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Desperate Measures for Photography Lovers: My Last Minute Pilgrimage to Phoenix

They say that obsessions make people do crazy things, but even I was a bit shocked at how far my photography mania took me last year. It all started innocently enough—a casual read on a renowned photographer, Edward Curtis, which then led to a casual scroll through a Google search when BAM! There it was, glaring at me through the screen. 

Scottsdale Museum of the West presents the exhibit, “Light and Legacy: The Art and Techniques of Edward S. Curtis”… ending in 3 days!

Now, as a full-blown, card-carrying camera fanatic, I simply couldn't let this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity pass me by, even if it was 1000 miles away. From that fortunate moment, missing this exhibit became existentially impossible.

Three days later I was boarding a plane for a whirlwind 24-hour trip to Arizona. Sure, I hadn't been to AZ since Wes and I decided to road trip around the Western United States back in ‘07, but the Valley of the Sun was calling me back—this time for artistry instead of…well, young and free activities.  

It was nice to take my time and study each photo and artifact for as long as I needed.  Usually, my kids are excitedly pointing in different directions squealing, “Mom, look at this!”  Which makes “soaking it all in” a challenging task. 

One can accomplish a lot in 24 hours.  I also enjoyed an evening at the Desert Botanic Gardens where a violinist was not only serenading a wedding reception but us botanic garden-loving day trippers as well.  I took pictures, of course (see left image), and ended the evening with a delicious meal and an even better margarita, at Gertrude’s, right there in the gardens.  

Overall it was an awesome adventure for this photo nerd.  Come back to find where my next grand idea takes me!

Always breathe life into your hopes and dreams my friends!

Adley Rochelle