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Important: TAKE NOTES.
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Market Mastery Trading Basics
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There are also 4 more complimentary trading videos you'll get your hands on over the next few days, too.
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Good Trading
Thursday, September 18, 2008
5 Recession Proof' Trading Attack Plans
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Is Your Phoenix New Home Really Green or Is It Efficient
Is Your Phoenix New Home Really Green or Is It Efficient
Different shades of green
Over the past six months, large-scale home builders have incorporated claims of environmental friendliness into their marketing efforts like never before.
Some of those claims are even backed by real improvements in design, construction and materials.
Still, home designers and builders who were green before green was gold say the mass-market version of their philosophy often misses the point. Philip Beere bristles when asked about mainstream home builders' recent appropriation of the word green.
Beere recently remodeled a 1960s home in central Phoenix to obtain the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold Certification, which is about as green as it gets.
"I think it's great that the big builders are getting on board to make a better home," said Beere, a green-leaning Scottsdale entrepreneur who formed Green Street Development in 2007 with proceeds from his successful cleaning business, Ecofresh Planet.
"However, it should be advertised for what it is, which is an efficient home, not a green home."
Sure, custom-home builders may be painting with a deeper shade of green, Shea Homes executives say, but their company has a much broader brush.
San Diego-based Shea Homes, one of the country's largest home builders, launched an initiative in January to reduce the overall carbon footprint - the carbon-based pollution caused by human activities - of each new home inside its Trilogy communities by 20 to 30 percent.
The homes also feature better ventilation, conserve more water and require less lumber to build, said Hal Looney, area president of Shea Homes Active Lifestyle Communities.
Though they do not meet all the Green Building Council's certification requirements, the overall reduction in environmental impact will be significant, he said.
"We're building a couple of thousand homes, so the impact will be a lot greater than four or five custom homes," Looney said.
Shea Homes estimates that over the next 10 years, the implementation of its Shea Green Certified Home program will save the equivalent of more than 8.5 million gallons of gasoline and have the same carbon-reducing effect as planting 1.9 million trees.
"It will be a better place for everybody," Looney said.
Arizona State University architect Daniel Glenn said he supports the efforts of mass-market home builders to reduce consumption of energy and natural resources, but being green is not that easy.
"It's really problematic to think about building green when you're talking about these large-scale bedroom communities," he said, "because large-scale bedroom communities are inherently not green."
Glenn, associate director of ASU's Stardust Center for Affordable Homes and the Family, said production home builders have developed a tendency to "green-wash" practices that actually contribute to the pollution problem.
The biggest problem has to do with where they are building homes: places like Trilogy at Vistancia, more than 30 miles from downtown Phoenix, in Peoria.
"The further out you go, the less green it is by definition," Glenn said, which is why the Green Building Council strongly encourages in-fill development and urban redevelopment.
"You can have the greenest home in the world, but if your commute is 20 to 30 miles, you're not living a green lifestyle."
But what if the homeowner drives a Toyota Prius, which gets up to 50 miles per gallon? Shea is including a new Prius with every Trilogy home, Looney said.
Again, Glenn applauded Shea for attempting to reduce the environmental impact of its remote location.
Still, he said commuting 30 miles each way in a Prius doesn't leave much time for community-building, another pillar of the green philosophy.
"Is people spending three hours a day in a car socially beneficial?" he said.
Valley real-estate analyst RL Brown said large home builders have avoided revolutionizing the industry to reduce the carbon footprint of their communities, because their customers have been far more concerned about price than environmental impact.
Beere plans to put his custom green-home project on the market next week at a list price of $882,680, enough money to buy two midrange Shea Green Certified homes.
But consumer attitudes about the value of conservation are changing, Brown said, due in part to rising energy costs and concerns about global climate change.
"I think we're going to see, finally, the coming of the green, with serious efforts and not just lip service," he said.
Looney said large builders such as Shea have the ability to make green homes affordable to the middle class by ordering enviro-friendly products in bulk and teaching contractors new techniques that conserve resources.
Glenn said frugal home buyers should consider paying a bit more for a home that will reduce their energy consumption, because no one knows what will happen to energy prices in the future.
"You can't get a 30-year, fixed-rate energy bill," he said.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Phoenix July 4th Events. Arizona 4th Of July Events
Phoenix July 4th Events. Arizona 4th Of July Events
Celebrate America: 6 p.m. June 29. Celebrate Independence Day with a patriotic concert featuring classic American rock music, and traditional patriotic songs. North Phoenix Baptist Church, 5757 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. Free. 602-707-5757. npbc.org.
Fourth of July Swing Dance Convention: 10 a.m. Thursday and Friday, 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, 6 p.m. Wednesday, July 2-6. Twelve swing-dancing workshops and 15 competitions. Featuring $16,000 in prize money and time for social dancing. Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa, 2400 E. Missouri Ave., Phoenix. $219 weekend hotel and pass; $110 weekend pass; $109 hotel; $15 Gary Jobst Workshop; $10 all other workshops; free social dancing. 800-598-2538. www.usaswingnet.com/phoenix/index.htm.
