Finding Time In Arizona
Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass
Traveling for business has always been a challenge to me. I get anxious to go out and explore the city and I usually come back exhausted. This time I had the pleasure of staying at the Wild Horse Pass Resort in Chandler, Arizona. A major benefit of staying at the Wild Horse Pass Resort was that there was no city life to get caught up in. I didn't have to worry about getting to see "all the sights". I would then regret my actions at the end of the day while my feet and body remind me of how old my drivers license says I am. I was, however, able to take a quick stroll but it was a bit more relaxing than a walk through the city.
When traveling on business (non photography related) my whole day and evening is filled with classes and dinners and it doesn't make sense to gear up with a full frame camera and carry it around. So what did I do? I carried the Sony RX100 iv and I still enjoyed the benefit of shooting manual and in RAW format. I was able to keep my camera on me at all times (in my pocket) and get some great captures in between classes. Walking around the resort was relaxing as there were plenty of spots to just sit outside and relax.
There was plenty to do if you wanted to keep busy. Some were constantly sunning at the pool basking in this dry heat; while others found comfort at the bar in the air conditioning. My favorite was enjoying a Romeo y Julieta 1875 Reserva Real cigar while sitting outside relaxing at the end of the evening. The balcony seemed like a nice place to get away from everyone if you wanted and still enjoy the Arizona weather or you could hang out at one of the fire pits. Definitely a great place to relax and enjoy nature.
A cool feature of the Wild Horse Pass Resort was Rawhide, the western town. The town had a welcoming feel to it and they even offer hay rides and a petting zoo. The event I was attending did not bring out the hay rides and petting zoo since there weren't any children or families to entertain. My favorite was the blacksmith shop, they ware busy making custom branding irons for visitors but still made time to show us their processes.
Next time you have a quick trip that you know you won’t get a chance to carry all your fun gear with you. Maybe consider a cool little point and shoot. I chose one that was a little over the top but I really enjoy the benefits of shooting raw format and in a full manual mode.
Thanks for reading, more posts to come and more often.
Note:
The resort’s official name is Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass. Its located in Chandler AZ and was about a 30 minute cab ride from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Check them out: http://www.wildhorsepassresort.com
