Nov 20, 2009 13:20 - By: Laura Charon
A lineup of cars to drool over.
This right here is a typical sight in the valet parking area of Scottsdale Fashion Square in Scottsdale, Arizona (right in front of The Yardhouse). My husband and I were headed to our car one day last weekend, when we came across this sight. We continued on to our car, grabbed the camera, and headed back down to drool.
This is an Audi R8. The STARTING PRICE is $114,200:
The Audi R8.
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Nov 11, 2009 10:36 - By: Laura Charon
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!
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Nov 02, 2009 13:19 - By: Laura Charon
Stylin' girls at the mall.
There are twenty-five days until Black Friday, my friends! Time to get your gameplan together!
Black Friday, that traditional chaotic Christmas shopping day that qualifies as a quasi-holiday all on its own, is the Friday after Thanksgiving in the U.S. every year. This year, plan your Arizona shopping to visit these fine establishments:
The Scottsdale Fashion Square- 7014-7590 East Camelback Road – Phoenix, Arizona. Swank shops and boutiques mingle with great dining and people watching near the heart of Scottsdale.
The Chandler Fashion Center – 3111 West Chandler Boulevard – Chandler, Arizona. Indoor and outdoor shopping, dining, movies, and much more.
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Oct 12, 2009 13:11 - By: Laura Charon
Feel free to bring your four-legged friends with you on your next vacation to Arizona! The state is very dog-friendly, with lots of hotels that permit animals, and even spas dedicated to pampering your puppy (that will be the subject of an upcoming entry)! Nearly every city in Arizona has one or several “bark parks” which allow your dog to stretch his or her legs, and some freedom from the leash so they can explore every olfactory nuance of their playground. Here is a small selection of those dog-friendly parks:
The PETsMART Dog Park at Washington Park in Phoenix offers a spacious 2.65 acres in which your dog can frolic. The six-foot high perimeter fencing keeps your dog safe, while the watering station and shady trees keep your dog comfortable. There’s even a separate fenced area especially for small dogs.
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Oct 09, 2009 13:46 - By: Laura Charon
Schnepf Farms in Queen Creek, Arizona, is hosting its annual Pumpkin and Chili Party. The party is held every Thursday through Sunday for the entire month of October. Hours are from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Thursdays and Sundays, and 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. A $14.00 admission ($12.00 discount tickets are available at local Frys grocery stores, children 2 and under are free) includes hay rides, miniature golf, a Celebrity Corn Maze, carnival rides, a petting barn, a “Pumpkin Launch”, pumpkin carving contests, chili contests, bon fires, marshmallow toasting, lots of food and crafts, live entertainment, and much more. For $2.00 per ticket, a Spooky Train Ride, featuring an animatronic pumpkin king and the antics of the Chandler High School drama students, begins after dark.
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Sep 29, 2009 12:15 - By: Laura Charon
Taliesin West, located in Scottsdale, Arizona, is an estate designed and built by the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The property was built as his personal residence, where he lived until his death in 1959 at the age of 92. The property is currently the main campus of the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture.
Tours of the property are offered year-round – the most popular of which is the 90-minute “Insights” tour, which features the newly restored living quarters and “Garden Room”. Other tours feature outbuildings and hiking paths throughout the surrounding Sonoran Desert. A three-hour “behind the scenes” tour is offered for architecture enthusiasts. Select dates during the Christmas season feature the 2-Hour “Holiday Night Lights”, during which refreshments are served and carols entertain the visitors as they view the property decked out in holiday splendor.
Taliesin West is located at 12621 North Frank LLoyd Wright Blvd in Scottsdale. The entrance is located at the intersection of Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd and Cactus Road. Parking is free and tour tickets can be purchased in the Gift Shop, which is close to the main parking lots. A variety of pricing packages (from $18 to $55) are available depending on which parts of the property you wish to tour. Reservations are recommended.
Photo credits (in order of appearance):
- “Taliesin West” by Bluecanary Dreams on Flickr Creative Commons.
- “Taliesin West Interior” by AndyB on Flickr Creative Commons.
- “Taliesin West” by Khamis Hammoudeh on Flickr Creative Commons.
Sep 09, 2009 12:43 - By: Laura Charon
Tenure is a great thing, especially when it equates to four paid weeks of vacation per year. Unfortunately, my husband doesn’t have as much vacation time as I do. Since mine is a “use it or lose it” kind of situation, there are a couple of weeks out of the year that I find myself on vacation while my husband still works.
One such vacation week is coming up in October. I’ve started making tentative plans for how to occupy my time – you know, OTHER than the cleaning and “honey-do” list the vacationing spouse is required to take care of. My ambition is to make myself feel like I’ve been fully entertained for the week for as little money as possible. I want to feel like I’ve actually taken a vacation, not just sit on the couch at home all week trying to avoid spending money.
DAY ONE:
I will dedicate a leisurely hour lounging in the tub, followed by a trip to my local library. I will then take any books I procure to nearby Desert Breeze Park, lay down a blanket (because by that time it’ll be cool enough to stand the sunshine), and read for as long as I want. I might even take a ride on Desert Breeze’s miniature train, if I’m feeling adventurous.
Total Cost of Day One: $2.00 for the mini train ride.
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Sep 04, 2009 12:42 - By: Laura Charon
WestWorld of Scottsdale is an equestrian center and special events facility in North Scottsdale, Arizona. It has an annual schedule packed with a wide variety of events. Don’t know what to do some weekend? Chances are there’s something going on at WestWorld that you’d be interested in.
A horse show at WestWorld
The Scottsdale Classic Futurity and Quarter Horse Show kicks off its seventh annual appearance on October 1st, and runs through the 7th. In addition to the AQHA/NSBA/NRHA western/english/hunter horse classes, this year’s Classic features a dog agility sweepstakes, a costume contest, a silent auction (benefiting America’s Horse Cares therapeutic riding programs), and an ice cream social.
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