Blog Posts Tagged ‘summer’

BEING SAFE THIS SUMMER NOT AN IMPOSSIBLE MISSION WITH OPERATION SAFE SUMMER IN GLENDALE

SafetyLogosFor the third consecutive year, the city of Glendale this month is launching a campaign designed to reinforce safety messages during the summer with residents; entitled Operation Safe Summer, kicking off in conjunction with Heat Safety Awareness Day on May 22. The campaign will feature a public event at Westgate Entertainment District on June 19, as well as a bottled water drive throughout the city.

There are several departments that will offer programs and events to remind residents of their mission: to keep the city’s residents safe with an outstanding quality of life. These departments include the Police and Fire Departments, the Transportation Services Department and Parks, Recreation and Library Services.

With a dedicated website and logo, the campaign features a different safety message each week, covering timely summer topics such as kids out of school for the summer, children being home alone and out riding bicycles more often, heat-related issues, vacation and travel safety, BBQ and fireworks precautions, and of course, water and pool safety. Information will be distributed through public facilities in Glendale and at certain events, as well.Lifeguard_water

The public event will be held on June 19,  6:30-8:30 p.m., called “Surviving the Summer,” at Westgate Entertainment District, 6770 N. Sunrise Blvd. Held in the shopping center’s Fountain Park, this free event will feature a variety of agencies and vendors to educate residents on water and sun safety and much more.

In addition, donated water bottles will be collected at all Glendale fire stations throughout the city, as well as the Glendale Visitor Center in downtown Glendale. The water donation drive will run through the Glendale CVB’s Christmas in July event on July 18. Water will be distributed through Maricopa Association of Government’s (MAG) Heat Relief Regional Network, to the most vulnerable populations in the region to stay hydrated and healthy. MAG’s program offers both hydration stations and refuge locations throughout Maricopa County. For more information on this program, visit http://www.azmag.gov/heatrelief.

For more information on the event and the Operation Safe Summer campaign, including great tips and resources you can take advantage of, visit www.glendaleaz.com/safesummer.

 

Mortimer Family Farms



Sometimes you need to break away from the city to fully enjoy the seasons. Dewey-Humboldt’s Mortimer Family Farms allows visitors to do just this.

During the summer, Mortimer Family Farms holds the Sweet Corn Festival. The Corn Festival occurs every weekend in August.

About the festival via the Mortimer Family Farms website:

This festival will feature everything “CORN!” Come join us for the “a-MAIZE-ing” attractions, games, farm activities, barn dance, and much more! Admission is only $10.00 per person which includes entertainment for the entire family! Younger guests will enjoy the Pig Races, Farm Animal Petting Zoo, Buckaroo Pony Corner, Farm Slide, Corn Bath, Straw Maze, Barrel Train, Bounce Playhouse Farmland, and Barrel Train! Teen guests won’t want to miss the Bubble Run, Pig Races, Laser Tag, Roping Dummies, Obstacle Course, Water Rides, and Lawn Mower Races!

The whole family will relish Fresh Picked Sweet Corn, Vegetables, Antique Tractor Show, Hay Rides, Music, Barn Dance, Live Entertainment, Craft Vendors, and “a-MAIZE-ing” farm food set in the middle of our growing fields! Are you competitive? Test your skills with a Corn Eating competition, Corn Shucking competition, and Corn Toss with prizes being awarded!

The Mile High Tractor Club will be displaying antique tractors for all to enjoy! Watch as they compete for “Top Pull” every Saturday, seeing which Operator & Antique Tractor can pull the weighted sled the farthest.

Meet Farmer Buzz on a hayride tour of the farm with lots of stories and history about our area – he will even take you to the fields to pick your own Sweet Corn right off the stalk. Learn about agriculture, the history of Dewey-Humboldt, and watch a real Blacksmith create works of art in iron!

Join us for our Farm Dance, both Saturdays, in our 4 – 7 Barn. The dance is for all ages to enjoy and it is a MUST! Be ready for this Boot Scootin’ good time from 7:00 to 10:00 pm along with all festival attractions.

Farm Market Store and “My Grandma’s Kitchen” is open daily from 8-6 where you will find farm raised: Sweet Corn, Tomatoes, Peppers, Squash, Zucchini, Cucumbers, Herbs, Black Angus Beef, Chicken, Home baked Cookies, Pies, Cakes, Fudge, Sandwiches and more! Their baked goods utilize farm fresh ingredients, making everything from scratch – Just like Grandma always did! The recipes are family favorites and they are delicious.