Light up the Sky: 7-10 p.m. July 3. The event will have rides, games, arts, crafts and fireworks. Maryvale Baseball Park, 3600 N. 51st Ave., Phoenix. Free. 602-262-6575. Map it
Rev, White and Boom: 6-9:30 p.m. July 3. Tour the raceway, enjoy entertainment and watch fireworks. Food, beverages and activities will be available. Phoenix International Raceway, 7602 S. Avondale Blvd., Avondale. Free admission. 623-333-2400. www.avondale.org/events.
West Valley
Magnificent Mondays: 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. June 30. Age 3 and older work on a Fourth of July project. Foothills Branch Library, 19055 N. 57th Ave., Glendale. Free. 623-930-3830. glendaleaz.com/library.
Independence Day: 6:30 p.m. July 3. Live music, food and activities. Fireworks set for 9:15 p.m. Bring a blanket. Estrella Lakeside Amphitheatre, 10300 S. Estrella Parkway, Goodyear. Free. 623-386-1000. http://www.ci.goodyear.az.us/.
Valley-wide
Fourth of July Jewelry Making: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. July 1. Use red, white and blue beads to make patriotic necklaces. Guadalupe Branch Library, 9241 S. Avenida del Yaqui, Guadalupe. Free. 602-652-3000. http://www.mcldaz.org/.
American Eagle Craft: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. July 2. Make crafts with toilet tissue. Guadalupe Branch Library, 9241 S. Avenida del Yaqui, Guadalupe. Free. 602-652-3000. http://www.mcldaz.org/.
Red, White and Blue Family Parade: 7:15 p.m. July 2. The parade features floats, scooters, bikes, kids and dogs. Paul Mason Sportsplex, 2525 N. Pinal Ave., Casa Grande. Free. 520-421-8677. www.cir.org/seasonal-fourth.html.
Annual Fireworks Celebration: 8:45 p.m. July 3. Watch the fireworks show overlooking the lake. Lake Pleasant Regional Park, 41835 N. Castle Hot Springs Road, Morristown. $5 per vehicle park entry fee; $2 per watercraft. 928-501-1710 or 602-372-7460. www.maricopa.gov/parks/EventsDetailPublishers.aspx?date=7/3/2008&eventID=6422.
Fourth of July Festivities: 6 p.m. Thursday, 7:30 a.m. Friday, July 3-4. Watch a youth talent show, followed by a street dance with the band Train Wreck Thursday. Friday activities include the Pets and People Parade at 7:30 a.m. and entertainment all day long. Fireworks start at dusk at the Paiz/Stone Complex. Veterans Memorial Park, 3105 E. Fry Blvd., Sierra Vista. Free. 520-266-2304. http://www.visitsierravista.com/.
Third of July Fireworks: 6 p.m. July 3. Live entertainment, outside barbecue, drink specials, and prizes. Reservations required, recommended time: 6-9 p.m. For all ages. Fireworks begin at 9 p.m. Harold's Cave Creek Corral, 6895 E. Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek. Free. 480-488-1906. http://www.haroldscorral.com/.
Fourth of July Barbecue: Thursday through Saturday, July 3-5. Barbecue meal to celebrate Independence Day. Reservations required. Call for times. JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa, 3800 W. Starr Pass Blvd., Tucson. $35; $15 children 10 and under. 520-792-3500. http://www.jwmarriottstarrpass.com/.
July 4-6
Phoenix
Freedom Wireless Fabulous Phoenix Fourth: 6-9:35 p.m. July 4. Kids rides, food court, scheduled events and fireworks at 9:15 p.m. Steele Indian School Park, 300 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. Free. 602-534-3378. phoenix.gov.
Fourth of July: Friday and Saturday, July 4-5. Featuring poolside activities for kids, spa and golf for adults, and an evening poolside movie of Ratatouille on July 4 and National Treasure: Book of Secrets on July 5. JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort and Spa, 5350 E. Marriott Drive, Phoenix. $169 per night; for guests only. 480-293-5000. desertridgeresort.com.
Scottsdale
Grand Ol' Fashioned Picnic: 5-7:30 p.m. July 4. Celebrate with old-fashioned games, patriotic arts and crafts, and watermelon, chili and pie-eating contests. Bring your homemade chili to be judged. Scottsdale Stadium, 7408 E. Osborn Road, Scottsdale. Free. 480-312-2771. www.scottsdaleaz.gov/events.asp.
July Fourth Celebration: 5-8 p.m. July 4. Tug-of-war, live music and crafts, watermelon eating contest and more. No fireworks. Eldorado Park, 2311 N. Miller Road, Scottsdale. Free. 480-312-2771.
Independance Day Bounce: 9-11 a.m. July 4. Flags, balloons and bouncing to celebrate the Fourth of July. BounceU, 8970 E. Bahia Drive, Suite 104, Scottsdale. $6.95 for first child; $5.95 for each sibling. 480-502-0210. http://www.bounceu.com/.
