The Phoenix Traveler

Arizona summers are long, long, long, and those of us who live here relish the day when the temperatures start to move away from those three digits. That day has come.
For those of us who are outdoor lovers, even 90 degrees means we can ride the bike longer, hike the trail farther, add a few more miles to the run, and generally not worry too much about heat exhaustion. Still need that water and sunscreen, though.
So it is that I’ve been hiking again recently. And I’m not the only one. Take a look at local health blogger Michelle May’s …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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I was headed to Kierland Commons to meet my boyfriend for breakfast at the Corner–a breakfast and lunch counter that we’d been to before. Located in this upscale mall at the northwest corner of Scottsdale and Greenway roads, you can actually get a cup of coffee for 25 cents at the Corner (formerly The Counter). Unusual in this day and age, I know. But, it was closed at 7:30 a.m., wouldn’t open till 9 a.m. So I opted to meet him in the Cave Creek/Carefree area where he’d just finished an early morning run.
Perfect day to drive up north, I …read more

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It’s a pretty common day trip for folks who fly in to Phoenix and want to stay a few extra days. They often decide to go to Sedona to see the red rocks. They want to find a vortex and see what all the fuss is about. Go ahead. Just Google Sedona, and you’ll see what I mean. These photos illustrate a bit of what you’ll see when you get there.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The top two photos were taken while on a yoga hike to the top of Cathedral Rock. The photo on the left is the park at Red Rock Crossing. From …read more

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That’s how a new service offered by The Boulders Resort & Golden Door Spa is being touted. Actually, the press release says it’s “holistic” and “nothing less than life changing.”
The resort’s new Carefree Spa Getaway Package offers daily hikes, cooking classes, spa treatments, and meditation time…Ummm. I get it. It’s going to lead to a few “Aha!” moments. I’m beginning to see where enlightenment might occur.
Good thing the Sonoran Desert is nearby. That makes the hiking easy to access.
If you’d worry whether you could handle a hike in the desert, however, don’t worry any more. A professional fitness assessment comes …read more

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You don’t name your restaurant 3 Tomatoes & a Mozarella by accident. That is, unless you’re dining with friends at a restaurant in Rhode Island called The Three Bears, and your friends think a name with three-something-or-other sounds good. It might sound good, but it could cost you more for the sign. At least, that’s the story being told by an East Coast couple, Jeff and Nancy Roskin.
They moved from Connecticut to Scottsdale 10 years ago, as most people do, for the warm weather. But when they couldn’t find the kind of pizza here that they enjoyed back home, …read more

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During the summer, Phoenicians like to get out of the heat. One way to do that is to travel north. You’ll hear a lot of people talking about going to Flagstaff, Payson or Pinetop for the weekend. But how about Prescott? I’m working on a back roads  travel guide for Countryman Press which is taking me all over the state. So for my research, I recently drove up there.
I stopped in at a café called Sweettart for lunch and asked my waitress where she likes to hike. She recommended Lynx Lake. She said there’s a trail that goes all the …read more

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You really can cook an egg on the sidewalks of Phoenix in the summer. Elementary schools have been known to test this out, and at least one town in Arizona hosts an egg-frying contest. But we actually do a LOT of sunny-side-up kinds of things here. This video illustrates a few:
~Watching cacti bloom.
~Enjoying outdoor recreation.
~Swimming and other poolside fun.
~Boating and rowing and gondola rides.
~Shopping and dining.
~Watching beautiful sunsets.
 
Wish you were here!

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Westin Kierland is celebrating Monsoon Season with the Rain Massage. Now and through September, Agave, The Arizona Spa at Westin Kierland Resort offers this new treatment.
 
Exclusive to Agave, the new hour-long treatment takes you on a symbolic journey through Arizona’s rainy season with the soft touch and rainfall sounds of rain sticks caressing your body. Your therapist uses the soothing scent of rain oil to hydrate your skin, and a rain mist shower completes the relaxing treatment.
Another benefit of visiting this particular spa while in Phoenix: you can drop your worries in the burden basket by the treatment room door.
If you happen to go, plan to stick …read more

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