The vegetables have arrived! The store and festival will be loaded with Sweet Corn, Tomatoes, Squash, Peppers and other Summer Vegetables grown on the Farm!

 

Mortimer Family Farms hosts events throughout the year. Keep connected with Mortimer Family Farms on Facebook and Twitter to learn about other upcoming events!

London Bridge

Arizona has its own piece of London. Located in Lake Havasu City is the London Bridge.

The bridge formerly spanned the River Thames in London, England until it was dismantledi n 1967.

The Arizona bridge, as it stands now, is a reinforced concrete structure clad in the original masonry of the 1830s bridge, which was brought by Robert P. McCulloch from London. McCulloch had exterior granite blocks from the original bridge numbered and transported to America to construct the present bridge in Lake Havasu City. The bridge was completed in 1971 and links an island in the Colorado River with the main part of Lake Havasu City.

The bridge’s relocation was the basis of a 1985 made-for-television movie Bridge Across Time, also known as Arizona Ripper or Terror at London Bridge. In the film, a series of murders in Lake Havasu is attributed to the spirit of Jack the Ripper, whose soul is transported to the united States in one of the stones of the bridge.

So, the next time you’re yearning for a trip to London (but can’t exactly afford the great vacation), maybe plan a trip to Lake Havasu City instead. Then you can pretend you’ve escaped to the prestigious city while remaining right in  the desert oasis that is Arizona.

Grand Canyon Railway

Courtesy of grand-canyon.com

Courtesy of grand-canyon.com

The Grand Canyon Railway offers visitors a unique way to experience the Grand Canyon.

The train runs from Williams, AZ to the South Rim (a 65 mile trip). There will be a layover at the Grand Canyon, visitors are encouraged to tour the depot, which was constructed in 1910, as well as the nearby area for entertaining lunch spots.

The Old West is revitalized through this railway as actors dressed as bandits stage a mock train robbery during the return trip from the Grand Canyon to Williams.

During the winter season, the line runs The Polar Express from Williams to the “North Pole,” which is a station that is about 17 miles north of town.

Christopher Creek

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Image courtesy of rimcountry.com

With an elevation over a mile-high(5640 ft), Christopher Creek Campground’s crisp, fresh air and vibrant views are a joy to behold. The facility is tucked along the banks of the spring-fed Christopher Creek, which passes just below the Mogollon Rim.

The Mogollon Rim, pronounced by locals as “muggy-own,” is a 200-mile long cliff in northern Arizona that ranges between 5,000 and 7,000 ft in elevation. The unique landscape was created by extreme erosion and faulting that has sculpted spectacular canyons and buttes. The rim serves as the geographical dividing line between the cool high country above and the hot, dry desert below. Christopher Creek is located in the desert portion, but is balanced by the cool waters of the creek and forested surroundings.

After a day of horseback riding or mountain biking, take a dip in one of the facility’s three swimming holes to cool off from the summer sun. Or if winter is more your thing, visit during the snowy months to take advantage of the miles of cross-country skiing available. Each spring, the creek is stocked with rainbow trout, allowing anglers the opportunity to cast their hearts out for rainbows as well as brook and brown trout.

The small town of Christopher Creek is just a short drive away and offers a few restaurant options for those who tire of cooking at the campground. A series of lakes called the Rim Country Lakes are about a 10 minute drive east. Woods Canyon Lake is one of the most popular recreational lakes in the state and offers options for boating as well as a nature trail that loops around the lake’s perimeter.

Information courtesy of recreation.gov; learn more here.

Cottonwood Historic Road

cottonwood historic road_prescott area_8.4.14

Image courtesy of sangres.com

A scenic stretch of State Route 89A — the Jerome-Clarkdale-Cottonwood Historic Road — overlooks the Verde River Valley, exposing spectacular views of the Mogollon Rim and Colorado Plateau. As travelers approach from Prescott on State 89A, a steep drop followed by a final hill pitches right onto Main Street in the heart of Jerome and the start of the historic road designated in May 1992.

The once-roaring mining community became a ghost town and then transformed into today’s thriving art community, all while clinging precariously to the side of Cleopatra Hill. Buildings balance cautiously, clutching the steep grade. Retaining walls and flat pads hold some structures in place, while others hang on at seemingly impossible angles. Headlines in the February 5, 1903, issue of the New York Sun read, “This Jerome is a Bad One — The Arizona Copper Camp Now the Wickedest Town.”

