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Glendale, Arizona
They say young is good and old is fine and truth is cool but all that matters is that you have your good times
It’s March now, and we’re taking this opportunity to escape the cold, unending winter in the northeast to spend a weekend in sunny Arizona, starting in Phoenix, which in this case is really Glendale. We’re in Glendale to take a tour of the University of Phoenix Stadium, whose cactus inspired exterior was designed by New York Giants fan Peter Eisenman.
I have seen Peter Eisenman speak several times, He once recommended us to read “Snow Crash” by Neal Stephenson at one of his lectures, and claimed that the future was somewhere in that book- looking back, that’s kind of hard to argue against.
Not only did I see Peter Eisenman speak, but I also visited his offices in New York as part of an Open House New York program. The tour was led by the firm’s archivist, and during the tour, he was asked a question about this project from an older, very, very New York woman. The archivist had told us how the grass field was designed to move in and out of the stadium, and the woman asked if that was a terrible advantage to the visiting team when it moved. He then had to clarify that the grass field only moved in and out of the stadium when the teams weren’t playing on it, something otherwise obvious to everyone else but her.
We’re still in Glendale, where it’s March and already time for Spring Training. Here is an outfield view of the wonderful Camelback Ranch Stadium, home of the Cactus League's (and National League's) own Los Angeles Dodgers, victors versus the Charlie Sheen-less Cleveland Indians. A great stadium, good game and good food all under a sunny 88 degree sky that ended up giving me one hell of a sunburn, which was totally my own fault for not thinking ahead.
Phoenix is fine. There is enough to do there to keep just about anyone occupied for a weekend, but its hard to stay in if you know what else is out there. If I have the time, I’m going to take that rather long day trip up to Sedona, only two hours north of Phoenix but a few thousand feet higher and also (in just about all respects) a world away., as you can see from this obligatory long shot panorama view from atop Airport Mesa in Sedona.
It’s hard not to fall in love with Sedona. First off, no matter when you go, the weather is always better than it is in Phoenix. And the colors- red rocks, green forests and blue skies- are kind of perfect. Add in the outcroppings and mesas and (relatively) low mountains that seem designed to be proportionally right, and, at times, Sedona can feel pretty close to perfect.
Longtime viewers (or should I really be saying longtime readers?) of the slideshows know of my annual tradition of taking my father to a different NHL arena every year, which is the reason for this trip to Phoenix, even though all of the pictures are from Glendale and Sedona. In fact we’re back in Glendale again enjoying the view from our seats at the miserably named Jobing.com Arena, where my father and I saw the local Phoenix Coyotes get their collective asses kicked by Jamie Langenbrunner and the St Louis Blues. Let's go Caye-Oats!
