Your Carriage Awaits

Old Town Scottsdale has a pretty white horse and carriage to take you around the downtown area. I like choosing a horse and carriage to see an area of a city as it gives you a different perspective.  

If you enlarge the photo, you will also note that the carriage driver is feeding her fun-loving dog. The dog and carriage driver are regulars in Old Town Scottsdale.

The horse and carriage stand is right in front of The Yearlings horse statue (yesterday's photo) at the Scottsdale Mall, located at Brown and Main in Old Town.   

The Yearlings

This horse statue is called "The Yearlings" and the artist is George-Ann Tognoni.  

The statue is on the Scottsdale Mall in Old Town Scottsdale. Actually this photo is right next to the corner of the building where the creative artsy signage I showed in yesterday's photo is located.

Often there are musicians in this area.  I like listening to the Peruvian Andean musicians.  To see other art along the walkway, 

click here!

Old Town Scottsdale

Over the next couple of days, I am going to take you on a brief tour of Old Town Scottsdale by the Scottsdale and Civic Center Malls. 

This area is a popular tourist area. People love to come to this area and just walk around, shop, go to cafes, listen to live music, or just sit in the park-like setting. There is a lot of outdoor art established in Old Town.

As you can see from this photo, even the street signage is distinctive with a Southwest flair.

Bunny Ears or Prickly Pear Cactus?

This type of cactus is what we call the Bunny cactus. When you look at the different shapes, you can see bunny ears and poses such as the bunny looking or holding still or even standing. The cactus is actually called Opuntia Microdasys.  

I, of course, like the ones with the red and yellow glochids. Glochids are the small, thin, loose cactus spines, which are barbed and detach from the plant if touched or, as I have discovered with this particular cactus, the slightest movement. White glochids, like the ones in the photo, do not have fibers float so easily and, therefore, it is recommended around children to buy this type of cactus with white glochids.  

Once I made the mistake of not wearing leather gloves when carrying this very pretty bright green prickly pear cactus to a spot in my yard to be planted. Apparently, it was this type of prickly pear with red and yellow glochids that the cactus fibers just fall off it like glitter, with barely a touch or any movement. They were all over my clothes, hair and skin. They were obnoxious and annoying for several days as they seeped into my skin, eyes, and blood stream and then they just disappear.   Irritating for a few days, but the red glochids are so much prettier.

Scottsdale Gallery Row

Yesterday's photo introduced you to the Scottsdale Artwalk, which operates as an open house every Thursday night from 7 pm to 9 pm at the art galleries in Old Town Scottsdale.

Today's photo shows a woman walking next to three art galleries.  This is a typical scene along the Scottsdale ArtWalk path on gallery row.  

People are walking around and enjoying the sunshine, the parklike setting, they are browsing in galleries, looking at art that is on sidewalks or the statues located in or around the street, and enjoying the many outdoor cafes.   There are over 100 art galleries in Scottsdale and the art ranges from Contemporary, International, Asian, European, Russian, Western, and more.

To learn more, click Scottsdale ArtWalk. 

Yellow Brick Art Road

In Old Town Scottsdale, we have an art walk every Thursday night from 7 to 9 pm along Main Street and Marshall Way.  You just follow the yellow brick road from gallery to gallery, well it may not be yellow, but you get the idea.  

The photo shows the logo stenciling on the sidewalks of Old Town Scottsdale so it is easy to participate in the Scottsdale ArtWalk.  Thursday night art walks are a tradition started by the Scottsdale Gallery Association (SGA)  over thirty years ago. 

Scottsdale has over 100 art galleries, and Scottsdale has been named one of the top 25 arts destinations in the country by American Style Arts Destinations.  The ArtWalk is an open house style event and the galleries are first rate in quality and diversity of the art that you will see.  The area is very enjoyable to walk around, with fountains, statues, cafes, and more.  It is Thursday so make a date tonight in Old Town Scottsdale and start walking down the yellow brick art road.  For more information, click Scottsdale ArtWalk.

Cactus or Weaved Baskets?

The clean pattern of these cactus spines and areoles look like weaved baskets. I like this small and large grouping of the cacti growing together.   