Jerome started as a mining camp, nothing more than a settlement of tents. But the surrounding hills were full of copper, and soon a lawyer named Eugene Jerome invested $200,000 in a mining operation to extract it. His claim would eventually make Jerome one of the largest towns in Arizona. He also hired a surveyor to lay out the twisted town of Jerome, a namesake he insisted upon although he never visited there.

But Eugene Jerome wasn’t the first to discover the abundance of minerals in the Black Hills. Indian tribes in the region were well aware of the riches beneath the mountains long before the Europeans and Spanish entered the area. Somewhere around the year AD 1125, the Sinagua Indians appeared in the Verde Valley, a lush forested land with a dependable water source in the rushing green-blue of the Verde River. They lived a prosperous life, trading with tribes more than 100 miles away and farming the rich valley. Around the year AD 1400, the Sinagua people inexplicably began to migrate from the region. By the year AD 1450, they had disappeared, but left behind a dwelling now called Tuzigoot, an Apache word for “crooked water.”

The 110-room, two-story ruin perches atop a hill between the towns of Cottonwood and Clarkdale. The Sinagua Indians knew of the minerals in the hills and used them to trade for other necessities and pleasures of life, like copper bells and pottery more elaborate than their own brown clay and volcanic ash pieces. Occasionally they used azurite, a mined copper carbonate with a deep-blue hue, to paint their pottery. The museum at Tuzigoot National Monument displays some of their jewelry.

After the Sinagua people disappeared from the area, Spanish explorers stumbled across the land following tales of gold-laden cities and mines with rich veins of colored ore. Many years later, the first American prospectors came, soon to uncover and exploit the multitude of riches buried deep in the Black Hills. On a search for gold in 1583, Spanish explorer Antonio de Espejo and his companions traveled through the desert surrounding Jerome and the Black Hills. Greeted by the Indians of the region who gladly showed the explorers their own mining efforts in the hills, the Spaniards had their hearts set on gold. When they realized the Indians were mining mainly copper, they decided to move on, but claimed the land in the name of Spain. They were unaware of the great fortunes that lay waiting just below their feet — copper mostly, but also silver, gold and zinc.

In 1598, Marcos Farfan, also a Spanish explorer, crossed the area looking for gold. He, too, claimed the mines for the Spanish crown, but the rough mountains deterred him. The small amount of gold mixed in with the copper, he believed, was not worth the great effort to remove it. After these two explorations, it would be almost 300 years of only scattered visits from the Spaniards and Anglos before the mad rush for riches brought the miners that would change the area forever.

American settlers arrived in the Verde Valley in 1865, wandering in from the Prescott Valley area. Small-scale mines attempted to extract the precious metals from the mountains, but the difficult desert terrain and rocky mountainsides made excavation uneconomical. Finally a group of prospectors, including future Territorial Governor Frederick A.Tritle, acquired an interest in some of the claims. The work was hard and hot, and the men made $80,000 before transporting the ore became too expensive to continue.

Enter Eugene Jerome, a New York moneyman looking for an easy buck. His investment gave the first breath of life to the United Verde Copper Co. and the twisted face-lift of rickety buildings and zigzag roads that adorn Cleopatra Hill. Jerome owned it all — the mining operation and the town — but in 1888 he sold it to William Andrews Clark, a US senator from Montana and a copper mogul who knew exactly what it would take to profit from the mines in Jerome, and he had the capital to make it happen. Fires deep in the mines forced the company to begin open-pit mining, and the old smelter that sat on top of the mines had to be removed. Clark started construction on a new smelter in 1910 just down the road from Jerome, and then in 1914 built a town around it named Clarkdale. Clarkdale’s historic district is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places as one of the first successfully planned company towns. Clark also financed a narrow-gauge railroad line to connect to the Santa Fe railroad, forging the final link to the outside world.

When the mine pumped profits into Clark’s pockets and attracted miners looking for work, the entrepreneurs came also. Bars, brothels, hotels, saloons and boarding houses all popped up, and Jerome became the bad, brawling, billion-dollar mining town that endured many mining deaths, smallpox and scarlet fever epidemics, and a series of devastating fires that ravaged the mountainside buildings between 1897 and 1899. But Jerome survived. The town incorporated in early 1899 and established the Jerome Volunteer Fire Department as well as a building code advising construction with brick and stone to help prevent further fires.

