Arizona was a lot of fun! We spent most of our time in Scottsdale and a little in Phoenix. I took a lot of pictures but here is what we did for one morning/afternoon of our trip since I know I could post a million but I narrowed it down to this 🙂
This is us halfway up Camelback Mountain, the selfie stick came in handy here. We got there before the sunrise and as we were climbing it was beautiful to see the sun rising and climbing/hiking up.
This is me at the top. I never knew how hard it would be to climb, but who knew that was the easy part going up because going down was far scarier. At this time I was frozen in fear and to top it off when I was climbing down I experienced Veritgo for the first time in my life, everything was spinning. I was terrified but I knew if I started to cry I wouldn’t want to continue and would need to be helicoptered down and no way was I going to let that happen. Josie was our fearless leader and it was great to have her as my focal point to catch up and knew she wouldn’t lead us down a slippery path. Needless to say I almost wanted to kiss the ground when I reached flat land.
After our hike we went to In-N-Out and I was underwhelmed 😦 It was ok but I personally prefer Shake Shack
One of favorite things of the trip we did after our hike and lunch and that was visit Frank Lloyd Wight’s Taliesin West Home/School. I have mentioned before but I will say it again I love FLW and to come here was a dream come true. We took a 90 minute tour around the grounds and I loved it all. I became a member of the FLW foundation and look forward to visiting his homes everywhere 🙂
I was so sore and tired on Tuesday after I flew in that I didn’t post 😦 But I will be posting another post today 🙂
xoxoxo
Janet
Jan and Jot 
Yay! It’s fun to see some photos. First, the selfie stick photo is amazing, but I’m so sorry that you had a difficult time coming back down the mountain. :o(
Andy and I were just drooling over your Taliesin West photos. Man… I wish I could just have that house rebuilt for me here in Utah. LOL.
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Oh I know it was so beautiful! I loved it and as soon as I came home I convinced Dan to take me to the Taliesin home in Wisconsin. I took a tour of FLW homes in WI and loved it but that was so many years ago that this summer I am happy to go with both Dan and Dylan. It was really hard to pinpoint exactly my favorite part of Taliesin West because it really is just beautiful and so unique, from the furniture he made to his triangle pool and in general lots of geometry shapes just beautiful. They gave me a lapel pin that is a Red Square Symbol and very FLW red brick orangey color that I already put on my coat to wear it with pride. I hope you are able to go soon 🙂
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It’s amazing to see quality, craftsmanship, and artistry like that in person. I’m so glad you got to go. It is a bummer they wouldn’t let you take photos (though understandable, I guess). I need to google and see if there are images online. Good night!
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I was over the moon when I got to see everything up close and sit in the origami like chair that I really wanted to steal or take a picture of it to make one for myself lolol. Yeah the tour guide mentioned something about people stealing and having to get police involved I was confused and wanted to ask him for a better explanation because I didn’t get how that was connected to taking pictures, but I had a feeling no one else cared so I didn’t push it. Even now I am thinking about it because everyone knows FLW’s furniture and his uniqueness I can’t imagine someone actually trying to pull it off as their own much like Mies van der Rohe you can immediately tell whose it is, sadness oh well. Hope you are able to find pictures because it was really nice 🙂
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You’re right. I wonder what exactly the tour guide meant. And… It’s the nature of the world we live in to rip off designs, etc. it’s unavoidable!
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Exactly! So the whole thing seemed odd. I hope to ask The Taliesin people in WI when I go visit there exactly why we can’t take pictures because it will be bugging me until they explain it. It is art is meant to be loved and adored and I don’t want my memory to fade, I drew a picture of what I saw but sadly it isn’t as great as what I actually saw lol
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Darn :0(
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Oh amazing post and great photos. Loud love to visit Scottsdale, almost half of my colleges are working from Scottsdale. Maybe one day I will hack a chance to visit. This seems like awesome trip. Mel
http://www.livingoncloude9.com
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I hope you get to go Mel because it really was a great city with lots to do and eat. I already want to go back and teased my husband that is where we should retire because it was perfect!
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Loved your photos ♡ looked like a beautiful day for a hikeAa
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Hike!! ***
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It really was so pretty, I loved the experience but don’t think I will ever be hiking/climbing something like that again lolololol I am too weak
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Definitely a lot of cardio! In Banff (the mountain town an hour away) they have a gondola that you can take up or down (or both) so you can just hike up or down instead of both haha … if you ever make it to Canada that is ♡
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Omg that sounds amazing to have a gondola take you up and down! We are actually planning a trip to Canada either this Fall or next Spring so I will definitely look it up, thanks for the heads up ❤
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Yes it is pretty nice! Plus they have the hot springs when you’re done which is definitely nice and relaxing!! Banff, Alberta is where it is. These mountains will definitely be a bit bigger that Arizona though hahaha
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Oooo it sounds really nice! As long as they have a gondola I am ok with any size mountain to go up and down on lolol
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Looks like you guys had a blast! I did not know about FLW’s home out there! Sounds awesome!
