Visiting the Arizona Renaissance Festival

Arizona Renaissance Festival – We have never been to a Renaissance Festival, and therefore had no idea what to expect.  Several of our friends inquired as to whether we were going to dress up for the event.  That comment made we wonder what I might be getting myself into.  Nonetheless, the photographer in me saw this as the opportunity to be presented with an unusual display of costume, color, and a myriad of photographic opportunities.

The Arizona Renaissance Festival is located in the town of Apache Junction, which is roughly an hour drive from east side Greater Phoenix locations.  Here are a few fun facts:

• this is the 22nd year for the festival, and is one of the largest events of its kind in the nation.
• there are nearly 2,000 costumed characters, 12 stages with non-stop entertainment, and a 4,500-seat arena to watch armored knights joust.
• this 30 acre festival includes over 200 rustic shops, studios and galleries filled with unique arts, crafts, plus kitchens, pubs, games, and people-powered rides.
• the festival is open Saturdays, Sundays, and Presidents Day, February 6th thru March 28th.
• each day’s events begin with a 9:45 pre-opening gate performance, a 10:00 cannon shot, and ends with a faire-thee-well medley at 6:00.

I was taken by surprise with the long line of cars to get into this event, the massive parking lot full of cars, and the immensity of this place.  You could easily spend an entire day here, and perhaps not see everything there is to see.

Overall, we had a wonderful time, enjoyed the spectacle of it all, and in particular I enjoyed seeing some of the small children all dressed up, wandering around with wide-eyed glee.   In some ways, it felt like a 16th century European Disneyland.

If you are looking for something totally different, and would enjoy a little raucous revelry, then the Arizona Renaissance Festival just might be your ticket.  The only caution I would through out to parents is that some of the offerings in this event are clearly PG-13.

Here are a few of my photographs from the event:

Bryan’s Black Mountain Barbecue in Cave Creek, Arizona

Cave Creek, Arizona is a cowboy town.  Cowboys like their barbecue, and Chef Bryan Duley (pictured with Carol) serves up some foot-stompin’, gun shootin’ good barbecue!

It was a Thursday night when we visited Bryan’s Black Mountain Barbecue, and the minute we walked in the door we could tell that we were in for a wonderful experience.

First of all, the place was packed with people eager to enjoy a heapin’ helpin’ of Chef Bryan’s barbecued ribs, chicken, beef brisket, or pulled pork.  Why Chef Bryan even has Vegetarian “pulled” squash for those who desire something without a hoof.

As we walked in, Carol spied a table of folks leaving, so I placed a claim on the table while Carol stood in line for our fixins’.

As I waited, I enjoyed the velvety smooth baritone voice of Amigo Mike, as he sang cowboy ballads that took me back 40 years listening to my parents play Eddie Arnold records.  I must confess, his music was very nostalgic for me, and he did an excellent job hopping into his falsetto voice at the end of many of his phrases, as cowboys love to do.

After a few songs like Cattle Call, and Cool Water, Carol arrived with our food.  I chose the 1/2 lb meat combo (pulled pork & brisket) while Carol opted for the 1/2 slab of pork ribs.  To accompany my meal I chose barbecue cowboy beans and baked potato salad, while Carol opted for french fries and coleslaw.

Let me be clear, this was some of the best barbecue I have ever had!

Chef Bryan just celebrated his restaurants first birthday, and the community is clearly happy to reward him handsomely for his fine vittles!

As it became clear that we were never going to finish the heapin’ helpin’s given, we asked for a doggie bag, and were surprised by Chef Bryan with a serving of his special homemade ice cream sandwiches, a can of his special rub, and a bottle of his incredible barbecue sauce.

In my mind, a restaurant has the recipe for great success if they can combine great food, with a wonderful experience.  Chef Bryan Duley, with his Bryan’s Black Mountain Barbecue, has put together all the right ingredients to provide you with both.

We highly recommend a visit!  Furthermore, if you visit on a Wednesday, or Thursday evening, you will be treated to live music as well.

Thank you Chef Bryan for a wonderful evening, we will be back, and we will be certain to bring our out of town guests to visit you when they happen our way.

Disclosure:  this dining experience was provided by Chef Bryan Duley.

A Visit to the Phoenix Art Museum

The Phoenix Art Museum is a wonderful place to spend the day, and in our view, one of the top ten attractions in the Greater Phoenix Area.

The Phoenix Art Museum is:

“The Southwest’s premier 203,000- square foot destination for world-class visual arts. Here you will be immersed in culture while viewing popular exhibitions that feature artists such as Rembrandt, Norman Rockwell, and Annie Leibowitz. Monet. And the list goes on.”

On this particular return visit, we were honored to spend some time with the museum’s photography curator, Dr. Rebecca Senf, who gave us a personal tour of her current exhibit Ansel Adams: Discoveries.

