concierge corner - september 2008

Johnny Fenton, M.A.
Concierge, Omni Tucson National Golf Resort & Spa

Each day the southern Arizona sun rises on new visitors to cactus country who’re looking for the scoop on its diverse charms and amusements. The concierges are often a key to finding answers to guests’ questions – both basic and bizarre! Our tourists’ most frequent queries and these area travel authorities’ replies will appear in this column.

Q. Can you recommend some eclectic shops where we can find gifts from Arizona that are funky, maybe locally crafted, but not touristy?

A. Visitors are often on the prowl for trinkets that are unique to the area—some treasure that they can’t find in every other state as well as Lithuania, Liechtenstein or Luxembourg. (My husband has a book that tells me when and where I can go shopping. It’s called a checkbook!)

Pieces bought at a museum store are reasonably priced, authentic, generally come with a guarantee and often unique (unlike retails stores who buy from the same wholesaler.) Here volunteers with a passion for their duties often create a personal shopping experience unequaled elsewhere. Then there is the good will factor in knowing your shopping dollars contribute to a worthy cause because most museum shops turn excess revenue back into the museum’s operating budget. And an occasional funky shop is fun where you can emerge hours later with a thingamajig that you’ve toyed with for twenty minutes and wished you were telepathic so you could hypnotize a friend into buying this very gadget and wrap it up for you.

Northern Arizona Prescott’s Sharlot Hall Museum Shop (photo on right) (928) 445-3122 at 415 W. Gurley St. keeps Upper Canada gardener lotion at $13.99, copper beaded frames at $22, white smocked nightshirts for $49 an painted glass by Joan Baker for $199 as well as aviation calendars, toys and artwork. Antler Attic (928) 368-4460 at 1672 E. White Mountain Blvd. in Lakeside is an antler emporium where Geno or Bernard can help you select the antler chandelier, floor or table lamp, coat rack, bench, candle holders or sling shot for you, crafted from elk, white tail or mule deer. It’s truly a stop-and-see spot in this pine-topped region. The Sedona Heritage Museum (928) 282-7038 at 735 Jordan Rd. carries beadwork and opal, silver with turquoise and semi-precious stones ($5-$40), a horseshoe wreath, prickly pear cactus jelly, Southwestern jewelry, books, puzzles, stuffed animals and movies made in Sedona.

Central Arizona The Heard Museum, (602) 252-8848, has a central location in Phoenix at 2301 N. Central Ave. as well as satellite shops in Scottsdale and Surprise. Here you can find everything from a Heard Museum pencil for $1 to a kachina doll for $26,000. Jewelry, pottery, basketry, textiles, paintings and sculpture representing the Native Americans of the Southwest abound. The Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (480) 874-4666 at 7374 E. Second St. displays faux computer key buttons with comedic sayings for $3 as well as Alessi stainless steel plates designed by Ali Alice for $325. Also popular are Oaxacan wood art, C Ds, contemporary jewelry and miniature reproductions of designer chairs for $30. Adornments (480) 488-1632 at 34505 N. Scottsdale Rd. is an eclectic and ethnic owner-operated hot in El Pedregal featuring hand painted furniture, Peruvian trunks, Mexican and Moroccan jewelry, scarves and handbags by local artists, with “Wine and Jazz Sundays” 1-4 p.m.

Southern Arizona The Tucson Museum of Art (520) 624-2333 in the Barrio Historico downtown Tucson at 140 N. Main Ave., has hand-thrown ceramic “Little Pots” by Tucson artist Galen Miller for $6 among its great finds. Postcards of the Tucson area are 5 for $1 while a natural coral and silver necklace by Laurie and Lisa design sells for $960 next to glass, fabric, wood sculpture and recycled art. The gift shop in the largest private air museum in the U.S., The Pima Air and Space Museum (520) 574-0462 at 6000 E. Valencia Rd., model airplane enthusiasts can find a phenomenal selection of painted mahogany and dye cast aircraft models, puzzles, DVDs, adult A-2 jackets and children’s aviator jackets, military logo wear of all types and Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard Monopoly. Details Art & Design (520)577-1995 at 3001 E. Skyline Dr. in Gallery Row. Enjoy “Mimosa Sundays” 12 -3 p.m. at this owner-operated nook of niceties with a clever twist including handmade star books (mother-father, grandparent and puppy themes) Oaxacan folk art, mousetrap egg timers, abstract chandeliers, table lamps and seat belt chairs! The Tombstone Courthouse Gift Shop (520) 457-3311 at 2223 Toughnut St. stocks non-fiction books about Tombstone and Cochise County, natural history and Native Americans of the Southwest, copper ornaments, cowboy cookie cutters, desert puzzles and decks of card featuring law enforcement officers and famous outlaws of the West as well as Faro playing cards. (Here my favorite find is an Army wives cookbook!)

[Johnny Fenton—a 29-year resident of Arizona—is past President of the Southern Arizona Concierge Network, National Concierge Association member and freelance writer.]