Good Tunes and Loud Engines In Scottsdale

Even though we went to Scottsdale so Diana could have surgery, how long can you just sit around? Needless to say, we didn’t. We saw a NASCAR race, our first we saw Marsha Ball in concert, and the Phoenix Symphony. There was even more to do than we had time for.

So Much To Do; Who Knew?

Since going nomad nearly four years ago, Scottsdale has been our favorite hangout spot in the US. We’ve visited four times for a cumulative 6+ months. True, Diana has spent much of that time either having or rehabbing from surgery, but we chose Scottsdale because it was an easy and comfortable place to spend time and recharge for onward travel.

We usually chose to bivouac there in the summer, when the heat chases away most folks, even locals, and lodging prices drop. We enjoy the heat during that time. It’s a dry heat, you know. Still, owing to the lack of tourists who don’t understand how to embrace the warmth, a form of hibernation settles over the land. Not much happens beyond early morning golf and air-conditioned baseball.

This recent rehab stay occurred over February and March, which is high season for the area. We encountered many snowbirds from the Midwest and north of the border. This crush of tourists created a demand for diversions beyond the pools and putting greens, and the local venues were only too happy to accommodate. In addition to what I mentioned below, there were food and drink festivals going on most weekends somewhere in the valley.

Musical Instruments Museum (MIM)

I’ve been aware of the MIM for years, but this was the first time that our schedule and Covid allowed us to visit. I’m glad I persisted. I have not seen a broader collection of instruments anywhere in the world.

The MIM collection is presented in terms of anthropology, where instruments are shown from over 100 regions around the world. There are accompanying discussions about local music and culture. This allows for an interesting contrast of percussion, wind, and stringed instruments and how migration influenced their spread. While you won’t find Liberace’s piano or one of Clapton’s guitars, they do have some rare if less celebrated pieces. These include the first Steinway piano and the first model electric guitar.

Although we allotted two and a half hours for our visit, we didn’t get through all of the exhibits even though we were moving along at a pretty good pace. We might get their 2-day ticket next time so we can pace ourselves over a longer period. Definitely worth a visit.

Marcia Ball

The MIM also has an intimate concert venue with a pretty active schedule. Shows are put on after the museum closes, so you can’t really combine visits. We were lucky to catch the incomparable Marcia Ball as she started a new tour.

To me, Ms. Ball is a Grande Dame of Texas and Louisiana blues/rock. She plays piano with her legs crossed, her right leg swinging in time with her upbeat tempo. The songs are usually fun and funny foot-stomping tunes. She always plays with a smile on her face.

A Night At The Symphony

Diana loves the symphony. We had plans to see the Vienna Philharmonic last fall, but life got in the way and we had to skip it. So, we were happy to see the Phoenix Symphony season was on.

We opted to see a program that included the works of Debussy, Ravel, and Henri Dutilleux. As always, the Debussy pieces were sublime and the Ravel work was, too. In the middle, I found Dutilleux’s piece to be too modern and demanding for me and my thoughts began to wander. I was also a bit surprised to hear the first Debussy piece, Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, was a bit scandalous in its day. It was considered to be a bit lude, apparently. Sensitivities keep changing, I guess.

Boogity, Boogity, Boogity

If you watched the start of a NASCAR race in the ’80s and ’90s, you would hear the broadcaster and former driver kick it off with the phrase “Boogity, Boogity, Boogity, let’s go racing, boys!” It always comes to mind when I think of NASCAR.

This iteration of the weekly-ish spectacle took place for us over several hours at Phoenix Raceway. Since this was our first experience with 2+ hours of cars turning left, we chose to attend the less crowded and less expensive event on Saturday, which included qualifying laps for the main 500-mile race on Sunday. After that, we experienced the 200-mile NASCAR Xfinity Series race, which features “drivers of the future.”

I feel like we got a kinder, gentler, cheaper version of the Sunday event. It was still VERY loud in the stands and we were provided with the requisite number of crashes and amazing passes, if only at a slightly reduced pace. We had fun and we would probably do it on a Saturday, again. Only next time, I would be sure to bring earplugs.

Salt River Mustangs

Not an event per se, but we did stumble on another cool experience. Early on in rehab, Diana just wanted to go for a Sunday drive to get out of the condo and get her mind off of her knee. We settled on going to Lake Pleasant, not far out of town, where we found a fair number of like-minded folk enjoying their weekend picnicking and out on the water.

On our way to the lake, due east of Fountain Hills, we encountered a herd of mustangs, many of which were unphased by tourists edging ever closer to watch them. We’ve seen mustangs from afar, before. I particularly remember seeing them on America’s Loneliest Road, US50 in Nevada. These horses were much closer and docile. A joy to see, really.

More Fun On The Greens

After our hectic first week of Diana’s postop routine, the Super Bowl, and The Phoenix Open, things quieted enough that I was able to squeeze in a few rounds of golf. I had brought my clubs in anticipation of playing.

Being high season, most of the golf courses I had enjoyed in prior summers were priced more than I felt like paying. I was just looking to spend a little time working on my game while knocking the ball around a bit. I settled on playing some of the many par-60 executive courses dotted around the valley. While I didn’t get to let my big dog driver out to eat often, the green fees also took smaller bites of my budget. It was fun and I enjoyed meeting locals and snowbirds alike as we played.

Where have you gone where you found more to do than you expected?