Tag: Scottsdale Arizona

Arizona

Leaving Beautiful #Arizona

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leaving arizona

There’s an old saying, ‘It’s better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all’. Every time I think of leaving beautiful Scottsdale, Arizona, I feel the sadness ooze through me. I ask myself it it would have been less painful to never have come to this place we don’t want to leave so we wouldn’t feel the unbearable sadness of having to leave the desert and mountains and our friends behind.

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Of course deep in the core of me I believe it’s better to have loved and lost than to never have loved, just as I know, a taste of living in Arizona this winter was better than feeling the continual hunger to come back here. But we all know we can’t just eat one chip.

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I’ve been to many places in my life, had fantastic times, felt sad to leave, but once at home it was good to be back in my own bed. But from the first time I visited this state, for only one week, I felt the pull; a pull that tugged so tightly at my soul when leaving, I didn’t want to go home.

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Since the first time I left Arizona, not one day had ever passed that I didn’t imagine myself there or wish that I was there. Now that I’ve had 2 glorious months here, it is infinitely harder for me to leave.

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I’m a firm believer in the ways of the universe, and what you focus on is what comes to you. I don’t know how or when, but I know nothing is more at the forefront of my desires than to live here. So I’ll have to believe when the divine timing is right, Scottsdale, Arizona is where I’ll be laying down my cowgirl hat.

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DGKaye©2016

big boy

A Visit to the #Barret-Jackson #Car Show

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Barrett Jackson

 

Many of you may know that I’m still here in mostly  sunny Scottsdale, Arizona. When we first arrived, we ran into some crazy, unseasonable weather which lasted for the better part of 2 weeks, courtesy of El Nino.

Typically, the sun shines here every day and the average temperatures can run anywhere from the mid 60s to mid 70s. This may not seem hot enough for some sun lovers, but I can assure you that with the desert climate, and when there isn’t a cloud in the sky, and relaxing at the pool, it can easily begin to feel as though it’s well above the 80s.

My husband and I like to take advantage of the sunny days by going to the pool, plus it gives me a chance to do some reading and writing. But with the El Nino in effect for much of the winter here, some of those beautiful, sunny, hot days aren’t consistent, bringing overcast clouds and sudden drops in temperatures for a day or two. Those are the days we use to go out exploring.

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This past week we ventured out to see the biggest car collector show in North America, Barrett-Jackson, where they auction off cars for mega bucks, and people come from all over the world to attend the event. The event runs for 9 days and also hosts numerous vendors selling everything from western apparel to all sorts of automotive memorabilia, jewelry, and artwork.

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Neon car signs

 

Although Scottsdale is home to the Barrett-Jackson show, they’re only here one week a year and the rest of the year the show travels to other venues such as Las Vegas, Connecticut, West Palm Beach, and many more places.

1935 Mercedes
1935 Mercedes

 

57m Corvette
1957 Corvette Serial 1

 

The show attracts the likes of anyone from avid car buffs, curious lookers like us, to celebrities, and sports figures alike. It’s held at Westworld which I’ve been told is over 300 acres. It was truly the hugest event I’ve ever been to. The auctions run daily and some cars have been known to be sold with a price tag in the millions! I have to say the whole event is truly spectacular and so well organized. There are various parking lots designated to the event and shuttle buses await to drive you to the event once parked.

While passing an old 1965 Corvette, my husband told me to get in so he could take a picture.

 

Me in a Corvette

 

We watched a live auction for car memorabilia for awhile and I was taken in at the speed of how the auctioneer spoke. The actual car auctions weren’t to begin till later that evening.

 

Old Chevy

 

After walking through 2 massive pavillions of cars and vendors, we wandered outside to see what seemed like another 10 acres of cars and vendors. We came across a booth that offered you to try and ride a virtual sports car on a racing track. I thought I’d give it a go, but after 2 minutes I thought I was going to be sick from the virtual speed. I must have had a dozen car crashes and hit the side walls just as many times before I begged for mercy to let me out of the seat.

 

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After walking for nearly 6 hours and toting 3 bags full of merchandise we bought, we’d had enough for the day. It was certainly an event we’ll remember for the rest of our lives.

