contributed by Amy Johnson [field reporter / stylist / comedienne]
author of South Beach - Course Credit For Tan Lines 

Hello Darlings! Amy here, back again to guide you in your latest travel adventure. Once again I’ll tell you about a cool city that has design/architectural fabulousness all around for you to study while you play. Oops-sorry, didn’t mean to use the “s” word. How about “beautiful examples of form and function for you to drink in”? Ah, yes. That’s much better, isn’t it? Wink, wink.

Anyway, enough of the intro – let’s get packed and hit the road. Where are we headed this time? Well, let’s see…. since it’s probably still darn cold with short days and damp weather where you are right now, let’s take a little trip West. Phoenix, anyone? Yes, my dears, while you’re piling on the layers until you resemble the Michelin Man to keep yourselves warm and toasty, I’m hangin’ out on the patios of my favorite restaurants here in sunny Phoenix, Arizona. Yes, it was 68 degrees, sunny and gorgeous today. Jealous? Well, get your buns out here then! Surely you can justify the expense when I tell you that a mini-course in Frank Lloyd Wright is included! It’s a road trip with a purpose - say it with me, it’s “edutainment”!

So, first things first – fly into Sky Harbor Airport, which is pretty much smack in the middle of town. The cities we’ll be touring to see examples of Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture are Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe – all of which blend together as part of the greater Phoenix area. You WILL need a car while you’re here – this is certainly not a pedestrian town. And while there are city buses and various shuttles, well, frankly that’s just too hard to deal with. The main highways we’ll use are the 202 Loop which runs East-West straight out of Sky Harbor, the 101 Loop which runs around the city and State Route 51 which runs North-South and connects the 202 and the 101 for part of our trip. I’ll give you the skinny on where to stay and eat later. Now, onward to study the Great Frank Lloyd Wright!

There are three major Wright-designed and Wright-inspired structures open to the public in this town. Who knew?

Let’s start with a crash course by going straight to Taliesin West – Wright’s famous winter campus in the desert. You may have heard of his school in Wisconsin, Taliesin (pronounced “Tal-ee-ESS-en” and Welsh for “shining brow” referring to the brow of the hill it was built on). Well, in 1937, Wright bought over 600 acres of desert northeast of Scottsdale and, with his apprentices in tow, began building some amazing structures that appear to be built directly out of the desert. In fact most of the buildings were constructed out of the local desert stones by building wooden frames, filling them with stone and mortar, then removing the frames to reveal walls that appear to grow out of the natural desert itself. Nifty!

Here’s what Taliesin West is not: it’s not an indoor museum where you gaze at examples of Wright’s furniture and get a glimpse of his drawings. It’s much, much better. Taliesin West is a living, breathing desert compound with residences for over 70 student architects living and working there. It’s also the international headquarters for the Frank Lloyd Wright foundation-so they know their stuff here. There are theaters, music rooms, an architectural studio, a drafting room and Wright’s private office. And of course, the ubiquitous gift shop – which, along with selling a fabulous array of books on Wright and his buildings, knick knacks and t-shirts, is also where you buy the all-important tour ticket. For you see, you can’t just go trekking through the place willy-nilly; you must have a guide. Otherwise you only get to see the gift shop and the parking lot. Oh, and you can glimpse a couple of buildings through the bushes.

The tours are worth every penny, though. There’s a variety offered at various prices – from one to three hours long and anywhere from $16 to $45, depending on the tour type. The schedule has 2 seasons: November to April and May to October. Trust me, the November to April season is the best time to come. Temperatures in May through October are likely to be over 100 degrees, and while it’s a “dry heat”, well, so’s your oven, but you don’t hang out in there, now do you? Get out your camera, your sunscreen, (no matter when you come-this Arizona sun is bright!), bring your hat and shades, and by all means wear comfortable shoes suitable for walking on gravel. No grassy lawns here, my dears, it’s pea gravel all the way when you’re not indoors. You don’t want to be tottering around in fancy heels or trying to shake that annoying little pebble out of your sandal the whole time. If you feel the need to visit during those hot summer months, pack some bottled water, too. Dehydration is not pretty.

