Luxe Yosemite

One of my newest life objectives is to see the Milky Way with the naked eye. I mean really see it, like those gorgeous long exposure pictures but irl. I've been searching for opportunities for a few years, missing optimal conditions and being disappointed by the non-results. The now-ex and I had gone up to Yosemite but stayed at an AirBnB in the hills just outside of the park, which I thought would still be close enough but the light pollution from the small town was still too much. We did enjoy a luxurious hot tub outside and listening to the wild turkey calls, and we hiked around the park and climbed a waterfall, so the trip wasn't a let down by my standards, we just failed to see the Milky Way. We also took a trip to Bryce Canyon and had a ton of good hiking fun in that park. We even returned to the park after dark in hopes of seeing the Milky Way, but it was still very much a no-go. This past year as a newly single woman, I camped at Amboy Crater twice and booked a stargazing and astrophotography session at the top of the mountain in Maui, still to no avail. The Hawaii native photographer kept commenting how she has never seen the sky this unclear. I assured her, its me, I'm the problem, its me.

So now I'm attacking my quest with more intention, trying to have plans to be in a dark sky site for every new moon, or at least the weekend closest to the new moon. January was Amboy Crater again. And while the stars were pretty dazzling at Amboy Crater, I didn't get the full effect I expect from a Milky Way shot.

For February, I made plans to go back to Yosemite, this time staying in the park. There are a number of options and I don't mind roughing it usually, but I do get up and use the bathroom a lot so I wasn't too excited about the cabins that had communal bathrooms some distance away outside. Instead I opted for the high end option at the Ahwahnee. And if you've followed some of my adventures before, you know that when I go high end, I kinda go all out high end. So I booked the King room with a balcony. Usually hotels have several of these types of rooms if they have any. Here, not so much it seems. I'm basing that on the comment the waiter said to me when I gave him my room number to charge to. But I'm jumping ahead, let me get to that later.

From my home in Palmdale, CA, the drive to Yosemite was just around 6 hours. So, I could easily drive up there early in the day Friday, do some hiking or have down time, stay over night and hopefully get the view I'm after from my balcony, do some hiking in the morning and head home Saturday evening. That was my theory, anyways. And I was glad I planned it that way, because I ended up taking a business / househunting trip leaving early Sunday morning. The Saturday before my Yosemite trip, I checked the weather forecast for Yosemite for my planned trip dates and it showed snow and overcast. I was extremely disappointed, realizing that meant absolutely no chance of a Milky Way appearance, and snow deterred my desire to hike or even drive there. I tried calling to cancel, although I did notice that the reservation said 7 day cancellation policy. Canceling was a no-go, as the somewhat rude personnel informed me on the phone that weather was not a valid reason. So, knowing I wouldn't get my money back, I debated forfeiting it rather than drive up there in the snow by myself and risking wasting my time having a bad time. But as the week went on, the weather forecast changed from snow to just overcast. Still not promising to see any lights in the sky, but at least the danger of icy conditions seemed to lessen.

I decided to go and make the most of it, as I am prone to do, even if that meant driving to the lodge, bundling up under the covers and enjoying my view from indoors. Nadine advised me that I might need chains for my tires and indeed I saw some warnings to that effect, but nothing certain. I decided better safe than sorry, so the first thing I did after packing my car up was to stop at Walmart and get chains. I had no idea it was so complicated, but luckily I was able to goggle sufficient (I think) info about my car to get the right set and they were in stock. I never had to use them, so I guess I technically don't know for sure I got the right ones, but we'll just assume I did my diligence.

That hurdle seemingly behind me, I headed towards Yosemite. I listened to my audiobook for a good portion of the trip (this is a great way to make use of your time on long road trips)! It occurred to me, and not sure how it hadn't registered in my brain before, that one of the warnings in the Yosemite park's page was about the influx of traffic due to the February "Firefall." I looked up more information and found that yes, this weekend was the first anticipated possible sighting. The phenomenon lasts only a few moments, and conditions would have to be just right. Some websites said the sky had to be completely void of clouds, which I knew would be unlikely given the overcast forecast. But other sites showed pictures of the Firefall with clouds in the background - so clearly it didn't have to be totally, umm, clear.

Not getting my hopes up, I decided to at least try to locate where the possible Firefall would show and do some hiking in and around the area before checking in to my hotel. The websites made it sound like you had to get there really early to "claim your spot" for the viewing, so I didn't want to risk losing my "spot" by checking in to the hotel. Also, I thought there was a good chance that once I was in my room, I wouldn't want to leave my bed.