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Thanks Cos! Yeah it was so much fun and such a beautiful property to check out. I was sad we couldn’t take pictures of the actual living area but it was amazing
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Looks like it was a successful trip! Too bad about In and Out, I always here good things, I’ve never experience either places though, east coast over here! lol I use to love to hike, I agree go up is easier than go down sometimes, vertigo is definitely not fun to experience. Thanks for sharing the trip details with us! Nice pictures too! ❤
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Yeah I was really sad In-N-Out was just blah. I wanted to love them but take for example their cheese fries-they heat up 2 slices of kraft singles over the fries so by the time I got them they were already getting super hard and hard to eat. Their was no gooey yummy cheese just a clump of hard fries 😥 I am slightly ashamed to say I love fast food! I don’t get to eat it as much when I am at home with my husband and son since hubby thinks fast food is the devil (which I guess is good lol) but this just means when I travel I like to eat as much as I can and get really sad when something stinks.
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So glad you enjoyed the trip except for the vertigo. I can sympathize as it’s a horrid feeling. And, I have to agree Shake Shack beats In N Out. I used to love it but somehow it’s not the same anymore. Guess it gives us excuses to travel to NYC more often. 🙂
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Ugh I never want to experience Vertigo again, I questioned my self like is this really happening is everything spinning or am I just going crazy. Terrible, I wish it on no one. Yay another fellow Shake Shack lover ❤ it really is so good and yes to more travels to NYC 🙂
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I know. It’s a horrid feeling that feels almost surreal 😦 Yes, I loved Shake Shack! Would love to go again soon 🙂
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It’s okay Jan, I’d be hyperventilating from that climb down too! And The FLW house looks super cool! I remember in grade school we took a field trip to the FLW house in Oak Park, IL and it was so interesting. I kind of remember a huge tree being in the center of the house haha
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Omg yes!!! I need to go back to his Oak Park House and Studio this summer because it has been ages. That was my main push to get the membership so this summer I can go to his Oak Park homes and the Robie house. I am happy I am not alone in being scared to have walked back down. I couldn’t handle it lolol. Never again I say to myself but in reality i can see myself getting into another situation like that easily.
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His designs truly are remarkable! Although I feel like it might be tricky to live in a house like that. Imagine getting up in the middle of the night to get water and walking into a tree haha! And it’s pretty bad-ass of you to keep truckin’ through even though you were scared!
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Thanks Colleen ❤ Lololol yes that would be tricky and painful if you do hit that tree in the middle of the night.
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That’s such a cute picture of you two! Girl, were you seriously underwhelmed by In-N-Out?? Only reason I visit the west coast so much is to grab me a burger!! I’ve never tasted anything so good ha ha! I’m happy you got to cross something off your dream list Janet!!
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Sadly Romy I was 😦 In-N-Out just wasn’t as good as other stuff I have tried. You need to visit Chicago so me and Jo can show you around. Ugh I already know everywhere I would take you and obviously stuff I would make you eat and also introduce you to my mom so you could practice your Spanish and eat her food too. Lolol we would have a grand ol’ time at museums, the Planetarium, Zoos, etc See I already have your whole stay planned lolol so come! So if you ever have the time come to Chicago you have 2 friends that would love to show you around the town ❤
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I totally just got teary-eyed. Janet, you’re the best! ❤ ❤ I am going to find my way to Chicago, no doubt about it. I have 11 months left in school, and then I plan to start transitioning my whole life to California asap. Once I'm there, I'm totally coming because you have to prove to me there's better than In-N-Out LOL! I'd also love to meet your mom so she can force me to use usted and feed me Spanish food. My belly is already growling.
And of course, you'll come visit LA once I'm settled so we can visit the Observatory–they have an AMAZING space shows!
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Yes please find your way to Chicago once you finish school of course 🙂 It will be great and I can already see it-you come to Chicago in the summer, I go to LA in the winter and we can be each others tour guides, it will be magical lol ❤ And yes I have tons of burger places you will love more than In-N-Out trust me. I am always down for space shows, so the Observatory sounds amazing!!!
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