Architecture

Quest for Our Desert Home

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For several months, we have been talking about ways to relocate to Arizona as soon as possible. Up to this point, it has been all talk. Over the weekend we decided to take some action by heading to Arizona (very soon) to shop for a home there.

I went on line to see currently available homes in the area where we are most likely to settle. I am pleasantly surprised to see how affordable homes are over there. I worked out the numbers and I do believe we can be in a position to shop, make an offer and get into a home this year – maybe this summer.

Our California house is quite large – four bedrooms, three baths, large family room, two stories – space we used to need when we were raising a family. Now, in retirement, it’s just overkill. We figure to get into a single story, two or three bedroom with a two car garage and space to store the RV.

The one in the picture above came from one of the real estate websites. It’s an example of the class of home and Santa Fe styling we both like a lot.

Catalina’s Casino Gets a Facelift

casino-shroud.jpgOne of our favorite landmarks on Santa Catalina is currently undergoing a ‘face-lift’ to restore the exterior. A large drape has been installed around the building to protect the renovation from the elements and to suppress construction dust while the work is being done.

The same company that restored the landmark Villa Riviera Hotel to it’s early 20th century magnificence will be doing the work. The cost of the update is estimated to be around three-quarters of a million dollars. The Santa Catalina Island Company decided to upgrade and restore the historic Casino’s exterior to its original 1920s splendor.

We hope that the work will be done in time for our annual pilgrimage to the island where we got married. Our vacation to Avalon usually occurs in the middle of September.

The image above (click to enlarge) is courtesy of the Catalina Webcam.

You can read the complete story at California’s Boating and Fishing site, The Log.

Pinal County Courthouse

This beautiful 19th century brick and wood structure dominates the center of picturesque Florence, Arizona. The Pinal County Courthouse is an artifact of the old west, built when Arizona was still a territory. It’s just beautiful! Click image to enlarge.

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