A hole to remember–

BOOM!  It’s the Grand Canyon–jaaaa!!  Yes, this is quite a hole to remember, indeed.

Whenever you are in Arizona you gotta do your best to pop on up here and gaze at this magnificent beauty.  It’s totally easy to do. . .you fly into Phoenix, rent a car, drive north about 3 hours or so to Flagstaff or Williams–both of these towns are entry-points to the Grand Canyon National Park–pay your entrance fee at the south rim entrance, drive along the lovely road that runs right along the edge of the Canyon…stop wherever and whenever you like to snap pix…then head on out of the east rim entrance/exit, and you are good-to-go.  From this exit you can head back down to Phoenix or keep going north up Highway 163 to Monument Valley–this is the magic route if you have the time and the desire to keep ROAD-TRIPPIN’!…I say do Highway 163, but everyone’s gotta ride their own ride…choose wisely.

This Canyon has been gouged deep into the Earth by the Colorado River over the course of millions of years…it was here long before us, and it will be here long after we are transformed back to stardust…so don’t sweat the small stuff or any stuff cuz it’s all gonna join us back in stardustville somewhere down the line anyway–mmmhhmmm!!

I send you humbling vibes full of gratitude from the south rim of the Grand Canyon here in Arizona. . .feel them. . .they can help you breathe easy today and every day.

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It’s lovely out there.

A corner in Winslow, Arizona–

WOW!  We made it to Winslow, Arizona to stand on a corner, and it’s such a fine sight to see. . .there’s a girl, my lord, in a Flatbed Ford slowin’ down to take a look at me.  Unfortunately for this girl there ain’t much else to take a look at in this town. . .so I feel a little bad for her–in fact, I recommend that she get on outta town and Take It Easy!

Really, I’m not kiddin’. . .there is a whole buncha nuthin’ goin’ on here in Winslow, AZ. . .fun to pop in and think about the great lyrics The Eagles have left us with their wonderful song, Take It Easy…even hum the tune a little as we look around on this tiny stretch of Route 66. . .but bigger and better things await us back out on the road–mmm, aaaahh!

Pop on into Winslow some time only if you are a real music geek and just gotta see this place made famous by The Eagles song: Take It Easy. . .otherwise, just head on over to the Great Meteor Crater or straight on up to the Grand Canyon National Park. . .whatever choice you make will be correct cuz it’s all good out here on the road in the great southwest U.S….jaaaa!!

I send you lyrical vibes from a corner in Winslow, Arizona. . .feel them. . .they will help your memory stay quick and strong.

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It’s lovely out there.

Toolin’ aroun’ AZ–

JAAA!  We are headin’ to ‘Rim Country’ as they call it…the area approaching The Grand Canyon here in Arizona.

On the way we pass through a town called Payson: one of the many gateways to Rim Country…we drive along many long and straight open highways where the wind blows through our lovely flowing hair…and we even pop on over to the Meteor Crater–the largest preserved asteroid crater on our planet…YES!

The crater was created about fifty-thousand years ago when some asteroid smashed into Earth. . .we certainly don’t want to be around when another one of these things hits. . .though who knows, it might make for quite an event…we could throw a party…watch the BOOM…brush the dust off of our shirts after it all settles and carry on.

ANYWAY…it is most wonderful toolin’ aroun’ out here in the great state of Arizona. . .please consider doing so the next time you visit the southwest U.S.. . .there is a ton of stuff to see and do out here and oh-sooooo little time.  You will enjoy it all–I gar-ron-taaaaay!

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It’s lovely out there.

Art show in the desert–

POW!  It’s an art show out here in the desert, and it is wonderful!

The Heard Museum of Phoenix, Arizona has a show on featuring, you guessed it, works by Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera.  There are many self-portraits of Frida, many landscapes and such by Diego, lots of drawings, letters, photographs, etc. all focusing on the relationship these two had with each other (and many others) up until Frida’s death in 1954.  Many great works are on display…this is an impressive show, and I highly recommend that you check it out if you are in the Phoenix area over the coming weeks and months.

The show may be moving to other venues so stay tuned if you can’t get out here now.  But, boy, what a treat to see these works while touring around in the heat dome. . .113 degrees never felt so good–jaaa!

I send you artful vibes from the Heard Museum…feel them…art is really the only thing that separates humans from the animal kingdom.

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It’s lovely out there.

Building decor…Phoenix-style–

The building that houses the Barrio Cafe on N. 16th Street in Phoenix, Arizona apparently allows murals on the exterior walls, and we love it all–jaaa!

Before entering Barrio Cafe for lunch we gotta do a walk-around of the building even though the temperature is well above 100 degrees fahrenheit–a real heat dome art gallery they got goin’ on here.

We have images of Selena, of a Kiss-like fellow, of who-knows-what, a mosaic of Phoenix herself, etc. and so on all around the place. . .lots of fun.

These images are wild and colorful and vivid and impactful. . .and once we sit down for lunch inside the restaurant the food is all of these things and much more.  Silvana Salcido Esparza has created an oasis here for Mexicans, Caucazoids, Africans, Asians, and whoever…all who like good food and good drink served with good vibes are welcome in Barrio Cafe.  All colors…all creeds…all genders…all appetites. . .the only requirement is that you be nice and pay your bill.  WOW…that could be a wonderful motto for U.S. Immigration: be nice and pay your bills and you are welcome here. . .what if everyone was simply nice and paid their bills while living only within their means?  What a world that would be. . .what a wonderful world, indeed.