I do not know the exact name for this cactus, but it similar to Echinocereus pamanesiorum, which originates in Mexico and has pink flowers.   

The cacti in Arizona will be blooming now so I am excited to start seeing the color and texture of the flowers that sometimes blossom from these amazing creatures of the Earth. Happy Wednesday!

Dinosaur or Fuzzy Cactus?

You know how I love my macro.  Here is a close-up of a fuzzy cactus.  

It is actually called a Astrophytum Myriostigma and is a species originating from Mexico.  The dense white scales that cover the cactus skin are actually an effective sunscreen.  They can produce a satiny yellow flower.

I am caring for one of these cactuses in my backyard and I am anxious for the first bloom.  I could not resist touching this cactus.  I am happy to report that it is soft and furry with no spines to catch in my skin.  Growing up in the desert in Arizona, I can't help but touch and feel cactus to see if they are sharp, soft, etc.  Cacti have such a variety of textures.

Amber Cattails

This image looks like dancers around a fire. However, it is Chihuly glass art at night at the Desert Botanical Gardens.  

This installation is called "Amber Cattails."  

I like the movement in the glass that occurs based on the play of the light at night.   

Scorpion Tails and Bamboo

Here is another Chihuly from the installation at the Desert Botanical Gardens.  It is called "Scorpion Tails and Bamboo."

The glow of the light before sunset catches the glass in a pretty manner. The tall red glass interspersed with the desert plants and the mountain in the background makes for a nice vignette.

The Chihuly exhibit at the Desert Botanical Gardens ends in May.  It has been a fabulous installation and we will all miss it! 

Scottsdale Fairmont Pool

Now you know why I asked you to come and take a seat yesterday. The comfortable chair faces this lovely swimming pool at the Scottsdale Fairmont Princess. You also can see the golf course, a lake, and the beautiful blue sky.

The pool has lots of activities occurring. We sometimes like to use the cabanas so we have some shade. For us Zonies (this is the nickname for Arizonans), we always look for shade if we are out for extended periods of time.  

Come, Have a Seat

Resorts are all about relaxation and doing exactly what you want to do. There are so many activities that a guest can participate in, from hiking, playing golf or tennis, swimming, fine dining, shopping, and more.  

Come and have a seat at the Scottsdale Fairmont and enjoy the view of the pool, which you will see in tomorrow's post.   

Desert Water Feature

The grounds of the Scottsdale Fairmont Resort and Spa has many picturesque spots to enjoy.  

This photo shows this wonderful rushing water feature.  This desert water feature is very loud with the sound of running water.  I like the pretty pink geraniums that framed the waterfall.

The water feature is located at the end of the grand entrance lined with date palms, which was yesterday's photo.   It is also very eye-catching at night with the lights.  

Scottsdale Fairmont Princess

Scottsdale is full of magnificent resorts.  These resorts are architecturally interesting, have world-class golf, have great spas, restaurants, and shopping, and they are positioned to take advantage of the warm desert climate.   Often the resorts offer experiences like cook-outs in the desert or jeep tours through the desert, or as we call it "four wheel driving."  

For the next few days I am going to take you on a tour of the Scottsdale Fairmont Princess Resort and Spa.  This photo is of the grand outside entrance lined with date palm trees.

For more information, click Scottsdale Fairmont. 

Absinthe: The Green Hour at Digestif

Digestif has excellent Cal-Ital food with organic vegetables and farm to table meals. Digestif, as reflected by its name, is also known for its unique drinks. Digestif defines its offerings as "liqueur, frequently herb-based, meant for post-meal enjoyment to aid digestion including Fernet, Ramazzotti, Chartreuse, Lucid, Nardini, and Zwack."

And one of the special liquors offered is absinthe or The Green Fairy (la fee verte). Absinthe has a very high alcohol content (45% to 74%), is generally green in color, and has a licorice/anise flavor. It does not taste strong like Ouzo from Greece, but is very smooth if served correctly.