But it was also chilly outside - there was snow in parts of the park. I put my snow boots on thinking I'd just meander a bit, not quite ready for a full on hike. I ended up meandering for over 3 miles and, not wearing socks, my feet were starting to get a little sore in the boots. As the sunset drew closer, the clouds hadn't budged so I knew it was really unlikely that the Firefall would show at this point. Still, my FOMO (and frankly, not having anything really better to do other than unwind in my hotel room) kept me out there just in case the clouds suddenly parted.

For those that do want to pursue the Firefall, here are some tips I learned, at least based on the 2024 season.

• Entrance to the park is by reservation only Saturdays and Sundays during the peak Firefall weekends in February. But if you enter Friday as I did and stay at lodging in the park, then you don't have to worry about that.
• It's a 1.5 mile walk (one way) to the designated viewing area from the optimal parking lot. The park had lots of signs stating no stopping along the route to pickup/drop off passengers, but they did make a nice walkway out of half the road.
• The viewing area is a small field so you can bring a chair or blanket to sit on, otherwise you're probably going to be standing for a while and then hiking back the 1.5 miles.

Finally, I made my way to the Ahwahnee. It was valet parking only, so I did my best to juggle all the bags and things I wanted to bring in. I assume, after a 6 hour drive and then hiking and carrying in all my stuff, I must have looked a bit frazzled because the front desk personnel did not seem interested in helping me. Their attitude changed noticeably when they realized which room I was checking into. The keys to the rooms are not like those credit card-like keys that are so common, but rather old-school metal keys which is kind of neat.

Before heading to my room, I stopped by the Dining Hall hostess and asked if I could get a reservation for about an hour out - she said she'd put me on the wait list and it would be about an hour, so that was perfect. I figured I'd go shower and clean myself up a bit and then have a nice dinner and cocktails.

I took the pretty ancient elevator up to the fourth floor and not too far down its own hallway was my epic room 450. The room itself had a lot of old world charm much like the whole hotel. Not particularly my style, but definitely over-the-top, everywhere you look.

It took me a while to negotiate the double dutch doors out to the balcony but that was the biggest surprise. The balcony was GINORMOUS! I mean, this wasn't a 4 x 6 balcony. This was a deck with multiple couches, tables and chairs and gorgeous views 270 degrees. It looked like the outdoor seating area for an entire restaurant or bar. I think it was strangely shared with one other room, but there were no other doors leading to it so at worst it was a giant party balcony shared between two rooms. 

 

I hopped in the shower and got ready to head downstairs, figuring I'd go to the gift shop or bar if the restaurant wasn't quite ready. But in perfect timing, the text came through that my table was ready as I was waiting for the elevator. I assumed I had never been in the restaurant before, but as soon as I walked in I realized that my ex and I had gone there for lunch in our previous trip to Yosemite. Nevermind that, since I wasn't driving anywhere, I intended to have some delicious cocktails and a nice dinner in this gorgeous hall. And that is exactly what I did! For my first cocktail, I ordered the Inspiration Point. Then I went to the buffet and loaded up my plate. While the food was all good, I have to say that the mac 'n cheese had something a little magical about it and was hands down the best mac 'n cheese I've ever had (and I think I am a bit of a connoisseur, so that is a big statement).

I went back to get a few things for dessert, and I got my Firefall after all - in the form of a delicious cocktail. It was a hot chocolate spiked with a chili liquor. It was so sweet it was almost hard to drink, but very delicious.

In the morning, I grabbed a hot chocolate to go from the bar downstairs, and then retreated back to my room. I tried enjoying the breathtaking view on my gigantic balcony, but it was still a bit too chilly to really get comfortable. My windows had fogged up but I was able to wipe it off from the inside, so I enjoyed a not-so-complete view from my bed while I read and did some things on my phone.

When I was a bit more awake, I decided to explore the hotel a bit more. My first stop was the gift shop, and then I checked out the Solarium and the Mural Room. As it got close to checkout time, I packed my stuff up, checked out and called for my car at the valet. I still drove around quite a bit, still enjoying the park, but didn't feel up for any further hiking. I ended up on the other side of the park and exited that way, which was a little weird but seemed to put me closer to home, so couldn't complain about that. 

Anyways, if you want the most baller balcony ever, go for the "Featured Hotel Rooms - King" and book far in advance.

A Plunge Pool, a View and a Butler: My Weekend in a Bungalow Suite at Cosmopolitan

Lounge area on the first floor of the suite

TL;DR

Pros: The Bungalow Suite is an extraordinary space for a luxurious, relaxing vacation in, and would also make for a great space to have a small party in, although there is only one bed so guests would have to stay elsewhere. The outdoor spaces would be better utilized in warmer weather. 