The tour guides are knowledgeable and you’re bound to find a tour that suits your fancy and your budget. Take the basic Panorama Tour or go on the Behind the Scenes tour for an in-depth look including mid-morning tea in the Taliesin Fellowship dining hall. Take someone huggable along with you on the Night Lights tour and see the lovely buildings glowing in the twilight and a lovely view from the McDowell Mountains. You even get light refreshments thrown in! It’s a beautifully peaceful, serene place, even with tourists trekking around (not that I’ve ever seen it too crowded, which is nice). What’s amazing is just how quiet it is. You don’t hear any traffic noise or even the people milling about. Just take a seat by the fountain next to the gift shop and relax for a while.

Once you’ve taken the time to drink in this desert beauty, head you to your next destination – the amazing, Wright-inspired Biltmore Resort & Spa. It’s just north of Camelback off 24^th Street at Missouri. Whiz on past the Biltmore Fashion Park for now. Once you’ve done your homework at the resort you can stop in for a little retail party at the fancy shops.

The Biltmore project was Wright’s first introduction to Arizona in 1929. He’s the Consulting Architect on this, the first resort built in the state. No pressure there, eh? Albert Chase McArthur is the Architect of Record, and boy, did he do a lovely job. There’s a handy display in the lobby detailing the history of the place along with fun trivia – did you know Irving Berlin wrote “White Christmas” while lounging by the Catalina Pool? Neither did I.

The resort is quite swank which means there’s delightful people-watching to be had in the lobby. Head straight for the leather armchairs in front of the Concierge desk and park yourself for a while (not the funky striped ones! You might think they’re comfortable, but they’re not. Frankly, if they sold the leather ones in the gift shop I’d buy one.) Now, check out the fancy-pantsers while you use your new-found Wright knowledge to take in the architectural and design details of this grand dame of Phoenix.

According to a native Phoenician I know, no other resort in town takes such exquisite pride in maintaining their buildings and grounds. And resorts are what makes Phoenix and Scottsdale go ‘round. The lighting fixtures, the carved details, the carpet pattern – all exhibit pure Wright-style. Wander out onto the back patio, past the Wright gift shop (of course) and stroll the grounds. Act like you belong there and no one will throw you out.

Check out the giant chess set and croquet court next to the Paradise Pool. Then be amazed by the pool itself. One of five on the grounds, this one is the most breath-taking. Check out every detail around you – the pool gates, the hotel room doors, everywhere is Wright’s influence. Guided tours are available for $10. Check the website for details.

If you’re feeling flush with the cash, stop and enjoy relaxing afternoon tea. Or go crazy and check yourself in for a night. Surely this is the educational experience your student loan check was meant for. Right?

Last but not least, head on over to Arizona State University in Tempe. Grady Gammage Memorial Auditorium is another fine example of Wright’s work. One of his last designs, it was built in 1964 and designed to be as acoustically perfect as possible. Wasn’t that nice of him? The round structure looks a wee bit like a wedding cake and has two great swooping tentacle-like ramps arcing out from it to carry people away after a show. Take advantage of the free guided tours that take place Monday through Friday between 1 and 4pm to get the full scoop.

So there you go, my dears – a crash course in Frank Lloyd Wright that’s not even painful, considering that while you’re in Phoenix the weather’s great, the scenery is lovely and you’ll have a heck of a time!

Other fabulous ways to spend your time and money in the Phoenix area:

Cruise down Main Street east of the Loop 101 and check out the kitschy motels still standing from the 40s and 50s on this stretch of the original Route 66. The signage is amazing.

Go hiking on any of several beautiful mountains: Squaw Peak –definitely a workout, Camelback – the North side of it will work those legs and buns, that’s for sure!, Pinnacle Peak – more of a trail walk, then a hike, this might be more your speed if you’re not into punishing your body, and South Mountain – haven’t done it, but hear it’s lovely. For all of these hikes, wear sunscreen, give yourself 2-3 hours and take a big bottle of water.

