Dreamy Desert Mirages in Phoenix

Middle ground isn’t a place I spend much time. I pretty much love or hate everything. If I find something I’m passionate about, I plan plenty of adventures around it. If there is a Frank Lloyd #WrightSite nearby, I’m going to check it out. If Dale Chihuly does a gardens and glass exhibit, I will figure out how to get there. While Sedona and Antelope Canyon were the natural draws to Arizona, I was searching the house sit page every week for sits in Arizona before June 21,2022 to catch the Chihuly in the Desert exhibits at the Desert Botanical Garden and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West.

I am an avid fan of Dale Chihuly’s Garden and Glass exhibits. The partnerships bring about a billion dollars worth of blown glass to already beautiful destinations for a double whammy for the eyes. I got Cheekwood memberships for repeat trips to both years of Nashville’s Garden and Glass Exhibitions, popped into the ROM show in Toronto and the NY Botanical Garden on business trips, planned a European vacation around the Kew Gardens exhibit, and planned girls getaways to Asheville to see The Biltmore’s display and Atlanta’s Botanical Garden. There are some permanent exhibits that are totally worth checking out. I booked my housesit in Washington to see Tacoma’s Museum of Glass and Tacoma Art Museum to check out the hometown collection of Dale Chihuly’s work. In Seattle I made three trips to the Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum. It’s not a trip to Vegas without a peep at the famed Fiori di Como of The Bellagio, or a tour of the Maker’s Mark Distillery in Kentucky without a walk under the glass bridge.

Singapore didn’t open their borders to tourists in 2021, but I was checking pretty regularly to try to go for their Gardens By the Bay show. So when I caught an ad for the double feature in Phoenix, I put it at the top of my spring sit wishlist. It’s not a cheap adventure by any means, it’s $50 to see each location, but they are definitely worth it. a I’d recommend doing Taliesin first because it’s kind of a let down after the splendor of the Botanical Garden. There were only a handful of installations, and with the exception of the tower- they were pretty generic for Chihuly. BUT they did add an extra layer of beauty to Taliesin.

The drive into Phoenix from Flagstaff was stunning. Between the Sonoran desert and the hot air balloons drifting through the canyon, I was enchanted. I started my day with a quick reunion with my friend Marika. We’ve known each other since 7th grade, and it was the highlight of an incredible day catching up with her. I passed an obscene amount of beautiful bougainvillea and a Frank Lloyd Wright church that I didn’t even know about en route to the adorable coffee shop where we met up. It started a spectacular day on solid foundation.

I really like words, but I’m not sure there are adequate ones to explain how beautiful the Desert Botanical Garden is. It was in full bloom, the trails to the installations were well laid out and easy to find, thank god because even in early April it was hot as blazes out there. The Gardens and Glass shows usually recycle a lot of similar pieces: There’s always a boat, a tower, a sun, reeds, chandeliers, fiori (flowers), and an indoor display with drawings, a mirrored installation, maccha (big bowls) and Venetian vases. I’ve seen some of these exact pieces almost a dozen times, but they have never looked like this. The juxtaposition between the glass and the desert landscape was jarring and completely refreshed the experience. The butterfly garden had over 2000 butterflies to behold. It was 95 degrees and I simply didn’t care. Traipsing through the desert oasis and the warm fuzzies it gave me was totally worth it.

Frank Lloyd Wright grew up in Wisconsin, started his firm in Oak Park/Chicago, and wintered in Scottsdale. These are your main meccas of FLW #wrightsites, and I was really looking forward to exploring his winter retreat, Taliesin West.

I used my window between the botanical garden and my Taliesin Tour to check out a few other #Wrightsites. The David & Gladys Wright House and Norman Lykes House had intriguing spiral patterns and had me itching to go inside for a closer look. The FLW Spire anchored a strip mall, which made me giggle. These spires are like a cross between a spinal cord and phallus and they always make me laugh, but this one sparkled in the sunlight and was pretty special.

From the spire, you continue along Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd to the FLW’s winter retreat and laboratory. The property was used as a camp for the collective of apprenticing architects. If I was going to camp for work, I can’t imagine one more interesting. I was expecting the tour to be a little bit more like the fantastic Oak Park experience. $50 is kind of steep for a self guided audio tour and to not make it inside to any bedrooms/kitchens/bathrooms. You’ll get to see the office, drafting room, cabaret, conference room, and a beautiful family room. The grounds are gorgeous, and the Chihuly pieces, while far fewer than I anticipated, added a lot to the landscape. Even though it wasn’t quite what I had expected, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

The Audio Guide clued me into a couple other #wrightsites that hadn’t come up on the my google search. Though I didn’t have time to go see the gorgeous FLW designed Auditorium in Tempe, I was able to sneak in a field trip to the Arizona Biltmore by Waldorf Astoria. I love a unique hotel, and if there was one designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, I was determined to see it.

Though FLW’s Mayan phase is my least favorite of his aesthetics, this was a really unique blend of his styles. There were still a lot of art deco details, geometric shapes, the sweet sprites sprinkled throughout the property, an armor roof and spire, and gorgeous glass. This is a beautifully bougie hotel with incredible amenities, gorgeous gardens and golf courses, private bungalows, beautiful bars, and a fantastic vibe. I’d love to stay here someday.

I know there is SO much to see and do in Phoenix. I would definitely like to come back and spend some quality time. It was a truly terrific day filled with all of my favorite things. Old friends, new adventures, beloved artists, beautiful spaces, fragrant florals, and the kind of magic one can only find in the desert.