Oh the Places You'll Go: Phoenix II

The Clarendon was delightful. I'm a huge fan of great deals at boutique-style hotels - I spend enough time in chain hotels that when a place with personality has better prices, I'm there. As I was checking in, there was a woman freaking out on their front door - I gather her travel agent hadn't appropriately prepared her for the quirky nature of the place. I liked it. The wireless worked, the staff were friendly, it was perfectly clean, and instead of ignoring the history of the place, they celebrated it with photos and a bust of murdered journalist Don Bolles. I arrived in plenty of time to unpack (for some reason, I brought every piece of navy clothing I own) and get a little work done before my first meeting.

On the second day, I worked in the am, then drove two hours north to Prescott (rhymes with biscuit, not backlot). Drivers in AZ are a little slow, but the countryside was beautiful - cactus-spotted hills gave way to a plateau in bloom - yellow and green due to recent (and infrequent) rains. I was fortunate to visit a beautiful home with an unobstructed view of the sunrise from solstice to solstice, and 360 views of the buttes and valleys surrounding. It was a lovely afternoon and evening.



Saturday I drove to Tucson in the morning, and it was a trip to road runner country. I'm not kidding, I hit a tumbleweed with the Impala (no worries, they just explode). Sunday was a day of rest, and I spent it poolside, drinking margaritas, rotating in the sun, and celebrating Pride weekend with lovely Phoenicians who were having a fantastic time. The fountains danced, the 80's music blared, and the sun made its way across the pool deck. It was a beautiful day. Monday was a frantic series of meetings in Tempe, followed by a meal not worth blogging at Fez, and Tuesday I went home.