A Dream Come True: Narrow Doorways and Wide-Open Spaces

The next two days provided a great juxtaposition of the tightest of spaces and the greatest of vistas I've ever experienced in my thirty-some years.


On Sunday we set our sights on Taliesin West, which was Frank Lloyd Wright's winter home and continues to be his School of Architecture. Interestingly enough, the students attend half the year in Arizona and the other half in Wisconsin, which is where he spent his summers.

Case in point: This cactus is happily
growing out of the wall!

I had only been to one other FLW building before, which was the Unity Temple in Illinois, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I'm glad I didn't expect to see something similar to the Unity Temple, because I learned at Taliesin West that FLW felt strongly that his works should reflect and even include the environment in which they were built. Obviously the landscape of Arizona differs from that of Illinois!

Although our tour guide could have used a course in disability-related etiquette (don't get me started!), I was pleased that - as was the case at Unity Temple - the structures were fairly accessible, albeit tight!

FLW felt that if one had to duck to pass through a doorway,
the room would feel deceivingly spacious and grand. 

Funnily enough, one of the most memorable rooms on the tour was FLW's office, which included two partitioned beds.  Apparently he had a sleeping disorder, so tended to take midday rests. If students or clients found him resting on the foremost bed, they were permitted to wake him; but if he was on the far bed, he was to be left undisturbed!

Dash says he's not picky - either bed would be just fine!

After Sunday's somewhat low-key day, we were ready for a day-trip! On Monday we hit the road to meet Steve, Helen, and Helen's mom Allyn in Sedona!

The drive North was breathtaking, out of the desert area to a mountainous area. (Fun fact: Did you know that Arizona has more mountains that any other state?!) Even though we were meeting our friends at a certain time, we couldn't help but stop at a scenic overlook and I am beyond glad we did!

Dash was trying to teach this javelina statue some manners.

Did not expect to meet Smokey the Bear, but so glad we did!

Once we thanked Smokey for his services, we were back on the road to meet our friends at the Chapel of the Holy Cross.

Unfortunately my pictures from inside this chapel do not do it justice, but it was a beautiful and sacred place, without a doubt. And outside the chapel provided another great photo opportunity!

From the chapel we moved on to grab a very late lunch in Sedona. We ended up at a Mexican restaurant with sub-par food but excellent company. It was a great time to chat, catch up and get to know Allyn. After lunch we did a little shopping before headings home for the evening.

Pluto, Tundra (puppy Allyn is raising for CCI), and Dash
with a creepy stuffed bear wearing a green wig.
Some things are just beyond explanation!

And no adventure would be complete without a nearly unbelievable story...

On our way to Sedona we came upon an RV traveling the same way we were. Upon my mom's request, Julie passed it, leading to squeals of delight from my mom. Would you believe it was one of my mom's good friends who is road tripping around the country all summer with her husband, Ben?! We gave them a call and agreed to visit at their campsite on our way home from Sedona.

Needless to say, by the time we got home we were absolutely exhausted! We crashed into our beds, knowing that Tuesday would be another exciting day in Arizona .... Goodyear, Arizona, to be exact!