Tag: Phoenix

Architecture, ART, Attractions, Decorative Arts, DESTINATIONS, Fashion, Museums, TRAVEL, United States

Phoenix Art Museum

Jane Sadek
Museum guide with our Entry Stickers

TRAVEL THERE: AN AIMLESS ART ADVENTURE

In my research for this trip, must-see items in the Phoenix Art Museum did not make themselves apparent.  Going was more of a you’re-here-and-it’s-free kind of thing.  So we stood in the short line and made it into the museum with perhaps an hour to kill.  Here’s what we did in that hour.

No Need for Speed

Front and center in the entry way was an exhibition called Legends of Speed.  It was 20 race cars posing as art.  What we could see from outside the exhibition was lovely, but it cost extra to see it and we didn’t even have enough time to see what was free.  So, we sort of followed our nose up into the European and Western Art areas. 

The Phoenix Art Museum is quite modern.  I don’t mean that all it has is modern art.  I mean the building and its architecture are very modern.  Nothing grand and stately.  More like plywood walls painted white with concrete floors.  Lingering is not encouraged or accommodated.   No conveniently placed benches available to relax as you practice art appreciation.

https://phxart.org/arts/art-deco-hall-c-1925-salon-art-deco-c-1925/

A Showstopper

Almost by accident we wandered into the Thorne Rooms Exhibit.  I say almost by accident, because we did not purposely go to find them, but decorative arts being my favorite art form, we went to the part of the museum where we would be most likely to find something like Narcissa Niblick Thorne’s Miniature Rooms. 

The art deco room you see here is about the size of a shoe box, but their’s nothing small about the craftsmanship.  The brass fireplace tools are exquisite, the murals are tiny hand-loomed tapestries.  The wall sconces are real silver with actual crystal teardrops.

What’s more, this room is just one of many.  Pick a style, any style.  You’re likely to find a room with that style in the exhibit.  For me, it was worth all the craziness of Art Walk to get to spend some time admiring these gems.  I highly recommend them.

The Rest of It

We did not do the museum justice, but time was ticking away.  I’d say we saw most of the second floor.  We found the Western Art and saw everything European, which included their very nice Monet.  We purposely avoided the Modern and Contemporary Art, but that also caused us to miss the Ansel Adams show in the Photography Section.  The Fashion Section was closed, because they were getting ready for a new exhibition in there.  We breezed through the Art of Asia and found the Gift Shop, where I picked up some postcards of the Thorne Rooms Exhibit to put in my scrapbook.

Would I go back to the Phoenix Art Museum?  Of course, if for no other reason than to gaze at the Thorne Rooms again.  They are amazing.  I can imagine if I lived in the area, I would be a member and visit often.  However, I do have to say that it didn’t work very hard to win me over.  The whole thing sort of felt like a temporary exhibit space.  I like my museums to have a certain amount of permanence and gravitas.  PAM seems as if it might perpetually be under construction.  The first “art” you see is a huge red plastic dinosaur and next we encountered race cars.  It was a little like arriving at an amusement part, rather than a museum.

I think art should be approachable and create interest for the masses, but that doesn’t mean it should quit taking itself seriously.  The entry area should WOW you a bit, not remind you of a road side attraction.  So, I’ll not add PAM to my list of favorite museums, but I also won’t kick it to the curb.  We are falling a little more in love with Arizona every time we go through, so I anticipate many more visits.

We grabbed some fast food on the way back to the resort.  It had been another long day of sightseeing.  We were tired, but not exhausted in the same way we had been after 10.5 hour shore excursions in Italy.  The next morning we had to pay the piper.  Come back next week and I’ll explain what I mean. 

 

 

ART, Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Fashion, Museums, Music, Performing Arts, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, Shopping, TRAVEL, United States

Phoenix Friday Art Walk

Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: WILD & CRAZY ART EVENT

Still going with the flow, I was ready to sacrifice the Phoenix Friday Art Walk (#phxfridays) for the sake of harmony, but Bill proved he was up for it.  We changed into something more casual and headed for downtown Phoenix.  By the time we arrived, things were going strong.  The Phoenix Museum of Art seemed to be the epicenter of activity, but parking there was an impossibility, so we began to look for something else.  We did find an office building that allowed us to park and it really wasn’t far from the museum, but we were like the only people parking there.  Worse case scenario, it was a rent car and none of our belongings were in it, so if they stole it, fine!

