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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More than 20 Arizona authors will sell and sign their books at the 15th Annual ArtFest of Scottsdale today and tomorrow. New for this year’s event, “Book Street” gathers the authors all in one area, near the Scottsdale Mondrian hotel at the northwest corner of the festival site, in Old Town Scottsdale.
A few travel writers, including Christine K. Bailey, author of Destinations: A Complete Guide to Phoenix, Scottsdale, Sedona and Central Arizona, and Teresa Bitler, whose Great Escapes Arizona was just released are scheduled to appear.
Also plan to see arts & crafts booths, food and live music at the festival …read more

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Sorry, my pictures didn’t turn out, but you gotta go see this. It wasn’t as brutal as you might think, but the occasional brawls were fun to watch. It makes sense why they let the EMTs come in for free; they were needed a few times when falls and pushes kept players down too long. Only one player got taken off site last night, and that was near the end, when the rough stuff picked up.
RULES
The program explains the rules, and here’s what I learned and observed:
Each team has a pivot. She’s the gal with the stripe on her helmet. …read more

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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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Remember the movie, “Urban Cowboy“? Here’s your chance to do your best imitation of Sissy (Debra Winger) or Bud (John Travolta) on a mechanical bull at the Saddle Ranch Chop House (4321 N. Scottsdale Rd.). It’s open daily, 8 a.m. – 2:30 a.m. The steakhouse, which got it’s start in Hollywood, opened this year near Old Town Scottsdale. It serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, lots of drinks, and late-night meals. Another location is opening across town in Glendale soon.
Check out this review online.
If I bet money on this guy in the video to win the bull riding contest (They host them …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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