By Maura Daly Phinney
During a summer road trip through Arizona, I made some discoveries about two very different architectural masterpieces — Montezuma's Castle and Taliesen West. For starters, it turns out that Montezuma's Castle has nothing to do with Montezuma or even the Aztecs. Located 50 miles south of Flagstaff in the Verde Valley, it is an ancient Native American site with an extraordinary five-story dwelling built into the side of a cliff. The structure was used as a house for a group of families beginning in about 1300 and added on to several times, but it was mysteriously deserted by sometime in the 1400s.
In 1906, the castle was declared a national monument by President Theodore Roosevelt, and it quickly became a popular destination for the first generation of Americans on road trips through the West. Early visitors to the castle were allowed access to the structure by climbing a series of ladders up the limestone cliffs, but too much damage was done and public access was shut down in 1951. Now the castle is run by the National Park Service.
When I got there the park was almost empty, and the ranger on duty sent me down the path below the visitors center with a brochure about the plants of the Verde Valley. The short path took me through a sycamore grove and along Beaver Creek. After a quarter-mile, I came to a scenic view through the trees of the architectural feat that was accomplished by a small group of people more than 700 years ago. The castle looms over the path like an engineering marvel, but there is no real explanation of how that was accomplished. Back at the visitor center even the exhibits and the friendly ranger couldn't explain how it was done. The castle is truly an architectural mystery.
After that I headed south toward Scottsdale on Highway 17. The 90-minute drive passed quickly and I soon arrived at Frank Lloyd Wright's Arizona home, Taliesin West. Wright and his third and last wife, Olgivanna, bought 550 acres of the Sonoran Desert north of Scottsdale in 1937 to build what he called his desert camp. And for the first few years it really was a camp. The Wright family and 25 of his architectural apprentices spent several years living in small shelters and slowly building what is now considered one of the masterpieces of American architecture.
When I first drove up the long driveway, however, I couldn't see it. The house is nestled into the land and almost invisible from the entrance. That being the case, it is essential to take a tour to see the entire property. I signed up for the 90-minute "Insights Tour" and joined a group of 20 people and our enthusiastic guide.
She began by telling us that Wright was 70 when he and his family moved to the desert on the advice of his doctor after he had several bouts of pneumonia in Wisconsin. He lived another 21 years before dying unexpectedly. Who dies unexpectedly at 91? Apparently people like Wright, who had 160 projects under way at the time of his death — which made me feel better about my busy life and long to-do lists. The tour took us through the house, Wright's architectural studio where his students worked exclusively on his designs (never on their own ideas) and the gardens, which feature several pools and fountains.
Taliesin West was a bit of a commune in its heyday, with all of the apprentices, (both male and female) chosen not just because of their backgrounds and their academic strengths but also on their ability to pay Wright's large fee and the additional requirement that they play a musical instrument. Ogilvanna was a trained dancer who encouraged the students and her guests to dress to the nines for dinner and perform afterward at what were dubbed, "Taliesin Nights." Apparently Olgivanna also prided herself on her matchmaking skills and spent much of her time orchestrating amorous partnerships among the students.
The tour ended in the music pavilion, which was built partially underground by blasting a hole in the desert. It was completed just two years before Wright's death, and it was a favorite spot for him and Olgivanna to watch performances from the back of the room From here they could eavesdrop on all of their guests because of a clever acoustical design that sent all the conversations back to them.
After spending the day immersed in Wright's life and work, it seemed only fitting that I spend the night at the famed Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix. In 1928 Wright served as a consultant on the design of the hotel, and it is based on the textured concrete-block system that he pioneered. After consulting the various websites that offer last-minute deals, I secured a room and at 5 p.m. walked into the enormous lobby.
I felt as if I had walked into a movie set — not because the lobby was filled with glamorous and elegant people but because the lobby was filled with no people at all. There didn't even appear to be anyone behind the front desk. But when I walked up and peered behind it, a rather frightened-looking young woman jumped up and said, "Oh, you're here," as if I were some sort of half-expected ghost.
I decided to walk around the Biltmore's extensive grounds, and still I saw no one except one lone gardener tending to the exquisite flowers. Finally I spotted two people playing tennis who appeared to be actual guests. I opted for a solitary swim in the gigantic Biltmore pool and delighted in having a 50-meter pool entirely to myself.
WHEN YOU GO
Montezuma's Castle is located 90 minutes north of Phoenix. The park is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Entry fee is $5: www.nps.gov/moca/index.htm.
Taliesen West is located in northeast Scottsdale. Tours are offered every day except major holidays. Prices range from $24 to $70: www.franklloydwright.org/about/taliesinwesttours.html.
The Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix has 740 rooms with rates varying widely, depending on season and availability. For reservations call 800-950-0086 or visit www.arizonabiltmore.com.
Maura Daly Phinney is a freelance travel writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
View Comments