 

Cons: The butler service was a letdown and not worth the expense. The views were not as advertised, nor were they as brilliant as less expensive rooms.

Package options

Pre-game Experience

After booking the room, I received an email asking me which of three packages I would like. I discussed it with my new beau as we made plans for the weekend, and we agreed on the Wine & Champagne package. The email also directed us to check in at the Autograph Lounge which, when entering the lobby from the Chelsea Tower parking, is just to the right of the main front desk. We were able to bypass a really extensive line by doing, although there was still small line in the lounge. There was a Starbucks coffee machine in there and we were given complimentary bottles of water.

The Space

The first floor of the Bungalow consists of a bar area, full bathroom, a lounge area with TV and a small outdoor patio. The bathroom has a shower with a large overhead rainfall shower head, a sink and a separate toilet room, as well as a small coat closet. While I realize I more than paid for them, the frugal part of me really appreciated the large and plentiful toiletries.The lounge area was spacious and had plenty of seating on the curvy built-in couches which conveniently had some flat surfaces behind them which I utilized to put drinks on. I was also able to find a power outlet on the floor right next to the chaise-like end of the couch so I could charge my phones while still using them on couch. I will say, though, it wasn't super comfortable and my beau and I struggled to cuddle comfortably while watching TV. The bar area includes a sink, a microwave and a small fridge which was partially stocked, but our butler reassured us that it was not weight sensored so we could move things to make room for leftovers, etc. The first floor patio used to overlook the pool but had since been walled in, so it was a convenient little space for my beau to smoke but that's about all it was good for. Especially given the better outdoor spaces on the third floor… 

 

Second floor (vanity)

The second floor could be considered almost a walk-through master suite. In the area with the stair cases leading to the first and third floors, there was a funky little sofa and a large vanity.

Bedroom with partially obstructed view of Dayclub

On one side of that center room was the bedroom which overlooked the pool area and still retained visibility to the party going on during the day there - and our butler told us they can see in so if we want privacy, best to close the curtains with the iPad that runs the whole place. There was a spacious closet and two luggage racks, and the closet light turns on when the door is opened. A bit hilariously, the TV was mounted on a partial wall which could swing out to provide better visibility or put back to have more space in the room. Behind that swinging TV wall was a small nook with drawers and the safe.

 

Third floor patio with view of Bellagio fountains

Going up one more floor, there wasn't much of an indoor space - although given the cool temperatures around the time of our visit, that became a very important little indoor space for me. It was merely a small tiled area with no furniture, and two doors leading to the outdoor spaces. One space was the rooftop heated plunge pool with whirlpool jets. Again, it used to overlook the main pool but given the time of year and cool temperatures, the main pool had been covered with a tent to keep the warmth in, and that cover largely blocked our view, although a small part of the pool area could be observed at just the right angles between the building and the cover. The other outdoor space was a generous balcony featuring many seating options, a TV, and what I believe to be the most spectacular view in Las Vegas - overlooking the fountains of Bellagio, with many of the Las Vegas icons and lights visible beyond that. The seating included one sizable sofa, two armchairs and a dining set. There was also a counter with a sink, and a large ottoman that could double for a coffee table. Had the weather been warmer, I would have spent much more time up there watching TV and/or reading.

The Butler Experience

Wine & Champagne presentation

As mentioned a few times already, the room came with 24 hour butler service, which was not clearly explained so I got the deets for you here. When checking in, we were asked if we wanted the butler to meet us there in the Autograph Lounge, presumably to escort us through the hotel to our rooms, or if we wanted him to meet us in the room. I felt confident I could navigate the hotel, having stayed there many times before, and didn't really want to wait anymore, so I opted to have him meet us in the room. We were given great directions and were on our way.

First floor bar area

Entering the room, our butler, Joey, was there preparing the bottles from our wine & champagne package, but stopped what he was doing as we entered to give us a rundown of a few things. He said that we'd have to have housekeeping and to do the spa service (I didn't quite grasp what he said the first time, so I clarified later and it was related to the plunge pool upstairs being a commercially operated pool so it had to be checked/serviced daily), and asked if there was a particular time we wanted to do that. I wasn't in a mental place to make decisions, so he said just to call and schedule it when we knew.

He then took us on a tour of the place, giving us instructions and tips along the way so we knew how everything worked (for example, the lights and shades are controlled on the iPad, and to go out to the plunge pool, you had to hold a button on the wall and push the door open at the same time, and there's a privacy setting if you don't want housekeeping or butlers to enter).

