Four outstanding attractions in Phoenix, Arizona

For many visitors to the Phoenix/Scottsdale area, location is the main draw.  There’s no denying the attraction of spectacular Sonoran Desert scenery, breathtaking Camelback Mountain, and a sunny Arizona climate. All these natural features have spawned a huge resort community with world-renown golf courses and spas.

Golf at nearby Gainey Ranch offers spectacular scenery

But even visitors who chose to downscale their accommodations will find the area offers numerous attractions for a variety of interests. Spend a few hours a day away from your hotel or resort exploring these interesting sights:

Musical Instrument Museum—Fun for the non-musical visitor as well as those who play an instrument. Whether you know much about music or not, you’ll enjoy the diversity found in this museum. Learn about and hear musical instruments from every country in the world as they bring to life sights and sounds of different destinations. See guitars from the earliest models up to present day instruments. Listen to an antique organ, explore cultures through the sounds that represent their lives.

Check out unique instruments at the Musical Instrument Museum

Taliesin West—Built by Frank Lloyd Wright in the 1930s, this stunning project was constantly expanded and modified until the architect’s death in 1959. Regarded as one of his greatest masterpieces, Taliesin West was literally built out of the desert using rocks and sand to balance the design with the surrounding environment. Guided tours lead you through the buildings and explain Wright’s theories as brought to reality here. Architecture students still study the master’s talent in extended workshops.

Renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed and lived in Taliesin West.

Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Taliesin West, reopened on Oct. 15, 2020 in Scottsdale with a new self-guided audio tour which provides visitors a safe and interactive experience accessed through their personal smartphone. The highlight of the audio tour is hearing Wright’s own spoken words firsthand through original audio recordings. Wright discusses his work and sources of inspiration at Taliesin West and across the United States.

Desert Botanical Garden—The world’s finest collection of arid-land plants and wildflowers is displayed in a beautifully landscaped outdoor garden. Five thematic trails illustrate topics such as conservation, desert living, plants and people of the desert. Rather than finding the garden a dry, barren plot of land, you’ll begin to appreciate how alive the desert is with colorful blooms and adapted creatures.

Desert Botanical Garden showcases beautiful and unusual plants.

Get a bird's-eye view of the Sonoran Desert.

Hot air balloon ride—On this magical adventure observe the Sonoran Desert from above while drifting tranquilly on a sunrise flight. Feel wispy breezes while inhaling fresh air.  Watch the balloon get inflated and then observe the captain masterfully use air currents to raise the wicker basket a mile above earth. Riding in the balloon’s basket is a thrilling experience and provides unobstructed views for the best photographs of this unique landscape, not to mention a couple of jackrabbits scampering below. Afterwards, bask in the glow of a successful flight at a traditional champagne breakfast served  on white-clothed tables set up where the balloon lands.

Photos by Larry and Beverly Burmeier

Scenery and sights attract visitors to Phoenix/ Scottsdale area

View from above the
Sonoran desert landscape

When Larry and I planned a trip to the Phoenix/Scottsdale area in Arizona, I expected spectacular desert scenery, breathtaking red rock mountains, and sunny Arizona weather. I wasn’t disappointed. All those natural features have spawned a huge community with world-renown golf courses and more resort spas than anywhere else in the country.

But if luxury digs and lazy days aren't your travel style, there are many other options for exploring—and enjoying--the area.

Taliesin West I’ve long been fascinated by the architecture of FrankLloyd Wright, so we took a 90-minute guided tour of Taliesin West, the home he built in the 1930s. Regarded as one of his greatest masterpieces and now a National Historic Landmark, Taliesin West was literally built out of the desert using rocks and sand to balance the design with the surrounding environment.

Taliesin West showcases the genius of architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

Wright oriented his home to face the mountains and away from utility poles, which he disliked. He loved music—even had a wall cut out to fit a piano--and encouraged performances by visitors, a tradition that continues today among architecture students who come to study the master’s style.

