Phoenix:
Music plays a large part in our journey, and we found a fun
way to include it while in Phoenix.
There is this fabulous museum – the Musical Instrument Museum – which showcases
approximately 6800 musical instruments from all around the world. If this sounds like a lot of instruments, it
is! The best tip when visiting is to get
a two-day pass because there is no way to see and experience it all in one
day. Along with the different
instruments, there are videos in which many of the instruments are played, so
be sure to get the wireless headset that comes with the admission price. The coolest thing – as you walk from one
display to another, the music changes automatically! That’s correct, you don’t have to select a
number or tap it against a device! It’s
so much fun wandering through the exhibits, listening to the different music
and watching musical performances. We
took a tour to get some of the highlights – this was very helpful because we
learned how the museum is laid out (it’s HUGE) and we heard some stories behind
the instruments. There is also an
“Experience Gallery” where anyone can try their hand at playing some of the
instruments. I even tried to play the
theremin! Sorry I can’t provide the
audio/video on my post, but here is just a sample of what we saw!
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| Music of Haiti |
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| Klawng yao (Goblet drum) - Thailand |
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| Boo-boo (Slit drum) - Malakula Island |
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| Pyeongyeong (lithophone) - South Korea |
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Octobasse – Italy
Tuned 2 octaves below violoncello
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We had such beautiful weather in Phoenix so we decided to
take a scenic drive on the Apache Trail.
Our first stop was Goldfield, a ghost town that is now somewhat
commercialized.
We then drove up lots of winding roads through the
Superstition Mountains to Canyon Lake.
There were many beautiful viewpoints featuring the desert landscape, the
lake and the mountains.
One thing I especially noticed as we travel through Arizona is
the beautiful freeway art and decorated overpasses! Sometimes I would forget to look for the exit
because I was busy taking pictures of the freeway.
Although it had been many years since I had been, I wanted to visit Taliesin
West again. This was Frank
Lloyd Wright’s winter home and headquarters for the Taliesin Fellowship program
from 1937 until his death in 1959. It
now houses the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and School of Architecture. Built primarily by the apprentices, Wright
designed this home to fit into the Sonoran landscape. The tour really allows you to experience the
spaces where Wright worked and lived.
Time for another scenic drive – an opportunity to get a
panoramic view of the Phoenix area! We
started driving up South Mountain, going up even more winding and steep roads
than on the Apache Trail. I wanted us to
turn around several times, but there was no place to do so and my husband had
his eye on the summit! We passed lots of
saguaro cacti and beautiful mountain views:
Once we reached Dobbins Lookout at the tippy top, it was
truly a sight to behold!
We did make it back down into the city and headed to the Phoenix Art
Museum. Probably one of the Museum’s
most outstanding works greets you as you walk in. “Black Gold” by Carlos Amorales is a creation
of 25,000 black paper moths and butterflies inspired by the annual migration of
monarchs. The artist thought of this
while visiting his grandmother and created it to say his goodbye to her when
she died.
The Museum has a nice collection of art of the Southwest. This was a favorite:
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Appeal to the Great Spirit
(Llamado al Gran espiritu)
by Charles Humphriss
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We visited the Museum on Valentine’s day and were able to take a
special docent tour, led by a husband and wife docent team, that highlighted
works featuring love as a theme.
Westward Ho to California!