More Desert Fun!

I read through the reviews of The Boulders on tripadvisor.com and one of the reasons we chose The Boulders was because it had such universal good reviews. We found an intriguing review from a New Yorker who recommended a restaurant called Binkley's, which we went to Friday night.

The random reviewer recommended the tasting menu, so we went for it. The food was good, and compared to NYC prices, it was well worth it. The chef had worked at the French Laundry in Napa and the menu was interesting and tasty. But there were some annoyances that made the whole experience sub-optimal, as Jeff would say. I'm just going to put it right out there, this is going to sound snooty...

We got the feeling that tasting menus were few and far between in the area. The waiter made a big deal about it, and I mean, Big Deal. Like, maybe they are the only restaurant in the state, if not in the Southwest, that does this. (Since they told us what a tasting menu was as opposed to asking us if we were familiar with the concept...) OK, you have a Tasting Menu - We Get It. Tasting menus have tiny portions, so we would get a course, a lengthy description of it, told how delicious it would be and then 12 seconds later another visit to inquire how it was and a reminder of how unusual and tasty it must be. Ummm, isn't it up to us to decide if it's good? By the time we were finished with the meal, we were so sick of the service we couldn't wait to leave. The service was technically good, friendly, no one was ever rude and we always got what we wanted, but it was like dining with a group of waiters. We were never left alone and they were just too proud of the food. The food was good but it leaves you questioning: if the food is so good, why can't you let it speak for itself? Why do you have to remind the patrons of how inventive it is?


A drink came on a flashing disco light-cum-coaster.
It was fun but you'd think they invented liquor with
the fuss they made over it.

When I had called the hotel earlier in the week to ask about hiking I was told it was best do it in the morning because the monsoons come in the afternoon and/or evening. Monsoons! What are they nuts? It's the Southwest. Don't they know monsoons happen in, like, India? Well, they showed me.

As we left Binkley's, the wind whipped up. A wall of sand was coming toward us and, for real, a tumbleweed rolled right in front of us. We got in the car and it started to hail. Giant chunks of something were falling out of the sky. The wind went crazy. I drove 17mph back to the hotel. We had to stay in the car for a half an hour waiting for the hail to stop. Cacti had been blown over, tumbleweeds were flying through the air, trees were down. It was bizarre. And the next morning, the grounds of the hotel had been torn apart. Debris everywhere, trees and cacti fallen all over. It was all cleaned up in a few hours but the place got hammered. And the weirdest part: any sign of water was gone. It must have hailed and rained inches and inches an it was all gone. Nary a puddle. Welcome to the desert, I guess.

We had met a little friend on the property who had chosen a strange place for a nest. It was in a cactus about chest high.






We figured this dove was an old bachelor bird. Crappy nest, weird spot, strange taste. We were worried about him after the storm so we went to check on him. He may be a she, and she ain't single.


See the baby? There was at least one other in there, too.

Another local:

Calgon Take Me Away (again)

Sigh. A really big sigh. All these politickses is makin' me cragy. CRA-gee I tell you. We've barely been back from the Arizona spa adventure and I need a vacation immediately. It's of my own doing: I can't stop watching the news, scanning the internet and reading blogs. I'm not sleeping well, I'm having nightmares - I'm a mess. But this wont be a political blog. I don't have the constitution for it. And, boy, are you lucky.

So, The Boulders.

Yep, boulders. They had a lot of 'em.

Must've been hard to get them all there

after they built the hotel.

It was nice. It was really nice. It was not as posh as I had expected but it was all very nice. There really isn't anything you could complain about. And it was much needed, especially for Jeff who has been working like a slave.

The spa was great. It was a little new age-y but I was able to get past that (it is the Southwest after all). Our bill was a lot higher than we anticipated because we couldn't stop spa-ing. And I am pleased (or slightly freaked out) that Jeff had just as many treatments as I did.

Let's see. I had a reflexology massage, a lymphatic massage, the Shirodhara, a deep tissue massage and a facial. The reflexology and lymphatic massages were new to me and they were both great, especially the reflexology. It's just your feet which is where all of the meridians end, according to eastern medicine. The Shirodhara was a disappointment. I think my therapist was new. She was a little spastic and too chatty. (Yeah, yeah, but *I'm* not a massage therapist, OK?) The deep tissue massage was incredibly painful both during the massage and for days after. I really don't need one of those ever again. And it's a DO NOT RECOMMEND. Jeff had one, too, and said his didn't hurt. But I don't believe him. I think he's just trying to act tough. And since he never makes a post or even a comment (hint, hint) you'll all just have to take my word for it. The facial was super. I had temporary facial excellence.

The hotel itself was quite nice. There weren't many public areas: just the lobby and restaurant, the spa, and the golf and tennis club. The rooms are set all in their own little buildings, or casitas. Our room was sizable, with a seating area, had a nice little balcony and a big bathroom. It had good amenities and was well-appointed but it wasn't Four Seasons posh or anything. It was no Llao Llao. (That place screwed me for all future travel.)

It had several pools, which were all fine, but they could have been nicer. I guess I thought they would be a little bigger and a little more luxurious. I don't even know whatthat means. It's just a feeling. The one by the spa was the nicest. It had sweet giant towels.

The food was very good. It's a little remote so they could have easily gotten away with so-so and expensive food but, instead it was good and expensive. Coming from NYC nothing much shocks us, so it didn't strike us as exorbitant but the restaurants were no bargain.

It's a big golf place so I think a lot of the resort was lost on us. But we were too busy at the spa to care.

View of some of the golf course (there are 2 courses, actually).

One of the tees. I think it looks like a bum.

The grounds are well-maintained and very attractive. I mean, it's a full on desert (the Sonoran) so we are talking a handful of trees and bushes and lots and lots of cacti. It was nice to be in such different surroundings. I think it really helps you relax when everything seems so different from home.

Look! More boulders!

A typical view around the hotel.

However, it struck me as a sad and lonely landscape. The Phoenix area is growing by leaps and bounds but - maybe it's my New England roots - it somehow struck me as not quite right for humans to live there, especially in the numbers that they do. It was a very inhospitable-looking environment and felt totally uninviting. I know different landscapes speak to people in many ways so rock on, desert-lovers. I just can't be counted among them. The landscapes that speak to me are the twinkling lights of a city at night or the craggy, pointed peaks of tall mountain ranges. Both sort of odd for a girl who is terrified of heights.

We went for a hike not far from the hotel. Only cacti

and desert shrubbery for miles.

That's enough for now. Next up, monsoons, flora and fauna and dinner at Binkley's. And anything else I forgot.