The Phoenix Traveler

Hey, folks!
Don’t forget to enter the contest. You could win…bubble bath…straight from The Phoenician hotel. I know it’s not huge, but free is free. Give it to your mom, your girlfriend, your teenage daughter. Keep it for yourself. Have a party in the tub–it’s tiny little confetti pieces of fun in water…so what the heck, right?
But tomorrow’s the last day, so enter now. Just click on this page, and post your comment.
Then I’ll post results–provided I have at least 10 comments–tomorrow night. Come back and check in with me then.
Good luck!
Technorati Tags: final day to enter contest,contest,Arizona travel blogs,Phoenix …read more

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Just a three hour drive from Phoenix sits a tiny town with a history that may have helped keep the Arizona Territory from gaining statehood in the late 1800s, according to history books.
That town is called Young, and I traveled there this past weekend to do research for my upcoming book, Backroads & Byways of Arizona (Countryman Press, 2009).
Formerly known as  Pleasant Valley, it was the site of what became one of the state’s most bloodiest family feuds. Between the Tewksbury and Graham families, it was called the Pleasant Valley War. And although the bloodbath began in Pleasant Valley, …read more

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Today’s your last chance to experience Fallin’ for Friday’s poolside fun at The Falls Water Village at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort.
The public is invited to enjoy fun kids’ activities, music by disc jockey, food & drink specials, and give-aways that include a drawing for a 2-night stay at the resort.
What: Fallin’ for Friday’s
Where: Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort, 11111 N. 7th Street, Phoenix, 602-866-7500 or 602-866-6396.
When: Today! Friday, Aug. 29, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Admission: $5/person; children under 3 are free.
Parking at the resort is free.
Technorati Tags: family fun,Arizona travel blogs,Phoenix travel,Phoenix fun,Friday night activity,resort poolside fun,The Falls …read more

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They’ve dubbed it “Arizona’s premier culinary event,” and it’s priced to fit the name. For $95 (tickets purchased on the day of), you’re in for a real treat this Labor Day Weekend if you can attend the fourth annual “Phoenix Cooks!” at the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa.
A collection of the Valley’s top chefs and culinary experts converge together for this all-day food and wine experience to benefit a charity, the Phoenix Children’s Hospital.
You’ll have the chance to watch top chefs compete against each other and demonstrate their unique culinary styles, and, of course, taste what they prepare at three …read more

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From the photos on this page, can you guess the name of these ruins? Included in the set is a view from the top, the trail to get there, and a photo of the ruins from below.
Visitors who post a comment with the answer here will be eligible for a drawing to win Confetti Bubble Bath (grapefruit scented) from The Phoenician Resort & Spa.
Aside from the photos themselves, here are a few hints:
1) The site is part of the National Park Service.
2) It is located within a three-hour drive from Phoenix.
3) The dwellings are open to tours.
4) You can hike …read more

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This isn’t your mother’s Dairy Queen dilly bar. This is better. This is an ice cream cone, a shake or a banana split made at Udder Delights–a brand new ice cream parlor in the East Valley that makes its delicious product from cream milked on local dairy farms.
Located in the Target Plaza on the corner of Val Vista and Warner roads in Gilbert, the locally-owned and operated ice cream parlor was conceived by the same folks who run Superstition Farm (a cute and memorable song plays when you click on the name)–a third generation dairy farm that offers tours to …read more

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Phoenix is home to a 90-acre equestrian facility that is open for public use year-round. Located at the Reach 11 Recreation Area, the Arizona Horse Lovers Park (AZHLP) is managed by the City of Phoenix Parks Department at 19224 N. Tatum Blvd.
The park runs, just north of Bell Road, east and west along the north side of the CAP canal, between Cave Creek and Scottsdale roads. It offers 18 miles of multi-use trails that meander through mesquite, palo verde, acacia, hackberry, desert broom and ironwood trees. You’ll also see gambel’s quail, morning doves, cottontail rabbits, coyotes and javelina.
It’s a true …read more

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Visit the Boyce Thompson Arboretum this Labor Day for some prickly kind of fun. Apache Junction author Jean Groen (Foods of the Superstions) will teach guests how to harvest, squeeze and prepare the juice of the opuntia cactus.
Also known as the prickly pear, its magenta colored fruit has been used for centuries as a food source. The subtle but sweet tasting fruit is harvested throughout Arizona. At various restaurants, bars and gift shops throughout the state, including in Phoenix, you may see a prickly pear margarita on the menu or candy and jelly made from this cactus fruit on store …read more

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A note posted on the Havasupai Tribe’s Web site says “Supai is closed until further notice.” They expect it may take up to four weeks to repair the damage to trails, bridges and more that was caused by the flash flooding on Sunday. If you had reservations to hike or camp in Havasu Canyon, including down to the falls, call the tribe’s tourism office: 928-448-2121 or 928-448-2141. At this time, the area is closed to tourists. Also, if you do call the tourism office, be aware that the phone lines are extremely busy. No one was answering today, and …read more

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Rescue operations at Grand Canyon National Park had to be suspended yesterday after nightfall, and some campers were missing as of this morning, according to the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office.
Storms that passed over Northern Arizona this past week dropped enough rainfall to cause the Redlands Earthen Dam to collapse, water rushing west into Cataract Canyon. That, in turn, sent water raging yesterday morning through Supai Canyon below the South Rim, about 75 miles west of Grand Canyon Village. The resulting flood left some people stranded, and now, some missing.
About 400 people will need to be evacuated from the canyon, …read more

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