A Day Trip

About a month ago I decided to take a day trip.  I was originally going to go hiking but it was a little warm out so I decided to take a trip to Phoenix.  I have lived in the area for 8 years but I have never touristed through Phoenix.  I left at 730 and got to my first destination right on time.  I went to the Rosson House, which is a Victorian mansion built in the late 1890s by Dr. Rosson, who only lived there for about three years before moving to California. 

In the Rosson house I learned that home funerals were common and took place in the formal parlor.  Since the good doctor was an undertaker he often had funerals in his home.  As the trend of home funerals diminished the formal parlor also got a face lift and became the room we know as the living room.  Interesting. 

From the Rosson house I went to the state Capitol building, which is actually a museum only.  All government work occurs in buildings surrounding the complex.  This is the first Capitol building I've been to that isn't being used by the state government anymore. 

The Capitol was built in 1901, even before Arizona became a state.  Unfortunately there wasn't a display about the building itself so I don't know anything about it.  The one interesting thing I learned was that the Winged Victory on top of the dome is actually a weather vane and spins with the winds.  Otherwise there wasn't much to note about the building itself.  I took one picture of Irrigation because I liked it.

The museum was very interesting.  Of particular note was a display about the U.S.S. Arizona, it's life and death.  There was also a history of the state library, postal history of AZ, a timeline to statehood and various other things.  There was also a room dedicated to gifts given to the state of Arizona from France.  Apparently every state got a boxcar of gifts from France after World War II.  I had never even heard of this. 

Surrounding the Capitol building is a memorial garden which was very nice.  They had all sorts of memorials.  Here are some of them.

I think the closest one in the picture was the fallen officers memorial; for police, highway patrolmen, border patrol and such.  In the back behind that is the Navajo Codetalkers memorial.  The big building behind the Capitol is the Executive Tower where the Governor and others do their work.  

Here is the Enduring Freedom Memorial for the current conflict we've been in since September 11.  

Here is the September 11 Memorial.  It was so interesting...a large circle and the text is actually a shadow so the memorial only works if the sun is shining.  Good thing it always is in Phoenix.  You can also see the Korean War Memorial in the background. 

 Here is the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial.  All of the metal plaques have names on them. 

The mast and anchor of the U.S.S. Arizona.

What it looks like from the other direction.  I think it is amazing.  The Capitol and Memorial Gardens are free.  I definitely recommend this to anyone who has strong feelings about the sacrifices made in this country and in the world by our servicemen and women.  

After lunch I went to the Phoenix Art Museum.  I wasn't planning on going there but they were having a special exhibit of Hollywood Costumes that looked very cool.  I ended up spending three hours there.  There were no photos allowed in the special exhibit but it was basically the costumes on display with the movie and actor who wore them.  Some of them included Harry Potter, Indiana Jones, Darth Vader, Spiderman (Tobey Maguire), Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady, Rose and Jack from Titanic, Will Smith's flight suit from Independence Day, Jason Bourne, Mildred Pierce and many, many others.  Their crowning pieces were Dorothy's gingham dress and ruby red slippers and Marilyn Monroe's classic white flowy dress for the grate picture.  It was very cool. 

I did go on a guided tour of the Modern and Contemporary gallery and we could take pictures there.  Here is a piece that drew my eye and kept it.  I don't remember who it is by but it is called Mass (Colder Darker Matter).  It is made from the remains of a church that was struck by lightning in Texas in the 1990s.  You can see the nails and the charred remains in my close up.  The piece brings to mind the point of impact when the lightning hits and everything explodes.  It was awesome!

There was another piece on the tour that I have to mention.  I couldn't take a picture of it but it was like the exact opposite of Mass.  You walked into a dark, mirrored room and became part of a light show.  I describe it as being inside of a Christmas tree.  It is hard to describe and you just have to experience it. 

I made my way over to the European area of the museum and took pictures of the pieces that I liked.  I didn't write down who they were by...nothing by anyone I have heard of. 

Loved all the flowers and color of this one. 

A nice scene.  The reflection of the water was awesome in real life.  

Here is a real rugged mountain man.  

 Anyone who has driven through California has seen this before.

This was a sweet picture of a dutch girl playing guitar from the 1600s.  I was impressed by the light.

I don't usually like Madonna pictures but for some reason this one stood out to me.  It is amazing to me that people in the 1500s painted these and that they are still around for us to enjoy today. 

Here is a flower girl who looks very familiar to me.  

I loved this one the most.  The look on her face is great.  This is from the 1800s.  

A little modern art.  There is a tree in the basement that is covered with velvet and has little blue birds on top.  

A nice watery and/or foggy scene.

I went into this gallery five minutes before the museum closed and the look on this child's face caught my eye.

As I walked to the door to leave the museum I was delighted to find this piece.  I like the non-symmetry symmetry about it.  It was not 3-D even though it looks like it is a little.  

So concludes my adventure to Phoenix yesterday.  It was a great day and I was happy that I finally decided to see some of the sights in the area.  I didn't make it up to the Musical Instrument Museum so I will have to go another time.  No problem.