Phoenix, Arizona

A 6.30am start to catch the plane. It was the most weird system at LA airport to check-in for an internal flight. Clearly they are trying to economise so it's all self check-in and they managed to add hidden costs for baggage (as they'd done with the rental car as well) but finally we got through. Only an hour flight which was good. First impressions: Arizona really IS a desert! There are huge cacti everywhere like you see on cartoons, and big red rocks sticking up in the city. It doesn't seem like a city compared with LA. It's pretty deserted, very hot, low level buildings and wide boulevards. We're actually staying in Scottsdale which was recommended by Laura from the Arizona Museum for Youth as it has lots of culture going on. On arriving, we went to a Mexican restaurant for Sunday lunch (seemed to be the thing to do when we got there: lots of family lunches), the wandered round the corner - to chance upon the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMOCA) - AND a James Turrell sky space! Wow! Didn't know it was even here! It was an oval version of the one a YSP. However, being in Arizona, the sky was blue with little fluffy clouds (The Orb song keeps going through my head) and it felt totally different to being in a field near Wakefield. Obviously! Was so pleased to find it as had no idea it was even here. We picked up a few maps and the area looks very manageable with some interesting places to see. And a waterfron with canal which I look forward to seeing as there's not much other water round here. All the rivers marked on the map say 'Dry' next to them - just salt in the bottom. We've had a swim and are just relaxing and doing absolutely nothing now as we are shattered and have been on the go since Monday! So I will go now.

Don't forget to look up all the photos on Flickr. Have decided to continue this blog when I get back as so far it's descriptive rather than reflective in the main so need to use it for reflecting when I get back.