After the tour was complete, I lingered upstairs to take some pictures while Joey busied himself with finishing setting up the bottles for us. Before leaving us upstairs, though, he offered to make dinner reservations for us, which we weren't ready to decide upon yet, and let us know that any time we needed anything, just hit the bowtie on the phone to get a butler.

I didn't make it back downstairs before Joey departed, so we got ourselves settled in a little bit, popped open the bottle of champagne and checked out the restaurant options shown on the TV. We decided we wanted to go to the tapas place, and I realized I still wasn't quite sure what to do with the butler so figured I'd bring him back in to investigate further. It was about 5 pm at this point. So I hit the bowite button and was connected with an operator and requested a butler come to the room. Joey was there in no time, and rang the doorbell before letting himself in and politely checking that he was good to enter. I told him we had decided on the tapas place and wanted him to make a reservation for us, although he wasn't familiar so we had to look it up to get him the actual restaurant name. Once we confirmed the restaurant, he asked what time and I said 6:30 or 7 would be great. He said that we can wait for a phone call to confirm once he gets the reservation.

I then sheepishly admitted I didn't know what butlers could do for us so asked what kinds of things we could ask for, and he explained a bit more that we could have him get things for us or schedule things for us. My beau asked if he could bring us a six pack of Stella Artois, and schedule to have coffee brought in at 8 am, and Joey confirmed yes to both. My beau asked about pricing - especially if it was marked up. Joey said there was a $7 charge per request, so if we want multiple requests, its more cost effective to do them all at once, but that the items we requested would be at cost. He had me sold! We also talked about the spa for massages, and I inquired if we could do a couples' massage which he wasn't sure about, so he said he would check on the pricing and if they could do that. He alluded to some other butler probably being the one who would bring the six pack and that he'd be back bringing coffee in the morning, so I presumed that meant it was the end of his shift and time for the nighttime butler to start.

What followed were a few successive letdowns. First, we got no call confirming the dinner reservation, and the beer took quite a while to get there. Meanwhile, I happened to look at my email and noticed that a massage with couples' massage fee had been booked for us - and at a time that would not work for our plans. But nothing on dinner. I started getting anxious and considered calling to get a status update, but I didn't want to be "that lady". So I refrained, but it started to feel like we were trapped in the room, and I wanted to eat.

Finally, a little after 6:15, the doorbell rang and another butler asked if he could come in. He came bearing both the beer we ordered and good news on dinner when I inquired - indeed we had a reservation at 6:30! I mean, that was good news, but not a lot of notice! He had me sign for the beer - which was much more than the cost of a 6 pack and a $7 fee, it was like a $7 fee plus a few on top of that fee and then other fees and somehow equaled $80 or something ridiculous. He then asked if we wanted him to escort us to the restaurant and I said yes, partially because I wanted to make sure we got there on time and didn't get lost, and partially because, hey, we have a butler, and maybe he can even get us something special if he's escorting us. So he said he'd come back at 6:27 to bring us there, and I went upstairs to change into something a little nicer. When he came back, and he was perfectly on time, as we were walking to the restaurant, I also asked if the massage appointment could be moved to a later time as the time booked conflicted with literally the one plan we had for the weekend - a lunch reservation at Hell's Kitchen.

He walked fast and realized he had to slow down from his normal crazy pace to escort us at a more comfortable pace, and then talked to the hostesses at the restaurant once we arrived. That didn't seem to do much because we still had to then check-in with them, and he left us there. The hostess confirmed we were checked in and indicated to wait for our name to be called. As we returned from dinner, the butler stopped us and advised that there were no other available times for the massage, so I asked him then to just cancel.

I felt quite burned by the cost of the 6 pack and the time it took to get, and the fact that the massage had been booked without my consent, so I decided I was probably pretty close to done using this butler service. I mean, I guess the assumption is people booking this room have money to burn so it would be fine, but to me, the room was one thing but the service was just not worth it. I knew the coffee was still scheduled for the morning and decided to let that be, but dreading seeing how much that was going to set me back.

Indeed, very timely, Joey came just before 8 am, and let himself in while we were still in bed. He set up the coffee pot with the requested creamer and sugars and the works, along with that lovely bill. I think it was about $40. We mulled about and I checked my email and saw one massage appointment was cancelled but nothing on the second or the couples' massage fee.

So, later that morning, since we had our lunch reservation at 11:45 at Hell's Kitchen, I used the bowtie to call and first ask about canceling the other massage - to which the operator thankfully said she had noticed that and had already confirmed both were cancelled - and then to confirm that they could come do the housekeeping and spa maintenance around that time since we'd be leaving for lunch.

As we walked down the hall leaving for lunch, the housekeeper asked if she could go in now and I confirmed yes we were out for a while.

