After a long drive across town to Phoenix International Raceway (#55), I was ready to get a taste of the car racing world. I never understood what compels people to watch cars go round and round and round a track. I had no appreciation for the beauty of a race car or for the melody of a tightly-wound engine. So why, you ask, would I put PIR on my list? The simple answer was to see what all the fuss is about.
Located in Avondale, Phoenix International Raceway is home to two NASCAR races every year.
It was a nice day to be outside- not too warm and not too chilly. As soon as we got out of the car, I could smell the unique "racing aroma"... a mixture of asphalt, fuel, and steam. There was a tension in the air as if the entire raceway was screaming, "I feel the need for SPEED!!"
Last fall LivingSocial (the "deal" people!) ran a deal for four laps in a race car with a professional race car driver at PIR. Laurie and I each bought one for Mike and Richard for Christmas. And now was the time to redeem their deals.
Richard climbed in his race car...
... and Mike got ready to climb in his.
The track at PIR has been rebuilt, modified and enhanced several times in its 48 year history and is currently 1.51 miles long. The inside lane is where cars come up to speed to merge onto the track with other racers or to slow down before pulling into the pit. The outer track is where the racing is done.
The track flagmen communicate with the drivers via colored flags. This solid green flag means "GO!!"
Richard's car took off and began accelerating!
And in what seemed like no time at all, it was whizzing by in the outer lanes!
Much too quickly, the race was over. Their drivers told them they drove at speeds of 130-160 mph!
They are both anxious to go again... and next time THEY want to drive!
Being at the track, watching a really cool-looking car with someone I knew in it, willing that car to go faster, getting caught up in the excitement gave me a taste of what it's like on a real race day. In fact, coming back to watch a NASCAR race is already on my next list!
There is nothing like a morning of car racing to make you hungry so we headed over to one of Guy Fieri's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives"- Chino Bandido (#68) - in north Phoenix for lunch. Chino Bandido is, quite simply, a culture explosion in a plate.
Located in a strip mall, it is not a place I would probably give a second glance (definitely a dive!) proving that looks can be deceiving!
Chino Bandido, the brain-child of Frank and Eve Collins, opened in 1990. They blend Asian and Mexican cooking styles and flavors to create delicious food that is as much a cerebral experience as it is a taste treat for your mouth! And to encourage customers to try new things, they give ample samples of most of their menu.
I had pollo diablo with jerk-fried rice, a carnitas quesadilla and Cuban black beans- muy bueno!!
With full tummies, it was time for our afternoon adventure... the Mystery Castle (#45). I have lived in the Valley of the Sun almost my entire life and had never heard of the Mystery Castle until just a few years ago. It is, apparently, Phoenix's best-kept secret! And who doesn't like secrets?
800 E. Mineral Road in Phoenix, Az... right at the base of South Mountain
Boyce Luther Gulley lived with his wife and daughter (Mary Lou Gulley) in Seattle in the 1930's. Mary Lou was the apple of his eye and he promised her when she was a toddler that he would build her a castle. After learning he had tuberculosis- which in those days was highly infectious and often fatal, he left his family and moved to Phoenix without telling them.
Portrait of Boyce Gulley
Boyce was an eccentric guy who never stopped loving his family he left behind in Seattle. He dabbled in gold mining and bought some land at the foot of South Mountain that showed some promise. To protect his claim, he began building Mary Lou's castle on top of the mine. As the land was very near what was then the town dump, he probably wasn't in danger of anyone jumping his claim.
Boyce definitely had a thing for fireplaces. He built 13 in his castle including this one on the patio.
Recycling and repurposing is very popular today - not so much in the 1930's - but Boyce seemed to take great pleasure in using old junk he found (things no one else wanted) to build his castle.
These unusual bricks were rejects that got overheated in the furnace melting the tops. One man's trash is another man's treasure!
This is the main living area of the castle. Notice all the unusual "finds"- the wagon wheel as part of the fence, the mining buckets, piece of wrought iron fencing in the arched "window" on the roof.
When this room was being built, the saguaro was very much alive and Boyce did not want to cut it down so he built the room around it. Unfortunately, the giant saguaro was struck by lightning a few years later and died- but still remains in the room. The floors of much of the castle are dirt.
This part of the castle housed the guest rooms. This stairway leads up to the roof... aka the mother-in-law room.
Even though Boyce bought land very near the city dump (neither expensive nor desirable) and scoured the desert as far as Mexico for "finds" to use in building his castle, he hobnobbed with the rich and famous of the day. Georgia O'Keefe, Frank Lloyd Wright, John Wayne and Barry Goldwater were often guests at his castle.
Frank Lloyd Wright gave Boyce some of his original furniture for his castle.
Boyce only expected to live about 6 months when he left Seattle. He began building his castle for his daughter so she would have something he built, a piece of him. When he died fifteen years later, the castle was was it appears today. His lawyer sent Mary Lou and her mother a letter that Boyce had written explaining what had happened to him and giving the castle to Mary Lou. The one stipulation was that she had to live in the castle for at least a year.
Boyce named this formation on South Mountain Lion Rock... he was particularly fond of cats.
Mary Lou and her mother moved to Phoenix in the mid 1940's and lived in the castle her father had built for her. They had no running water, no electricity (although both were added in 1992), many rooms have dirt floors and "nature" on the inside. At the end of the year, as specified in the letter she received from her father, they opened the door to the mine.
The door to the mine is guarded by this heavy alligator.
Inside the mine, Mary Lou found the deed to the house, some gold nuggets and another letter from her father. She and her mother decided to continue living in the castle her father built. Her mother passed away in 1970 and Mary Lou in November, 2010; both were still living in the castle at the times of their deaths. Mary Lou formed the Mystery Castle Historical Foundation before her death to ensure the Mystery Castle would be maintained for future generations to see.
Without leaving the metro area, we tried a couple of new things and saw something new. None of them have anything in common other than being part of our adventure that day... and a lot of fun!
Thumb Up or Down: Absolutely UP for all three!!
Miles Round Trip: 114.4 miles
Miles To Date: 4934.8 miles
Percent of List Completed: 54%
Date of This Trip: May 5, 2012
Richard sent me the link for your blog when you left MD. Just getting around to looking and decided to start with the most recent post. What a busy, diverse day you had. Sounds like a lot of fun.
ReplyDeleteWe have had a lot of fun seeing and doing things on my list. I was quite surprised that there are so many things we haven't seen/done in Arizona since we are both practically natives. Thanks for reading about our adventure!
DeleteI guess I should read your blog more often-- I would have known about Chino Bandido!! Looks like you guys had lots of fun!!
ReplyDeleteWe did, indeed, have fun. Life with your dad is always an adventure!
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