I send you vivid and delectable vibes from the exterior of the Barrio Cafe in Phoenix. . .feel them. . .they are full of fairness and joy.

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It’s lovely out there.

Delectable Mexican food…Phoenix, AZ–

BAM!  We love Mexican grub, and we are told that this place is great.  We pop in…do some gobblin’…and yes, we can confirm that this place is, indeed, GREAT!

Guy Fieri popped in here on one of the episodes of Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives…he watched the owner and chef, Silvana Salcido Esparza, prepare a slow-roasted pulled pork thing that looked delectable…soooo we have to have it…and YES, it is wonderful.  Porky, well-seasoned, juicy, tender, and extremely flavorful–we gobble the whole plate of this stuff with no problem at all–jaaa!

I also devour the stuffed poblano pepper…it is garnished with pomegranate seeds and queso and cilantro giving it the colors of the Mexican flag and fabulous flavor. . .mmm, aaahh!

We also gobble roasted cauliflower, guacamole, salsa, etc. while washing everything down with housemade limon water. . .totally delicious!

Silvana is running a wonderful restaurant on 16th Street in Phoenix, Arizona. . .please consider stopping by here for a bite of goodness the next time you are in town. . .the warm and welcoming staff will happily serve you anything that you desire from their extensive menu.

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It’s lovely and delicious out there.

Scintillating eating environment–

MMM!  If you ever pop into the Arizona Biltmore for anything, then I recommend that you consider doing a feed session in Wright’s Restaurant.  The namesake of the restaurant is Frank Lloyd Wright who provided help and inspiration to the architect and builder of the Biltmore, a dude called Albert Chase McArthur.

The restaurant is stunning…lots of “Biltmore Tiles” everywhere…lots of fun furniture…lots of fun decor and place settings. . .and I bet the food is pretty good–I wouldn’t know cuz we haven’t eaten here.  But if you do eat here, please let me know how it is. . .I would love to hear.

I send you crisp and scintillating vibes from Wright’s Restaurant inside the Arizona Biltmore. . .feel them. . .they will make you want to eat something good today.

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It’s lovely out there.

Inspiration and knowledge applied well–

BAM!  It’s the Arizona Biltmore out here in Phoenix, Arizona…magical, crisp, inviting.

This baby was designed and built in 1929 by a dude called Albert Chase McArthur who was a Harvard-trained architect inspired by the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, and I would say that he applied his knowledge and inspiration well.

The Arizona Biltmore has a grand entrance leading to a sleek lobby.  Once we walk past the lobby we are drawn into the halls and bars and restaurants and outdoor spaces of the whole hotel…this place is magnetic…I want to keep walking in and in and in. . .there are many nooks and crannies to explore. . .so much to discover as we are drawn deeper into the space. . .we could spend hours here, so we do–mmm, aaaahh!

This hotel has hosted many U.S. presidents, hollywood stars, titans of business, etc., and the staff would be happy to host you, too.  I strongly recommend that you make time to hang out or even stay at the Arizona Biltmore the next time you find yourself in Phoenix. . .words don’t do the structure justice. . .come and check it out. . .you will love it–I gar-ron-taaaayy!

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It’s lovely out there.

Wright’s son’s house–

JAAA!  This is an interesting little house that Frank Lloyd Wright designed and built for his son, David Wright, back in 1952.  It is located in the ‘Arcadia’ neighborhood of Phoenix, Arizona. . .what a treat to find it.

This year, 2017, is the 150th anniversary of the birth of FLW, and as part of the celebration the last owners of the house just donated it to the FLW Foundation or Trust or Conservatorship to ensure that the house lives on and on as one of the shining examples of Wright’s creativity as an architect and builder.

The spiral design of the David Wright house is a precursor of the Guggenheim Museum that Frank designed and had built on Fifth Avenue in New York City. . .this dude was always working out ideas on one project that could show up bigger and better on future projects–most wonderful!

Apparently this house was scheduled to be demolished at some recent time, and now it has been saved so that we can go on enjoying it.  Please come and visit the David Wright house on Rubicon Avenue in Phoenix, AZ. . .after you pay your respects and snap some photos, you can then pop on over to the Royal Palms Hotel just up the block for lunch–that would be a fabulous way to spend an afternoon out here in the heat dome.

To see more amazing images from around our teeny tiny planet simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .dive on in. . .so much to see and soooo little time.

It’s lovely out there.

#2 hotel, Phoenix, AZ–

MMM!  My number-2 all-time favorite hotel in the Phoenix, AZ area is the Royal Palms–jaaa!  (The Hermosa will always be my number-1 for reasons stated in another Arizona post.)

The Royal Palms is nicely situated at the base of one of these desert mountains…the facility is totally tricked out with clay tiles and fountains and fabulous flora…plus the staff are welcoming and helpful.  You cannot go wrong if you book a room here. . .so please get online, compare The Hermosa with the Royal Palms, and choose what is best for you–Hermosa: small, cozy, intimate, high-quality…Royal Palms: larger, more ‘hotely,’ atmospheric, welcoming, fabulous.

The best hotels of Phoenix and the surrounding area are waiting for your visit. . .what are you waiting for?

To see more stupendous images from around our teeny tiny planet simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it. . .you deserve a virtual trip somewhere nice right NOW.

It’s lovely out there.