Blown Away

From Wickenburg we headed back to the Phoenix area for one more day. One the road Rip was looking for some body cream and the only one close by (in the glove box) was Marilyn's foot cream! It was lovely on our dry arms and we joked that now we would be able to walk around on our hands!!

We were not going to visit the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix (have to make choices!) BUT we had picked up a flyer from a tourist info spot in Wickenburg that told us that the spectacular glassworks of Dale Chihuly were going to be on display throughout the garden. Chihuly's spectacular creations are found in more than 200 museums worldwide.

The whole experience blew us away. It is hard to describe what we saw (you might check a website for a taste of it). I have not been a person connected very closely to the world of art, but I have to admit this was a conversion experience. Dale Chihuly is known for his unique glass sculptures, and this was his first exhibition in a desert garden environment - you had to book your time to visit the Botanical Gardens.

We got up at 4:45 am and drove from Wickenburg for our 7 am time reservation. It was a good choice to be there in the cooler moments of the day. The glass works throughout the garden display included white beluga whales, giant tiger lilies, mirrored hornets, marlins, reeds, boats full of glass sculptures that were abstract, yet people-like and gigantic chandeliers of brightly coloured swirls of glass, some 20 or 30 feet, even 40 feet high. The artist says he likes to play with light and colours and you can tell.

We were blown away.