Day 18: AZ & (finally) CA

We made it! I got through most of the remainder of my AZ list. Then, after a big drive across the desert and over the mountains, we arrived in the San Diego area after dark. A lot of stuff to shoot here tomorrow. Including another (hopefully) brief trip back into Mexico to shoot a couple things in Tijuana.

The weather forecasters were wrong again. A beautiful day in Phoenix and for most of the day as we moved westward. Went to the Chaparral Dog Park in Scottsdale first thing in the morning and got everybody good and tired for awhile. An awesome place:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/chaparral-dog-park-scottsdale

I was shooting a mini golf in Scottsdale before it opened and saw lots of these wild rabbits. It seemed so sad that all these rabbits are being booted out of their habitats as the city expands ever outward into the desert. But on the other hand, these guys probably like having grass and easier-to-find grub around.



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Taking some pictures of an apartment building in Scottsdale, I noticed these oranges literally falling off the tree and decided to try one. More bitter than sweet. Grip and Fix were not at all interested in trying it. Nik made some faces when he ate his. And Grem just swallowed without question. I don't think she ever chews anything so probably never even tasted the thing. I was going to hold onto the remainder as a room freshener for the van. But I had to surrender it when crossing into California.



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I haven't had the time or energy to research this one but it appears to be a retro-y (made to look old) affair. Scottsdale is loaded with lots of interesting architecture.






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Scottsdale also has lots of these strangely contained rocks. I'm not sure what the significance of these are:



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Mesa has an annual outdoor art installation. Lots of fun statues of animals and people doing things. This was my favorite of the ones I got a chance to see:



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This little midcentury building in Phoenix must've had an entrance in front under the freestanding canopy originally:



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True diners are extremely rare outside the Northeast since that's where most of them were manufactured. This Phoenix building is a simulation -- and apparently, part of a chain:
http://www.5anddiner.com/



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I saw lots of recycled buildings and signage today. It's nice to see the pylons left alone even when the building below is subdivided into a million pieces:



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These two buildings are probably still identifiable -- but I don't know what they originally were used for. Perhaps the building at the right was the motel's attached restaurant?







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This one was probably not part of a chain -- but a neat A-frame nonetheless:



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I like the masculinity and hugeness of this big steakhouse sign:



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And lastly, as I prepared to settle in for the night in El Cajon -- there it was. A sign of positive things to come I think. We have arrived in Denny's-land! Although this location didn't have the spikey ball on top of the sign, it did have the boomerang roof.