Joining the Hordes

We discovered we were about a block from the museum, which meant we were soon part of the insanity of Art Walk.  We noted most of the participants were decades younger than us, but we did not let that deter us from our opportunity for adventure.  The museum, which has free admission on Fridays and was the focus of my attention, had ridiculous lines, so with little in the way of info, we hopped aboard one of the very full free trolleys and we were off into another world.

Both sides of the street were filled with revelers and the noise level was wild.  Bill pulled me off the trolley and we tried to get our bearings, but it was sort of what I think an acid trip might be similar to.  We were sharing the crowded sidewalk with people who didn’t look like us.  Hair was in every shape and color, except what we might consider normal.  Everyone was tattooed and pierced.  They wore clothes I’d probably throw away if I found them in my closet.  There was pushing and shoving in every direction, but there was no clear indication of which way one should head.

I did mention the noise, right?  It was Bill who pointed out, that in the immediate area where we were standing, five different bands were vying for the crowd’s attention.  While we were standing next to five bands, if we looked in any directions, we could see, not far down the sidewalk, crowds flowed around even more bands.  The result, cacophony. 

Just about that time, we both needed to visit restroom facilities and by some odd piece of luck we got into a nearby restaurant with minimal hassle.  I think the doorman took pity on the senior citizens lost among the millennials.  We took care of business and made our way out to the street, heading away from the five bands.  We found a sort of alley with various booths set up along the way.  The mob seemed less frenetic here and the noise of the various bands was tolerable.  We began to stroll along.

Abandoning the Hordes   

Though spread more thinly, the denizens of this art vendor alley were of the dread-locked, tattooed and pierced variety of the five band locale.  While they looked scary to us, they did seem to be minding their own business, so we entertained ourselves by looking in on the booths.  There were some artists selling their wares – nothing we’d hang on our walls, but interesting.  The most readily available merchandise seemed to be CBD oil, plus everything and anything made out of hemp.  Bill was sure he could smell “hemp”smoke wafting above the crowd.

After about a block, we ran out of booths and it began to look like an area senior citizens would not be welcome or safe, so we made a U-turn and visited the booths on the other side of the alley.  When we returned to the sidewalk, a band made of pre-teenagers and their parents, had begun to play headbanger/punk rock (?) at a remarkable volume.  Bill wondered what the best way back to the car was.  I pointed to a landmark on the skyline and we decided to walk back, instead of trying to find another trolley.

We crossed the street and discovered,what had been an alley on the other side, turned into more of a street.  On the street, vendors only took up one side, but they seemed to have pretty much the same merchandise as the previous guys.  On the other side of the street was a series of restaurants with outdoor seating – only all patrons looked as if they belonged to biker gangs, so we weren’t at all tempted to sit down for a respite, even though sitting down for a drink sounded like the perfect thing to do.

We kept our eye on the red neon sign we’d recognized earlier and when the street made an abrupt left, we headed right through what seemed to be a park.  The art you see on this page was displayed throughout the area and it is huge.  After the park was the library.  We could no longer see our landmark, but I had my bearings and continued that way.

Suddenly, we were back at the art museum and the lines had disappeared.  Our visit was delayed, but I was going to get to take advantage of the free admission.  Come back next week and enjoy the museum with us.

 

ART, DESTINATIONS, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

Yummy Delicious Incredible Afternoon Tea

Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: AFTERNOON TEA AT THE PHOENICIAN

Often in life, you dream about, look forward to and anticipate something, and then when it happens it just wasn’t worth all that energy.  However, when you’ve looked forward to something for decades and it surpasses even your greatest expectations, how rewarding that is.  Afternoon Tea at the Phoenician was everything I ever hoped it would be and even more!  Come let’s sip and savor.

Entering by the Back Door

Of all the things that have ever been invented for travel, the GPS is by far one of the very best.  That being said, sometimes it has an odd way of getting you where you want to be.  On all my other visits to the Phoenician Resort, I had come in through the main entrance and in my imagination, that’s the way I thought we’d enter for our Afternoon Tea.  Instead, the GPS took us to some back entrance, through the golf courses.  Don’t get me wrong.  It was lovely, but it didn’t match my memory and it made finding where we should park a bit of a challenge.  Hence we were running a few minutes late and though I was keeping a clamp on my anxiety, after we did find someplace to park, instead of being near the lobby, we were wandering through the ballrooms and shops and every where except where we needed to be.

