Valley of the Sun, Phoenix, AZ
The area around Phoenix is called the “Valley of the Sun”, reflecting its’ position at the northern edge of the Sonoran Desert. The flat desert floor is interrupted by small outcroppings of stone near the confluence of the Salt and Gila Rivers. Because of the presence of reliable year-round water the valley has been inhabited for thousands of years. The Hohokam Indians farmed the area, creating an extensive system of canals to bring life to the desert. The town of Phoenix was founded in 1867 by Confederate soldiers after the end of the Civil War. Agriculture was the primary foundation of the economy until after World War II when manufacturing and tourism gained prominence. Today over 4 million people call the area home. My home base for this visit is Mesa, an older eastern suburb which is home to massive mobile home parks created in the past 40 years as it became a retirement haven for people (like me!) escaping from northern winters. Stretching along Highway 60 as it crosses the desert floor are acre after acre of aging mobile homes though a revitalization of the downtown is taking place and newer developments circle the older town. I’m staying inn a small, older RV park in the older part of Mesa where year-round residents share narrow slots with snowbirds. Like most Arizona RV PKs it is essentially a gravel parking lot with a few trees. But it’s my kind of place, small, clean and friendly. Most importantly it is one block from a light rail station that I can ride into downtown Phoenix! I quickly realize that the Valley of the Sun is the land of the automobile as it spreads out across the desert floor to the east and west. Zoning is apparently not very tight as large swaths of empty land alternate with packed developments in all directions. Using a combination of mass transit and the Lunch Box, I explore a number of different things the area has to offer. Let’s go!
Musical Instrument Museum
Scottsdale is the affluent suburb to the north, hard up against the Superstition Mountains, and on the far northern fringe of Scottsdale is an amazing museum, the MIM (Musical Instrument Museum). Many of you know that I dabble in playing the piano, so when friend Linda Grant-Barger recommended the stop, I went for it. Glad I did – for anyone interested in music this is a must-see in the Phoenix area! A stunning architectural triumph, the modern lines of the museum are clothed with a beautiful stone that mimics the colors of the desert surroundings.
I loved this experience. Each visitor is giving a small transmitter and ear phones to wear as you tour the museum. As you stand in front of a display, the transmitter triggers a video screen on the wall where the video explains the exhibit and plays appropriate music. It was a fascinating use of technology – I loved it! Here’s an example: a travelling exhibition about the famous violin makers of Cremona, Italy is the current highlight. At the first stop in the room, three side-by-side screens explain how the violins were designed and built as the viewer watches and listens via the headphones.
Often called the founding father of the violin, Andrea Amati was one of the first violin makers in Cremora. He developed the shape and construction techniques that still today form the basis of the creation of a violin. About 20 of his violins still exist in the world today. The violin on the left was created for King Charles IX of France in 1566. The violin is in a glass case that reflects the light around it as well as the people standing on the other side. The violin on the right is the 1728 Artot-Atard violin made by one of the most famous Cremora craftsman, Antonio Stradivari.
Cremora became the center of the violin-making world for years with the legacy began by Andrea Amati carried on by those whom he influenced.
A number of rare violins make up the traveling exhibition of Cremora violins.
Remember, you’re only getting one-third of the experience. As I am exploring the exhibit, I am watching video and listening to music…
The core of the museum are the permanent exhibits, which are housed on the second floor of the museum and organized by continents. A two-story central hall leads to the second floor.
Each gallery explores the musical instrument from a particular continent. Let’s go around the world!
Africa
A display of “Thumb Pianos” includes an 1890 Chisanji from Angola.
Asia
Left below is an exhibit highlighting ancient Vietnam includes bronze drums from around the time of Christ, right below are historical instruments from South Korea.
South America
South America is represented by instruments from Peru and Bolivia.
Micronesia
Latin America
North America
An exhibit on pianos is highlighted by an 1836 Steinway grand piano, an 1850 Chickering grand piano, and a rare 1853 Chickering square grand piano.
