Because husband Pieter had to lecture in 1986 and also in 1987, in Scottsdale, Arizona, I got to go to this desert playground with the ladies tour. We had lunch here each consecutive year. Because Pieter never had been there, I did look it up and found it, comparing my photos from the 80s.
Nestled in the tranquil beauty of the high Sonoran desert and 12-million year old granite boulder formations that dot the landscape... The Boulders ←click it.
On our last day in Arizona, we drove from our Hyatt Place Scottsdale/Old Town to 34631 N Tom Darlington Dr. in Carefree, Arizona by following our GPS.
Typical Sonoran desert view with cacti as we enter The Boulders.
Seeing The Boulders sign made me smile, for being back after 27 years!
This is the only photo in which our Buick rental car is visible...
Lovely cacti!
Flora & Fauna of the desert is so different from the north of Arizona...
Husband Pieter just loved this cactus tree!
Closeup of the cactus tree...
Quite interesting desert garden layout.
The Boulders is world renowned as one of the finest golf clubs in the United States.
Maybe next life we too will play golf...?!
It sure looks like a golfer's paradise and certainly for living here!
We just admired the grounds and its exotic looking flowers...
Including blooming cacti...
BUT, let's have some lunch at THE GRILL Restaurant!
THE BOULDERS
A WALDORF ASTORIA RESORT
Pieter happy with a coffee and for me a green tea!
Both of us selected from the Starters, as a light lunch.
Pieter went for the CHICKEN LETTUCE WRAP with chopped chicken breast, red peppers, scallions, water chestnuts, peanuts, sweet honey dipping sauce.
And for me GRILLED GULF SHRIMP Arugula, pickled Vidalia onions, Creole rémoulade.
With a happy tummy from my 3rd lunch at The Boulders, this time with husband Pieter as well, we are leaving for the final leg of our journey.
See you next in 1880s Rawhide, Arizona - Western Town...
Lovely cacti!
Maybe next life we too will play golf...?!
A WALDORF ASTORIA RESORT
See you next in 1880s Rawhide, Arizona - Western Town...
{Scenic 89A from Flagstaff to Sedona, Arizona} | previous post by me
{Humphreys Peak, a 12,000 footer in Arizona} | previous post by me
{Maswik Lodge & Grand Canyon Flora & Fauna} | previous post by me
{Our Dinner at the 1905 El Tovar Hotel | Grand Canyon National Park Lodges} | previous post by me
{Hiking Part of Bright Angel Trail, Grand Canyon} | previous post by me
{Grand Canyon South Rim Motorcoach Tour} | previous post by me
{Riding the Grand Canyon Railway} | previous post by me
{1881 Williams, Arizona - Gateway to Grand Canyon & Wild West} | previous post by me
love that terrain and all the growth and cacti! i don't think i could live there, but it sure looks like a neat place to tour!
ReplyDeleteDearest Theresa,
DeleteFor living there, you have to be a golf fanatic and since both of us are not; we enjoyed it for the tour and great lunch! But it is so different in the Sonoran desert, compared to the north.
Hugs,
Mariette
Excelentes fotografias....
ReplyDeleteCumprimentos
Dearest Fernando,
DeleteThank you, glad you enjoyed them.
Hugs,
Mariette
Dearest Mariette,
ReplyDeletewhat a wonderful place! Love the Cactus Trees and Flowers!
Is really looks like paradise, in those wonderful colours!
Lovely picture from you ;O)
Happy week to you,
Love and hugs,
Claudia
Dearest Claudia,
DeleteWe are glad that we also got to see this typical Sonoran dessert landscaping.
It was a lovely tour and great food on a perfect sunny day!
Thank you for your kind words.
Hugs and happy week to you as well.
Mariette
Liebe Marette,
ReplyDeleteeinfach zauberhaft schön!
Sonnige Grüße
Elisabeth
Liebe Elisabeth,
DeleteJa das war es auch und wir haben uns sehr gefreut da sein zu können!
Liebe und sonnige Grüsse mit blauer Himmel und 21°C.
Mariette
Leuk om die grote cactussen te zien, doet me altijd een beetje aan de Donald Duck plaatjes denken :)
ReplyDeleteBeste Marianne,
DeleteJa die grote cactussen zijn erg typerend voor het woestijngebied. Erg mooi ook wel. Zo heel anders dan de mooie bossen in het noorden. Maar Arizona is ook zo'n enorme staat met verschillende gebieden.
