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Tempting Tempe

December 9, 2015 — 1 Comment

Beer flights on the balcony

A quick weekend trip to Tempe to take in the sights and sounds of the Festival of the Arts was a perfect get away (but not very far away) for us last weekend. I found a great Air bnb apartment in the perfect location for walking to the action. We discovered new places to drink and dine, and purchased a few pieces of original jewelry at an artist’s booth. My parter Bob is a big beer fan, so we sat for a while overlooking the fair on the balcony of the famous landmark Gordon Biersch Brewery. The beer is okay. The view is fabulous.

Our favorite new spot for food drinks and a lively crowd is Culinary Dropout. We enjoyed wonderful service in a very jovial atmosphere there before we went to the fair. The menu was innovative bistro style food. It was tempting to eat all our meals there, but we wanted to do some investigating into other places. Tempe is full of bars and food offering of all kinds. If there is nothing you like to eat or drink there, you are just too picky.

Culinary Dropouts

appetizer Culinary Dropout

cocktail menu

Culinary Dropout

The Arts Festival turned the town into a large outdoor party with plenty of opportunity to people watch. We had such a good time we may just make a habit of visiting Tempe. There is much to discover.

art

art vendor

art

reflection

Chalk-A-Lot, Tempe Festival of the Arts

December 7, 2015 — 1 Comment

Retro Toy Theme

family fun on the street

As part of the Tempe Festival of the Arts everyone was invited to draw on the street downtown. Participants in the professional art show covered large spaces and stuck to the theme “Retro Toys”. The creativity as well as the stunning artistry was very impressive. Watching the work evolve each day is a major part of the fun for us. The artists don’t mind a little visiting while they work. We left before the end to drive back to Tucson, but think I will stay until the end next year. All of the work is amazing considering the medium and the way they have to work. Many of the artists we met were from Tempe, but they came from all over to compete and make the street look extra special for the holiday.

: my chalk art in progress

: my chalk art with neighbors

: my chalk art

The community participation was the best part. I purchased my chalk and joined the youngsters on the street. I had a very good time meeting my fellow artists on kneepads. I paid $5 to support the festival, and got to keep my chalk to take home and practice on my own driveway. I was pleased with the way my piece turned out, but after I packed up and left it occurred to me that I could have done more than one square..nobody would have stopped me. The way the community mosaic mural looked on Sunday morning was superb. All the styles went together very well to show a patchwork of visitor talent right next to the sidewalk. I am proud to leave my mark on Tempe, and thank that very artsy city for the opportunity to do so.