By the 1920s, Jerome had a population of about 15,000 and was the largest copper-producing area in Arizona, but production slowed with the Great Depression of the 1930s. The mine came into the hands of the Phelps Dodge Corp., which still owns it. During the 1930s Phelps Dodge used dynamite blasts in the open pits to go deeper for ore, and in the process made Jerome a “moving” community — literally. Shifting earth caused by the great blasts made parts of the town crack and slide. One large blast caused an entire downtown block to slide one level down the mountain, and resulted — to some amusement — in the relocation of the town jail, which slid a full block from its original site.

The increased demand for copper during World War II revived the mine for a while, but in 1953 the mine closed after more than 70 years of production. Approximately $800 million in copper had been taken from the veins of the mighty mountains. With the closing came the inevitable death of the town as a mining center as miners dispersed across the Southwest looking for work. The 50 to 100 diehards who remained began promoting Jerome as a ghost town, and in 1967 the US government declared Jerome a National Historic Landmark.

Despite the ravaging fires that destroyed much of Jerome in the late 1890s, many of the original buildings still stand and many more have been restored. The spicy flavor of a wild mining environment still permeates the town. Today, known primarily as a tourist attraction and art community, Jerome greets approximately a quarter of a million visitors a year. Leaving Jerome, the first 6 miles of the drive to Cottonwood drop steeply and offer awe-inspiring views of the Mogollon Rim and the Verde Valley. Surrounded by mesas and buttes to the north, and jagged mountains in every other direction, Cottonwood got its name from the cottonwood trees that grow along the Verde River, which runs right through the town.

Cottonwood began as a camping place for travelers headed for Oak Creek and Camp Verde, and was a main crossing place on the Verde River. The first Anglos to settle here were soon followed by soldiers from nearby Fort Whipple, who were sent to protect ranchers in the Verde Valley. The fertile land soon attracted other ranchers and farmers, and a small farming community sprung up.

Today, Cottonwood has a population of about 5,900. A quaint area known locally as Old Town is officially Cottonwood Commercial Historic District. Walking tours are offered as are self-guided tours of the Verde River riparian area. At the end of the Jerome-Clarkdale-Cottonwood Historic Road southeast of Cottonwood, the next leg of the journey starts toward Sedona — the Dry Creek Scenic Road.

Article courtesy of Arizona Scenic Roads.

Red Rock Scenic Byway

Image courtesy of sangres.com

Image courtesy of sangres.com

Winding through the evergreen pinion-covered Coconino National Forest, this byway, designated as Arizona’s first “All-American Road,” gives way to several scenic views.

Along the byway is a diverse ecosystem where people can bask in the glory of the buttes, cliffs, desert expanses and canyons.

This landscape has inspired and shaped people for over 10,000 years.

Travelers are encouraged to enjoy the scenery, go picnicking, hiking, biking, wildlife watching, and take photos along the way.

The Sterling Canyon Spur leads to two of the most spectacular rock formations in the area. Devil’s Bridge and Vultee Arch are each just a short hike off the road. The Boynton Canyon Spur leads to a trail into an area described as one of Sedona’s new age vortexes. The Loy Butte spur will put travelers in the middle of some of the area’s more sweeping vistas. The Sycamore Canyon Spur takes travelers past  Robber’s Roost, where horse thieves once hid their contraband and to Sycamore Pass, the gateway to the Sycamore Canyon Wilderness.

Dogie Trail

Image courtesy of greatsedonahikes.com

Image courtesy of greatsedonahikes.com

The Dogie Trail is a step back into the days where Cowboys ruled the land. Dogie is cowboy slang for motherless calf, alluding to the area’s ranching history. Cowboys once herded cattle along this route through Sycamore Canyon. Evidence of this history remains in the form of stock tanks that sit along the path. The trail is covered with crimson-and-cream colored bluffs topped with junipers and pinon pines. Hikers may find pools that linger from recent rains shaded by cottonwood and willow trees. The hike ends at junction with the Sycamore Basin Trail in the Coconino National Forest. The trail is hailed as a rugged beauty that has been unspoiled and untamed by man.

Sky Island Scenic Byway

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Climbing more than 6,000 feet,the Sky Island Scenic Byway begins with forests of saguaro cacti in the Sonoran Desert and ends in a cool, coniferous forest on the Santa Catalina Mountains. Prepare yourself for breathtaking views and a climate change that would be similar to driving from Southern Arizona to Northern Montana. Each thousand feet up is like driving 600 miles north offering a unique opportunity to experience 4 seasons in one trip.