Freedom Parade: 8:30 a.m. July 4. Decorate your strollers, bicycles, skateboards, horses, pets, golf carts or wagons and participate in the parade, or go to watch. Mescal Park, 11015 N. 68th St., Scottsdale. Free. 480-991-7955 or 602-570-0303. www.scottsdaleaz.gov/Parks/neighborhood/mescal.asp.
East ValleyCBS5 July Fourth Tempe Town Lake Festival: 4-11 p.m. July 4. Seven hours of live music, inflatable village for all ages, and fireworks. Tempe Town Lake, Rio Salado Parkway and Mill Avenue, Tempe. $6; age 12 and younger are free. 480-350-8625. http://www.tempe4th.com/.
Hot Dog Theme Day: 1-3 p.m. July 4. Get a free hot dog to celebrate Independence Day. Kiwanis Park Wave Pool, 6111 S. All-America Way, Tempe. $6; $3 for age 2-12. 480-350-5740. www.tempe.gov/kiwanis.
Mesa's Fourth of July Celebration: 6 p.m. July 4. Entertainment and kiddie rides ending with fireworks at 9 p.m. Also offers food and drink for purchase. No bags, backpacks, coolers, fanny-packs or alcoholic beverages. Mesa Community College, 1833 W. Southern Ave., Mesa. $5 for parking and admission; $1 for admission if not parking on campus. 480-461-7000. http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/.
Independence Day Celebration and Fireworks Spectacular: 4 p.m. July 4. In addition to fireworks at 9:30 p.m., the event features live music, a kids carnival and a bike parade. Activities include a 35-foot waterslide, 24-foot rock-climbing wall, a dunk tank and water games. Tumbleweed Park, 2250 S. McQueen Road, Chandler. Free. 480-782-2735. http://www.chandleraz.gov/.
Fourth of July Celebration: 5:30 p.m. July 4. Features live music, a cowboy costume contest, a barbecue, decorated buggy rides, face painting and balloon sculpturing. Fireworks start at 9:30 p.m. Rawhide at Wild Horse Pass, 5700 W. North Loop Road, Chandler. $3-$65. 480-753-7676. www.rawhide.com.
Fourth of July Celebration and Anniversary Party: 11 a.m.-11 p.m. July 4. Families enjoy carnival games, prizes every 15 minutes, live music by the Weezul Brothers from 6-10 p.m. and hotdogs and hamburgers grilled outdoors. Benefits The Choir Boys of Arizona. Red, White & Brew, 4850 S. Gilbert Road, Chandler. Free. 480-305-6993. www.rwbaz.com. http://www.azchoirboys.org/.
Miss Chinese Environmental Contest: 4 p.m. July 4. Chinese community celebrates the fourth of July and a Miss Chinese Environmental contest with dinner. Contest begins at 5:30 p.m. Phoenix Preparatory Academy, 735 E. Fillmore St., Phoenix. $6 includes dinner. 602-321-1898.
West Valley
Fourth of July Celebration: 7 p.m. July 4. Celebration includes swimming, water slides, food, music, a patriotic program, a F-16 flyover by a Luke Fighter Squadron and fireworks. Free swimming at GCC pool begins at 1 p.m.; doors open for night events at 6 p.m.; fireworks at 8:40 p.m. Glendale Community College Community Pool, Glendale Community College 6000 W. Olive Ave., Glendale. Free. 623-930-2299. www.glendaleaz.com/events.
All-American Festival: 5-10 p.m. July 4. Kids zone, concessions, two stages of live music, fireworks and water activities. Fireworks begin at 9:15 p.m. No alcohol or glass containers are permitted. Peoria Sports Complex, 16101 N. 83rd Ave., Peoria. $5 for ages 13 and older. 623-773-7198. http://www.peoriaaz.com/specialevents/.
Road Racers 3: 6:30 a.m. July 4. 5K run and walk. Registration required. Rio Vista Community Park, 8866 W. Thunderbird Road, Peoria. $12. 602-954-8341. http://www.arizonaroadracers.com/.
Surprise's Fourth of July Celebration: 6-8:30 p.m. July 4. Enjoy live music, water zone and food. Surprise Recreation Campus, 15850 N. Bullard Ave., Surprise. $5 for children; $10 for adults. 623-266-4500. http://www.surpriseaz.com/.
Fourth of July Celebration: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. July 4. Splash Bash, food, music, F-16 flyover and fireworks. Litchfield Park, 214 W. Wigwam Blvd., Litchfield Park. Small fee for the Splash Bash. 623-935-5033. az-litchfieldpark.civicplus.com/index.asp?NID=106.
Star Spangled Arts and Crafts Booth: 6:30-8 p.m. July 4. Ages 2-12 celebrate the holiday making bug-themed arts and crafts. Goodyear Branch Library, Goodyear City Hall 190 N. Litchfield Road, Goodyear. Free. 602-652-3000. http://www.mcldaz.org/.
Star-Spangled Fourth: 6:30-10 p.m. July 4. Live music from Billy's Gone and Shallow Water. Food, beer garden, kids zone, and water rides. Fireworks at 9:35 p.m. Goodyear Community Park, 3151 N. Litchfield Road, Goodyear. $10 all you can ride kids' wristbands. Event is free. 623-882-7534. http://www.goodyearaz.gov/.
