Travel Tips & Adventures

There must be something magical about boardwalks, since so many cities have them. People stroll, check out the scenery and window shop.

On a recent trip to Wilmington, North Carolina, we took our time exploring the sites from the boardwalk that looked out over the Intracoastal Waterway.  Putting one foot in front of the other, we received the benefits of an energetic walk as we saw the USS North Carolina, numerous boats, and many shops and restaurants. (more…)

Even people who can’t play a note will find a trip to the Musical Instrument Museum a fascinating exploration of music, cultures and instruments.  A new museum near Scottsdale in Northern Phoenix, Arizona, it is not quite six months old.  The facility itself shows vision, with large spacious galleries, engaging displays and musical instruments of every description – everywhere.

When you arrive, you pay your admission fee ($15 per person for adults) and are handed a set of headphones with a transmitter.  Unlike some museums, the music follows you.  No need to turn the receiver on or off if you arrive at a display and your timing is off.

Gorgeous inlaid floor with the continents - entrance to a Mim gallery

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Until we spent part of a day in Payson after visiting Tonto Natural Bridge (see previous blog  two weeks ago), we had just been through Payson on our way to other places.  It is the junction for Arizona State Routes 87 and 160, and about equidistant between Flagstaff and Phoenix, so it was just a place to fuel our car and keep going.  We’re glad we stopped by this time, though!

With a population (at last count) of over 13,000, they are a giant metropolis in comparison to Strawberry and Pine, the neighbor burgs we visited the same day.  There is more of everything, but the scenic backdrop of the mountains gives everything the “aah” factor.  You can relax in Payson.  It’s that kind of place.

There is shopping along the main street, including the Swiss Village shops which a resident we met at the Natural Bridge told us not to miss. We missed it, because we weren’t there for shopping. We just wanted to see what it was like for someone visiting and looking for scenery. (more…)

When Arizonans try to escape the heat, they change climates and altitudes by heading up north to Rim Country.   Barely two hours from Phoenix, Arizona are some towns terraced into the mountains.  Payson, up the circuitous State Route 87, is the largest town with other towns clustered a few miles away.

Strawberry

Strawberry, charmingly named, has a much smaller population (in 2007 – only 1,000-plus!) and has a few amenities.  According to http://www.city-data.com/city/Strawberry-Arizona.html, Strawberry residents are older, richer and have more expensive homes than the median Arizona population.

One tourist magnet with some charm is the Strawberry School, the “oldest standing school in Arizona.”  According to a representative of the Pine/Strawberry Archeological and Historical Society, the school was almost razed when a developer bought a large tract in the area.  A local informed the crew that was about to raze the school as they were removing the roof, that the building was the old school house.  The developer decided to spare the school and the roof was rebuilt.

Strawberry School - the "Oldest Standing School in Arizona "

The original building’s walls were constructed in 1885 with logs that surround a one-room area dominated with a wood-burning stove.  The historical society rep commented that the old wooden desks were not the original furnishings.  Instead, tables were used.

Closed in 1916, the school is a reminder of what schools were like a century ago.  However, the furnishings were considered more opulent than was normal with wainscoting, wallpaper, slate on the wall as a blackboard, a world globe, an organ, a dictionary and a clock.  The school was also a meeting location and social center.

Interior of the one-room Strawberry School

For many in the area, the school was part of their heritage, so residents were integral in having it declared a Historical Monument in 1981.

There is no charge to view the school, but a donation is requested.

Pine

Another small town with a lot of activity the weekend we visited is Pine.  Again, as in Strawberry, the median age and income levels are higher than the median for Arizona.  The population tallies just under 2,000. Can we say, “retirement community”?

An arts and crafts fair was sprawled out along the road as well as in a community hall.  The variety seemed to be strongly focused on food.  However, we enjoyed the crafts and most especially our chat with Bob Gleason, a basket weaver, who was weaving as we spoke.

Bob Gleason weaves baskets right in front of your eyes.

Bob is from Phoenix, but enjoys demonstrating his craft, which he finds relaxing and has recently begun more elaborate baskets.  The colors and craftsmanship are top notch.  The materials are rattan and can be extremely light, but sturdy.  Bob’s business, with the URL of bobsbasketcase.intuitwebsites.com, (602-317-0644), shows he has a sense of humor.  He has to with some of the dumb questions that people ask – “Who makes the baskets? –He does – “I’m making one now!” (I’m sure he’d like to tell people to pay attention.)