When we did get to the lobby cafe, where Tea is served, they seated us in what should have been a very advantageous table, overlooking the beautiful pools, but the sun was shining in so brightly, that even with my sunglasses I felt like someone was poking me in the eye.  As soon as we told the waitress our challenge we were moved to another table which was just as nice, but between the gauntlet we ran to get there and the small ado over moving, it took me a few moments to realize I was at the Phoenician for Afternoon Tea.

The Experience

Linen tablecloths and napkins, heavy flatware, Wedgewood china, elegrant crystal, clotted cream, orange marmalade and berry jam set the scene for our meal.  Huge pots of tea were delivered, which we enjoyed so much they had to be refilled throughout the meal.  Then they started bringing food and they just kept bringing it until we had to tell them to stop.

The first course was finger sandwiches:  cucumber, asparagus, salmon, chicken salad and egg salad.  Each tiny finger sandwich was a little masterpiece to look at.  And to eat – YUM! 

Next came the scones.  Bill decided he preferred what Starbucks calls scones, but those aren’t really traditional scones.  The Phoenician scones were what I call scones and they were good.  They weren’t the best I’d ever had.  That honor goes to the little tea shop I used to frequent in San Luis Obispo, but there was nothing wrong with the Phoenician version.

Once we’d had all the scones we wanted, the desserts started and they just kept coming.  Eclairs, coffee operas, scottish shortbreads, mango domes, fruit tartlets, milk chocolate bavarois, sable bretons, chocolate dipped strawberries and brandied cherry pompomettes.  

Every single one was more delicious than the last one and look how pretty they were.  Theoretically, we could still be there eating them, because they kept trying to get us to have more, but we were stuffed!

The service was gracious, friendly and attentive.  I was carried away with the china, almost as much as the food.  It was gorgeous.  The people watching was spectacular.  Once was not enough, I can’t wait to go back!

Enjoying the Resort

With our meal over, we wanted to see everything, especially the wonderful veranda which overlooks the pool.  We went on a little photo safari.  I hope you enjoy it.

Next up – a little bagpipe music.  You don’t want to miss that!  So, come back next week!

 

 

DESTINATIONS, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL, Travel Planning, United States

Why We Had Afternoon Tea at the Phoenician

Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH THE PHOENICIAN

See that happy face.  I’ve dreamed of this day for a long, long time.  Let me tell you how it came about.

Love at First Sight and Beyond

So, way back in 1995, Bill and I took a trip to Arizona.  It was about three weeks long and included a side trip through Utah for skiing in Steamboat Springs.  With all the traveling we have done, it remains one of our very favorite vacations.

Two things contributed to its success – one was free airfare, thanks to Southwest overbooking a flight to Corpus Christi and a ski trip with the Lone Star Skiers.  We saw all of Arizona from the BioSphere outside Tucson, to the Grand Canyon, to Monument Valley.  It was our first of many trips to Sedona and we hope to make many, many more.

Did we stay at the Phoenician on this trip?  No, we did not.  Bill and I like to go check out resorts – have a drink or a meal and then wander around.  We loved it and told ourselves that one day we would be back for an extended stay.

Our next trip through Arizona in 2000 did not take us through Phoenix.  We were California-bound and stayed in Sedona instead, but that’s when we started talking about spending our 10th wedding anniversary at the Phoenician.

In 2003, I passed through Phoenix with my parents.  Bill and I had bought Aunt Edie’s Cadillac.  Bill was in the throes of getting the Pismo Beach house finished, so I had to drive the Caddie from Temple TX to our new home in Cali.  As it turns out, my parents weren’t about to let me make a cross-country drive all by myself (even though I sort of relished the idea) so I took them on what I called The Cadillac Tour.

It was a tough trip, with flat tires, the leatherette roof peeling off, a speeding ticket and Mom losing a crown, but it was also a trip of great memories and I love that we did it.  Phoenix was one of the places we stayed.  Mom and I visited Fashion Square and had afternoon cocktails at the Phoenician.  Though no photograph was taken, that respite from travel has stuck vividly in my mind, like a beacon, for all the years since.  That’s when I found out they had afternoon tea.