Valley-wide
Fourth of July Buffet: 6:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday through Sunday, July 4-6. Brunch features champagne mimosas, eggs Benedict, a waffle station, posole bar and chilequilles. Signature Grill, JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa 3800 W. Starr Pass Blvd., Tucson. $22; $11 for children. 520-792-3500.
Freedompalooza: 6 p.m. July 4. Event includes two stages with 10 bands, and a barbecue. Club Congress, Hotel Congress 311 E. Congress St., Tucson. $5. 520-622-8848. www.hotelcongress.com/club.
Sidewalk Egg-Fry Competition: noon July 4. Fry two eggs on a piece of aluminum foil on the sidewalk. Various prizes given. The event begins with the Ghostrider Gunfighters and takes place on Route 66. Oatman Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 423, Oatman. Free. www.oatmangoldroad.com/events.htm.
Old-Fashioned Fourth: 10 a.m.-noon July 4. Children enjoy games such as cake-walks, sack races, hula hoops, and rubber-duck ring toss. Tubac Presidio State Historic Park, 1 Burruel St., Tubac. Free. 520-398-2704. http://www.tubacaz.com/.
Fourth of July: 4 p.m. July 4. Bring a blanket or chair for a fireworks display. Food and beverage available. Tubac Golf Resort & Spa, 1 Otero Road, Tubac. $65 for VIP ticket, which includes special meal, seating and parking; $5 for parking. 520-398-3522 or 520-398-2704. http://www.tubacaz.com/
July Fourth Celebration: 9 a.m.-9:15 p.m. July 4. Parade starts at Fifth Street to Gila to Seventh Street, which is followed by a water fight at Lions Park. Entertainment and music continues all day with fireworks at 8:45 p.m. Benson, Benson. Free. 520-586-4293. http://www.bensonvisitorcenter.com/.
Fourth of July: 9 a.m. July 4. Coaster races down Tombstone Canyon begins the event. Between heats, the Bisbee Iron- Man Mile footrace starts at the Iron Man statue. A parade at 11 a.m. is in the Warren section. The contest of the traditional mining activities of mucking begins at 2 p.m. and hard-rock drilling at 4 p.m. at Brewery Gulch. Fireworks are at dark at Vista Park in Warren. Bisbee, Bisbee. Free. 520-432-6016. http://www.discoverbisbee.com/.
Fourth of July Softball Tournament: 9 a.m. July 4. Enjoy food and street entertainment after the tournament. Watch fireworks at dusk. Medigovich Field, Mountain View Road north of Arizona 80, Tombstone. Free. 520-457-3994.
Fire Over the Water: 4 p.m. July 4. Information, exhibits, kids activities, souvenirs, and raffle. Rubber duck race begins at 6 p.m. and fireworks at 8:30 p.m. Lyman Lake State Park, 11 miles south of St. Johns on U.S. 191, St. Johns. Free. 928-337-4441. http://www.pr.state.az.us/.
July Fourth Celebration: 10 a.m.-1 p.m. July 4. Clarkdale celebrates its Fourth of July with a parade at 10 a.m., a barbecue at the Verde Valley Railroad station at 11 a.m., and music by a Dixieland band at 12:30 p.m. Clarkdale, $7 for barbecue. 800-320-0718.
Firecracker Express: 1-5 p.m. July 4. Enjoy a patriotic train ride through the Verde Canyon. Verde Canyon Railroad, 300 N. Broadway Road, Clarkdale. $34.95-$79.95. 800-320-0718. http://www.verdecanyonrr.com/.
Rockets Over the River: 9 p.m. July 4. Fireworks over the Colorado River. Best viewing is along the river, south of the Laughlin Bridge. Bullhead City, Free. 702-298-2214. www.bullheadchamber.com/calendar.htm.
Fourth of July Family Day: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. July 4. Activities and games during open swim for all ages. Palm Island Family Aquatics Park, Carr-McNatt Park 1115 N. Brown Ave., Casa Grande. $1; 50 cents for age 17 and younger. 520-421-8650.
Fourth of July Family Day: 5 p.m. July 4. Old-fashioned celebration with food, games and live entertainment. Fireworks at 8 p.m. Paul Mason Sportsplex, 2525 N. Pinal Ave., Casa Grande. Free. 520-421-8677. www.cir.org/seasonal-fourth.html.
Prescott Rodeo Days Fine Arts and Crafts Show: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday through Sunday, July 4-6. Showcases more than 150 artists. On the lawn outside of the courthouse. Courthouse Square, Montezuma and Gurley streets, Prescott. Free. 928-443-5200. http://www.prescottdowntown.com/.
July Fourth at the Fort: 2 p.m. July 4. Event features kids zone, food-eating contests, limbo, and entertainment. Event for all ages, however contest participants must be age 21 and older. Fireworks at 9:45 p.m. Fort McDowell Casino, 10424 N. Fort McDowell Road, Fort McDowell Reservation. Free. 800-THE-FORT or 480-837-1424. http://www.fortmcdowellcasino.com/.