We didn't realize the butler would bring coffee the second morning, but he did, and just in time because my beau was about to call for it anyways.

So on the butler thing, I would say, things were not very clear, I was not happy with the speed or communication and feel quite burned by what I was told and what actually happened. If you don't care about wasting hundreds of dollars, it was convenient to have someone to go get things - I imagined sending them off to get my frozen Baja Blast with tequila at the Taco Bell Cantina across the street and getting a pie from Secret Pizza so we don't have to stand around and wait for it - but to me it just wasn't worth it.

Experiencing the Amenities

I've already put some commentary into my description of the space, so here I'll just do some highlights and lowlights. 

Bathtub filing from ceiling

Detail of bathtub

On the plus side, I fell in love with the bathtub in the master bathroom - and I am a self-proclaimed connoisseur of bathtubs. It was the perfect shape, and very easy to move around and get comfortable in, even for someone of my (larger) size. While my beau didn't join me, it seemed like there was plenty of room for two to sit on opposing sides and intermingling legs, and that would be very comfortable, even with the water running since the water filled from the ceiling in the center of the tub. The only drawback was that I never got the jets to work, I ended up turning on the steamer by accident trying to get the jets going - steamer was cool but was unequivocally not the jets I was hoping for.

Massive shower

I also thoroughly enjoyed the shower in the master bathroom. Again, with room enough for two (or more, my goodness), it had not one but two massive rainfall shower heads, and then a handheld sprayer in the middle, along with a spacious bench, and a steamer/sauna feature. I turned it all on and had a glorious shower, even using the bench to shave my legs not because I really needed to shave but because I wanted to see how comfortable it was to do so, and it was absolutely perfection. The water was plenty hot and I had to turn it down from scorching, and eventually made the water cool as the steamer warmed up my body. I think it is probably the closest thing to a perfect dream bathroom that I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing or even seeing.

Plunge pool with obstructed view

On the downside, I guess the plunge pool is really just a heated pool and not really a hot tub per se. The timer only went up to 30 minutes and anyone who knows me well knows I can spend hours and hours in a hot tub or bath, so a 30 minute timer meant I had the leave the relative warmth to brave the cold and wind to turn it back on again. And when my beau joined me, he pointed out that it really wasn't that hot - it was warm enough to be comfortable but it was so cold outside that the relative warmth wasn't enough to keep all of our bodies warm when parts were sticking out. The view was very boring, I wish we could have been more a part of the party at the Marquee Dayclub like the website advertised. Not a single person seemed to have spotted us, given the large tent that blocked 95% of the view, and more importantly, we couldn't watch unless we were at just the right angle, but we were subjected to the music in the tub and in the room.

View of TV and fountains from couch

The other upstairs outdoor space was quite nice, as I mentioned earlier, I would have spent more time there had it not been so cold. But given that the bungalows are all on the 17th floor, we couldn't see the new Sphere like I could from my favorite (much more affordable) rooms with the fountain view. Additionally, the furniture wasn't oriented to view the fountains so I had to move things around to get the right view. It was cool that there was a TV out there.

Watching TV in bed was very comfortable, and I liked the ability to turn everything off with one button so I didn't feel bad leaving stuff on all night or running up and down the stairs to turn things off.

We were also warned that music from Marquee Nightclub & Dayclub can be heard from inside of the Bungalow, which was absolutely true during the Dayclub - the TV couldn't drown out the sound, but thankfully we really couldn't hear the Nightclub when we wanted to sleep. See the "IMPORTANT NOTE" at the bottom of this post for all the warnings that came with this room.

Another warning was that outside food and beverage is strictly not permitted on the property, which the butler almost immediately refuted and proved to be inaccurate from my experience also, so don't worry about that one.

Conclusion

I love the Cosmopolitan and despite some setbacks, it will still remain my favorite hotel in Las Vegas. I will likely not book this room again in the foreseeable future, but I am glad I did it this one time. The only caveat to that statement is that I will be forever reminiscing and pining for that freaking bathtub and shower - they truly were the stars of the show and made my weekend, as weird as that may sound - at least until I can build my dream house to include a bathroom with those dimensions and amenities almost to a tee. I often joke that I don't care to travel as much these days because my home amenities are so luxurious, and this is one example where that proves to be false, at least when it comes to the master bathroom. If you are going to Vegas to go out and do things, I don't think the room is worth it - this is a really a room you want to be spending your time in, not out.

The butler service was a fun but very expensive bit of an experience, and I guess on the whole I liked it, but in all the ways that I am spendy, I am also frugal when it comes to excessive fees and I felt like they went too far with this one for me to fully enjoy and appreciate it.