In 2004 we had our 10th wedding anniversary, but our dream of the Phoenician did not come to pass.  Our nephew was graduating from Wharton and the whole family would be there.  Instead of the Phoenician, we did a ramble that started in Philly and included the Brandywine Valley, Hudson Valley, the Adirondaks, 1000 Islands and Niagara Falls. 

In 2006, we happily left California to return to Texas, but we drove all the way through AZ without staying anywhere.  Talk about a tough trip.  The hotel in Gallup, New Mexico was so bad that our cat went into her crate all by herself while we were getting ready to go.  She wanted out of there. We had so much going on I didn’t even have time to wish we could go to the Phoenician.

On our return to Dallas, the Phoenician faded from our minds.  Not completely, but we were doing a lot of international and family-related travel.  After the Anniversary Cruise, we’d decided we were going to travel in the States for a few years and certainly Arizona was on our list, but we weren’t talking about an actual trip until that Westin invitation ended up in our mailbox.  As soon as I had approval to book the trip, I was back down in Bill’s office lobbying for afternoon tea at the Phoenician.  It’s not like its price is totally outrageous, but its more than Bill would usually want to pay for finger sandwiches, in our usual pursuit of happiness. 

It didn’t take a lot of lobbying.  He virtually had no interest in it, but he always wants to please me, so Afternoon Tea at the Phoenician was on.  Someday we may actually stay at the Phoenician, but come back next week and enjoy finger sandwiches and other delights with us.  

ART, TRAVEL

The Phoenix New Times Breakfast List

Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: F`A-ME CAFFE HEADS THE LIST

In a number of cities, like Phoenix and San Luis Obispo, they have a great little publication called New Times.  The same company publishes other entertainment magazines, like the Dallas Observer.  I have discovered they have very reliable restaurant recommendations, so if I am going to a city or town that has New Times, then I always take advantage of their online publications to plan meals.  Phoenix is one of those towns.  I knew we’d be getting in there early and would want some breakfast, so I googled “best breakfast Phoenix” found the New Times site and chose a spot. 

The Laid Back F`a-me Caffee 

Bill navigated his way out of the Alamo rental lot and I programmed the GPS to take us to F`a-me Caffee.  It was just an upscale cafe in a strip center.  On our own we would have never found it and that would have been a great loss, so thank you New Times.  We took this photo at about 9 AM.  Apparently, that was during a lull, because by the time we left, the place was hopping.

F`a-me was the perfect place to relax and have a bite between our flight and our day of sightseeing.  We started with a coffee for Bill and a hot chocolate for me.  A little later we ordered, French Toast for Bill and a Croque Madame for me.  In a word, DELICIOUS.

We loved the service.  It was friendly, but without chirpy people telling you their name, chatting you up and trying to rush you through a meal.  After we had eaten, I presented Bill with our choices for the day.  The Westin wasn’t available to us until after four and it was getting close to 10. My vote was the Celebration of Fine Art, a three month art show in its thirtieth year, held in big white tents.  That sounded good to Bill and we headed off to continue having fun.

The Detour

I confess, I’m very structured.  I like having a solid itinerary and sticking to it.  Bill is very fluid.  He thrives on not having any itinerary at all.  I have discovered if I will just let him flow from time to time, we’ll be more likely to enjoy the things we do together.  Drives me a little insane, but the current of his flowing river is a lot stronger than anything I can offer up, so I’ve learned not to let myself get drowned.

The F`a-me Caffee was mere minutes away from the Celebration of Fine Art tents.  When we got there, Bill asked if we could just drive around a bit and I said, “Of course,” even though every ounce of me was straining towards the white tents of the Celebration.

I would say we entered a very upscale section of Scottsdale, but I think that’s about the only scale they have there.  This part of it was known as Airpark, because it was near Scottsdale’s regional airport.  Driving along we passed the TPC Scottsdale Golf Course, which still had signs up for the Waste Management Phoenix Open from the week before.

Then suddenly, we were in a sort of design district, with lots of consignment stores.  To his credit, Bill did ask if it was OK to stop, but I wonder if I’d actually been able to keep him from doing it.  We probably killed an hour browsing through the consignment stores and I will confess that I enjoyed it.  This was prime merchandise and the staff just let us browse.

Eventually, we hopped back in the car, made our way back to the big white tents and visited the Celebration of Fine Art.  Come back next week and I’ll tell you about it.