Red, White and Boom: 5-10 p.m. July 4. Fun booths, vendors, food, beer garden, music and fireworks. Old Home Manor Fields, 2100 Old Home Manor Drive, Chino Valley. Free. 928-636-9780. http://www.cv4th.com/.
Freedom Fest: 10 a.m. July 4. Start the day in the pool for open swim and water games before forming teams for the Mud Volleyball tournament. Also participate in the horseshoe tournament, and country-singing contest. A parade will begin at 6:45 p.m. Fireworks start at 8:30 p.m. Heritage Park, 600 N. Main St., Florence. $30 per volleyball team; $10 per horseshoe team; other events free. 520-868-7589. http://www.town.florence.az.us/.
Star-Spangled Spectacular: 6-11 p.m. July 4. Inflatable games, face painting, food, arts and crafts booth, and watermelon-eating contests. Fireworks start at 9 p.m. Ora Mae Harn Park, 13250 N. Lon Adams Road, Marana. Free. 520-382-1950. http://www.marana.com/.
Patagonia's Fourth of July: 11 a.m. July 4. Begin the day with a parade and hanging of Grand Marshall at the Town Gazebo. Also enjoy music, food and vendors in the park. Fireworks start at 8 p.m. at Patagonia High School. Omitted, Free. 888-794-0060. http://www.patagoniaaz.com/.
Independence Day Celebration: 6 p.m. July 4. Includes hot dogs, watermelon, a waterslide and music. Fireworks start with an F-16 flyover at 7:30 p.m. Tolleson Veterans Park, 8601 W. Van Buren Ave., Tolleson. Free. 623-936-7111. http://www.tollesonaz.org/.
Clint Black: 7:30 p.m. July 4. The country singer performs with Amy Scruggs. Held at the Stargazer Pavilion. Doors open at 6 p.m. Cliff Castle Casino, 555 W. Middle Verde Road, Yavapai-Apache Reservation. $35. 928-567-7999. http://www.cliffcastlecasino.net/.
Fourth of July: noon July 4. Dive for soda, candy and money in the pool. Activities include arts and crafts, bouncers, games and a DJ. Food available. Fireworks begin between 9-9:30 p.m. Kenilworth Sports Complex, 671 E. Coolidge Ave., Coolidge. Free. 520-723-4551. http://www.coolidgeaz.com/.
Fourth of July Weekend Side Trip: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday through Sunday, July 4-6. Experience a barbecue with dishes from various nations, including Korea, Spain and Thailand. Served from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. San Dominique Winery, Interstate 17 and Arizona 169, Camp Verde. $6.75; $4.75 for children. 602-549-9787.
Old-Fashioned Fourth: noon-9 p.m. July 4. Food, dunk tank, bouncy house, rock climbing wall and live bands. Fireworks start at dark over Green Valley Lake. Green Valley Park, 600 N. Green Valley Parkway, Payson. Food ranges in price from $1-$5. 928-474-5242, ext. 7. http://www.paysonrimcountry.com/.
July Fourth Block Party: 4 p.m. July 4. Art and antique walk, classic car displays, magician at Deming History Park, food, watermelon eating and seed-spitting contest and carnival games at Presbyterian Church and live bands. Main Street, between Meadow and South Mclane, Payson. Free. http://www.paysonrimcountry.com/.
Celebrate Freedom: 10 a.m.-midnight July 5. Family activities during the day followed by musical performances and fireworks in the evening. Marks the kick-off of the two-month Miller Lite/Harley Davidson anniversary giveaway. Old Tucson Studios, 201 S. Kinney Road, Tucson. $16.95; $10.95 for age 4-11. 520-883-0100. http://www.oldtucson.com/.
All-American Independence Day Festival: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. July 5. Activities include a go-cart rally, an obstacle course, a duck race, a silent auction, a barbecue, face painting and contests. Benefits Firewise East Verde Park. East Verde Park, Arizona 87 and East Verde Turnoff, Payson. Free admission; prices vary for events. 928-474-3883.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Fun Things To Do In Phoenix AZ That You Did Not Know
Perhaps you've lived long enough to know everything there is to know about the Phoenix area. Watch them feed giraffes at the Phoenix Zoo? Root for the good guys during the shootouts at Rawhide? Wait for more than two hours for dinner at Pizzeria Bianco? Yes, you've been there, done all that.
But even if you've lived here all your life, we've found a few gems you've likely yet to uncover. At a certain upscale steakhouse, for example, you can belly up to the bar at happy hour and enjoy a free filet-mignon sandwich. Or freshen up in a bathroom named one of America's oddest by the Travel Channel, where lights dance along the walls. And when was the last time you took the reins of a mechanical bull?
Use this list to enrich yourself as a Phoenician, or employ it as a travel guide for when your brother-in-law from Wisconsin "drops by" for the 10th year in a row.
1, 245-part harmony
Hear the pure sound of the Phoenix Boys Choir, billed as the largest such group in the nation, with 245 members. The group has sung for presidents, won a Grammy Award and won prizes at international festivals and recorded with such artists as Stevie Wonder, Doc Severinsen and R. Carlos Nakai. The choir performs throughout the year in the Valley at concerts, festivals and churches. Check its Web site, boyschoir.org, or call 602-264-5328 for details on performances.
