A view of snow covered dunes at Whitefish Dunes State Park

 If you long for the winter wonders pictured on holiday cards, head to Door County, Wisconsin where snow and fun abound.   I enjoyed an invigorating press trip to  Door County’s  snow-coveredshores, where I witnessed the peninsula’s jaw-dropping  beauty. Start your frosty frolics with a visit to Whitefish Dunes State Park.  An 865 acre nature preserve, Whitefish Dunes State Park boasts the highest sand dunes in Wisconsin and is the original home of eight Native American villages dating from 100 BC to the late 1800s.  The best way to view the park’s  scenic highlights is a snow shoeing hike through  the miles of pristine trails.  Three local shops rent snow shoes according the weight, so don’t be shy about announcing your pounds!  Snow shoeing guarantees a vigorous workout so be prepared to strip off some clothing layers.

Baby Oranutan at the Phoenix Zoo

The Phoenix Zoo, which has been voted among the “Top Five Zoos for Kids”, once again hosts its annual Zoolights Christmas light display. From now until January 10th, from 6:00-10:00 p.m. nightly, patrons of the Phoenix Zoo are regaled with 2.5 million Christmas lights strung among the pathways and exhibits, with music coordinated to enhance the 500 two- and three-dimensional light features.

Lighting techniques include rope lights, LED lights, light strands, black light, fiber optics, lasers, gobos, strobes, lights programmed to music, and net lighting in trees or shrubbery. The entire combined effect is breathtaking as visitor stroll among the network of pathways throughout the Zoo property.

Rhinos at the Phoenix Zoo

Visiting the Zoo at night is always a fun experience. Nocturnal animals play a part in the festivities (note that not all of the animals that are on display in the daytime will be on display at night), and patrons are treated to hot chocolate, coffee, and hot cider, as well as warm treats to eat. As you cross the bridge into the Zoo entrance, you are greeted by a larger than life komodo light display – live Komodos are featured at the brand-new “Land of the Dragons” exhibit. The “Music in Motion” dancing tree show runs several times each evening, with new video, music and LED lights. There are horse-drawn wagon rides, carousel and camel rides, the Stingray Bay Touch Tank Experience, and animal meet and greets Thursday through Sunday.

Zoolights tickets are $10 ($8 for zoo members) per person, and children under the age of two are free. Tickets can be purchased on-line or at the property box office. The Zoo is located at 455 N. Galvin Parkway in Phoenix, Arizona. The entrance to the Zoo is off Galvin Parkway in the heart of Papago Park, between McDowell and Van Buren.

Photo Credits (in order of appearance):
- “Baby Orangutan at the Phoenix Zoo” by Jim Bowen on Flickr Creative Commons.
- “Phoenix Zoo” by Scott Agent on Flickr Creative Commons.

Ice skating at Millennium Park

A dip in temperatures means that Chicago weather is moving back to its natural state but it also means that it’s the season for ice skating in Millennium Park. A Chicago tradition for 9 years, skaters can spin around the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink until March 14, weather permitting and it always does. Glide around the 200 feet long and 80 feet wide rink with the glistening  Cloudgate “Bean” sculpture as the backdrop. Skate rental is $10 if you don’t bring your own. I defintitely recommend bringing a scarf, hat, mittens and thick socks to shield your skin against the notorious Chicago wind.

Hours of outdoor exercise demands a hot, gooey indulgence. A day ice skating at Millennium Park wouldn’t be complete without a stop by the nearby Ghiradelli Chocolate Shop. I’d suggest the sea salt caramel hot cocoa topped with lots of whipped cream but that’s just me.  There’s a host of other chocolate goodies and ice cream, if you dare.  Take in Macy’s Christmas windows and the array of Michigan Avenue shops and then head to the Chicago Cultural Center. The center always offers free programs and events, including a Dance-Along Nutcracker on December 6 and a photography exhibit by local artist Barbara Crane through January 10.  Rest at the  elegant and close by Sheraton Chicago and build your stamina for a whopping  deep dish dinner at the iconic Pizzeria Due.

Photo courtesy of Millennium Park

A ski lift up the mountain at Sunrise.

I recently posted about Arizona Snowbowl, the ski resort in Flagstaff, Arizona. However, Flagstaff is not the only Arizona town that boasts a great ski resort.

The Sunrise Park Resort is located in the town of Greer, in the White Mountains of Central-Eastern Arizona – 218 miles from Phoenix and 230 miles from Tucson. Folks can travel 250 from Albuquerque New Mexico, and 299 miles from El Paso Texas. Three mountains (Sunrise Peak – 10,700 ft; Apache Peak – 11,100 feet; Cyclone Circle – 10,700 feet) with 800 acres of skiing offer 65 runs for all levels of expertise, as well as separate areas for snowboarding, cross country skiing, tubing, and sleigh rides. There is an on-mountain equipment rental shop, ski school, and child care.

