Inspiration Saturday: In Jerome, or we will be

I've heard that apparently the period of greatest happiness caused by a vacation comes before you actually go.  It's the planning, the expectation, the anticipation, that brings us the greatest pleasure.  Even more than actually being wherever it is.  You could think of that kind of cynically, but since I'm currently in that honeymoon phase of pre-vacation, I choose to revel in it.

The week after running the marathon, my mom and I are going to Phoenix for a long weekend.  The impetus for this was an exhibition by Dale Chihuly at the Desert Botanical Garden.  Chihuly does glass blowing on a large and fantastical scale.  His pieces are full of color and interesting shapes.  Here's a sort of highlight reel from the DBG:

I've only seen a few of them in person in Dallas, but Mom visited his exhibit in Kew Gardens a few years ago and took so many photographs.  She does that anyway, but these particularly piqued her interest.  So when we heard about this exhibition, we were both interested in trying to get out and see it.  Not only does the glass look amazing, I think it being in that desert setting is going to be another layer of beauty.  Plus, we're going to aim to make the rounds around the grounds twice: once in the daylight, and once at night.

Other than colorful glass, we're also going to be hitting up some local yarn stores, of course, and I've started scoping out froyo and other food options.  We have a Ravelry friend we'll get to spend time with, and one of my childhood best friend lives there now so I'm hoping to meet up with her.

We're also going to take a day trip out to Jerome.  Apparently it's America's largest ghost town.  After bustling with copper, now it's more of an artist's community.  Mom's excited to take lots of pictures, while I mostly just have this Barenaked Ladies song stuck in my head:

So if you have any ideas of things I just have to do or see in Phoenix, let me know!  I'll only have two and a half days total, so our schedule is mostly fully booked, but I'm still open to suggestions, especially food or fiber related.  It's not a big trip, but I'm starting to get excited!

For more inspiration, go to Woolen Diversions.