Photo Courtesy Town of Youngtown

Parks are a vital part of any city or town, serving as a focal point and hub for recreation, children’s activities and neighborhood gatherings. In Youngtown, parks are extremely important to the town’s quality of life, as it has prioritized open spaces since the town’s inception. While the municipality is only two square miles, it offers seven parks, in addition to Maricopa Lake.

Visitors to Youngtown can enjoy a trip to the Caliche Cactus Garden, an oasis of desert plant life. Families with young children can spend the day in Schliefer or Uribe Park. Those looking for a relaxing afternoon can head to Maricopa Lake for an fishing or enjoying a picnic under the ramada.

For more information on Youngtown’s parks, visit www.youngtownaz.org

Photo Courtesy Wickenburg Chamber of Commerce

If you head, as the brochures pithily recommend, “Out Wickenburg Way,” you’ll find a nice photo opportunity in the town’s much-advertised Jail Tree. It’s a 200-year-old mesquite, tucked absentmindedly behind a Circle K near the corner of Tegner Street and Wickenburg Way.

According to legend, and the tree’s authoritative metal sign, the ancient mesquite served as Wickenburg’s “hoosegow” from 1863 up until 1890 when the town finally got itself a real jailhouse. As the sign attests in its characteristic Western font, there were no escapes. The same as any town’s oddball jail attraction.

Myth has it that convicts were sentenced to the tree and chained there until they either died from exposure or, if lucky, they completed their stretch. But, in truth, the tree was simply a holding facility. Offenders were shackled or tied to the tree only until a Phoenix lawman could make it up that way to retrieve them. Still, according to Wickenburg’s Chamber of Commerce, this could be anywhere from two to five days. At least they had some shade.

Photo Courtesy Arizona Department of Transportation

Saguaros stand next to Joshua trees, cliffs and canyons loom to the east and west and granite boulders give way to an expanse of jagged volcanic rock. Between Wickenburg and Wikieup, this 54-mile byway cuts a path through the blurred boundaries the Sonoran and Mojave deserts.

The drive officially begins in Wikieup. Wikieup is known for its pie, the Snoopy-piloted Wikieup arrow, the Wikieup Trading Post, Eat at Joe’s Barbecue and the creosote-peppered hills that surround Bronco Wash.

Once travelers move past Wikieup, they’ll find the Big Sandy River. The river, unless it’s been rainy, lives up to its name—it’s big and sandy. Beyond the river, eroded cliffs loom that are speckled in spots with saguaros and scrub.

At Mile Marker 147, travelers will see rocks that are piled on top of each other. It’s the perfect sight before arriving at  the town of Nothing. Nothing was a real Arizona town, but it remains fairly desolate now. When travelers spot it, they’ll see there isn’t much beyond junk.

Joshua trees become the focal point of this drive around Mile Marker 162. They’re reminiscent of the baobab trees made famous in Saint Exupery’s Little Prince, and if your imagination is active, you might see a little blonde boy emerge from the trees with a dog and a well-protected flower in hand.

By Mile Marker 169, the forest of Joshua trees is dense and you’ll see a sign that reads: “Joshua tree Parkway of Arizona.” The route continues on to Wickenburg, a classic Old West town that celebrates the state’s cowboy heritage with the Desert Caballeros Museum and a string of Western-themed shops and restaurants.

Mesquite Groves Aquatic Center – Photo Courtesy City of Chandler

Mesquite Groves Aquatic Center 

It’s as if a part of one of the bigger water parks resides within the Mesquite Groves Aquatic Center. Included in the center is a lazy river, water vortex, two water slides, family pool with zero-depth entry, toddler slides, and a 752-gallon “big blue bucket.”

http://www.chandleraz.gov/default.aspx?pageid=733 

Gilbert Aquatics 

Gilbert Aquatics encompasses four public pools: Greenfield pool, Mesquite Aquatic Center, Perry Pool and Williams Field Pool. Visitors of anyone of these locations will be kept busy with the many amenities offered. Between the four pools are water slides, a kiddie slide, a zero depth area, splash pads, tumble buckets, a water sprinkler, geysers, diving boards and shade ramadas. Events like a Family Pirate Party and Dive-in-Movies help to further enhance visitors’ experience.

http://www.gilbertaz.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation/aquatics

Rhodes Aquatic Center

The Rhodes Aquatics Center is a place for those who miss the California tides. Aside from its beach-like entry, a splash pad, tumble buckets, and eight lap lanes, the Rhodes Aquatics Complex is also home to the famous FlowRider. The FlowRider crosses snowboarding, skateboarding and wakeboarding into an exciting ride as it simulates real waves that guests of the center can surf. The best part is that anyone can take on the FlowRider. Someone with no experience can jump on a boogie board and almost instantly start doing tricks.

http://www.mesaaz.gov/parksrec/Aquatics/pools/Rhodes.aspx

Kiwanis Wave Pool 

Kiwanis Wave Pool has brought the ocean to Arizona. With its pool that generates three-foot waves, guests can escape to Arizona’s indoor water haven. Kiwanis wave pool also offers a lap pool with six lanes, a 15 ft. tall double spiral water slide along with raft and tube rentals so guests can fully experience those waves.

http://www.tempe.gov/kiwanis 

Photo Courtesy Town of Paradise Valley

What would a trip around Arizona be without a visit to the spa? The Valley of the Sun boasts an array of spas and resorts, drawing visitors from all over the country to relax and bask in the beauty of the desert.

Paradise Valley is home to several of these resorts and spas and the trip to relaxation is just minutes away from most Valley cities. Historic boutique hotels like the Camelback Inn and Hermosa Inn reside in the vast desert landscape of Paradise Valley and other luxurious resorts like Sanctuary Camelback Mountain and Montelucia Resort and Spa, among others, call the town home.