View from the top of Sunrise Peak.

The Sunrise Park Lodge, located near the base of the ski resort, is a 100-room hotel offering dining, an indoor pool and whirlpool, a lounge and a game room. Visitors of the area can also enjoy lodging and casino entertainment at nearby Hon-Dah Resort Casino, which also offers ski and snowboard equipment rental and package deals for rooms and lift tickets.

Sunrise Park Resort is celebrating its 40th year in business. Every Tuesday starting January 5th, 2010, purchase one full price adult lift ticket and get the second lift ticket half-off. Every Thursday, ladies can purchase their lift tickets for $10 off regular prices. Regular all-day lift ticket prices are $49 for adults, $42 for youths, and $28 for juniors (12 and under). Half-day lift ticket prices are $39 for adults, $34 for youths, and $23 for juniors. Half-day lift ticket prices apply for all-day skiing every Sunday. Night skiing is also available, check the rates page for dates and times.

Photo credits (in order of appearance):
- “Ski lift up to the top of Sunrise Peak” by Marisa U on Flickr Creative Commons.
- “View from the top of Sunrise Peak (10,700 ft)” by Marisa U on Flickr Creative Commons.

The Arizona Snowbowl

When people think about Arizona, they tend to picture hot arid deserts and Saguaro cactus. However, there ARE portions of Arizona where the elevation is high enough to enjoy four seasons. Flagstaff is one of those places. The town itself is at an elevation of 7000 feet, and enjoys between 16 and 22 inches of average snowfall between the months of December and March.

The San Francisco Peaks, just north of downtown Flagstaff, top out at an elevation of 12,633 feet, and get much heavier snowfall than the town below. The Arizona Snowbowl Ski Resort resides on the San Francisco Peaks, just fourteen miles outside of downtown Flagstaff (2 hours from Phoenix, 70 miles from the Grand Canyon). Base elevation is at 9,200 feet, and summit elevation is at 11,500 feet. There are 32 runs spread out over 777 acres, fairly evenly distributed between beginner, intermediate, and advanced trails. The ski season usually runs from mid-December through mid-April, depending on snowfall (which averages at 260 inches).

The slopes of Arizona Snowbowl.

There are two lodges on the mountain, and two more lodges at the base of the mountain, to provide food and beverages and a place to warm up. Snowbowl is fully supported with equipment rentals and repairs, ski schools, first aid, BBQ pits, picnic areas, banquet facilities, ATM’s, and many other amenities available through Guest Services.

The Sunset Terrain Park features obstacles, spines, rails, and fun boxes for snowboarders and skiers. The fun boxes include a 24-foot flat box, a 24-foot flat down box, a 20-foot C-box, and a 24-foot house box.

Lodging is plentiful in nearby Flagstaff. People can also stay at the base of the mountain at the Ski Lift Lodge & Cabins.

Full day lift tickets are $49 for adults, $26 for children ages 8-12, $26 for seniors aged 63-69. Children under the age of seven, and seniors over the age of seventy, are free. Lower rates apply for half-day passes. Special group packages and season passes are also available.

Photo Credits (in order of appearance):
- “AZ Snowbowl” by Willow Monk on Flickr Creative Commons.
- “AZ Snowbowl” by Willow Monk on Flickr Creative Commons.

Philanthropic Travel

How about a trip where you give and get back? It’s more than memories and pictures. By traveling you can change somebody else’s life for the better. That is surely one of the most compelling reasons to plan a trip. Global Sojourns’ Priscilla Macy has created a means of getting away and giving of yourself to people who need the help. But from what she describes, the travelers get an equal amount of meaning back from the trips.  This is truly a journey that matters as much as it gets you out of your comfort zone. This is travel with meaning.

Play

Dress your dog in holiday festivewear for the 1.2k Santa Sled Run.

The 12K’s of Christmas celebrates the “health, fitness, and joy of Christmas.” This Christmas run is being held in the town of Gilbert, Arizona on December 12th at the Freestone District Park. Every registered runner receives a free Santa hat to wear during the run. Chorale groups will be stationed along the route singing Christmas Carols, and prizes will be offered for those runners with the most inventive Christmas-themed running outfit.