Appendix

Is that a thing one does for blog posts? I'm going with it; here are details of the package options and the warnings.

Package A:

LIQUOR PACKAGE
Your choice of two (2) of the following bottles:
- 1 Bottle of Vodka
- 1 Bottle of Bourbon
- 1 Bottle of Whiskey
- 1 Bottle of Tequila

Package B:
WINE & CHAMPAGNE PACKAGE
The Wine & Champagne Package includes all three of the below:
- 1 bottle of Champagne
- 1 bottle of White Wine
- 1 bottle of Cabernet

Package C:
SOFT BEVERAGE PACKAGE
Includes the below, non-alcoholic beverages
- 8 Sodas
- Freshly tapped coconuts
- 10 Fiji Waters
- 2 Fresh Juices


IMPORTANT NOTE:
-Bungalow Suites are located next to the Marquee Nightclub & Dayclub, and please note that everyone must be 21 or older to be in the room

-Bungalow Suites do not offer direct access to Marquee Nightclub or Dayclub

-Music from Marquee Nightclub & Dayclub can be heard from inside of the Bungalow during Marquee’s business hours. Please visit their website for current hours of operation

-Incidental deposit of $1,000 per night will be collected at check-in. Any unused portion is refunded at check out

-Outside food and beverage is prohibited in all rooms and suites

-Limit of 10 people inside the Bungalow at a time; Maximum 3 guests for sleeping

-The suite will be provided with Butler Service, and outside food and beverage is strictly not permitted on the property - we would be most happy to provide you with a menu to order appetizers and beverages upon request.

-Please understand there are no exceptions to these guidelines

Arcosanti for Today

Just about an hour north of Phoenix, Arizona, is a little aspirational community known as Arcosanti.  The self-proclaimed urban experiment is, among people who do know of it, generally a bucket list item, something to do at some point in time.  Having lived in the Phoenix area for over 14 years, and knowing I'd be moving to the east coast in June, my visit to the place was long overdue.  Jaiman and I stayed overnight in the modest accommodations, where frugality is not only the name of the game, it's a point of pride.  The community, made up of about 100 residents and seminar students at any given point in time, survives on the sale of their products, namely the Soleil Bells, as well as tours, experiences and donations.  Having broken ground in 1970 in the hopes of building a community of 5000, their own film admitted that the experiment had barely scratched the surface of its original intent.  A proof of concept it is not, but that doesn't mean we can't learn from it. 

To give you an idea of how the community works, I'd like to share our experience.  I booked our stay via phone; I was hoping for the Sky Suite but that had already been booked for the date I wanted, so I settled for a small room with a shared bathroom.  The turn off the freeway was clearly marked, and soon we were on a dirt road headed to Arcosanti.  Being the Pokemon Go players we are, our phones were grabbing for signal and showing us what Pokemon sites awaited us - a gym at the fork in the dirt road, and a one Pokestop.  We checked in at about 4:30, just before the Visitor's Center closed at 5.  Since we missed the tours for the day, we didn't know much about the place, but the resident welcoming us at the Visitor's Center was warm and welcoming, and told us everything we needed to know for our stay.  Our room was a whopping $40, and she took my payment via credit card.  We were directed to drive further down the dirt road to the guest rooms, a road that my low-clearance Chevy Volt did not love, but ultimately handled sufficiently.  Our key was clearly marked with "E" for our room, and once we parked, we faced a

large auditorium-style structure cascading down from the rooms, each level having different things like plants, water features, etc.  An easier staircase was on the side, but we initially walked straight up the structure to our room.  Before even opening the door, Jaiman noticed a wasp on the inside of the window.  We managed to shoo the first one, but there were actually three more.  While trying to figure out what to do, I took stock of the room.  A small bed took up the majority of the space, with a small desk, a small wardrobe, and a small sink taking up most of the rest.  The door to the bathroom was open, so I initially didn't think it was a shared bathroom as I had thought, but then noticed another door going into the bathroom.  The bathroom was tiny as well, with just a curtain separating the shower from the toilet, and just soap in the shower.  There were towels on the bed for us.  I looked for a fly swatter, or a decent analog, but nothing suitable was to be found.  I decided that there wasn't much for us to do about the wasps, so we got ready to go to dinner.  As I was locking up, a resident/staff member came by and asked if everything was okay.  I pointed out our unwanted visitors, and he jumped into action, grabbing toilet paper from the bathroom and snatching the little buggers like nothing.  We learned that he was the head chef, which was a great example of how people at Arcosanti take on multiple tasks. 