I was curious so I ordered the Pernod, which is a French absinthe. As you can see in the first photo, a pretty crystal glass container with ice and a spout was brought to the table, it is called an absinthe fountain. A glass of green absinthe is placed under the spout. As shown in the second photo, a silver slotted absinthe spoon is rested on top of the glass and a white sugar cube is placed on top of the spoon. Then, the spout is turned ever so slowly to drizzle onto the sugar cube and melt it into the absinthe along with adding water to evenly dilute the absinthe and allow the herbs in the liquor to come forth. Next, you sip slowly and enjoy. It was very smooth and enjoyable. The waiter had to remind me to drink it slowly as it had a very high alcohol content, which is not evident when you start drinking it. It was quite nice. I did not have a psychedelic experience though.

As you may recall, absinthe was a favorite of Parisian artists and writers in the late 19th and early 20th Century, from Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Ernest Hemingway to name just a few. It was considered a dangerously addictive psychoactive drug and was banned in about 1915. Production for absinthe resumed in Europe in the 1990s and in the United Stated in 2007. The active chemical in absinthe is thujone.

Absinthe is not listed on the menu, but you can go in and ask for the Green Fairy, which is subtly hidden on the sign on the wall visible in the third photograph. The fourth photograph is of the painting on the wall by the bathroom at Digestif and lets you see how bohemian you are supposed to feel and look after drinking absinthe. So do you want to become a devotee of the Green Fairy?

Digestif: Cal-Ital

Digestif is a hot new restaurant at the Waterfront in Old Town Scottsdale. It is located in the Waterfront District next to the canal and the bridge. It has an outdoor cafe seating area, as well as a hip red-brick interior decorated with vinyl records, and it has a fabulous wood-burning fireplace for cooking. On the weekends, there is often live music out on the patio. The General Manager, Pavle Milic, is always there and greets you and seats you.

Chef Payton Curry creates amazing meals relying on organic vegetables and a wide variety of dishes that he calls Cal-Ital. I regularly choose his farm to table choice, which can consist of mushrooms, asparagus, fried farm egg, brioche, pecorino, and gribiche sauce. Yummy! If I want something with protein and no fat, the Salmon rillete is surprisingly delicious and addictive. The pasta meals are superb with fresh made pasta daily. I like the garganelli alla nonna that has house sausage, cannellini beans, broccoli rabe, chile oil, and pecorino cheese.

I especially love the crostata with crescenza cheese, grilled asparagus, truffle oil fried egg, frisee, and pancetta. The crust of a crostata is similar to a pizza but with more pastry. Digestif also has delicious meals of chicken, duck, scallops served with fresh vegetables, succulent sauces, and an Italian flair. The Grimaud Farms duck with lentil and beet ragu, game jus with lingonberries and hibiscus is wonderful. The Charcuterie offerings are diverse and delicious. They are prepared on site and can be taken home by the pound. Nothing like tasty salmon rillete to add to a home brunch, or foie gras pate, candied fig pate, or some spicy chorizo for breakfast at home. I am a big chorizo fan!

Finally, can we talk desserts? The brownie and chocolate malted semifreddo is scrumptious. I also love the mint chocolate ice cream sandwiches that have white chocolate and peppermint ganache, chocolate macarons, mint/stracciatella gelato, chocolate sauce, and chocolate mint. Heavenly! The lemon marscapone cheesecake with limoncello gelato is also wonderful. Pastry Chef Tracy Dempsey has quite the talent to satisfy our sweet palettes.

Tomorrow I will share with you one distinction that Digestif alone shares with Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, and Ernest Hemingway. And, you will learn some very interesting information.

Chef Payton Curry will surprise you as he looks like a snow boarder. I came to the restaurant when it first opened up and when I saw the Chef, I told my friends he is the "Snowboarding Chef." Of course, I had no idea if he was a snowboarder, but he looked like he fit the role. I have since asked him and was glad he confirmed that he does in fact snowboard. He hails from San Francisco, California.

We are glad Digestif and Chef Curry are in Scottsdale and part of the Cowboy Ciao, Kazimierez, SeaSaw family of excellent locally-owned restaurants, each with their own unique and high quality style and they each make food creation and sensation the top priority. Foodies love these family of restaurants and always keep coming back for more.