Along with the 12k marathon is a 1.2k “Santa Sled Run” for the whole family to enjoy, including your four-legged friends. Decorate strollers, wagons, bicycles, and even your dog to run, walk, or stroll the 1.2k. Prizes will be awarded for the 12k’s of Christmas Judges Award, the Spirit of Christmas Judges Award, Santa’s Favorite Pet, Best Decorated Entry, and Individual and Child’s Christmas Spirit awards.

Non-runners can enjoy the Christmas Bazaar for some last-minute Christmas shopping, food, and drink. Downtown Gilbert will also be hosting post-event celebrations, so make a day of it and enjoy the 12K’s of Christmas!

Registration Fee for the 12k Race is $30 prior to race day, and $35 the day of the race. Registration includes water stations and snacks, Santa Hat and collectible finishers pin. Day of Race Registration is 8 am to 9:45 am, the race begins at 10 am, and the awards ceremony immediately follows the race.

Registration Fee for the Santa Sled 1.2K Run is $30 Team entry (4 people), $5 for each additional person.
Registration is from 8 am to 9:45 am, and the race Begins at 10:12 am.

Photo Credit: “I like my new sweater” by mbtrama on Flickr Creative Commons.

In late August a group of us spent a Sunday in Pacifica, California. I’d have done this post earlier but somehow or another Lisa didn’t manage to upload all the pictures until just recently, so I’m sorry to have kept you waiting.

My brother-in-law, RS, currently engaged in a battle with kidney cancer, grew up in Pacifica and has fond memories of this small coastal town. Our decision to visit Pacifica was for him, to allow him to relive some memories of a better time in his life.

Before that weekend, my only tryst with Pacifica had been a sort of impromptu beach party one cold weekend afternoon during my San Francisco State days. A group of us ended up on a foggy beach with several packs of Kent cigarettes and a case of beer. Our exploration of Pacifica did not really extend beyond the bottom of our beer cans and the tips of our smokes.

Pacifica is a coastal town located between San Francisco and Half Moon Bay. Take note would-be visitors – Pacifica is a Northern California coast town, which means that it spends most of its life cloaked in fog and 50-60 degree temperatures. Our destination that day – the Lighthouse Hotel and Pacifica’s famed Rockaway Beach.

The Lighthouse Hotel- located at the end of Rockaway Beach Ave, the main drag through the little knot of shops and restaurants that form the bedrock of commerce at Rockaway Beach – is a somewhat weather-beaten structure that doesn’t quite live up to the freshly painted, sun-drenched image in the brochure. The rooms have sort of a too-lived in look about them, but for a one-night stay and a beach front location, I wasn’t complaining. There’s also a Holiday Inn Express a stone’s throw or two down the beach, which looks like it may be a little newer, and perhaps, just perhaps, a little better cared for.

Given the motivation for our visit, we did not go to Rockaway to get our party on. The plan was 24-hours of beach combing, eating, relaxation and reflection. Upon arriving we grabbed some food at Rock’n Rob’s, located a vacant hotel patio, and ate a quick lunch. After tossing our bags in the room we went to check out the beach. It was a windy day and the water was like ice, so naturally the kids went straight for the ocean.

We spent the next several hours enjoying the beach, engaging in obligatory beach activities (we must have a dozen bags of rocks, shells and sea glass from beaches nationwide) before retiring to the hotel hot tub.  As the weather continued to cool and it became time to think about eating again, we decided to make dinner really simple and have pizza delivered to the hotel from one of the local joints. We all gathered in my mother-in-laws room and splayed ourselves across the two queen-beds, munching pizza and watching TV.  However, the next time I visit Pacifica, (and there will be a next time) I’d like to check out Nick’s, which is right across the street from The Lighthouse Hotel.  I’m not saying I’ll take part in the dancing, but I can definitely get behind the drinks, dining and ocean views that Nick’s has to offer. Oh, who am I kidding? After a few drinks I’ll get behind and on top of the dancing. But I digress.

Later that night, Lisa and I took a stroll further down the beach and came across a gentleman tending to a little fire in a little cove while waiting for his wife to toddle over from the Holiday Inn. Apparently she had not been feeling well, and he’d been tending the flame for over an hour. We got to chatting and enjoying his fire.  He and his wife were from Sacramento, and discovered Rockaway Beach and Pacifica several years ago. Prior to their discovery, when they wanted some beach time they would make the drive down the coast to Carmel and Monterey. He told us they like Pacifica not only because it’s much closer, but because it’s more secluded and still remains largely undiscovered.