Feeling relieved of our wasp problem, we headed towards dinner, and wandered around a bit since we got to the cafe early.  Dinner was an "honor code" $10 per person, so I placed a $20 in the honor box as we took our place in line at the

buffet.  Dinner was potroast tacos with rice, beans and lettuce.  It wasn't terrible, but I've definitely had better $10 meals.  There wasn't much in the way of drinks, but the water was fine and hydration is a good thing, especially since we had spent some time earlier in the day in the scorching sun.  There was wifi in the whole community, but it was definitely strongest in the cafe.  I noticed several people on laptops and phones, differentiating Arcosanti from the Amish-style perspective I had in at least this one way.  

One of the girls on a longer-term stay with a large group was celebrating a birthday, so the staff brought out "lemon lemony brownies" and we sang Happy Birthday to her.  As we cleared our plates, there was relatively clear directions to put napkins and food in the compost bucket, and then separate dishes and silverware into their own buckets for expeditious collecting and cleaning.  Very little actual "garbage" was generated, because the napkins are compostable.  Pretty cool!  But, while we were clearing our plates, Jaiman was questioned about paying, and he said that we had already paid.  So much for the honor system; there were definitely times when I felt like this place is just asking for money because it's clearly not getting enough to sustain itself. 

After dinner, we caught a few rare Pokemon and then went back to our room for a little down time.  No wasps this time around, but there was a spider and a few small gnats, as well as rolly pollies in the bathroom.  Ah well, "better than

camping" I always say, even if just marginally so.  While laying on the bed, I could better examine the custom roof pattern produced by painting the sand prior to laying the concrete, or something like that.  We walked around a bit more, and attempted some stargazing, although the moon was actually too bright to get a good view of stars.  I was struck by something I couldn't quite put my finger on, but my tour guide the next day described aptly: "You get a sense of both ancient ruins and space-age architecture."  Indeed, while the giant circular and spherical structures are so unique and modern-esque, there is something very sexy and inspiring about them, parts of Arcosanti seem to be crumbling and decaying. 

As we walked around, we encountered an animal noise that wasn't immediately familiar, and soon found the source: small frogs were singing noisily to one another.  I think that was Jaiman's favorite part.  We caught a few more Pokemon, then went back to our spider- and bug-infested room, where Jaiman, uncomfortable, never really settled in. 

A rough night of sleep past, and we got up to go to breakfast.  Though it was just a short hike up the hill to the cafe, I was a bit winded, which I blame on the high altitude combined with my allergies.  The food was minimal: toast, cereal, bagels, and OJ.  Jaiman noted that there was a fee and asked if we needed to pay or show our room key.  I figure, unless someone questions us, I'm not going to offer, because breakfast was included with our stay and I shouldn't have to justify getting breakfast.  Luckily, nobody questioned us this time.  We went back to our room, and opted out of showering in that awful little bathroom, but instead got ready and packed up.  Jaiman drove us back up the long, nasty dirt road to the Visitor's Center.  Handing my key to the gentleman at the front desk, I checked us out and inquired about the tour.  Now, again, I was pretty sure that the tour was included with a stay, but he emphasized that there's a "suggested donation" of $10 per person for the tour, which pretty much seemed like a requirement. 
The tour started with a 13-minute video about the architect, the theologies and the construction of Arcosanti.  Then we met our tour guide, Coleen, who works in ceramics and has lived there for 9 years, raising her 6 year-old-son and home schooling him here at Arcosanti.  Throughout the tour, it was clear that she was passionate about the philosophy and lifestyle embedded in Arcosanti, and was excited that "things are happening" - improvements are being made and new life is being breathed into the place.  There wasn't a lot on the tour that I didn't already know, but I did find some funny contradictions.  Having just raved about the great way the architecture cools itself during the summer and warms itself during the winter, she pointed out that the archived room did have an air conditioner because it was necessary to keep it at a temperature that could not be achieved with the Arcosanti ways.  She showed us the multi-use areas, where there would be store-fronts on the base floor, residential on the second floor, all around the ampitheater, but pointed out that the store-fronts were not completed.  The iconic apse, a quarter-sphere hollowed out to create a self-regulating climate, was actually much less effective than the vaults, so much so that temporary shade was added to the iron apse because it must just get too hot in that workspace otherwise.  I loved her passion, but she kept emphasizing frugality, and it just made me think that they were living like they were poor for the sake of being novel in their minimalism, rather than proving a practical, successful lifestyle. 