Here’s our recommended experience:

• arrive when the museum opens.  (link to directions/hours)
• the front desk will provide you with maps, and directions to the type of collection you desire most to see.  If you prefer self-guided tours, the museum has audio headsets to help you understand what you are looking at.
  
• when your belly begins to rumble, head to the award-winning Acadia Farms Cafe which is housed right inside the museum.  We have been many times, and it’s wonderful.  Great soups, salads, sandwiches, or even a piece of fresh salmon.
• After lunch, tag along with one of the docent guided tours.  There are several free tours available after lunch each day.
• After you have delighted your senses with all these wonderful artworks, don’t forget a visit to the museum’s wonderful gift shop.  Here you will find many unusual items certain to be treasured by your family, friends, or maybe a little treat for yourself!

Note:  click on the Ansel Adams photograph (above) to see a much larger version of his famous Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico, 1941.   Color photograph courtesy of Bill Timmerman via Phoenix Art Museum.

A Visit to the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show

If you are in Scottsdale, Arizona during the winter months, then a visit to the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show will make for a wonderful experience.

We made our first visit to the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show last year, and we had no idea how beautiful these Arabian horses were.  As we were watching this year’s show, the announcer was instructing us that the Arabian horse is known for its distinctive head shape (it looks like a sea horse to me), its long flowing, high tail carriage, their high spirit, and their marble-hard bone structure.

The Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show has grown to one of the largest in the world.  It spans 11 days, with 2,000 horses coming from all over the world hoping to capture the show’s large championship winnings.

This massive show has three areas to watch the horses, two massive tents full of horse related artwork, clothing, leather goods, and a whole host of items tempting your credit card to make itself known.

Being from the Midwest, and having never been around horses, we felt like we had just stepped into a very unfamiliar world as we were wide-eyed with wonder at these beautiful creatures.  Yet, we found everyone to be very friendly, willing to explain the Arabian horse culture, and once again giving us a most wonderful experience.

We highly recommend a visit to the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show.

A Visit to The Phoenix Symphony

Last night, The Roaming Boomers were the guests of Maryellen Gleason, President/CEO of The Phoenix Symphony, for their concert at the Phoenix Symphony Hall.

The concert featured Prokofiev’s popular Symphony No. 1 (“Classical”), John Adam’s Shaker Loops, and finished with Prokofiev’s legendary Peter and the Wolf accompanied with the 2008 stop-animation Oscar winning film of the same name.

The evening began with Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 1.  Because I was raised in a small town, there is something deep in my DNA that expects to cringe when I hear an orchestra because of their lack of a common pitch. There was certainly none of that here, and therefore I was able to relax and enjoy the performance.

When this first piece finished, I was left with a stunning example of the professionalism, and the certain skill of these musicians.  I was very impressed with the clarity, and oneness of sound during some of the lighting fast arpeggios displayed in the string section.  A lesser orchestra would have made certain mud of these sections.  Bravo!

I brought to the second piece, John Adam’s Shaker Loops, a confident expectation of dreariness.

When I was in college, I remember making some “modern” music with my fellow musicians.  We pretended to be John Cage and flushed toilets, made all sorts of silly sounds, ran them through a synthesizer, and called it music.

I was very surprised to hear that John Adams piece was nothing like that.  As I was sitting there letting my ears explore this completely new sound landscape, I began to dream about how I would try to explain this piece to you in words.

The only thing that came to mind was that I was somehow exploring far away galaxies, ablaze with all the color, and highly unusual sights that the Hubble Telescope brings to us.  Only here, these brilliant new sights were being delivered to me in sound.

My expectation of dreariness was turned 180º into child-like wonder.  I found myself wishing that I could somehow get inside the sound so that I might better hear and experience it.

As it turns out, this was my favorite piece of the night because it was completely new to me.  I love exploring new things!

After intermission, we were treated to the evening’s main event:  Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf conducted to the 2008 Oscar winning stop-animation film of the same name.

What a joyous experience!  Married to Prokofiev’s brilliant score was a visual experience that had the audience often rolling in laughter.  There was also a great gasp uttered when the big bad wolf gulped down the defenseless duck.

Overall, this was a most delightful evening.  If I possessed 10 thumbs, I would give them 10 thumbs up.

If you are visiting the Greater Phoenix Area during the symphony’s concert season, I would highly recommend you enjoy an evening with them.  You will be glad you did.

Thank you Maryellen Gleason, Conductor Michael Christie, and The Phoenix Symphony,  for a most wonderful evening out!

Disclosure:  this evening’s experience was provided by the generosity of The Phoenix Symphony

Watching Senior Bull Riders in the Cowboy Town of Wickenburg, Arizona

Just a short one hour drive from Phoenix, Arizona lies the quintessential cowboy town of Wickenburg, Arizona.

After the 1848 Mexican American war, a great deal of the southwest became a part of the United States, and the lure of  “gold in them thar hills” became a magnet for adventurers to the area.  One such gold seeker was Henry Wickenburg who struck gold with his Vulture mine, and together with other miners formed the town of Wickenburg, Arizona in 1863.

