Unless you really like winter sports, this time of year the greatest place to be is Arizona. I know Arizona’s been taking a lot of hits lately, but the weather In January and February is why Arizona has a major tourism influx.
Daytime temperatures get into the 70ºs (Fahrenheit) and the sun is shining. Soon, we’ll have a profusion of flowers – yes, it really can flower in the desert! (more…)
A few weeks ago, I promised to tell about the images on my new web site, Hiking.fortheCouchPotato.com That’s – Hiking for the Couch Potato – -http://hiking.forthecouchpotato.com
Head over there now! (I’ll wait!) http://hiking.forthecouchpotato.com
Take a quick look at image number 4 at the top of the page (just scroll over) and you’ll see a reddish, sandstone rock that seems to have some people tucked in an opening.
Okay, now that you’ve seen that truly unusual natural development, wouldn’t you like to know where it is?
That image is the closest of the four to my home in Arizona.
It’s – Papago Park in the Phoenix, Arizona area. Of the many natural formations in the central Arizona area, Papago Park allows visitors to come and hike up (from the area behind the photo you’re seeing) and look out at the world. The walk is not too challenging, but since it’s terraced with some built in “stairs,” it would be tough for someone in a wheelchair. However, most other people would be able to walk up to see the view.
Papago Park also is well-located, as it is near both the Phoenix Zoo and Desert Botanical Garden. Plan a day seeing all of those sights if you’re planning to come to Arizona.
And, despite the bad press Arizona is getting these days about guns, most of us are not gun-toting, wild west types spoiling for a fight. You can expect to be treated well here as some of the most luxurious hotels and exotic scenery of the US southwest is right here in the Phoenix area. And, the majority of people are well- behaved, law-abiding citizens.
Sometimes you really want some splendid photos to show everyone. The Phoenix ZooLights event, which is just finishing for the season, is one such event where you really want to show everyone the array of colors and light that are an annual holiday display.
Evolution of lights
Changing lights
Changing again
And changing yet again
While this is not a worldclass destination in itself, Riverview Park, in Mesa, Arizona is one more place to kick back when you’re visiting Phoenix, Arizona.
Sometimes, it is just a good idea to relax, take a walk and enjoy nature.
If you are visiting the desert, it is surprising to find that there are actually spots with water and ducks.
Ducks, ducks, ducks!
Riverview Park - a small park with water, picnic areas and playground
(Riverview Park is located in Mesa at Dobson Road and 8th Street.)
And, if birds are your thing, head to see another park that has an even greater area and an abundance of birds, the Riparian Preserve in Gilbert, Arizona.
See more on my other website,
http://hiking.forthecouchpotato.com/hiking/
(We have had some “technical difficulties” and the website is not quite as complete as we had hoped, but you can check this link and see three great images.)
I promised to tell you about the images on my new Website, Hiking for the Couch Potato – http://hiking.forthecouchpotato.com.
So, take a peek at the site and look at the second image near the top. When you do, you’ll see an almost other-worldly location where the rocks have encircled a watery, breathtakingly beautiful lake. If you look really carefully, you’ll even see a mountain with snow on it off in the distance.
Where is it?
The shot is of Granite Dells, just north of Prescott, Arizona at Watson Lake. It’s a park, a picnic place and a fabulous place to hike. There is a small entrance fee, but just sharing the view is worth it!
Take a look at our previous blog on this site that tells you more. http://traveltipsandadventures.com/?p=1687
Enjoy! We certainly have and we’ve been back several times.
When you’ve finished visiting Old Town Scottsdale and Scottsdale Fashion Center, there is more shopping up the road! Shopping in Scottsdale could be a daily experience for weeks and you might still not see everything!
Traveling up Scottsdale Road, you see other major retailers like Crate & Barrel, restaurants like Cheesecake Factory, and several shopping plazas. Although it might seem counterintuitive with Arizona’s months of extreme heat, most of the newer shopping locations are open air centers where you travel outside from shop to shop.
A street in Kierland Commons
If you love to shop, Scottsdale is the mecca. Everything from high-end couture to kitsch is yours for the price. The shopping areas are reminiscent of everything from the old west to modern America to an Italian courtyard. Let’s start with “Old Town” – (more…)
Even people who can’t play a note will find a trip to the Musical Instrument Museum a fascinating exploration of music, cultures and instruments. A new museum near Scottsdale in Northern Phoenix, Arizona, it is not quite six months old. The facility itself shows vision, with large spacious galleries, engaging displays and musical instruments of every description – everywhere.
When you arrive, you pay your admission fee ($15 per person for adults) and are handed a set of headphones with a transmitter. Unlike some museums, the music follows you. No need to turn the receiver on or off if you arrive at a display and your timing is off.
Gorgeous inlaid floor with the continents - entrance to a Mim gallery
Previously, we’ve visited Scottsdale in this blog, but we have some new items to share and some new perspectives. Scottsdale really is a state of mind, like being in Boca Raton or Palm Springs.
Trendy Kazimierz World Wine Bar calls itself a speakeasy and has its entrance around the back!
Until we spent part of a day in Payson after visiting Tonto Natural Bridge (see previous blog two weeks ago), we had just been through Payson on our way to other places. It is the junction for Arizona State Routes 87 and 160, and about equidistant between Flagstaff and Phoenix, so it was just a place to fuel our car and keep going. We’re glad we stopped by this time, though!
With a population (at last count) of over 13,000, they are a giant metropolis in comparison to Strawberry and Pine, the neighbor burgs we visited the same day. There is more of everything, but the scenic backdrop of the mountains gives everything the “aah” factor. You can relax in Payson. It’s that kind of place.
There is shopping along the main street, including the Swiss Village shops which a resident we met at the Natural Bridge told us not to miss. We missed it, because we weren’t there for shopping. We just wanted to see what it was like for someone visiting and looking for scenery. (more…)
