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 experience the Discovery Center, picnicking and trails, but does not apply toward the two cave tour opportunities.

Special programs within the parks may have special related fees not covered by this entrance pass; however, most of the nature walks and interpretive programs are included in the day-use pass.

What can you do at Arizona State Parks? Camp, fish, hike, take part in interpretive environmental programs, sign up for a moonlight star gazing walk, ride horseback, watch historic reenactments, picnic with the family, take a guided pontoon boat tour at Sonoita Creek Natural Area, and root for friends in the water skiing tournaments at Lake Havasu or Lyman Lake. The list goes on.

The state park system even celebrates special events, such as Earth Day in April (events scheduled at Boyce Thompson Arboretum, Red Rock and Catalina), and the annual “Verde Valley Birding & Nature Festival” and “Verde River Days” at Dead Horse Ranch.

If you plan to frequent the park system this year, opt to buy the Premium Annual Day-Use Pass for $125. It adds those weekends in parks along the Colorado River, and more of your family members or friends can go with you.

HOW TO PURCHASE THE PASS?

By mail:

Arizona State Parks
1300 W. Washington St.
Phoenix, AZ 85007

In person: 

State Parks main headquarters, or at any of the Arizona state parks.

By fax:

Visit the Web site to print and fill out the Gift Shop order form.

More Information:

Call 602-542-4174. If out of area, call 800-285-3703 (toll free).

(Photo of pass provided and used with permission by Arizona State Parks.)

Post from: The Phoenix Traveler

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.)

Post from: The Phoenix Traveler

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 actually paved the left-hand side of the wash all the way over to Stonecreek Golf Course, just west of Paradise Valley Mall. The beauty of this is that now this bike path connects the park through the wash to the border of Paradise Valley, near 52nd Street and Shea Boulevard. Since there aren’t many people in a the area (You’ll see a few joggers, dog walkers, and maybe another cyclist or two, but that’s it.), it’s also a quiet ride.

For this trip, which began as far north as Reach 11 (and I stopped to turn around at the golf course instead of going all the way to 52nd and Shea), I wound up with a 14-mile ride this morning. When I used to ride this path before, I might get 10 miles out of it, if I rode around the park a few times. With those extra miles paved in the wash, this is so much better.

For the Phoenix travelers–local or not–looking for a safe place to ride a bike in a quiet setting, and if you’d like a decent bit of exercise, I recommend this path. All you have to do, pretty much, is follow the 51. (Map it.)

Post from: The Phoenix Traveler

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, and Sakatinis
• Manicures
• Astrology readings
• Stylist consultations  

She even thinks of the guys…so they don’t feel left out:

HAPPY HOUR prices at the main bar and sushi bar during the games. 

You have a few days to plan ahead.

Post from: The Phoenix Traveler

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. There are also three blockers, whose job is to ram into the other team players or somehow keep the other team from scoring. The scoring player on each team is called a Jammer. She’s the gal with the star on her helmet. You really want to be watching her. When she’s in the lead, a referee follows her around the track the entire time to count points. Each Jammer on each team has her own referee. And there are three other referees who skate around in the inside track to watch for penalties and such.

Basically everyone’s watching for what’s called a Jam. Play starts out with everyone lining up on the track, the Jammers (scoring players) in back. They look the coolest, and look ready to go. After the whistle blows, and once they make it into the pack, the Jam officially starts.

The Jammer in the lead has two minutes to make it around the track as many times as possible, passing as many people. She can call it off by putting her hands on her waist, but I don’t know why or when she does that. It happens several times during a game, though.

Teams get points for every opponent the Jammer passes on her way around, but she does not score on the first trip around the track. Since the idea of this game is to stop the opposing Jammer from making those passes, there’s a lot of pushing and pulling. We even saw one woman grab a Jammer’s breasts at one point–to knock her off the track. As you can imagine, the whole crowd loved that!

THEY CAN DO THAT?!

Skaters–wearing old-fashioned roller skates and crazy costumes, some with tatoos and colorful hair–are allowed to use the entire body, including arms, shoulders, elbows, torso, hips, front side and back to knock an opponent out of the way or somehow stop an opponent from passing. What they cannot use is their hands, unless it’s on a teammate. Blockers frequently push their Jammer ahead of the pack when able. Though they are not supposed to grab, trip, hit from behind, strike with an elbow or get into fights, they do it anyway, risking the penalties and/or ejections from the game. It seems the players will try to get away with anything because a referee can only call what he sees.

At last night’s game, aside from the breast grab, we also saw a player nearly lose her shirt (It was ripped halfway off!) and another lose a wheel on her skate after a brawl.

It was pretty fast-paced and intense at times. I was amazed by the numbers in the crowd and the sound of the cheering fans. Because it was loud and I could barely speak to my girlfriend who went with me, I would not suggest this as a first date. But it did seem to be a family atmosphere. Entire families, with grandparents and kids, too, were there. No alcohol is served. But they do have a snack bar where you can purchase greasy foods like chicken strips and fries, and candy, chips and soda. If you’re on a restricted diet, I’d suggest eating before you go.

Check yesterday’s post for the details. If you get a chance to see a game, post your comments here. Let me know if you enjoyed it.