Today, Wickenburg, with is close proximity to Phoenix, has become a very popular tourist destination.  We made our most recent trip to Wickenburg during their 61st Annual Gold Rush Days, which featured gold panning, a mucking and drilling contest, a classic car show, and the National Senior Pro Rodeo Tour.

We decided, having never been to a rodeo, that a rodeo might be a lot of fun.  When we arrived, we were amazed to see these 40, 50, and even 60 year old men willingly riding bucking broncos, and most amazingly, torturing themselves on the back of a raging bull!

Wickenburg, Arizona is a worthwhile day trip from the Phoenix area, and I am certain that Carol and I will be back to do even more exploring.  One of the things that perked my ears, during our most recent trip , is that Wickenburg is also the Dude Ranch Capitol of the World!  Not that sounds like another fine reason to plan another visit to Wickenburg, Arizona.

A Day Trip to Tubac, Arizona

Tubac, Arizona makes for a wonderful day trip from Phoenix, Arizona.

Tubac is 45 minutes south of Tucson, sits on a beautiful valley floor that peers onto 10,000 ft peaks, and also boasts a healthy, and growing artist colony.

We left for Tubac at 7:00, on a Saturday morning, and arrived at our destination at 10:00.  The drive is a fairly flat drive, with quite a number of majestic mountain to gaze upon.  We made the trip in February, and were rewarded with beautiful snow covered peaks in Tucson, and again as we approached Tubac.

We made our journey during Tubac’s 51st Annual Festival of the Arts, but you will be rewarded with a great many artist boutiques regardless of what time of the year you venture Tubac’s way.

If you are a lover of art, and desire to find a collection of artists in one location, Tubac just might be your ticket.  We greatly enjoyed our visit, and we are sure you will too.

Arizona’s Tumacacori National Historical Park

Phoenix Day Trip – today we made a day trip to Tubac, and also visited nearby Tumacacori National Historical Park.

Tubac is a popular Arizona destination because of its quaint, beautiful setting with 10,000 foot mountain views in the background, and its reputation for having a large collection of unique artist boutiques.  But that is for another story.

The Tumacacori Mission was founded by the Jesuits in 1691, and over the course of the next 100 years became the regions most powerful social and economic force.  In 1848 the mission was abandoned as a result of political problems between Spain, Mexico, and the United States.

Tumacacori is a short 10-minute drive from Tubac, and is a worthy diversion from shopping in the art boutiques.

Here are a few of my photographs from Tumacacori National Historical Park:

Flagstaff’s Sled Dog Races, Lost in Northern Arizona, and a Bedeviled GPS

Have you ever given a solemn utterance intended to invoke a supernatural power to inflict harm on an inanimate object?  In other words, have you ever cursed out a GPS?

In the last leg of our recent trip to Flagstaff,  I am ashamed to admit,  I displayed a momentary intensity that perhaps bordered on madness, as our GPS had us abandoned on a muddy, end of the road, this is where the snowplows fear to tread kind of place.

You know you have gone to far when your wife, who comes from a long line of Roman Catholics, is looking for some holy water, a cross, or perhaps even a silver dagger to slay your momentary burst of frustration.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not a violent guy, but…I sure was frustrated with my GPS.

When we found ourselves, out in the middle of nowhere, I just knew that we blew our chances to shoot the Arizona Mountain Mushers 2010 Mormon Lakes Sled Dog Races.

Undeterred by our certain tardiness, we turned around and found our path to the races just as the very last, and I mean the very last dog sled came across the finish line.

I snapped this photograph, and we literally turned around and left as the dog sled races were now over.

Therefore, I guess this story isn’t so much about sled dog races, as it was a lesson for us on perhaps better planning, and reminding ourselves that when traveling, we should always expect the unexpected.

If I have any satisfaction from this particular story, it was delivered in my determination to get at least one photograph from this sled dog race.

For that I am grateful.

Oh, I also had to promise my wife to chill out the next time unexpected circumstances cross the path of this A-Type, perfectionist personality.

A Night at Flagstaff, Arizona’s Inn at 410

The Inn at 410, in Flagstaff, Arizona, is a most wonderful place to lie your head after a busy day of sightseeing in northern Arizona.  This 1894 6,000 square foot mansion, built in the craftsman style, is sure to have every appointment that a discriminating traveler might expect.

Most surprisingly, it is a nine room bed & breakfast.  But don’t worry, the large luxurious rooms, and the careful layout of the property will afford you all the privacy you desire.  Even better, you can enjoy a cup of tea, and a homemade cookie in the parlor while you visit with travelers from all over the world.

This was our second visit to Gordon Watkin’s exquisite establishment, and as raving fans of his hospitality, we are certain to be back for many more visits.

Disclosure:  This lodging experience was provided by Gordan Watkin’s Inn at 410.

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