The Phoenix Traveler

Imagine your name on this brown piece of paper. It’s the ticket to statewide recreational fun. The Arizona State Parks Annual Pass costs just $50, and it’s good for the entire family–all year-long.
This holiday season, it could be the affordable gift that keeps on giving as it’s the economical way to travel and explore Arizona’s 27 state parks. Pictured above, the Standard Day-Use Entrance Pass is good for the family’s non-camping day-use and includes all the Parks except Colorado River Parks on weekends and holidays.
At Kartchner Caverns State Park, the pass is good for the entrance to …read more

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You’re right, Becky. When you posted your comment last week, you guessed correctly. The name of the mountain where we saw Post Creek is called Mount Graham. We drove up the Swift Trail to see it.
Located in Graham County in southeastern Arizona, the mountain is home to many things recreational, including hiking, biking, camping, fishing, boating, birding and one of the world’s largest telescopes.
The Graham County Chamber of Commerce can tell you more.
 
(Photo by Jackie Dishner, used with her permission.)
Technorati Tags: photo contest,Mt. Graham,Graham County,Southeastern Arizona,Post Creek,Arizona travel blog,The Phoenix Traveler,Jackie Dishner

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I’ve ridden the bike path along SR 51 (Piestewa Freeway) many, many times, but it’s been a few years. Today, I rode it again and found a surprising addition…and more miles to ride.
I haven’t taken this path since long before the city of Phoenix opened the Indian Bend Wash Park at the northwest corner of 36th Street and Sweetwater last year. But that’s where the path would always end. If I wanted to continue riding, I’d have to take 36th Street up north to Roadrunner Park and ride miles around the park there.
Now, however, I see that the city has …read more

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Deirdre Pain, from Malees Thai Bistro Desert Ridge (Tatum Blvd & Hwy 101) sends out a regular e-mail newsletter to her special customers (How did I get to be so lucky!). I particularly liked an offer that came in this week, directed especially to the wives or significant others of what Deirdre calls the “dazed look of most men as they are absorbed in Monday Night Football”: 
Malees at Desert Ridge will pamper these ladies with a special MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL WIDOW’S EVENT. In the weeks ahead, this event will include some or all of the following:

Psychic readings
Jewelry
$4 Cosmos, Appletinis, …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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If you didn’t know Phoenix has a women’s Roller Derby sports venue, don’t worry. Neither did I! I know we have football, basketball and baseball–I’ve been to many of those games. But I never knew we had roller derby; games are played on a flat track, and it’s supposed to be brutal.
I’m going with a girlfriend tonight to see what’s what. If I can get good photos, I’ll post them here tomorrow. If not, you should check out the Web site here.
In it’s 6th season this year, Arizona Roller Derby was started by a group of women who want …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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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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A few days ago, I promised you more information on where you can play Olympic-like games in Phoenix, and here it is:
FENCING – You can learn to master the use of one of three weapons–the foil, epee or sabre–in this game. It’s a sport that was included in the original Olympic games in ancient Greece and has been played in every modern Olympics since 1896, according to the United States Fencing Association. If you decide to play, you’ll be joining the ranks of not only many Olympians and royalty but also celebrities, such as singer Neil Diamond, actress Catherine Zeta-Jones …read more

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Maybe you won’t be swimming world records, fencing your way to Gold, or cycling your way to Olympic history this week in Beijing, China. But aside from just watching the Olympic games on television like most of us mere mortals do, the world’s most celebrated games can be played at home, too.
Check out this short list:
ARCHERY–Archery Headquarters, 6401 W. Chandler Blvd., in Chandler offers a 30-yard indoor range where you can test your skills or practice your shot. The range fee is $6/hour. Don’t have a bow and arrow? You can buy them here brand new, along with accessories. Lessons …read more

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