I was surprised to learn that employees / residents are required to work 40 hours towards Arcosanti, and then can spend their spare time on their own creative projects.  I realize that, with the lack of a commute, these people do, in theory, have more time, but the work here is generally much harder work, and it is a small hike to and from your residence, workplace and the cafe, so I would think it would be a pretty exhausting lifestyle.  I guess I was thinking that this place should be more efficient and have a higher quality of life, so work would be less than a typical daily grind in the city, but alas, it seems pretty brutal.  I've been moderately obsessed with the idea of using technology efficiencies to reduce the workweek, both in number of hours per day and in workdays. 

After the tour completed, we were pretty much over this place, and headed to our next destination: Rock Springs Cafe for amazing pie! 

I had several observations while staying and on the tour.  Our tourguide emphasized frugality in their lifestyles, but I don't think of urban life as a frugal

life.  In fact, urban life in my mind is quite the opposite: it's eating out at fancy places, going to the theater, taking taxis, and living in expensive properties.  At Arcosanti, they focused on recycling, composting, farming, using gray water, collecting rain water, and using solar techniques to warm and cool living spaces, in addition to using solar panels for electricity.  While most of those things aren't mutually exclusive from typical urban living, I don't think they exemplify the goal of the urban experiment.  Alternatively, I would propose that you use these things to subsidize a luxury life to make luxury living affordable to more people.  For example, if our city buildings could heat and cool themselves using techniques similar to those deployed at Arcosanti, with zero or minimal use of electricity, gas and firewood, then your high-end downtown apartment becomes that much more affordable.  Growing a few things at home could help subsidize groceries or meals out on the town.  You don't have to have goats, chickens and large agricultural fields to survive in an urban environment.  In fact, I'm motivated to grow herbs, lettuce and peppers at home mainly because when I buy those things at the grocery store, most of it goes bad before I use it.  That doesn't mean I'm going to settle for 40-year-old sofas and chairs that have been sliced up. 

One of the great benefits of this little community is that, because travel by car is discouraged by the infrastructure, we ended up walking a lot, up and down inclines and stair cases.  This is a great way to essentially force ourselves to increase our activity level without the need for FitBit competitions.  Indeed, I got more steps before breakfast than during a typical work day if I'm not intentionally getting up to walk.  By creating an environment that is accessible by foot, we naturally walked more, which is generally a very good thing. 
Another aspect that I liked about Arcosanti was the mixed-use buildings.  I think the best example was the ceramics apse, where obviously ceramics is the primary use, but the pit could be covered up and it could instantly transform into an ampitheater for performances.  The rooms immediately surrounding the ceramics studio were related to the ceramic making process, but the next level up was living quarters.  I would love to live where I could look down unto a theater and/or workshop of some sort, not to mention the great landscape beyond the immediate foreground. 

As life has it, there was a moment the day of our Arcosanti stay that was unrelated to Arcosanti - we were leaving the Aloha Festival at Tempe Town Lake, where my sunblocked skin was burning under the piercing sun (and it's only March!!).  As we were leaving, a lady behind us was commenting positively on the festival, with the caveat of that, "I'm convinced that the whole state of Arizona needs to invest in a giant sunshade over the state."  Obviously, it's an impractical recommendation, but the idea behind it is fair.  Here I was, having slathered on sunblock not two hours ago, and feeling my skin burning so bad that I needed aloe later that night.  The setting of the Aloha Festival just had too little shade, making it incredibly uncomfortable for thousands of people who

would have probably otherwise stayed longer, spent more money, enjoyed themselves more fully, etc.  What was probably the most novel aspect of Arcosanti were the vaults, which shaded the open-air, concrete-floored area in the summer and allowed sun light to penetrate the concrete and warm the space in the winter.  In fact, the lines on the ground showed where the sun reaches during the winter, summer, spring and fall solstices.  The advantage was immediately clear - we could get out of the sun when we need to, and soak up its warmth when we'd be chilly otherwise.  Tempe Town Lake could definitely use a structure like this, or at least, a massive shade to emulate it's effects.
Given that Arcosanti funds its construction primarily through its sales, and this obviously is not a prosperous means of funding given the lack of progress that has been made since 1970, it's easy to think of the experiment as a failed one.  But many of the ideas, primarily the fight against urban sprawl, are picking up steam in other places.  Fittingly, I had just watched this TedTalk about how to make our cities more walkable the day before our visit to Arcosanti.  This doesn't show signs of the frugality and hippie-esque culture of Arcosanti, but it does make for a better, more livable, safer and happier type of urban living. 

All of these ideas are giving me great inspiration for our move to Connecticut, where I am considering a car-less commute and day-to-day lifestyle, either taking the train to work or biking/walking (Jaiman will keep his car for his commute and/or road trips).  In this way, I plan to make my own, far less extreme, Arcosanti for Today, my own little utopia approximation.