Arcosanti

[Sparkle]

I have wanted to go to this place for many many years. I have three of their bells, and when Paulo Soleri dies, (he's 90) the bells will go up in value. The three I have are already double the price I paid.


It's going to be a whole city of 5000 people, but I suspect it's like Crazy Horse, it will NEVER be finished. These are apartments or shops, can't remember which



They make Bronze and Ceramic Bells, this is the ceramic bell building



A statue on the grounds.


Pouring the Bronze bells


Belle had to visit her cousins, the Bells. These bells have different tops on them and each one you buy goes to help that cause. This one was for dogs, there were also dolphins, birds, anything that needed saved, there was an appropriate bell.

[Brewsterivy]

What a fascinating place! Where is that located? Near the Grand Canyon? I would love to see it and buy their bells. I have a small collection that drive the neighbors crazy on a windy day!!

Carol-Ivy

[Bethers]

Sparkle is being very, very nice. Yes, she wanted to visit - yes, the idea behind the building/architecture, is nice (actually, great). But the trip, in my opinion, was a total waste of time. I did like the bells made for charity and a few others - most of them looked like something I could make myself with no training (sorry Sparkle) And the buildings looked like they belonged in a project. There was nothing done to decorate the poured cement - and lots that could have been done. This community was planned in the 60's and 70's and bldgs they started in the 70's aren't complete. They keep changing their minds and doing something different. Nothing will ever get comleted.

Oh, and the ride in - the road was as bad as the worst roads I traveled in Alaska (where I expected bad roads).

Sparkle equates this for me as her trip to visit Smokey the Bear - she hated it.

Oh, we stayed for lunch - price wasn't bad but everything that should have been hot didn't even quite get to luke warm.

What can I say? I would not go back - but wouldn't have known without going the first time

[avalen]

I had no idea that was there until you mentioned it Sparkle, some day I'm just gonna
do a drive up there and check it out. There is a "sister" place here in town that is
like a place of meditation and they have the bells there too. Can't remember what
its called but I know where it is!! They did a spot on the news one day about it,
looked like a lovely meditational garden with shops.

[Liz]

Never heard of him or his bells...learned something new today.

[Sparkle]

Ava, the place in Scotsdale is called Cosanti, and that's where I have bought my bells over the years. They were 25.00 to 30.00 and now the same ones are selling for 59.00 to 65.00. The big ones have a lovely deep tone, sounds like something you would hear in a monestery. What can I say...Beth has no taste. Gotcha Beth.

[oregontocal]

Looks like a neat place. I love places like that.

Are you and Beth going through Tucson on your way south? I'll be here with a couple of workamping friends until Monday morning.

[Sparkle]

Chris, we will still be in Mesa on Monday. Beth needs some work done on her rig. Would love to have met up with you again.
I'm not sure what we will be doing next. Look at the map and see what interests at least one of us I guess.

[oregontocal]

It will work someday. I'm hanging out in Blythe, CA for several months until I go back to Kanab in April. I think I'll head on up to the Kitt Observatory tomorrow since it's very close to where I'm staying. Perhaps the modern telescopes will serve as contrast to my visit to the Windmill Museum in Lubbock, TX several days ago. But that was fun! I might even post some pictures.

[bluepinecones]

Great tour, Sparkle. I enjoyed it even if Beth did not.
Not that I think you would be keeping score, but between Smoky Bear and the bells, you are now even. Was that part of your plan?

[Sparkle]

Sarah, I'm still kinda one behind because she was much more of a lady about Arcosanti than I was about the Bear. I snorted and refused to watch the video. I heaved sighs and looked at my watch a lot. I think I still owe her one. But we both enjoyed the PowWow with Ava. Pics when I get them uploaded.

[oregontocal]

Chris, we will still be in Mesa on Monday. Beth needs some work done on her rig. Would love to have met up with you again.
I'm not sure what we will be doing next. Look at the map and see what interests at least one of us I guess.

I just noticed the easiest way from Tucson to Blythe, CA is I-10 up to Phoenix, then west. I've never gone to Blythe from the east, always from San Diego area on I-8. So, if you and Beth will still be in Mesa Monday, I'll be around there probably about noon or so.

[Bethers]

Give us a call, Chris - I'd love to meet you. If you can stay around through the evening, I bet Ava would love to meet you also, but she has to work, poor thing I have to be at the RV service place 10:30 Monday morning - and won't know till then for how long or what - so we'll be here Monday and overnight at least.

And don't all of you let Sparkle fool you. Yes, she likes the bells. No she wasn't impressed like she wanted to be with Arcosanti - and I really don't think she'd go back. I really tried to like the place - really truly, but when they did so much wrong, it's very hard - I would be embarassed to take someone on a tour of the place - seriously, I've been to places in major cities that would be called slums that look better than some of the housing there. It was sad that they don't recognize that architecture goes hand-in-hand with decorating. If they wanted to cover windows for the heat - the whitewash them OR put a black paper over them. Really ugly. Take it off in the winter. The area for the kids to play, was plain and simply sad. The place saddened me when what I wanted to see was the innovation - sorry, it wasn't there. And Sparkle will admit it to me - but she's in denial - this was on her bucket list for years.

[oregontocal]

Sounds like a plan, Beth. Please PM me a phone number or two and where you're staying.

Chris