The scenic drive begins at the outside edge of Tucson. If you are coming from I-10, take exit 256 and follow East Grant Road for 8 miles. Turn left onto East Tanque Verde Road and continue for three miles until East Catalina Highway on your left. The start of this scenic drive is in 4 miles as you enter the Coronado National Forest. This road is sometimes referred to as Mount Lemmon Highway or Hitchcock Highway.

If you are traveling this route in the winter, keep in mind that temperature differences from bottom to top is around 30 degrees and that upper portions may be closed due to snow. And in any season — bring water, extra clothes and gas up beforehand as there are no stations along the Catalina Highway.

As the road climbs among the Saguaro cacti and brittlebush, enjoy hairpin curves as you arrive at the Babad Do’ag Viewpoint (V1) which overlooks the desert cacti studded Tucson Valley, the Rincon Mountains, and the Tucson Basin. There are interpretive signs at the lookout and if you’re up for a longer hike — try the moderate 5-mile round trip Babad Do’ag Trail. Incredible desert vistas of saguaro, wildflowers and mountains await.

Continuing up the road, you enter the Molino Canyon. The road hugs the canyon’s cliff until the Molino Canyon Overlook (V2). The overlook offers a short hike to a creek and series of waterfalls. Towards the center of the canyon is the Molino Basin, home a campground and trailheads for a variety of hikes. Hiking here is especially fascinating due to the transition from desert to a forest dominated by cottonwood, oak, sycamore and willow trees within a very short distance.

Each turn of the road reveals a new perspective. As you enter Bear Canyon, the forest transforms once again into a lusher, cool environment with flourishing cypress, juniper, pine, sycamore, and walnut trees. Granite pinnacles soar into the sky, and with rocky outcroppings and stony hoodoos, some of Arizona’s best rock climbing is found here.

Next stop, Windy Point (V3) offers the most amazing views along the entire drive. Wind-whipped rock formations, views of the Huachuca, Patagonia, and Santa Rita Mountains, and the Tucson Basin await at 6,400 feet of elevation. On clear days, you may even see the Sierra de San Antonio in Mexico.

Geology Point Vista (V4), offers another spectacular viewpoint. Sweeping panoramas and precariously perched rocks create a surreal and photogenic landscape.

From here, you climb through forests of ponderosa pine. Rose Canyon Lake (W1) is stocked with trout and surrounded by absolute beauty; this seven-acre lake is a perfect stop for fishing, picnics, and camping in the Rose Canyon Campground. Keep an eye out for the turn off to Rose Canyon. Shortly afterwards, you arrive at the San Pedro Vista (V5) which overlooks the San Pedro River Valley, a desert between the Tortilla and Galiuro Mountains. From this stop, enjoy the 4-mile hike around Green Mountain to the General Hitchcock Campground.

Shortly after the viewpoint is the Palisade Information Center (I1). Self-guided displays inform about the Coronado National Forest and it’s a great location to get more information about hikes. Two of the most popular are the Butterfly Trail (H2) and Crystal Springs Trail (H3) with trailheads one mile from the center. Both trails are long, but you need not do the entire trail to enjoy the shaded, dense forests. Butterfly Trail (H2) features such a diverse biology, it has been designated a Research Natural Area. Wildflowers and butterflies are abundant and having a species field guide will come in handy. If you are up for a challenge, the medium-to-difficult Crystal Springs Trail will bring you to Mount Lemmon’s summit.

Experience the sky up close at the Mount Lemmon SkyCenter (A1). There are daytime and after-dark programs using their new 32-inch Schulman Telescope which is open to the public.

This scenic drive officially comes to an end as you arrive in the quaint town of Summerhaven, which features a General Store, shops and restaurants. While here, consider a few short side trips. For spectacular views in every season, Mount Lemmon Ski Valley, the southernmost ski area in the US, can be reached via East Ski Run Road. The ski hill offers an opportunity to ride the ski lift for breathtaking vistas at 9100 feet. Continue a few miles further and join onto Summit Road (T1). At the road end is the actual summit of Mount Lemmon, an amazing way to end this scenic drive.

Granite Basin

Photo courtesy of http://bit.ly/1uHpfJp

Photo courtesy of http://bit.ly/1uHpfJp

Granite Basin Recreation Area is the perfect hike for those who wish for an adventure beyond hiking. The public can camp, bike, fish, have a picnic and go horseback riding. Trails of the recreation include Balancing Rock Trail, Cayuse Loop, Clark Spring Trail, Hokaygon Trail, Metate Trailhead, Mint Wash Connector Trail, Surprise Spring Trail and West Lake Trail.