Digestif is located at 7114 E. Stetson and can be reached at 480.425.WINE. For more information, click Digestif.

Cavalliere Blacksmith Ornamental Iron

Today is Arizona theme day and the theme is Old Arizona. Well, here is a slice from Arizona's past right in Old Town Scottsdale.  

This is the Cavalliere Blacksmith Ornamental Iron business. Look at the old mud adobe bricks used for the walls. The iron work is nice and the old wagon wheels are reminiscent of days gone by.

 

As you can see from the second photo, it is still in operation and that truly is an anvil. I took the image with the sunlight streaming into the blacksmith shop.

George Cavalliere brought his family to Scottsdale in 1910. Three generations of the Cavalliere family have owned and operated the shop. Today, the family still owns and operates the blacksmith shop.  

The original building was tin. It was replaced with adobe in 1920. The adobe bricks were made on site. The adobe walls are twelve inches thick and have two layers of stucco over them. The building is on the Scottsdale Register of Historic Places.  

Check out the other participants for Arizona theme day.

Phoenix Daily Photo

Chandler Daily Photo

Flagstaff Daily Photo

Prescott Daily Photo

Tempe Daily Photo

Scottsdale Daily Photo

Chandler Daily Photo

Golf, Cactus, Lake and Desert Housing

Scottsdale is a mecca for golf enthusiasts. Scottsdale has 51 golf courses and there were over 12 million rounds of golf played last year.

This photo is from The Boulders Resort and Golden Door Spa in Carefree, which is on the northern edge of Scottsdale and the spa is excellent.  The resort is exquisite, and it has residential housing as a component of this master-planned community.  You can see how the housing design fits into the landscaping.  You can see the bird nests burrowed in the Saguaro cactus, which is very common. 

There is a great hiking trail called the Boulders Trail that I enjoy as it has beautiful views and amazing rocks.  I will intersperse views from the hiking trail and around the hotel over the next few weeks.  There is lots to show you from Scottsdale!  To learn more about this resort, click The Boulders.

Desert Wildflower Towers

Happy Friday!  I hope you enjoy "Desert Wildflower Towers" created by Chihuly. 

This was taken at sunset and shows the silhouette of the glass art among the live agave and desert plants.  A natural fit.  

The installation is called Chihuly: the Nature of Glass and is currently at the Desert Botanical Gardens until May 2009.  To see other Chihuly photos, select Chihuly under Labels.   

Blue Fiddleheads

Here is another Chihuly glass art installation at the Desert Botanical Garden.  Chihuly calls this installation "Blue Fiddleheads."  

The pretty blue glass is interspersed with Old Man Cacti.  Old Man Cactus are really cool because they have long hair that you can touch and it actually feels like the hair on your head.  

I have several of these types of cactus in my yard.  It is hard to resist touching the hair on them when you walk by.  These cactus also have spines underneath so you cannot actually pet the cactus.  

To see other Chihuly photos, select Chihuly under Labels. Chihuly: The Nature of Glass ends in May 2009.  Go see it now!

Spring Training Baseball

Scottsdale and the Valley of the Sun is the best location in the country for Spring Training Baseball.  There are fourteen of the Major League baseball teams train in Arizona, forming what is Called the Cactus League.  Baseball games are played in February and March of each year. People come from all over the country to enjoy the festive, relaxed atmosphere of the games and the unsurpassed warm sunny weather.  Check out the action in the first photo.

Arizona has been gaining baseball teams that have relocated from the older site of Spring Training in Florida, called the Grapefruit Circuit.  The advantages for Arizona are that almost all of the fourteen teams an games are located in the Phoenix Metro area called the Valley of the Sun.   In Florida, the games are spread hundreds of miles apart.  Also, the weather in Arizona is better because Arizona has less rain than Florida.

Arizona is an ideal place for baseball fans because on a typical day in the Spring, fans have a choice of six to seven Major League Baseball Spring Training games to attend.  As the second photo shows, what could be more pleasant than watching a game while laying on a blanket spread on the lawn under the nice sunshine.  And, in some cases, while thinking of your friends and family who are living in the snow and cold in the North.