Until his death in 1959, Wright constantly expanded and modified the house and enhanced its natural elements. He also designed furniture to fit the house and was particular about its placement. The living quarters and Garden Room are highlights of the tour, and I could almost imagine sharing conversations with famous guests Wright entertained there. www.franklloydwright.org

Musical Instrument Museum Whether you know much about music or not, this is a fun place to browse for a couple of hours. Opened in 2010, the museum’s exhibits display instruments from every country in the world, and videos provide musical sights and sounds from a variety of cultures.

Learn about familiar and little-known instruments at MIM in Phoenix.

Among the instruments on display in the museum are a side-blown trumpet from Tanzania, bowed lute from Madagascar, goblet drum from Turkey, kettle drum made from goatskin and wood from Chile, and a plucked zither from Syria. Guitars from the earliest models up to present day instruments were displayed openly, not behind glass. 

One of the tidbits we learned: Congo musicians who use bells and rattles to call up spirits for healing or protection are held in high esteem.

Music styles represented include hip hop, country, Cajun, bluegrass, and blues. In the Experience Gallery, visitors can test out gongs and other instruments, or create their own music on the accessible Steinway grand piano. www.themim.org

Bright red blooms liven a cactus
at Desert Botanical Garden

Desert Botanical Garden A visit to this vibrant garden quickly dispels the myth that deserts are barren and boring. Stunning specimens of pipe organ cacti, 100-year-old saguaros, and blooms emanating from thick stems in rainbow colors are displayed in 50 acres of beautiful outdoor landscaping.

Nestled in the garden among the red buttes of Papago Park are 50,000 plants, 139 of which are rare, threatened, and endangered species.  At every turn along five thematic trails there’s something new to see, whether it’s an unusual variety of succulent, one of more than a hundred bird species, or a half-century-old turtle crossing the path. 

Mountains provide a splendid
backdrop for desert plants.

Not only is the Botanical Garden in a region that gets less than 10 inches of rainfall a year, but it’s also located within the city of Phoenix, another challenge to growing one of the finest collections of arid-land plants in the world.  www.dbg.org

Hot air balloon ride It’s a bit of a splurge and you have to get up early, but the sunrise flight is totally worth it. After arriving at the launch site, we watched as workers inflated the giant balloon before climbing into the attached basket. Up we drifted, tranquilly soaring above the Sonoran Desert in the 12-story-tall apparatus.



We're getting ready to lift off for hot air balloon ride
over the Sonoran desert near Phoenix, Arizona.

Despite cracking us up with his crazy jokes, our captain masterfully monitored air currents to raise the wicker basket 8,000 feet above earth. Although the balloon travels around five miles per hour, there’s little sensation of motion.  Along the way, we had unobstructed views of scampering jackrabbits, scattered cacti, shrubs, and trees, and even shadows from our own balloon.

Back on land, the crew served a traditional champagne breakfast on white-clothed tables in the field where the balloon landed—the perfect ending to a thrilling flight. www.hotairexpeditions.com

 

Photos by Larry and Beverly Burmeier

 

 

Heady view of an eerie landscape

"It's 4 a.m. and totally dark outside when the van rolls up to our hotel in Cappadocia, Turkey. We head to the launch spot for our hot-air balloon ride, and the sun is just peeking above the mountains when we arrive."

As many as 150 balloons fly daily over the lunar-like landscape
of Cappadocia, Turkey. Photo by Beverly Burmeier

Read the complete article in the Dallas Morning News about our hot air balloon ride over the remarkable, rocky landscape of this National Heritage site.

http://www.dallasnews.com/lifestyles/travel/international/20150731-turkeys-magical-sights-by-air.ece

Visit the fairy lands of Cappadocia, Turkey

 

Cave houses are still in use in parts of Cappadocia, Turkey.

When we booked our Oceania cruise sailing from Istanbul, Turkey to Lisbon, Portugal, going to Cappadocia wasn’t on our radar. But it’s one of the most amazing areas, both for its incredible landscape and its long history. Here's why you should consider a visit to Cappadocia, too.