Another benefit of being a resident of Arizona – lower rates at hotels and resorts during the summer! Be sure to check your local resort for summer rates that will have you relaxing in the spa while your family hits the pool.

http://www.ci.paradise-valley.az.us/352/Resort-Spas 

Photo Courtesy of City of Glendale

Foothills Aquatics Center

The Foothills Recreation and Aquatics Center has everything you need for summer.

The center consists of a lazy river, competitive lap pool, diving well, two slides, a leisure pool with zero depth entry, and an aquatic playground. And for those who need a break from all the water-centric fun, there’s the activity room that includes billiards, ping pong, arcade games, a big screen TV, game tables, a jogging track, rock climbing wall and fitness center.

Surprise Aquatic Center 

Ready to help you beat the Arizona heat is the Surprise Aquatic Center. The center has many amenities including a zero depth area with Water Play Feature, two slides, a completion pool, vortex whirlpool and diving well.

Remember to keep the little ones safe by enrolling them in fall swim lessons! The city of Surprise offers lessons in August and September: http://www.surpriseaz.gov/DocumentCenter/View/22821 

Tolleson Public Pool 

The Tolleson High School Public Pool is now open! Come enjoy some fun in the sun where food, games, lessons and swim teams are offered for all.

Additionally, the pool will host various special events during the summer including a water safety day, dive in movie nights, and a special swim lesson day.

For more information please visit www.tuhsd.org or call 623-478-4398.

Photo Courtesy of City of Scottsdale

The McDowell Mountain Ranch has everything a person in search of a pseudo beach adventure could want. Amenities at the center include a large tube water slide, 600-foot lazy river, zero-depth entry into a large play pool, water play features, interactive spray pad, grassy sections with multiple shaded areas, 8-lanes lap pool, diving boards, and a party island. The best part about the center is its midnight swims. The pool is open for night-time swimming the first Saturday of the month from June to August.

With four amazing facilities, the City of Scottsdale Aquatic Centers has a lot to offer this summer for aquatic fun! This summer, Scottsdale has themed its aquatic centers with the “Amazing Swim 2014: Swim the SEVEN WONDERS!” where you can visit any Scottsdale aquatic center and track your miles to swim your way to great prizes, better health, and fun destinations. There is no registration fee; just participate each time you use the facility throughout 2014.  The idea is to swim (the distance around or through,) the seven natural wonders of the world including Mount Everest, Victoria Falls, and the Grand Canyon! Compete against yourself, or compare your progress against other swimmers in Scottsdale.

For more information, call 480-312-POOL or visit http://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/sports/aquatics.

Photo Courtesy of World’s Smallest Museum

We tend to focus on the things that make the loudest noises in our lives, but it’s important to take some time to appreciate the littler things, too. The World’s Smallest Museum hones in on this concept. The museum, standing at only 134 square feet displays common yet unique artifacts. A visit to the World’s Smallest Museum is a step back in time and a stroll down memory lane.

Included in the exhibit is a 1984 Compaq home computer, a Beatles concert poster, a 1960 letter from president-elect John F. Kennedy (to Jake Reaney), and the World’s Largest Apache Tear, which is a kind of rock.

Just outside of the museum is Waterfall Avenue and Memory Lane. These attractions are decorated with the artifacts of ordinary working equipment that have been recycled into fountains and waterfalls. It includes monuments to the unsung heroes and hardworking people of the world.

Photo Courtesy of San Tan Mountain Regional Park

‘Help us protect the land, history and wildlife’ is the motto for the more than 10,000-acre southeast Valley park of the lower Sonoran Desert. The park ranges in elevation from about 1,400 feet to over 2,500 feet. Goldmine Mountain is located in the northern area, with a spectacular San Tan Mountain escarpment in the southern portion of the park. Near the town of Queen Creek, the San Tan Mountain area is an ideal location to enjoy a part of the Sonoran Desert and truly appreciate the desert habitat and its wildlife, where vegetation changes from creosote flats to dense saguaro forest. Various types of wildlife may be observed, including reptiles, birds, and mammals. Amenities are slated for future development.

Don’t forget to stop by the Visitor’s Center to pick up educational tidbits, purchase souvenir items, visit with park staff, and see the wildlife exhibits or tortoise habitat. Restroom facilities are available and additional amenities are slated for future development.

San Tan Mountain Regional Park

6533 W. Phillips Road

Queen Creek, AZ 85142

480-655-5554

E-mail: santanpark@mail.maricopa.gov

Park Hours

Sunday-Thursday: 6 a.m.-8 p.m.

Friday-Saturday: 6 a.m.-10 p.m.

365 days a year!

Photo Courtesy of Phoenix New Times

Like the lore of those mysterious Phoenix lights, some things are just more amusing when left unexplained. The Dreamy Draw Dam is possibly one of those things. Located on the side of Piestewa Peak, Dreamy Draw is a recreational area in the city of Phoenix, providing the perfect location for laid-back hikes and family picnics. What makes Dreamy Draw just a little more interesting is its supposed background in an alien-associated account. Just weeks after the theoretical 1947 spaceship sighting in Roswell, New Mexico, a flying saucer reportedly crashed right in Phoenix’s backyard at the Dreamy Draw. Many believe the Dreamy Draw Dam was constructed to keep onlookers from discovering more about the believed extraterrestrials.

In the early 1900s, the area of the Dreamy Draw was found to have cinnabar, a type of mercury sulfide, and for years, served as a mining site. Because of the toxicity of the mercury, many of those miners experienced sickness, including hallucinations. Many others believe that the alien life forms just stemmed from the imaginations of those working near the site.

Several theories remain about the supposed UFO visit, but one fact remains true: Dreamy Draw offers plenty of recreational activities that are out of this world.