The deserts of Arizona, plus Ireland’s Ashford Castle
With year round sunshine and abundant wildlife and produce, Arizona and state capital Phoenix are delightful destinations, finds Neil Geraghty
Wth the desert in bloom and urban farms harvesting crops of delicious fruit and veg, late spring is the perfect time to visit Phoenix. It’s been a good year for jackrabbits in Arizona. A cool, damp spring has transformed the Sonoran Desert into a banquet of spring greens and this normally bone dry state is enjoying one of the most spectacular desert in bloom seasons for years.
I’ve just arrived at the Fairmont Scottsdale, one of many beautifully landscaped resorts that make this upmarket suburb of Phoenix a popular winter sun destination for travellers fleeing the harsh winters of the northern USA. After the long flight, all I feel like doing is flopping by the pool. I slip into a pair of shorts and walk out into the gardens which are looking at their very best in the late spring sunshine. Jacaranda trees covered in drifts of lilac blossom tower over a meandering
lake which is surrounded by flower beds ablaze with summer bedding plants. I sit on a rocking chair and a tinkling fountain lulls me to sleep. A munching sound wakes me and I’m greeted by the sight of a jackrabbit chewing on some marigolds. With their big dark eyes and strange elongated ears, jackrabbits are among the cutest rabbits in the world, but gardeners here think otherwise.
A chamber maid walking by lets out an almighty shoo and the jackrabbit lollops off into some shrubbery. The danger is only fleeting though and once she is out of sight, the jackrabbit reappears to massacre a bed of tasty looking pink begonias.
With year round sunshine and abundant water flowing down from the Rockies, Arizona has an ancient farming tradition. Corn, beans and squashes were staple crops of the indigenous Pueblo tribes and when a railroad was built in 1880, European settlers were quick to exploit its potential, establishing vast cattle farms and citrus plantations. Traces of this farming tradition can be found throughout Phoenix which has one of highest concentrations of urban farms in the USA. In the morning I drive to Mesa, Phoenix’s sprawling eastern suburb, to explore its Fresh Foodie Trail, a network of organic farms that provide a cornucopia of fresh ingredients for the city’s flourishing restaurant scene. From herbs bursting with aromatic flavours at the True Garden Urban Farm to delicious peaches plucked straight from an orchard in Agritopia, visitors can taste how Arizona’s legendary sunshine intensifies the flavours of fruit and vegetables.
In the evening at The Mission Kierland, a popular Scottsdale restaurant, I get to taste how fresh local ingredients spice up Phoenix’s culinary scene. With Mexico just three hours’ drive away, it’s hardly surprising that Phoenix has some of the finest Latin American restaurants in the States. The Mission is one of the most popular and its freshly made guacamole is legendary. My waiter Brandon arrives pushing a trolley laden with ingredients. He scoops out some avocados, tosses them into a bowl, throws in some red onion and tomato and then spices things up with pungent garlic, fiery chilli and a bunch of fragrant coriander. With a twist of freshly squeezed lime juice the result is a moreish bowl of aromatic delight. I scoop up big dollops of the guacamole with some freshly baked golden tacos and by the time I’ve finished, I’ve barely room for the main course.
Arizona’s tradition of wellness tourism dates back to the 1890s when wealthy families from the
I can easily imagine why the Apaches considered this to be a scared spot
eastern seaboard discovered the health benefits of overwintering in the Sonoran Desert. A favourite retreat of both the Rockefellers and the Wrigleys of chewing gum fame was Castle Hot Springs, which was built in 1896 beside hot springs that were once used by the Apaches for ritual bathing. The 60-mile drive from Phoenix takes you through spectacular scenery, especially the last seven miles, which is along an unpaved track flanked by copper coloured mountains covered in giant saguaro cacti. An avenue of towering palm trees leads up to the resort where a wooden lodge painted primrose yellow and a scattering of cabanas lie amid tropical gardens ablaze with hibiscus and bougainvillea.
Several hiking trails lead out of the resort and, keen to experience the desert in bloom, I put on a pair of rattlesnake resistant hiking boots and set off along the Chocolate Drop Trailhead, a craggy hill overlooking the resort. The giant saguaros are coming into bloom and the air is filled with the buzz of honey bees swarming around their fragrant, ivory coloured flowers. Equally lovely are the prickly pears with their shimmering gold blooms decorated with crowns of copper coloured stamens. After the hike I walk up a winding track to the hot springs where lithium rich water gushes out of a cliff into a pool. Lithium is known for its calming effects and after soaking for five minutes I spot a hawk circling above me. I’m not sure whether it’s the hawk or the lithium but I’m suddenly overcome by a feeling of timelessness and I can easily imagine why the Apaches considered this a sacred spot.
I return to Scottsdale and check into the Hyatt Regency Gainey Ranch Resort, where on the outdoor terrace I stumble across a performance of Native American song and dance. This weekly show is performed by musicians and dancers from the Navajo tribe and the animal dances are mesmerising. A dancer dons a pair of wings made from eagle feathers and accompanied by rhythmic drumming and hypnotic chants he swoops and glides around the terrace conjuring up the essence of courage and freedom that eagles symbolise in Navajo culture.
To learn more about indigenous culture I head over to the Heard Museum in downtown Phoenix which houses one of the most important collections of Native American cultural artefacts in the world. My visit coincides with a Navajo textile exhibition and the 19th-century rugs and saddle covers decorated in bold zig zag patterns look as fresh and contemporary as if they were made yesterday. Equally striking is the collection of over 400 Hopi dolls, representations of Katsinas, the immortal spirits of deities and animals that were given to girls to teach them about the spirit world. Covered in decorative bead work, animal skins and feathers, the dolls encapsulate the veneration the Native Americans hold for the natural world.
In the late 19th century Scottish migrants with their valuable engineering skills played an important role in building Arizona’s railroads and mines. Their descendants maintain a vibrant community in Phoenix and a favourite sunset haunt of theirs is the outside terrace bar at the Kierland Mission Resort. The resort has a magnificent Scotch library where Ray the barman puts 47 years of bartending expertise into helping guests choose the perfect tipple. In the desert heat I don’t feel like anything too fiery so Ray recommends an 18-year-old single malt Port Dundas. Smooth and light, it’s a good choice.
A piper dressed in his clan’s tartan makes his way on to the terrace to play some classic Scottish tunes on his bagpipes. Framed against the desert sunset, he’s an incongruous sight but the audience are entranced and barely an eyebrow is raised when he launches into a spirited rendition of Danny Boy.
British Airways flies from Edinburgh to Phoenix via Heathrow from £688 return including taxes/fees/carrier charges. To book, visit ba.com/phoenix or call 0344 493 0122 For more information on Phoenix visit www.visitphoenix.com and for Arizona visit www.visitarizona.com