2, Musical digs
The Valley is home to dozens of concert venues, from the grand (US Airways Center) to the extremely intimate (Brickhouse Theater). The Dodge Theatre is a nice balance, offering enough room to draw top acts (Chicago and the Doobie Brothers perform there Tuesday), but is small enough to feel close to the performers. For a schedule and tickets, visit dodgetheatre.com.
3. Outdoors country
Dance the two-step under the stars to live country music at Greasewood Flat, the no-frills outdoor restaurant and saloon in north Scottsdale. Originally a stagecoach stop, this establishment has been a Valley fixture for more than three decades. 27375 N. Alma School Parkway, 480-585-9430.
4. Shades of blues
Take in a gritty set of blues music at the Rhythm Room, the Valley's best blues club. For 17 years, the cozy venue has served up local and national blues, rockabilly and roots music nightly. The atmosphere is casual, the patrons are friendly and the cover charge is affordable. 1019 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix, 602-265-4842, rhythmroom.com.
5. Old-time saloon tunes
Sing along with country musicians and other patrons at the Rusty Spur Saloon in Old Town Scottsdale. This tiny venue bills itself as the oldest saloon in "the West's most Western town," and it's one of the friendliest. On an average night, you'll find a mix of tourists and locals, all intent on sipping something cold and singing the likes of Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, George Jones and George Strait. 7245 E. Main St., Scottsdale, 480-425-7787, rustyspursaloon.com.
6. Big sounds, little sites
Sometimes people complain that there's nothing to do in Phoenix. These are people who would say the same thing if they lived in Manhattan, or haven't heard about Modified Arts and the Clubhouse Music Venue, two teeny venues where you can check out cool bands on their way to being hot. They're the kind of places you can see VH1's You Oughta Know artists. They've hosted such bands as the Arcade Fire, Girl Talk, Ingrid Michaelson, Cary Brothers, Blitzen Trapper and other bands you probably already like on satellite radio but never knew their names. Clubhouse Music Venue, 1320 E. Broadway Road, Tempe, 480-968-3238, clubhousemusicvenue.com; Modified Arts, 407 E. Roosevelt St., Phoenix, 602-462-5516, modified.org.
7. Standout stand-up
We're not LA, thank goodness, but we draw the kind of solid comic performers you might see on Sunset Strip, thanks to the Tempe Improv. The club brings nationally known acts (Jerry Seinfeld appeared here when he returned to stand-up after his sitcom ended) and serves dinner to boot. If you've watched stand-up comedy on TV and wondered what's the attraction, take in a live show. That's where the magic happens. Dive into the scene June 27-28 when Cedric the Entertainer performs at the Improv, 930 E. University Drive. Tickets are $45. 480-921-9877, tempeimprov.com.
8. Private karaoke
Indulge your inner Beastie Boy, Billy Joel or Beyoncé in one of four private rooms at the new Geisha A Go Go, a stylish destination for Japanese food and exotic froufrou cocktails. The rentable rooms ($50 to $100 per hour) feature 44-inch flat-screen TVs, their own waitresses, cushy couches and thickly insulated walls. You can bring in your own karaoke disc, or pick from huge books featuring Top 40, standards, rock, hip-hop and everything else. All the signature cocktails feature authentic Japanese sodas, juices or liquors. 7150 E. Sixth Ave., Scottsdale, 480-699-0055.
Must do
9. New Chez Nous
Sample one of Phoenix's best martinis (or a non-alcoholic drink) and hit the dance floor to sweet, old-school soul music at the newly relocated Chez Nous. The venerable lounge, with its notoriously dim lighting, was at another site for more than four decades. Original owner and interior designer Maureen Womack helped current owner Amina Uben decorate the new space, re-creating the gold-flocked wallpaper, picking out swanky new carpet and insisting that the red booths and sconces from the original be refurbished. 915 N.W. Grand Ave., Phoenix, 602-266-7372, cheznouscentral.com.
10. Cactus cocktail
Like Tovrea Castle and Camelback Mountain, some things speak specifically of life in the Valley. But much easier than touring the area, you can just sip a martini at the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa in Phoenix, kind of a gastronomic sightseeing trip. Pink like sunset over the the White Tank Mountains, the Native Arizonan martini ($10) combines Arizona High Spirits prickly-pear vodka and a touch of agave nectar in a chilled glass. The vodka is distilled in Flagstaff. 6902 E. Greenway Parkway, Phoenix, 480-624-1000, kierlandresort.com.
11. Life after Mr. Lucky's
Cadillac Ranch, Saddle Ranch Chop House and Hammerhead Jacks all let you risk your life, or at least your back, on their mechanical bulls. OK, the last place has a modified bull that looks like a hammerhead, but you get the idea. The new Western hot spots are quickly building reputations as places to go to get rowdy. Hammerhead Jacks, 6900 E. Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek, 480-595-7100, hammerheadjacks.com; Cadillac Ranch, at Tempe Marketplace, 2000 E. Rio Salado Parkway, 480-894-1111, cadillacranchtempe.com; Saddle Ranch Chop House, 4321 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, 480-429-2263, srrestaurants.com.
