26 April 2008
Some things go well
I managed to slice one day off the trip, and one spa visit, although I couldn't avoid another. I must admit, though, that my face has responded well to being smeared with an entire dessert trolley's worth of fruity and chocolaty substances and is softer than a baby's bottom. Since I regularly have to get close up to a baby's bottom these days I'm in a position to make this rather predictable comparison.
Perhaps one thing that made this trip not just successful but enjoyable was that I had low expectations. It's a commonplace in North America for destinations to be over-promoted, and to be pretty thin on real attractions especially if the emphasis is historical, at least to a snotty European. But in this case, in addition to the tiny, slightly Disneyfied Wild West old part of Scottsdale, there was mid-20th century history well worth a look, particularly in the form of the oddly-named Hotel Valley Ho, a late-50s masterpiece recently renovated and partly rebuilt not with its rooms an exact copy of the period, but rather in homage to it, right down to a Viewmaster next to the bed. (It's impossible that such a device would be named today without an intercap.) The colour scheme contained hues I can seriously say haven't been seen since the 60s, and I fully expected a Dr. No-era Sean Connery to step out of the shower in nothing but a towel at any moment. It was truly enjoyable in a way most hotels aren't.
The other mid-century masterpiece was Frank Lloyd Wright's winter base, originally set up miles from anywhere, and now swallowed by Scottsdale's sprawl. Taliesin West was where Wright trained his apprentices in slave-like conditions, making them not only design shelters for their accommodation way out in the desert, but build them by hand, having first raised the funds themselves. In between this they built the combined studio and residence building, constantly tearing down and re-erecting sections on Wright's whim. Scottsdale is still home to many who studied with Wright in this way, none of them now young, and part of the purpose of the trip was to take a tour of the remarkable buildings in the company of one of them, and to talk to some others. This was something of a privilege, not least since all were remarkably quotable and founts of good stories about Wright the man, while in some cases displaying the kind of idolatry more usually connected with cults, especially those still living on the vast desert property in buildings that were largely invisible. This, Hotel Valley Ho, the anti-suburban planning ideas of the 88-year-old Soleri (another ex-Wright pupil), and some other unexpectedly excellent art-related experiences in Scottsdale form the core of a story that I'm actually looking forward to writing.
And its hard to dislike a place with relentlessly predictable sunny weather (Wimbledon should be rescheduled for spring and moved here), palm trees, and giant cactuses with real personalities.
Best of all, it only took four days to do. I'll take more fam trips like that, thank you.
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2 comments:
I'm glad your press trip went well, but I'm still not persuaded to venture on one myself, I'm afraid. I just can't see how they come close to anything like real travel.
Lara (and others) see: http://peternh.blogspot.com/2009/05/what-is-real-travel.html#comments
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