area by going to the Salt River Project’s (SRP) map of the canal trails around Phoenix and Scottsdale.
The plant strains its whole being in one single plan; to escape above ground from the fatality below; to elude and transgress the dark and weighty law, to free itself, to break the narrow sphere, to invent or invoke wings, to escape as far as possible, to conquer the space wherein fate encloses it, to approach another kingdom, to enter a moving, animated world.
~ Maurice Maeterlinck, “The Intelligence of Flowers”
The quote above summarizes the show “Botanica” by Momix, a company of “dancer-illusionists” who, with their bodies, movements, lighting and music, express the beauty of Nature and leave the audience breathless.
During the show on Friday night at the Orpheum Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona, audience members sat on the edge of their seats–in some cases, literally–as dancers posed, rolled, hopped, twirled, and gyrated around a colorful, constantly changing stage. It was a show meant to represent the seasons and, with everything from spinning sunflowers to hopping hornets to shivering trees, it did just that. It’s no wonder this company of dancers, under the direction of Moses Pendleton, has such distinguished partners as the Desert Botanical Garden and Ballet Arizona.
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In the flood that happens when a group of people try to exit a building civilly at once, the comments most overheard were, “That was amazing.” “I’ve never seen anything like it.” “Stunning!” Even the children in the audience–and there were surprisingly many–were quiet throughout and did not complain about the lack of intermission for this 90 minute show.
For those not in the Phoenix area, fear not. In April, they will be making their way to Pennsylvania, Las Vegas, New Jersey, California, and Nebraska after returning from a tour in Italy. For more information about the show and their calendar, go to their website.
Jet Planes and Coffee 