Petite Gems – The Hermosa Inn

I love discovering small Inns, petite gems off the beaten track. Another suggestion from Pam Swartz, you know I love experts!

I popped in at The Hermosa Inn, in Paradise Valley for a brief stay and would return in a heartbeat. Warm, courteous welcoming staff, cozy, yet spacious rooms, huge bathtubs, and a gorgeous garden. I love ‘The Welcome’, it sets the stage for the visit.  I love the little amenities, lavender chocolates on my pillow, and a long forgotten touch…a brief newsletter outlining the upcoming temperatures, local events, a suggestion for lunch, a puzzle and a quote of the day. Someone here is making the extra effort to welcome a guest.

Unsurpassed beauty of this desert hideaway offers a wonderful escape, although it is minutes from golf, prestigious shopping, art and entertainment venues.

Tomorrow Starts Tonight with Cowboy Dreams…

Exclusives- Private Visit Paolo Soleri

I love serendipity – and I seem to be the lucky recipient of many serendipitous encounters. A brief snow bird escape to Phoenix, following the sun for a warm long weekend yielded an amazing adventure; actually several, but this one is about Paolo Soleri. Most likely you are aware of the internationally recognized visionary and artist Soleri for his endeavors at Arcosanti, an experimental town established in 1970 in the high desert of Arizona. Arcosanti was designed according to the concept of arcology (architecture + ecology), developed by Italian architect Soleri. Arcosanti is only partially complete but accomplishes its original goal of asking us to look at architecture through the lens of the environment. Arcosanti advocates that communities be built up and not out – virtually eliminating the need for transportation.

I visited the small community of Cosanti, Paolo’s home, studio and small foundry in Paradise Valley, where his famous bronze wind bells can be purchased. It is distinguished by terraced landscaping and experimental earth-formed concrete structures. Most visitors see Arcosanti and miss Cosanti. Interesting shapes, mounds of earth – the buildings and underground levels are maximized by location and orientation to the sun, insulated in summer and warm in winter. A small gallery, working pottery studio and foundry sit among the small dome shaped homes.

An hour at Cosanti yielded several surprises – including the pouring of the molten bronze into molds for the famous bells. As I was calling a driver to come fetch me, a gentleman in the gallery overheard me and offered to drive me to my next stop, the Museum of Contemporary Art. He left briefly as I asked the staff, who is he? I’m not driving with a stranger…the staff giggled as they confessed – he is the ‘mayor’ of Arcosanti, one of the original founders and Paolo’s trusted partner – Roger Tomalti- no danger with the stranger!

The night prior I spent time at the Scottsdale Contemporary Art Museum and learned about the Soleri Bridge Project opening December 10th. A Soleri designed pedestrian bridge spanning the Arizona Canal. The project includes two 64-foot brushed steel towers placed at a specific angle to produce a shaft of light from the plaza to the bridge deck, marking and celebrating seasonal solar events – equinoxes, solstices and cross-quarter dates. Roger Tomalti, PhD, ecology and math genius designed the formula for the gap between the steel towers, the gap will yield a long shadow which follows a painted red line on the pedestrian bridge. For Soleri, bridges provide an opportunity to experiment with ideas — how to effectively live in a built environment with as little impact as possible on the natural environment. “A bridge is more than a passage along which something moves,” he says; it is also a crossing to connect us aesthetically and experientially.”

Driving toward the museum, I questioned Roger about the bridge. We pass right by it, I’ll slow down, but it is still under construction and behind high covered fences. Slowing, he asked do you want to go inside? YES please! After procuring a required hard hat for me, we spent 30 mins. walking around the plaza; I ventured across the bridge and listened as Roger explained the building process of the towers, the cast cement panels and retaining walls; an amazing site with an insider perspective.

Paolo, at 91 is looking forward to the bridge dedication; of his 60 bridge designs, this is the only actual bridge completed.

My clients have an exclusive opportunity to meet with Paolo Soleri, tour Arcosanti and Cosanti and of course, the Soleri bridge.

All due to a serendipitous encounter in Paradise Valley!

Soleri Wind Bells
Cosanti

Bronze Foundry
Bronze Bell Molds

 

Soleri Bridge and Plaza

Roger Tomalti

Love Serendipity!