Another crafter, Ron Lepore with Melted Bottles (928-443-8865), uses recycled bottles to make very attractive serving pieces with knives attached.  Great for serving cheese, crackers, fruit and other edibles, the pieces show the whimsy of the bottles he recovers from peoples’ discards.

Ron Lepore exhibited his recycled "Melted Bottles" - great for serving and gifts

Other items sold included emu meat, quilts, and other attractive art.

When we finished, we stopped at the Gingerbread House for some ice cream.  At the old-fashioned style soda fountain, the flavors were great (I had black cherry cordial and my husband had cookies and cream).

Gingerbread House - ice cream treats and collectibles

After we ate every bite of the ice cream and waffle cone, we headed to Payson.

Next week… We’ll give you a short tour of Payson, home of rodeos and other pastimes.

Coming soon!   We will be launching a new site for all of  you Couch Potatoes out there – who want to get up and get going!  More soon…

Since nature can accomplish amazing results, we decided that a trip to Tonto Natural Bridge State Park in Northern Arizona would make an interesting field trip.  And, it did.

A difficult, winding road, State Route 87, from the Phoenix area is a challenge – definitely not for the faint of heart.  North of Payson by just a few miles and still on 87, a turn-off leads to another winding access road.  Wiggling every which way, when you finally arrive at the bottom, the park is spread out below, but the natural bridge is not immediately noticeable.

Pay your entry fee ($5 per person) and head to a parking lot.  There are several trails and viewpoints to visit so you can see the travertine (according to Wikipedia a “sedimentary rock, formed by the precipitation of carbonate minerals from solution in ground and surface waters”) bridge, which has a waterfall dripping down.

A picturesque grotto with waterfall awaits the intrepid

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Well, really, that’s what the Grand Canyon is: It is a one-mile hole in the ground that is over a mile above sea level that stretches for nearly 300 miles.  But it is vast and a testament to what nature can do over the eons of time that the earth has evolved.

Grand Canyon - just a very small part of the vast view

A trip to the Grand Canyon is a “must see” when you travel out West in the USA.  Arizona recognizes it as one of its finest attractions by designating itself the “Grand Canyon State” on license plates. (more…)

The first time I flew into Phoenix, I was amazed at how spread out the metropolitan area is.   From west to east, Buckeye to Apache Junction, the metropolitan area of Phoenix, with all its suburbs, easily reaches 70 miles.

In some giant US cities, they build up with multi-storied skyscrapers. But, with the vast spaces available in Arizona, they have built out and even have had height restrictions on how high buildings can be built.

So, welcome to Phoenix.  Spread out and still in the desert.

Saguaro cacti and mountains are a short ride from the hustle and bustle

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Over the years, we’ve been in many cities, both capitals and smaller cities.  Boise, Idaho ranks high in our estimation as one of the most attractive downtowns we’ve seen.

With a population of over 200,000, Boise still seems like an accessible and people-friendly place to live, raise children, work, and enjoy leisure time.

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Not quite Eden, the Idaho Botanical Garden is a great place to slow the pace and enjoy some eye-popping color when you’re in Idaho.

A view of downtown Boise

Just east of downtown Boise by about three miles, the Idaho Botanical Garden is a great stop for a chance to amble about and enjoy nature.  Because they are located next to the former penitentiary, there is also a tour there to enjoy, if that’s of interest.

Since they have an “outlaw” connection, Outlaw Field, adjacent to the Garden, is also the site for concerts.  Coming up, they’re hosting concerts with big names like Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Chris Isaak, and Jackson Browne. (more…)

Continuing our visit to Yellowstone National Park…

While we waited for Old Faithful to perform, we wandered over to Old Faithful Inn, an old dowager of a National Park’s hotel.  The fascinating thing about the Inn is that it was built from stones, wood and other materials that were primarily brought from within a 5-mile radius, according to a tour guide we heard in the massive five-story lobby.  The lobby has large, rustic logs that have been burnished by time.  Nearby stairways are mini-sculptural wood pieces that look like antlers.  The lobby’s giant fireplace is also most impressive.

The main part of the hotel, built in 1904, has a dining room, also massive.  There are newer wings as well.  If you decide you’d like to stay in the Inn, plan to book ‘way far ahead!  The rates, unless you are willing to do without an in-room bathroom ($96), range from that low to a $500 price tag for a suite.  There are no modern amenities – no phones, TVs, air conditioning and Internet hook-ups, etc.  You are meant to get your entertainment from nature while at Yellowstone and, if you look around, you won’t be disappointed.

There are two other hotel properties nearby, but since we were afraid we’d miss Old Faithful’s performance, we didn’t stop to see them.

http://www.yellowstonenationalparklodges.com/

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