We arrived at Phoenix airport around noon. All car rental companies have their offices in a collective area west of the airport: add >15 minutes to your travel.
Taliesin has been a school set up by Frank Lloyd Wright more than 50 years ago. Built over the years by his apprentices. It still is a reputable architecture institution. It emphasizes the harmony between a building and its natural settings. There are many interesting details. Doors here are rather small and sometimes obscure, as they only serve the purpose of leading you in and out of a functional space. 
In this famous living room, the entry way is narrow and consists of two 90 degree turns, channeling the eyes to different part of the room. Ceilings are mostly made of canvas to diffuse light. Many rooms are not closed, oriented to the seasonal air flow. The concert hall has angled seats, so when you are seated with one leg over the lap of the other and one arm set on the back of the seat, your eyes are naturally pointed to the screen without needing to turn the neck!
Arizona Biltmore is Wright's first project in Arizona, and lured him to the warm climate here. It has its own little moat and cute bridges, a bit medieval, yet pleasant.
After stopping at Cosanti for 5 minutes, we headed to Desert Botanic Garden. A good place to learn the names of every cactus you can imagine and the way of life in the old days. Birds fly in and out of saguaru, chirping. The cutest here is Gambel's Quail.Dinner at Roaring Fork in Scottsdale, where I had the most tender duck I've ever tasted. I also highly recommend fondue with baby lamb racks for starter. 2 hours later we arrived at Flagstaff in snow!