Scottsdale Stadium is home to the San Francisco Giants.  Tickets and information can be obtained by clicking here.

The Desert in Bloom

It is Spring in the desert and this Copper Ice Plant is blossoming.  

The name "ice plant" comes from the small crystals of salt that are secreted from the leaves. These crystals gleam in the sun and look like ice. These plants are excellent ground covers, and this type is a succulent native to South Africa.  

In the Winter and Spring blooming season, these plants should be watered weekly.  They become dormant in the hot summers and then watered only once every two to three weeks.  Otherwise, the plants will rot in the summer if they receive too much water while they are dormant. 

Blue Hibiscus

This magnificent flower was taken in my backyard with the sun illuminating behind the soft, silky petals of this blue hibiscus.  

My macro lens really made this flower look spectacular.  I had to wait patiently as the wind kept moving the flower ever so gently in and out of my lens.  

Blue hibiscus only bloom for a short time starting in late February.   They are wonderful to behold and I have a row of them against the wall in my backyard.  

Blue Polyvitro Crystals

This particular installation is a different Chihuly look, but it is one of the glass art displays of Chihuly: The Nature of Glass at the Desert Botanical Gardens.

The contrast of the trees, tall grasses, the river rocks, the lake, and the blue glass crystals floating in the lake really make for a dazzling photo.  We do not generally see these colors for trees and grasses especially by a lake.  The blue sky helps balance the photo and enhance the crystals. 

To find this treasure, you must walk to the lake at the Desert Botanical Gardens, which is quite a distance from the rest of the Chihuly installations. 

Check out more great Chihuly and other events at the Desert Botanical Gardens by clicking here.

The Tents of Cavalia

Cavalia came to Scottsdale to open their performances during the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show.  I took this photo of the top of the main tent on a beautiful sunny day.  I think the clouds add magic to the tents that are erected in the desert in a rather busy area.  

Cavalia is quite the magical, surreal, romantic, and dramatic production involving acrobats, aerialists, dancers, musicians, riders, and gorgeous white horses.   Sadly, no photos were allowed of the event.

Actually there were over 45 colorful horses in the show, consisting of 10 stallions and 5 geldings.  Rather amazing for a tented performance and they were running at full gallop in and out of the performance area.  The riders would do tricks riding upside on the horses, standing on the horses, jumping horses over beams, and even standing on two horses at the same time.  Can you imagine traveling with 45 horses on planes, trains, and automobiles?

The show was created  by Normand Latourelle, the co-founder of Cirque Du Soleil, and he obviously loves horses and creative, adventuresome people.  For more information about Cavalia and performances near you, click here for magical horses.  

Scottsdale Farmer's Market

There is nothing better than spending a morning at a local farmer's market. Last Saturday I had a great experience at the Old Town Scottsdale Farmer's Market. The food and ambience was wonderful.

As you can see from my collage of photos today, there are good things to eat and drink for everyone. The eggs in the first photo are cage-free natural eggs. The second photo contains some of the very best pistachios and they were from Parcave farms.

I purchased jalapeno sourdough bread from Breadsmith and it was flavorful and delicious.
I also bought a dozen tamales from the Tamale Store. The green corn/cream cheese and chicken/green chile tamales were heavenly. The cupcakes and homemade fudge were decadent.

Bob McClendon's Select organic produce was available. His farm supplies first-rate organic veggies to local restaurant chefs. Chef Payton Curry of Digestif was there making mozzarella and he had many savory toppings for the fresh cheese.

The farmer's market operates 8:30 am to 1:00 pm every Saturday through May 2009. The market is located in the Old Town Scottsdale parking lot on the Northwest corner of Brown Avenue and Second Street.

Latillas

Saguaros and their internal ribs were regularly used in the Southwest as building materials.  Yesterday's photo showed the beauty of the Saguaro, while today's photo shows you what the rib of a dead Saguaro looks like. I took the photo underneath a ramada. The wood is very strong and the ribs are called latillas.