Liefs,
Mariette
Liebe Mariette,
ReplyDeletees sieht alles herrlich aus. Ich freue mich, dass ihr so tolle Reisen macht.
Liebe Grüße, Johanna
Liebe Johanna,
DeleteJa es war wieder ein toller Tag in Arizona und perfektes Wetter dazu. Es war uns offensichtlich gut gegönnt nach 27 Jahren!
Liebe Grüsse,
Mariette
Mother Nature does bring to life a beautiful symphony of textures in the desert. How wonderful to be able to travel back in time at such a lovely location. Beautiful photos! Hugs and Blessings, Celia M. (HHL)
ReplyDeleteDearest Celia,
DeleteMother Nature has shown us her very best side while we toured Arizona! A perfect symphony of colors and textures indeed.
We cherish this trip for a long time to come and are grateful we could both go. Using up Pieter's free companion ticket on Delta, never worked this fun!
Sending both of you also hugs and blessings,
Mariette
Dear Mariette,what a lovely place!You look that you're enjoying it!
ReplyDeleteLike the Cactus and the flowers!Gorgeous scenery!
Thank you for sharing!Have a lovely day!Hug!
Dimi...
Dearest Dimi,
DeleteYou bet that we both enjoyed it. We felt like we were in heaven and indulged in all of nature's wonders while in Arizona. This was also such a paradiselike place and the food was great!
Sending you hugs and wishing you a lovely evening.
Mariette
I love the name of the town, Carefree. Must be a nice place to rest and relax :-)
ReplyDeleteThe Boulders looks such a beautiful place. Love all the cacti at the entrance. The cactus tree your husband Pieter liked has such an unusual look! I'm amazed cacti come with so many different forms!
Your lunch looks very yummy. I often make starters my meal to eat light.
Happy birthday to your fur baby! Have a wonderful day xoxo
Dearest Tamago,
DeleteIndeed, a very promising and fitting name for that little desert town! It looks Carefree, including the gardening... Cacti can be beautiful as well, we loved to study them, without of course knowing any names. Pieter really fell in love with that unique tree.
Isn't that the truth for better enjoying a healthy starter for eating light? This was after all, our lunch.
Thank you, our fur baby-girl is a very happy pet; Carefree!
Hugs,
Mariette
Oh Mariette................. How can you????!!!!
ReplyDeleteAren't you ashamed to make my mouth water like this with the pictures of the shrimps??!!! LOL!!
Now I feel such a craving!!!
What a lovely post about Boulders, yes of course it is world renowned!
And returning there after 27 years must be something!!
Keep well, hugs from France!
Dearest Noushka,
DeleteNo, I am not ashamed but I can see your point as I too crave for shrimp a lot!
It was a very sweet return and I felt so proud for having now my dear husband on my side to enjoy it too. Joy shared = double joy!
Hugs to you from États Unis,
Mariette
Beautiful! One of my best friends from high school in Texas moved to Scottsdale and I visited her there in 1991. We also drove to Sedona while I was there. A shame I lost touch with her many years ago. Have a great week. Tammy
ReplyDeleteDearest Tammy,
DeleteOh, we enjoyed this so much and I bet you could still find your best friend from High School. Try and who knows she might be on Facebook or Google+... We have found so many of our former colleagues; such a joy!
Enjoy your week too.
Hugs,
Mariette
Een prachtige omgeven met rots en cactussen.
ReplyDeleteDoet mij een beetje denken aan de spectaculaire rots van Sigiriya die wij bezochten in Sri Lanka.
In het hotel waar wij enkele dagen verbleven hadden we aan het zwembad een prachtig uitzicht op die rots.
De lunch in Waldorf Astoria Resort ziet er goed uit,alleen had ik in zo'n resort verwacht dat ze de rand van het bord even schoon gemaakt hadden voordat ze het serveerden, maar het zal er niet minder door gesmaakt hebben.
Denk dat jullie nog lang nagenieten van deze reis.
Liefs,Ger
Lieve Ger,
DeleteJa deze Sonora woestijn is best mooi en ook de aanplant met allerlei cactussen.
Je hebt gelijk over het volgemorste bord; toen ik de foto bekeek dacht ik precies hetzelfde! Daarmee verliezen ze zeker een punt!
Het was heerlijk en we hebben een fantastische zeven-daagse reis gehad. Mooie herinneringen!