The next morning, a few of us decided to have breakfast at the on-site restaurant, The Ristorante Portofino. Being a Monday morning, the place was pretty empty; however the lack of diners did nothing to speed up the service. We must have stood there for five minutes waiting to be seated. Then, because we asked for a window seat, (why not, right??) we had to wait for them to clean a table. Several times during breakfast I got up to refill my own coffee cup from the waiter’s coffee station. The wait time did give me a chance to take a walk, and snap some pictures of a nearly deserted Rockaway Avenue.

After breakfast, check-out, and the joy of packing and loading the car, we made the short drive south on Hwy 1 to check out Linda Mar Beach, a popular surfing spot. But RS informed us that, much like Cubs and White Sox fans, those who grow up in Pacifica form strong allegiances to either Rockaway Beach or Linda Mar. Being a Rockaway boy, RS stayed true to his alliance, and watched the rest of us explore the beach from the car.

I hereby pledge my allegiance to Rockaway, and look forward to my next visit.

(All photos by Lisa or Joe Romano)

The Sam Adams tent at the Big Pour in 2008.

The Big Pour, a beer festival hosted by Draft Magazine, is this weekend in Scottsdale, Arizona. From the official site:

“The Big Pour is the ultimate beer lover’s adventure with hundreds of craft beers from breweries across the globe, seminars, food pairing tips and some of the world’s most celebrated brewers and beer experts. After a rousing premier in 2008, The Big Pour also returns with live music headlined by Everclear.”

Really, I can’t say it any better than that!

CC Ryder Express, who played at the Big Pour in 2008.

My husband and I went to their premier last year in Mesa and had an exceptional time. We’re going again this year, but I thought instead of writing a recap entry about how it WAS, I would let you all know about it beforehand so you can go too, if you’re in the area.

This year the festival is being held on the Scottsdale Waterfront, a residential, dining, and shopping district in downtown Scottdale, at the intersection of Camelback and North Scottsdale roads. Industry events being held on the 12th and 13th lead up to the “big event” on Saturday November 14th, from noon-11p.m. The festival features tastings from HUNDREDS of beers. Live music from various bands will happen throughout the day, culminating with the headliner Everclear at 8:00. Festival goers can attend seminars and indulge in beer-food pairings, as well as take advantage of local restaurant specials.

The Big Pour 2008.

Saturday General Admission tickets includes admission and 15 pours/tastes for $40.00 per person. VIP tickets includes admission for events for all three days, access to VIP tasting lounge, seminars and all concerts for $82.00 per person.

Patrons of the festival are strongly encouraged to designate a driver, or use public transportation. Don’t drink and drive!

Photo Credits (all): Laura Charon.

The view of Flagstaff from the top of Mars Hill.

Last weekend my husband had to work up in Flagstaff, AZ, about two and a half hours north of our home in Chandler. I availed myself of the opportunity for a free hotel room, and drove up to join him on Friday night.

Saturday I set out to explore the lovely city of Flagstaff. I wanted to enjoy the wonderful fall weather to its fullest, so I decided a bit of hiking was in order. After perusing the area map provided to me by the hotel, I found one of the entrances to the Flagstaff Urban Trail System (FUTS, pronounced “foots”).

FUTS is a network of trails maintained by the City of Flagstaff and totalling, at present, 49 miles. The final plan is to have a system of about 130 miles of shared-use trails. The trails range along the quaint and historic streets of Flagstaff, along historic Route 66, through canyons and meadows, and throughout the surrounding National Forest. All of the trails are free to use, non-motorized, and welcome walkers, hikers, joggers, bicyclists, and pets (on leashes).

The trail through the forest.

I personally hiked a portion of the Mars Hill Trail, which begins in Thorpe Park (via Toltec St. from the South, or Thorpe Rd. from the North) and ends just below the Lowell Observatory on Mars Hill.

A tree, dead but still standing, against the blue, blue sky.

Armed with my camera, a water bottle, and my cell phone, I picked a direction and just… walked. Strolled, really. Joggers and speedier walkers passed me with a cheerful, “Good morning!” I paused frequently, to listen to the wind shushing through the pines, the chatter of birds and squirrels, and the blessed LACK of traffic noise. The forest is almost tidy. Very little undergrowth, which I attribute to the wildfire concern that keeps the Forest Service constantly clearing away brush and deadfall.

The tidy forest.

I walked for about a half-hour, and found myself in a denser section of the forest. It was absolutely still – I couldn’t even detect wildlife anywhere around me. The trail continued ahead of me, but I didn’t have a trail map with me at the time, and didn’t know how much further it went, or if it looped back around to the park entrance at all. So I decided to go back the way I came, but I left with the desire to return again soon and explore the trail to the end, plus explore all of the other trails that the Flagstaff Urban Trail System has to offer.