12. Surprise-ing jazz
You might not know that Surprise is one of the hottest jazz spots in the Valley. Owned by bass player Yorman Williams, who has shared the stage with every high-profile jazz musician you've heard of, Yorman's Bistro offers fab music with unjazzlike promptness at 7 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Williams performs with many talented guests, including George Benson, who occasionally drops by. Try the catfish, freshly breaded cornmeal strips or mussels Mississippi. 17191 N. Litchfield Road, Surprise, 623-214-2090.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Prescott Arizona Area Attractions
Prescott Arizona Area Attractions
Located in Verde Valley, the restored fort houses a museum with Native American, pioneer, and military artifacts. The doctor's quarters, officers' quarters, and the married housing are furnished in authentic period furniture. [Visit their web site]
Located in Clarkdale, the area was oringally settled by the Sinagua Iindians in 1000 A.D. and abandoned 425 years later, the monument preserves their pueblo that contained 110 rooms and several hundred burials. The visitor center displays pottery, bone tools, textiles, beads, and bracelets. [Visit their web site]
Located just north of Verde Valley, this monument contains a cliff dwelling built in the 12th and 13th centuries containing 20 rooms. Perched on a vertical cliff, the dwelling is thought to have been inhabited by the Sinagua Indians. [Visit their web site]
A detached portion of Montezuma National Monumnet, Montezuma Well is a 470 ft sinkhole surrounded by pueblos and cliff dwellilngs. A self-guided trail along with picnic facilities are available. [Visit their web site]
Whiskey Row
Known for the numerous saloons that once lined the street, Whiskey Row is located in beautiful downtown Prescott. Today, fine restaurants, shops, and antique stores are the order of the day.[Visit their website]
Arcosanti
Arcosanti is architect's Paolo Soleri's vision of urban utopia. the completed project, located in Cordes Junction, will house an artistic community with living and working facilities for 5000 inhabitants. A bakery, gallery, cafe, tours, and guest rooms are available to visitors.[Visit their website]
Verde Canyon Railroad
Located in historic Clarkdale, this railroad offers a scenic ride through the North Verde River Canyon and the Sycamore Wilderness area located near Sedona. Sunset rides are offered during the summer months.[Visit their website]
Chapel of the Holy Cross
Designed and built by sculptor, Marguerite Brunswig-Staude, the chapel, located in Sedona, was completed in 1956. The chapel offers inspiring architecture and exquisite views in every direction.[Visit their website]
Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village
This arts and craft village, authentically fashioned after a traditional Mexican village, has tasteful galleries, unique shops, and restaurants within its vine covered stucco walls, cobble-stoned walkways and magnificent arched entryways.[Visit their website]
Monday, March 24, 2008
10 Fun Things To Do In Wickenburg Arizona
10 FUN THINGS TO DO IN WICKENBURG AZ
1. Be inspired by a performance at the Del E. Webb Center for the Performing Arts.
2. Visit the Desert Caballeros Western Museum, a showcase for Western and Southwestern art, and discover schedule Western exhibits and activities.
3. Enjoy works by local, regional and national Western artists at various galleries.
4. Tour the historic Vulture Mine and learn about the rich gold strike.
5. Check out the lush riparian area called the Hassayampa River Preserve, where water rises above ground, and hiking trails take you around the preserve area.
6. Grab a bag if popcorn and a Coke, lean back and enjoy a popular movie in the historic Saguaro Theatre.
7. Our many outdoor activities can provide you relaxing fun on the golf course, hiking trails, jeep tours, horseback rides, ropings and rodeos throughout the year.
8. Visit Robson’s Arizona Mining World, a restored early 1900s mining camp with the largest collection of mining equipment in the world.
9. Capture the real West when you stay at any of our local dude ranches.
10. Feel the genuine Western hospitality of this 143-year-old community, by taking the Historical Walking Tour through downtown.
AZ Route 66. Attractions Along Arizona Route 66
Arizona Route 66. Attractions Along Arizona Route 66
Petrified Forest National Park
Located at the southern end of the Painted Desert, the Petrified Forest features remnants of prehistoric petrified wood and ancient Indian ruins.
Meteor Crater
See where a big meteor crashed here over 50,000 years ago.
Walnut Canyon National Monument
Enjoy the upclose history of 800 year-old cliff dwelling ruins and great hiking within picturesque landscape.
Flagstaff, Arizona
High Ponderosa Pine country in bustling Flagstaff, Arizona home to Northern Arizona University, unlimited attractions, mountain golf and the Snow Bowl ski area and tram. Its San Francisco Peak at over 12,000 feet is the highest point on the entire Route 66.
Sedona & Oak Creek Canyon
Sedona, Arizona and picturesque Oak Creek Canyon lies about 20 miles south of Flagstaff down 89A described by Rand McNally a one of America's most scenic drives.
Williams, Arizona
The flavor of the old west still exists in this pine-forested small town, gateway to the Grand Canyon and home of the Grand Canyon Railroad scenic adventure to the South Rim of the Canyon.
