Off to the Sun: I am Amazed; A Magical Night in the Garden

Image courtesy of Desert Botanical Garden

Chihuly glass "cactus" at the entrance to DBG

 On this, my second trip to the Desert Botanical Garden (DBG) in Scottsdale, I was expecting something WAY out of the ordinary - and I surely was not disappointed. The garden is always fantastic - 55 acres of carefully planned and beautifully maintained plantings that bring together the best of the southwest. The succulents, cacti and exotics that thrive in the relentless sun of desert climates are combined into an art form here. If you think deserts are nothing but sand and scrub, the DBG will change your perspective forever. It's the place that made me appreciate the stark beauty of a single cactus against a rainbow sunset.

But tonight was special. We had come to see Electric Desert. The Klip Collective, a group of video and sound artists from Philadelphia put together their first garden "show", Nightscape, at Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania - that alone was enough to make me want to see what they had done at DBG. I had visited Longwood a number of times for my books on Pennsylvania (the original editions of Pennsylvania Handbook, Moon Travel/Avalon Publishing). As DBG is to the desert, Longwood is to the lush deciduous greenery of the mid-Atlantic. I was prepared to be impressed, and it was magical.

Image courtesy of DBG

Bands of light played across saguaro cactus and tall trees, swirling into patterns and colors, accompanied by a tinkling, thrumming trance-inducing sound track. 

Image courtesy of DBG

The path that winds through the garden opened into different "rooms", each with its own unique style of color and lighting. Still photos, though beautiful, don't capture the sounds and movement of the installation. To get a glimpse of the DBG installation, check out this video.







 The coup-de-grace was the mountain behind the gardens, lit with dancing patterns; lights shot upward like towers set in the mountain itself, making it look as though the entire mountain was about to lift off...I don't know how they did it, but it was mesmerizing, beyond fantastic. Check out the video here. And since you've been especially good, and because Klip is generously making their work available for everyone to see on Vimeo, here's another video of DBG from them. If you have a chance, see it in person on a warm summer night in Scottsdale, or follow Klip Collective to their next triumph.

Image courtesy of DBG

A Really (Really!) Short Trip to Phoenix

These are glass Dale Chihuly "cacti"

Journeyed out on a brief trip to visit my friend who moved to Phoenix recently, and her dentist. I meet with and approve all my friends' service providers. No, I really was visiting her dentist because some expensive procedures cost about 1/3 less there than in the Bay Area--and that includes two round-trip flights! The main drawback is the Phoenix airport; due to runway rebuilding, three of my four flights were delayed between one and three hours. Flight personnel clued me to the best terminal to hang out in (if you HAVE to): Southwest Airlines (Terminal 4)--better restaurants, art etc. If you're going there, fly as early as possible in the morning.

We were able to do a little sight-seeing during my visit; unfortunately being outside for more than 10 minutes during the day is not something sane people do there (unless completely submerged in cold water), so the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument was saved for another day. We toured the tiny town of Florence--its few western-style streets looked like a cowboy movie set deserted in mid-day--and visited its well-stocked second-hand store that had some real treasures.

Outdoor dining at Gertrude's

Then it was up to the city of Phoenix, and the Desert Botanical Garden, which proved to be a fantastic find. Surrounded by hills resembling melted chocolate ice cream, the garden itself is beautifully lit and laid out (it was late in the afternoon by then, and the temperature had dropped to a reasonable 85 degrees). Our companion pooch melted the hearts of the attendants, but alas, no dogs allowed.
Since my flight continued to be delayed, we ended up spending a couple of hours at the restaurant in the garden. Gertrude's has an upscale seasonal menu and mixed drinks that are made from local ingredients and reflect the sunset in their beauty (my vote for best: Tombstone Tea, made with vodka, gin, triple sec, prickly pear nectar and lime syrup).

My favorite bite was the smoked and fried tofu appetizer with tomato kasaundi (a tomato-based dip) and curry salt--it was the chef's grandmother's recipe, modified by her Canadian upbringing and time in New Orleans. Our waiter, Kent, was a doll, especially given the amount of time we dawdled nursing our drinks and waiting for news from the airline. Jared, the bartender, was kind enough to let us taste his favorite (California) wine.

Next time--hopefully in winter, when the air temperature will drop down to the 70s, there's plenty I'd like to see in the Phoenix area beyond Casa Grande: Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West in Scottsdale, the Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park, the Painted Rock Petroglyphs...

Chihuly cacti at night

I'm just getting started! I better need more dental work soon...