Taliesin West

Here are some shots of Frank Lloyd Wright's desert home, where he lived from Jan.-May every year from 1937 to his death in April of '59. Note the McDowell Mountains in the background. Wright wanted the house to become one with the desert, so he deliberately forced the horizontal, and used materials from the surrounding desert floor exclusively. This building is a prime example of what he termed "organic architecture", although what exactly that meant, not even his closest followers could fully explain. The photo at top shows me chilling in Mr Wright's favorite chair in his magnificent Garden Room, while behind me, other tourists check out FLW's private bedroom. All photos taken by my wife, Ling, with our Canon Elph digital camera.

Back from the Valley of the Sun

Had an amazing time in Scottsdale and Sedona, Arizona. I had never been there, and didn't know what to think, but it far surpassed any and all expectations. Start off with crazy, picture perfect weather (every day in the high 80s/low 90s with dry, dry heat) breathtaking scenery, and surprisingly good food, then add a trip to Frank Lloyd Wright's fabled Taliesin West, where America's greatest architect designed some of his best known works, and then, top it off with a stunning biplane ride (above, taken by Ling) and a Pink Jeep tour at sunset (below, a shot of Sedona National Park, taken by me), and you've got a fantastic time. Both my wife and I were very sad to leave, and we usually are more than ready to come home after a week away. Sadly, not this time, especially to temperatures in the 30s.