 

big boy

 

road diva

 

 

 

DGKaye©2016

Hello, I Must Be Going

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I’m back from my amazing adventure in Arizona! I mentioned my love for the desert here before and that I would be venturing out there early fall for a time out and a scout around to look for a winter property. I don’t usually like to announce to the universe that I’m on vacation, but I’m always happy to share my adventures upon returning.

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I chose the title for this post, Hello, I Must Be Going, a title used on one of Phil Collins’ old album covers because it describes how I feel about returning home from a most amazing place—Hello I’m home, but I must get back soon to Arizona.

I always felt that “I’m home” feeling when I’d land in Las Vegas, but this was different. Something I can’t actually put into words touched my soul as I stepped into Phoenix Harbor airport and it never left me. Even as I boarded the plane to come home to Toronto, I felt as though I left my heart in Arizona (not San Francisco). I’ve been to many states in the U.S. and to many other parts of the world, but I can say with certainty, that the people of Phoenix, particularly Scottsdale, are among the friendliest people I’ve met. It didn’t matter whether they were waiters, hotel staff, gas station attendants or otherwise; happiness was everywhere.

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The sun was hot, 109 degrees and no matter which direction I looked out, the scenery was breathtaking. What’s not to be happy about? Heck even the TSA security guards were joking and friendly at the airport, definitely something I never feel in my home airport. I talked to everyone I met, taking in their happiness and hopefully spreading my own joy along the way. We made some wonderful new friends, which makes it all the more fun to go back there and spend more time with them. I am sending a special shout-out to Larry and Lois in Scottsdale. I miss you guys!

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We stayed at the beautiful Fairmont Princess Scottsdale hotel. I can’t recall ever loving a hotel and staff so much anywhere as I did at the Fairmont. Besides the gorgeous scenery on the grounds with its 64 acres property, the staff were impeccable, kind, friendly, obliging, fascinating, and any one of them would go out of their way to accommodate our every whim. If I tell you that those bellmen and car jockeys are unbelievably accommodating and felt like family, that would be an understatement.

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Special thanks to my new friend Jerrod who always had our car awaiting us! These guys are outside all day in the sweltering desert heat running back and forth valeting cars. They are never without a smile or humor.

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Is Scottsdale where all the friendly people live? Is it why they dub Phoenix Harbor airport the friendliest airport in America? The scenery only intensified the beauty of the city. I can’t even recall how many times a day I’d just stand in awe and repeat the word “beautiful” when I’d take in the views around me. The scenic desert with its wide roads and palm trees and low rise buildings and marley roofs and the cactus-lined shoulders of the roads don’t let you forget you are in a vast desert.

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We rented a car from the airport and that was the smartest thing we did. Because of the lay of the land it would have made it difficult to walk to all the places we wanted to see or it could have cost a fortune in cabs. You need wheels in the desert and a half-decent car with powerful air conditioning.

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We loved going down to Old Scottsdale where it was once the Old West decades ago. Many stores still try to represent those olden days of cowboy and Indian locales.

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You can still find a few saloons there as well. It was down there that I purchased my first cowgirl hat(s), and yes, they came fully adorned with bling!

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The hub treated himself to an authentic pair of Tony Lama cowboy boots, and we found numerous other souvenirs and artifacts to bring back home.

cowboy boots

Oh and, we had to purchase another suitcase to get all of our things home. Route 66 no doubt! Yes a lot of Route 66 souvenirs to purchase were available there. My husband chose a suitcase with Route 66 signposts splattered all over it. No doubt it was easy to spot coming off the luggage rack at Toronto airport!

route 66

 

On day four, we decided to leave our beautiful suite at the Fairmont and journey up to the magical, mystical land of Sedona. It was a two hour drive, north of Scottsdale. A mere hour or so just south of the Grand Canyon. Sedona is the land of the red rock mountains and the powerful energies of the four vortexes (more about these in my next post) within the town.

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I think of it as a slice of heaven.

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Don’t even get me started on how ridiculously stunning the views are in Sedona and along the 179 North highway driving to Sedona. But I am going to save some of that for my post next week. Stay tuned for part two.

Have you ever been to this gorgeous part of the world?