Seligman, Arizona
An atmospheric town where the Aubrey Cliffs approach. Seligman features only a few hundred residents, a few gift shops and vintage rusting cars.
Grand Canyon Caverns
Although not connected to the Grand Canyon, the caverns feature an underground trail reached by elevator giving close views of nature's cavern formations. There are suitable areas for camping.
Peach Springs
Peach Springs is the tribal headquarters of the Haulapai Indian Reservation. An unpaved Buck and Doe Road that is not recommended during and after rainstorms descends along Peach Springs Canyon a scenic drive that ends at a Colorado River beach within the West Rim area of the Grand Canyon. Just out of Peach Springs a paved turnoff leads through rolling hills to Havasu Canyon, a branch of the Grand Canyon.
Kingman, Arizona
Kingman is a modern day larger, small town that is home to the Historic Route 66 Museum and gateway to Hoover Dam and Lake Mead.
Oatman, Arizona
This one-time gold mine boomtown turned ghost town and now a tourist stop features wild-roaming burros and souvenir shops. Experience an important chuck of Arizona history.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Congress Arizona. Frog makes a splash in Congress, AZ
Town adopts rock amphibian
Around these parts, Rose Mary Goodson has the dubious distinction of being known as "the lady who fell off the frog."
She chuckles about the incident now, but it must have been frightening at the time. Goodson fell more than 15 feet and landed on a rock pile. "But I didn't spill any of the paint," she said. "Not a drop." Obviously, we're not talking about an ordinary frog here.
No, indeedy, amphibian fans.
This one weighs probably 60 tons and stands (or squats) more than 16 feet tall.
And it's solid rock.
The frog is a Congress landmark. It had existed in its natural state from prehistoric times until about 1928, when it underwent a wondrous metamorphosis from rock to art.
Originally, it was nothing more than a huge boulder perched on a hillside amid several other large rocks. Then along came Sara Perkins, a homesteader's wife who observed that this particular rock, when viewed from the proper angle, resembled a frog.
She told her husband, Eli, about it, but he wasn't as much of a visionary as his wife, so the story goes. He was also very busy with his work as a newspaperman - at various times, he owned both The Phoenix Gazette and The Wickenburg Sun - and as a state legislator. But he did suggest that a paint job would make the rock look more like a frog. His wife and their two sons hauled three large cans of paint and a ladder up the steep incline, and within weeks:
Voila! A rock became a frog.
Sara Perkins and the boys gave the rock a coat of frog-green paint on top, then added a white underbelly, black spots and such other frog necessities as a mouth and eyes. It was an instant tourist attraction. In those days, U.S. 89 was the main route between Phoenix and Prescott, and the huge frog dominated the skyline as the road passed through the desert community of Congress.
Sara kept the frog brightly painted for years, and when she grew too old to take care of it, her son John took up the task. And when the Perkins family left the area, the townspeople became the unofficial Keepers of the Croaker.
Rose Mary Goodson was acting in that capacity in 1994 when she took the tumble that earned her a mild case of infamy.
"Oh, it was a terrible spill," she recalled during a recent trek up to the frog. "As you can see, you can't reach the top without a ladder, so I had to drag one up here. I fell off one evening and landed right here, on these rocks. But I only received a small scratch."
Goodson was 76 at the time. She had moved to Congress from South Dakota in 1980 to expand her career as an artist. In 1995, she also wrote and published The Story of Congress: Arizona's Premier Gold Camp, an 80-page booklet.
"Nobody else had ever written a history of Congress," she explained, "so I figured I'd better do it while I had the time."
The work has undergone two printings; Goodson says she has sold more than 5,000 copies.
In her account of the frog's origins, she notes that there are two graves nearby. William Miller, who lived in the area for many years, often asked to be buried near the site. His wish was fulfilled after his death on Jan. 19, 1940. The second grave is occupied by his dog. The townspeople thought it fitting that the two be buried next to each other. An unimposing white headstone marks their joint grave.
And now, there's a small metal plaque attached to the lower extremities of the frog. It reads, "Jerry (Frog) Owens 1995." Goodson said that Owens' ashes were scattered near the frog but that nobody in Congress knows why.
The frog has been painted twice since Goodson's tumble, both times by George and Mavis Carter, who retired to Congress from the Valley.
"We did it as a church project," George explained. "The Church of Latter-day Saints set aside a day for service hours. Everybody else went to Wickenburg to clean up the cemetery, but we decided to do something for Congress. That frog is important to us."
It's not an easy task, painting a 60-ton frog. First, there's the barbed-wire fence that has to be scaled, a feat made even more difficult when the scalers are lugging an extension ladder and several buckets of paint. Then it's a rugged climb up to the creature, and at the top, there are few places to anchor a ladder.
The Carters had to accomplish the feat twice. Their first effort was ruined by vandals who defaced the frog with spray paint. So they painted it all over again.
The frog is on the west side of U.S. 89 north of downtown Congress. It's about a hoot 'n' a holler across the road from the Arrowhead Cafe.
(This article was originally published Sept. 28, 1998.)