Check out the scene at ASU – Mill Avenue in Tempe is a great pedestrian area to hang out, eat, drink and shop. And the man-made Tempe Town Lake has the occasional outdoor concert or fireworks celebration, among other things. But for food, head west of Mill on University until you hit Oregano’s Pizza. Yum! You’ll love it. Trust me.

Feeling the need to show off your bling? Cruise on over to Scottsdale. Just past kitschy-cowboy Old Town Scottsdale are the see-and-be-seen clubs like Axis Radius, Suede and Six. Buy yourself something slinky at Fashion Square Mall, grab the best grilled cheese sandwich you’ll ever have at Mickey’s Hangover for Happy Hour, then make the rounds and get your groove on. By the way, Colin Farrell was spotted at Devil’s Martini not too long ago. Could you be so lucky?

Feeling homesick for cold weather? If you get here quick enough you can drive 2 hours north to Flagstaff – home of NAU (Northern Arizona University) and the Snowbowl where you can ski (yes, ski!), snowboard and sled before it melts. Woohoo!

Rest your weary head:

Phoenix and Scottsdale are all about the resorts. Try your hand on Priceline.com and maybe you’ll get lucky with a fab price. Prices do go down dramatically in May/June, so if you can stand the heat you might get a sweet deal at an otherwise pricey place in the summer months.

In Tempe there’s the Tempe Mission Palms – great location, not really student-budget friendly. But it IS in a great location. There’s also a Courtyard Marriott just 1 block off Mill that’s quite handy, too. The Twin Palms Hotel is just across the street from Gammage Auditorium. How ideal is that?

For boutique fabulousness, there’s just one place: The James Hotel. It was transformed last year from a frumpy stucco building into the hippest, happeningest hotel for the young and beautiful. If you like that kind of thing.

Clean your plate:

Oregano’s Pizza: locations on University, west of Mill Ave and on Scottsdale Road, south of Fashion Square Mall.

AZ88 – within walking distance from the back door of the James. Sweet! Great sandwiches and salads like you’ve never tasted before, yummy libations, and people-watching for days. You’ll see all walks of life here!

Bamboo Club – after shopping at Biltmore Fashion Park, stop in here for yummy, sophisticated Asian food. Afterwards, run across Camelback to hang in the Merc Bar. It’s woody, it’s loud, it’s comfortable. No posing allowed here. Just good times.

Put the pedal to the metal:

To Taliesin West (from Sky Harbor airport):
Take the 202 East to the 101 North. Exit Cactus Road and drive East until it leads you into the Taliesin West area. Follow the signs to the school. For information, tour dates, times & prices, click here.

To Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa (from Taliesin West):
Drive back out to the entrance at Cactus Road, hang a right on Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard (of course) and cruise around to the 101. Take a right and loop around to the North, then West until you see SR 51. Exit South and drive to the Colter exit. A left across the highway, a quick right and then left on Camelback Road to 24^th St. Take 24^th north to Missouri Avenue, turn right into the resort and follow the signs.

To Gammage Auditorium at ASU (from the Biltmore Resort):
Get back on the 51, take it south to the 202, head west past the airport (wave hello!) and exit Rural Road. Hang a right, go south down to University, turn right, then left on Mill and ask any passing flip-flop wearing student how to get to Gammage.

And, finally, for access to a good site listing Wright’s Arizona projects, click here.  NOW GET OUT THERE AND TRAVEL!


Photo captions:

• The Taliesin West gift shop – notice how it’s set into the ground and those nifty stone and mortar walls I told you about!
•  Wright used interesting angles throughout Taliesin West, mimicking the mountain and desert landscape that it grew out of.
• Now, I’m not a meditative gal by nature, but this peaceful spot made me want to say “Om.”
•  I really don’t think Frank would be very amused with having “Arizona Biltmore” carved out of the hedges, do you? It seems a wee-bit Disneyland-ish…
•  The Catalina Pool’s groovy tiles were imported from California’s Catalina Island. This was Marilyn Monroe’s fave pool to lounge by when she was in town!
•  The Paradise Pool is a taste of just that – paradise.
•  Check out that sweeping tentacle ramp from the upper level – it’s groovy!