A fascinating exhibit was that of a “Grand Harmonicum”, a collection of glasses that are played by rubbing fingers along the rim of the glass. The accompanying audio was really amazing. The instrument reached its height of popularity in the mid 1800’s but fell out of favor by 1860 when the belief developed that playing the harmonicum caused mental illness. One current theory is that harmonicum players absorbed lead that was present both in the glasses and their painted edges, which contributed to lead poisoning over time. The accompanying video showed how the instrument was played.
Europe
A centerpiece on the Russian display is an 1828 grand piano built for the collection of Czar Nicholas I.
United States
The gallery of the United States showcases various genres of music rather than the musical instruments themselves, probably reflecting the fact that very few actual instruments have been developed in the relatively new United States?
The actual piano used by John Lennon to create “Imagine” anchors the modern US collection.
Another amazing experience!!!
Central Phoenix
One block from my RV park is a light rail stop. For only four dollars I get a 24-hour pass that allows me unlimited on/off privileges on the light rail and bus system. Quite a deal and the reason that I chose this particular park to stay in. I jump on the light rail and 40 minutes later am in the heart of downtown Phoenix. I have to say that I was surprised, and not in a particularly good way. I think of Phoenix and Portland as similar cities, certainly in population, but there is no comparison between the hearts of the cities. Portland is a vibrant, thriving combination of office towers, residential, retail, entertainment venues, bars and restaurants. Phoenix, not so much. Perhaps it’s a function of the heat that keeps people from hanging around the central area for any purpose other than work? All I know is that the towers of downtown Phoenix seem to be strictly commercial, all the way to the ground floor without the retail and restaurants, etc., that I am used to seeing along the sidewalks of Portland with towers above. Phoenix also seems to be a “new” city where few remnants of the past still stand along Central, the main street, while gleaming glass towers dominate the compact central area.
The light rail stop where I get off is on the southeast edge of the central area. Looking to the northwest I see the central area.
The intersection by the light rail stop where I am standing on is decorated by the new convention center (left), basketball arena and baseball stadium (right).
North and east of the convention center are the few historical structures still standing from the beginnings of Phoenix prior to World War II. Across the street north of the convention center sits St. Mary’s Basilica, completed in 1913.
One block east of the convention center is Heritage Square, a block that preserves a number of houses from the early years of Phoenix on one corner while a massive parking garage and the Arizona Science Museum share the rest of the square. Blocks in early Phoenix were small (four of them now make up one of the current city blocks). Standing at the entrance to Heritage Square I am looking directly at the science museum on the south half of the square, the parking garage on the quarter to my left and the Rosson House and other historic houses on the quarter to my right.
Dr. Rosson came to Phoenix in 1879, developed a successful practice and eventually became mayor. Red brick had replaced adobe as the preferred building material by the end of the 1800’s and in 1895 Dr. Rosson built one of the finest houses in the city on the corner of what is now Heritage Square.
Just south of the Rosson House is the 1929 Hughes-Stevens duplex.
Around the corner is a short row of brick houses that were all built around 1900 and now house restaurants and a gift shop. From left to right are the Thomas House (1909), Stevens-Hautzman House (1901), and the Stevens House (1901).
Continuing to the end of the row are the Bouvier-Teeter House (1899) and a last house that I couldn’t get close enough to find out the name/date because the restaurant was so busy!
Across the street (now a pedestrian walk way) is the 1929 Baird Machine Shop, now a pizzeria.
Across the street to the east is the 1913 Monroe School, the largest elementary school west of the Mississippi River when it opened in 1913 and now the Children’s Museum of Phoenix.
The new downtown campus of Arizona State University gleams to the north.
I turn and head three blocks west down Monroe to Central, the historic north/south center of Phoenix.
The Hotel San Carlos sits at the corner of Monroe and Central, the historic center of the downtown area.
Downtown Phoenix is a mix of old and mostly new office towers, frankly somewhat sterile with minimal activity for pedestrians on the ground floor of the towers.
A vestige of years gone by is the 1929 Maricopa County Courthouse, one block west of Central.
Really, other than Heritage Square and the science museum, I didn’t see anything else that would draw people to the central area except work other than attending a convention or sporting event. It just seemed a tad bit sterile… But, of course, in fairness to Phoenix, my exploration was confined to the central core, Scottsdale to the north and Mesa to the east.
Next up: Flea Markets, Flowers, Flame and Form
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