Latillas are used for patios, ramadas, fences, doors, windows, and today is regularly used for a southwestern look.  I have them in my house on the headboard of a bed and in several chairs and benches.  I also used them to make a ping-pong ramada.

Even though the Saguaro ribs are very strong, the tall cactus also provides a home to many birds who make holes through the wood. Birds that live in the Saguaro are Gila Woodpeckers, Gilded Flickers, Cactus Wrens, and more.  The Saguaro provides food to animals and people, provides a home for wildlife, and its strong wood ribs are used as construction materials.

One caution though, many critters live in dead Saguaros.  Once I found a dead Saguaro and wanted to take it home to make something so when we started to move it, we learned the hard way about how many critters there were.  The small rodents and others did not alarm me, but the scorpion with the many baby scorpions on her back that went scrambling everywhere, including on my pant leg.  I did not get stung but was screaming.  I can handle snakes anytime, but I hate scorpions.  

Saguaro Reaches for the Clouds

This mighty Saguaro cactus reaches to the clouds in the blue sky on this beautiful sunny day.  Saguaros are one of my favorite cactus, and they are an icon for Arizona.

To see the Saguaro cactus spines from an earlier photo I posted, 

click here.  Tomorrow's photo will show you what the inside of a Saguaro looks like and how it is used.

Saguaros are like big trees and they can have many arms like the one in the photo.  It takes about 75 years to grow one side arm. Saguaros can live up to about 150 years.  They are protected by state law, but we still have poachers and others who do them harm.  Saguaros can grow to 45 feet (13.7 meters) in height, and weigh 100 pounds (45 kg) per foot (.3 meters) of height

Saguaros grow in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona and Mexico.  They are not found in Texas, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, or Colorado, even though marketing folks use the Saguaro for brands in those Western states.  The name Saguaro is a Spanish language adaptation of the word that the Tohono O'odham used to identify the cactus.

The Saguaro flower is Arizona's state flower and blooms in April through June.  The large flowers are white and open at night, which means bats are the pollinator.

 

The Saguaro fruit is large, ruby in color and juicy. The fruit is sweet and when  it is dried, it can be chewed like candy or cooked into a syrup. The seeds from the fruit can be used in cooking, such as like poppy seeds.  There are over 2,000 seeds in one fruit.   The Native Americans have harvested this fruit for thousands of years.  

Frank Lloyd Wright, Cactus, and Light

Scottsdale and Arizona have a lot of wonderful Frank Lloyd Wright buildings and architectural details. This is a photo of the Frank Lloyd Wright spire located at the southeast corner of Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard and Scottsdale Road at the Scottsdale Promenade Shopping Center.   

The colors of the lights with the silhouette of the agaves and the Frank Lloyd Wright angles and perspectives combined for what I thought was a magical photo.  I took many photos but none were as great as this very last one I took.  

The spire was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in the 1950s for a state capitol complex at Papago Park that did not materialize.  The plans sat in a drawer until the spire was built in 2004.  It has teal and blue translucent panels and cost approximately one million dollars to build.  The spire is approximately 125 feet high and weighs about 40 tons.  

I will take you on a tour of Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West during the next couple of weeks. He referred to Taliesin West as his Desert Camp and it is spectacular.

Venus and the Moon are Dazzling

Only once a year does the two brightest objects in the sky move close together for this dazzling shot of the Moon and Venus.  

This spectacular and rare event occurred for a very short time on Friday evening about three hours after sundown.  I was very fortunate to capture it.  I did not have my tripod with me so I had to use a fence post as my tripod. 

By the end of March, Venus will disappear from Scottsdale's night view until the Spring of 2010.  

I have registered for a full moon photography course in May that is being taught at the Desert Botanical Gardens.  I hope the class will increase my ability to photograph the night sky with precision and detail.   

Glass Art by Chihuly

Brilliant, swirling, spaghetti type glass by Chihuly.  This is a close-up of The Sun glass art installed at the Chihuly: Nature of Glass exhibit at the Desert Botanical Gardens.  The sun radiates through the individual glass pieces and showcases the textures of the glass.  I thought this was perfect for the theme day of glass.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants of theme day