After arriving in Istanbul we flew to Kayseri, a city in the center of Asia Minor, the cradle of civilization. The first settlement of humanity dates back to 8000 B.C., although 32 different civilizations have lived there over the centuries. Kayseri is one of the richer cities of Turkey because of trade, most importantly with handmade carpets, which are the pride of Turkey.



Caps are easily seen on these fairy chimneys.

The unusual, unearthly landscape of Cappadocia is the result of early eruptions of Mt. Aegis, which put volcanic ash into the soil. Weird landscapes have resulted in “fairy chimneys,” basalt formations that have not eroded like ash. In varying shades of gray and tan with rock strata often visible, some fairy chimneys have dark-colored pointed triangles on top called caps. These are almost totally basalt and protect the yellow part, which is volcanic ash, from eroding. The cap may fall down causing the death of a fairy chimney, but then a new chimney starts to grow from it, so it’s an ongoing process. Because the rock is soft, people in ancient times (around 2000 B.C.) carved homes and churches in the ash using only their primitive tools.


Cappadocia is one of the best places in the world to take a
hot air balloon ride--so intriguing.

Early one morning we went for a hot air balloon ride. More than 30 balloon companies fly up to 150 balloons on any given day. Because of rain and thunder the previous night, some had canceled, but the morning turned out perfect: clear and sunny with a slight breeze. Balloons of all colors and designs filled the sky as we drifted toward the valley, between rock walls, and over fairy chimneys in a spectacular ride.

It’s a great way to see layers of multi-colored rocks that give a clear picture of the geology of the  area. Volcanic spires and pinnacles, craggy cliffs, and cave houses glowed in the soft morning light. The land is fertile, so we saw many green patches under cultivation (we landed in a farmer’s field) despite an eerie, desert-like feeling in the area.

Creating and painting pottery is a tedious process at Omurlu Ceramics
in Cappadocia, Turkey.

During our three-day visit we toured a variety of places that I’ll describe in more detail in future articles. Avanos is locaed on the Kizilirmak River which provides red clay used to make Turkey’s famous pottery and tiles for the Blue Mosque. Each piece is carefully crafted and hand-painted, often taking months to complete.

Complete cities were created underground
for protection during frequent wars during
the 9th to 13th centuries.
 

Carpet making is a skill in danger of dying, so the Turkish government sponsors schools to teach young women how to knot fine carpets from silk, wool, cotton, or combinations of natural materials. We saw this in action at Martis Turkish Rug School and factory.

At Goreme, more than half of the population lived in rock houses and fairy chimneys until 10 years ago, when the government decided that was not a proper place to live.

Goreme Open Air Museum has some of the best preserved examples of cave churches, most quite small but decorated with fading frescos and paintings directly on the rock walls. Another example of how important the rock landscape was to early Turks is found at Derinkuyu, an underground city which could house 10,000 people for up to six months during times of war.

I bought trivets and a few other souvenirs at Pigeon Valley, which gets its name honestly from the thousands of pigeons there. Trees sparkle with blue “evil eye” trinkets, supposedly good luck charms.

Throughout Cappadocia we observed lots of poplar trees, which are used to make furniture. When a son is born, the father plants a poplar tree as an investment for the son’s future education or wedding.

Catch some good luck with an "eye" to
ward off evil.

We made a photo stop at Zelve, an important settlement and religious area between the 9^th and 13^th centuries. It once spread over three valleys and contains numerous pointed chimneys with large stems. It’s now abandoned since unstable formations make it too dangerous for people to live there. At the end of our tour we flew back to Istanbul from Nevshehir, a city with a small airport used primarily by tourists.

Cappadocia (pronounced cap-a-dok-i-a) is unlike anything we’ve ever seen, and I’d highly encourage visitors to Turkey to include it on their itineraries.

Photos by Larry and Beverly Burmeier