The Phoenix Traveler

It’s all lit up in Prescott for the holidays. The Yavapai County Courthouse (pictured above), Whiskey Row behind it, the gift shops, boutiques and restaurants downtown–they all take part in the holiday festivities that have helped turn this former territorial town into Arizona’s official “Christmas City.”
With a heritage dating back to Victorian times and earlier, they know how to do Christmas here. Phoenicians drive the 90 miles north to see what’s been billed as the world’s largest Gingerbread Village. This year, more than 100 gingerbread structures decorate the lobby of the Prescott Resort now through December 28. The resort is …read more

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The Web site says it’s “coming soon,” but isn’t that a relative term? I mean, is February 14, 2012, really that soon? That’s the date developers have planned as opening day for the new Scottsdale Museum of the West. They’d like it to be here in time for Arizona’s centennial. But museum board members have a lot of money to raise first–about $20 million.
When it does arrive, the 45,000-square-foot museum will take up about an acre of city-owned land in downtown Scottsdale. Planned to promote the culture and history of the town that’s been dubbed “The West’s Most Western Town,” …read more

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In a recent post here at The Phoenix Traveler, one person posted a comment about being “too poor to travel.” Boy, do I understand that, which is why it’s good to know that there’s always budget travel options to consider.
For instance, Now that gas prices have dropped below $2.30/gal., how about a road trip? In less than two hours, you can hop in your car, pick east or west, and wind up in small town Arizona where you’ll be able to see the Western lifestyle up close. No need to reserve a room, take the dog to the kennel, or …read more

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A microphone used by Edward R. Murrow in 1938, a Phoenix Gazette street sales box–with a copy of the last issue of the paper from 1997–and other news-worthy items are among the artifacts on display at the Marguerite and Jack Clifford Gallery. The gallery is the new museum debuting this week at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Open to the public, the gallery (located on the second floor) also showcases items and information about the school’s namesake, Walter Cronkite, and his long career in broadcasting.  
MUSEUM DEDICATION–part of a week-long schedule of events (Nov. 17-21) to celebrate …read more

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What’s happening in theaters, museums and outdoor venues in Greater Phoenix? You can find out easily just by showing up.
Showing up online, of course. The above link takes you to a Web site created in 2003 by the Alliance for Audience, a non-profit organization consisting of arts and cultural groups in the Valley of the Sun who wanted a way to promote what they’re doing so you can take part in it.
Want to attend a live theater performance, a poetry reading or take an art class? Do you like concerts? It’s all here…times, dates, locations. Even maps. Get tickets, read …read more

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Now through October 2009, three museums in Mesa (Mesa Contemporary Arts (pictured above), Arizona Museum of Natural History, and Arizona Museum for Youth), all within walking distance, are open free to the public on the first Sunday of every month, noon to 5 p.m.
Other free events: MACFest, a downtown Mesa art and cultural festival every Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; the October Storytelling Festival; and Day of the Dead and Holiday Art & Music festivals coming in November.
The city of Mesa, Target and the Arizona Republic launched the free museum program, 3 for Free, this month.
Upcoming Exhibitions
Mesa Contemporary …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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Below are the answers to yesterday’s pop quiz.
Watch for more to come in the future. Once a month, I’ll include a quiz, centering it around a theme, such as Native American art, sporting events, outdoor recreation, and other things travel-related. You can join in on the fun by leaving your answers here in the comment box.

Till next time, let me know if you knew the answers to this quiz without having to do an online search, or phone a friend.

If this quiz was too easy, let me know that as well. The answers are:

There are three places in Greater Phoenix …read more

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Greater Phoenix, the fifth largest city in the country, is home to the third largest working sundial in the Western Hemisphere and many other interesting facts, figures and fun.  In this first pop quiz at The Phoenix Traveler, let’s see how much you know or have heard about the city where you live or plan to visit:

There are three places in Greater Phoenix where I know you can find Allan Houser sculptures. I may have mentioned them previously in this blog. Do you know the names of these places?

Phoenix is situated in the heart of what is considered the most …read more

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You may have seen this book, or maybe not. But Sam Lowe, the author of Arizona Curiosities (now in it’s second edition), happens to be a funny guy with a lot of quirky stories to tell, including one about the time he interviewed a couple at a nudist colony in Tonopah. And, yes, they were unclothed. Well…he was, after all, in search of the “bare facts,” as quoted from his book.
Not only is Sam funny, but the guy’s also got guts.
Guess that’s why Marshall Trimble, the state’s official historian, recommended Lowe to the publisher, Globe Pequot, as the guy …read more

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