Liefs,
Mariette
It looks so nice and warm there Mariette! We have snow on the ground and cold winds blowing. Oh the joys of living on the prairies of Canada. ;)
ReplyDeleteHappy November!
xo Catherine
Dearest Catherine,
DeleteOh my, that is rough and I hope you can stay somehow cozy indoors for the time you are at home. Getting to and from work is a hassle during winter.
Sending you warm hugs for getting past your November!
Mariette
I was also so impressed when I saw the huge cacti in Arizona!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThe Boulders entrance is so welcoming!!! And the lunch you had there looks so yummy!!!!
Keep on showing us your lovely photos of the area, dear Mariette! I enjoy them so much!!!!
Lots of hugs!!!
Dearest Marie-Anne,
DeleteThose huge cacti are quite a statement in that desert landscape! We loved to see them for the first time in 1986. Working in Mexico for over a decade, we got to see lots more. But this trip was a very nice one for admiring the different varieties.
We had a great time and glad you enjoyed tagging along. One more posting about this Arizona trip...
Sending you warm hugs and love,
Mariette
What great landscapes. A lovely place to visit. I hope you have a safe trip home.
ReplyDeleteHugs Kay
Dearest Kay,
DeleteIt indeed is a great landscape! We are home for more than two months already. Could not post right away about our trip as other things had to go first; due to the ending summer season.
Hugs to you!
Mariette
Charming trip and that meal looks delicious,
ReplyDeleteHugs
Marina
Dearest Marina,
DeleteThis was the quiet part of our seven-day trip. A very nice and relaxed way of ending it. We will be back to Arizona; that's for sure!
Hugs,
Mariette
Que lindo é o deserto do Arizona, as estradas de fazer inveja. Esse cactos temos por aqui também, como é bom ver semelhanças entre os países.
ReplyDeleteMenina viajar e comer é tudo de bom que se tem na vida. Amei sua viagem, obrigada por compartilhar.
Bjos tenham um ótimo dia. Vocês conhecem o Brasil? Nós moramos no sul, aqui é tudo completamente diferente do resto do país especialmente nossa cultura. Nossa alimentação é a base de carne. Ninguém faz um churrasco como o povo gaúcho. Já estou me exibindo hahaha.
Dearest Anajá,
DeleteThank you and the Arizona desert sure is beautiful! Can imagine that you have these type of cacti in the South of Brazil. Yes, traveling and enjoying the local food is a blessing and we have traveled all continents but never to Brazil. We got married in the South of Chile, with a stop in Guayaquil, Ecuador on our way in and out of Santiago. We went by train to the South and back by bus... Quite an experience too!
Hugs,
Mariette
Prachtige foto's van Arizona Mariette. Wat groeien er toch bijzondere planten in de woestijn! Ontzettend lief dat je mij op Linkedin 'ge endorsed' hebt :-) Ik moet je zeggen dat ik er niet zo heel actief op ben. Zou eigenlijk wel moeten!
ReplyDeleteIk wens je een fijne dag toe!
Madelief x
Beste Madelief,
DeleteDank je wel, en de cactussen zijn echt verbázend en zo'n mooie kleuren ook als ze bloeien!
Ja, graag gedaan hoor en wat het actief zijn, ook ik kan alle sociale networks niet bijhouden. Dus geen zorgen en dank je wel voor jou altijd aardige contact!
Liefs en een fijne avond.
Mariette
Those cacti are beautiful, and their flowers so colorful. Looks like you were having a wonderful time. Nice to see a picture of you Mariette.
ReplyDeleteDearest Deborah,
DeleteOh, it was in many ways an ongoing surprise what we found in Arizona; so were the colorful flowering cacti. We did have a great time; from a till z!
Thank you for your kind words.
Hugs,
Mariette
Beautiful Cacti and they are big! Thanks for sharing your beautiful Photos Mariette! Wish I can join you for the tea! :-)
ReplyDeleteDearest Mei,
DeleteThank you and yes, that would have been lovely for sipping a green tea together!
Hugs,
Mariette
Prachtige foto's van een mooie omgeving ..wat een cactusssen zeg grandioos zo groot ..
ReplyDeleteheel mooi ..
lieve groet
Lieve Nieneke,
DeleteJa, die cactussen waren inderdaad grandioos en ook met práchtige bloemen. We genoten er echt van.
Liefs,
Mariette