Post from: The Phoenix Traveler

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 to bring attention to the sport; the players, made up of teachers, bankers, scientists and others, are all volunteers. This group is a member of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association.

With six teams in the league, the first game, between the Bruisers and the Brawlarinas, took place last Saturday.

If it sounds like something you’d like to see, there are more games to come:

Arizona Roller Derby

Where: Castle Sports Club, 11420 N. 19th Ave., Phoenix

When: Games are scheduled on Saturday evenings (see schedule below), doors open at 6:30 p.m., the first bout begins at 7 p.m.

Cost: $10 in advance; $12 at the door. Buy here. Registered EMTs get in free.

Upcoming Events

September 20: Tent City Terrors v. Rose City Rollers [away]

October 18: Bad News Beaters v. Surly Gurlies

November 15: Brawlarinas v. Surly Gurlies

December 13: Scrimmage TBA

2009

January 10: Bad News Beaters v. Bruisers

February 7: Double Header: Bad News Beaters v. Brawlarinas, Surly Gurlies v. Bruisers

March 14: Double Header: Surly Gurlies v. Brawlarinas, Bad News Beaters v. Bruisers

April 11: Double Header: Bruisers v. Brawlarinas, Surly Gurlies v. Bad News Beaters

May 16: Double Header: Bad News Beaters v. Brawlarinas, Surly Gurlies v. Bruisers

June 13: Finals

Post from: The Phoenix Traveler

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 post about her observations on a recent hike she took. If you’re an avid hiker, or even a sometimes hiker, you may recognize the people she mentions. Do any of them describe you?

She must have overlooked my type, the Huffer & Puffer. You can not only spot me, but you can also hear me from a distance. I’m the one who looks as though she’s barely going to make it when I’m first getting back out there on the trail. It’ll take my body a few weeks–and lots of “Where’s the bench? I need to rest” comments before it adjusts to the strain of the uphill climbs. It’s usually the boulder hopping that threatens to do me in. But I go on, especially after passing the 80-year-old granny. I saw her yesterday morning coming down the Piestewa as though it was an easy morning stroll around the block. In between my huffs and puffs, I told myself, “Great! There’s no way I can back down now. I’m half her age… Gotta. Keep. Climbing.”

Thank goodness I made it.

If you’ve made it uphill and down recently, post a comment below and let us know what and who you’re seeing out there on the trail. Do you have another hiker “type” you can add to the list?

Post from: The Phoenix Traveler

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 desert habitat, and a place where you can bring your horse to practice cutting and roping in the arenas, or just ride; however, due to construction of an additional sports complex, the trails from 32nd Street to Cave Creek are closed at this time.

The city works with the Scottsdale Saddle Club to offer free barrel clinics and pole bending clinics, and also schedules day and evening hikes through the desert.

For information about park hours, special events, educational clinics, rental and trail information, call 602-534-4656.

Post from: The Phoenix Traveler

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 and soccer star David Beckham.

In Phoenix, you can sign up for a group class or private lessons at the Phoenix Falcons Fencing Club. The club even offers specialized classes, including wheelchair fencing or theatrical fencing. Where? 4828 N. 16th Street. Call 602-264-1706 for class schedule and details.

Visit the Arizona Division of the USFA to learn more.

From the 2012 London Summer Olympics site, here’s a primer on the game.

TABLE TENNIS – Though I call it Ping Pong, there’s actually a club for Table Tennis in Phoenix. Associated with the USA Table Tennis Association, the Arizona club abides by national association rules, and that’s what you’ll learn if you study with the club’s coaches. With nearly 130 members, the club is located at:

Arizona Recreation Center for the Handicapped
1550 W. Colter Street
(east of I-17, north of Camelback Rd)

For other places to play table tennis, click here.

Post from: The Phoenix Traveler

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 available for a fee. Open daily, call 480-961-3100 for details.

Alternative choice–Papago FITA Archers offer safety-certified instruction at the Papago Park Archery Range, 6201 E. Oak St., Phoenix. Located on the northwest corner of McDowell Road and 64th Street, the six-week classes cost $70/person. No park, range or club fees required. You can then take your newly acquired skills and practice them at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix.

BEACH VOLLEYBALL–This isn’t exactly Olympic-style, but gather enough friends together, and you can play a few games on the sand court at The Monastery bar in Mesa. The bar is open Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-midnight, and Friday & Saturday, 11 a.m.-1 a.m. Near Falcon Field, The Monastery is located on the northeast corner of Falcon Drive and McKellips Road.

Alternative choice–You can also book a room at the Millennium Resort, 7401 N. Scottsdale Rd. This location at McCormick Ranch in Scottsdale might be the only resort in the Valley that has a sand volleyball court.

ROWING–You can learn or practice your rowing skills in Tempe. Find out about lessons and more at the Tempe Town Lake Marina, 620 N. Mill Ave. In order to participate, you’ll have to pass the float test, meaning you have to be able to float, tread water or swim in place for 10 minutes. If you can do that, then call 480-350-8625 for more information.

Check back in a few days, and I’ll list where you can play a few more Olympic-like games. They’re not just for athletes.

Post from: The Phoenix Traveler