tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200893012023-03-21T13:50:21.566-07:00All things Phoenix & the Valley of the SunThe Native Phoenicianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01443133234012054059noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20089301.post-1138509214992945572006-01-28T13:58:00.000-07:002006-01-29T16:21:40.050-07:00<span style="font-size:130%;">Looking for some new places to visit? Try these! I'll be updating this page, so be sure to bookmark it.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" href="http://www.maricopa.gov/parks/white_tank/Trails.aspx">Waterfall Trail at the White Tank Mountain Regional Park</a></span><br />13025 N. White Tank Mountain Road<br />Waddell, AZ 85355<br />623-935-2505<br /><br />Hike this trail after a good rain, and you will be rewarded with a waterfall at the end! It's .9 miles to the waterfall, relatively easy and flat, except at the end when it gets quite rocky (wear sturdy shoes). Besides the waterfall, you will see gorgeous views of the desert, petroglyphs and sometimes wildlife such as lizards, butterflies and frogs.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" href="http://www.easleys.com/">Easley's Fun Shop</a></span><br />509 West McDowell Road<br />Phoenix, Arizona 85003<br />602-271-9146<br /><br />This is THE place to go to get magic tricks, costumes, masks, practical joke items and other novelties. Founded in 1947, Easley's has spread fun to Phoenix for generations. You'll enjoy just browsing their amazing selection, but you'll probably walk out with a trinket or even a silly mask!<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" href="http://www.cityofmesa.org/amfy/"><br />Arizona Museum for Youth</a></span><br />35 N. Robson<br />Mesa, Arizona 85201<br />480-644-2467<br /><br />This art museum is especially for kids birth to 12 years, but all ages will enjoy the many hands-on displays and creative activities. There's even a special area just for kids 4 and younger called Artville.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" href="https://www.candleoutlet.com"><br />Candle & Gift Factory Outlet</a></span><br />2230 E. Indian School Rd.<br />Phoenix, AZ 85016<br />602-522-2704<br /><br />Heavenly scents and dazzling colors greet you when you enter a building that gives little hint of all that's contained inside. Candles from votives up to 115 lb. giant pillars are creatively displayed with home decor items along paths that meander through several rooms. Among the many tempting scents are Hot Apple Pie, Refreshing Desert Rain, Lavender Vanilla, San Diego Ocean Mist, Caramel Corn and Creme Brulée. You might even be able to watch candle making in action!<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" href="http://www.cerreta.com/">Cerreta Candy Company</a></span><br />5345 W. Glendale Avenue<br />Glendale, Arizona 85301<br />623-930-1000<br /><br />Mouth-watering treats abound at Arizona's very own Cerreta Candy Company. Here you'll find filled chocolates, French Mint Truffles, English Almond Toffee, Camelbacks Pecan Caramel Clusters and Picosas Hot Peanut Brittle Jalepeno along with many other goodies. Take the factory tour to learn all about how candy is made and you'll get a free sample. For a small fee, you can make your own chocolate pizza at the end of the tour. Yum!<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" href="http://www.organstoppizza.com/">Organ Stop Pizza</a></span><br />1149 East Southern Avenue<br />Mesa, AZ 85204<br />480-813-5700<br /><br />Since 1972, fans of theatre pipe organ music and pizza fans have gathered in a unique restaurant that showcases the largest Wurlitzer theatre organ in the world. As you enjoy pizza, pasta or salad, you'll hear a variety of music and get to watch the air-powered pipes opening and closing. Lots of unusual instruments are also attached to the organ and hang above the dining area. Visit the stage to grab a form and request a song!<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" href="http://www.pioneer-arizona.com">Pioneer Living History Museum</a></span><br />3901 W. Pioneer Road<br />Phoenix, Arizona 85086<br />623-465-1052<br /><br />Many Phoenix kids have been on field trips to the Pioneer Living History Museum. Located in the scenic desert north of Phoenix, it's a village of 30 historic Arizona buildings from the 1880s to the turn of the century. If you grew up reading Laura Ingalls Wilder, you'll love the one room schoolhouse, the Blacksmith Shop and the white clapboard church. For special programs, historical reenactors in period dress interact with visitors.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" href="http://www.bookmans.com/">Bookmans Entertainment Exchange</a></span><br />8034 N. 19th Ave.<br />Phoenix, AZ 85021<br />602-433-0255<br /><br />I guarantee you've never seen a used bookstore like the ones in this Arizona chain. For one thing, the stores are huge - larger than most regular bookstores. And they carry more than books - DVDs, CDs, video games, magazines, audiobooks, board games, knickknacks and more. All of them are well-organized and priced reasonably. Children's books might be in short supply at other used bookstores, but here there is a large children's section with books in great shape. Relax in a comfy chair with your selections as you decide which ones to buy - at these prices, you might decide to buy the whole stack!<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" href="http://www.wildlifeworld.com/"><br />Wildlife World Zoo</a></span><br />16501 W. Northern Ave.<br />Litchfield Park, AZ 85340<br />623-935-9453<br /><br />If you've visited the <a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" href="http://www.phoenixzoo.org/">Phoenix Zoo</a>, you should also see Wildlife World Zoo. Built in 1984, it's on a smaller scale than the Phoenix Zoo, but that means less walking and closer views of the animals. You can feed giraffes from a platform and go inside aviaries to feed birds. You'll see white tigers, camels, lions, kangaroos, monkeys, zebras, pengins, lemurs, a white rhinoceros and even an albino alligator. Other attractions include a train, a boat ride, a merry-go-round and a sky ride.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01443133234012054059noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20089301.post-1137658807079547322006-01-19T01:05:00.000-07:002006-01-19T01:32:27.613-07:00It's that season again when we welcome our winter visitors, also known as snowbirds. Some of us may be cranky hosts, but admit it - if you could live somewhere cool in the summer and someplace warm in the winter, wouldn't you? And it's not just a recent idea - take a look at the Bible verse that could be the motto for the Valley's seasonal guests:<br /><br /><blockquote>"Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. ..."<br />(<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2027:12;&version=31;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Acts 27:12, NIV</span></a>)<br /><br /></blockquote><br />I'll bet you didn't know that was in the Bible!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01443133234012054059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20089301.post-1135239838748136602005-12-22T01:18:00.000-07:002005-12-22T01:28:29.286-07:00Speaking of nostalgia, check out the December issue of <a href="http://www.phoenixmag.com"><em>Phoenix Magazine</em></a><em>. </em>It's all about Phoenix in the seventies, with lots of pictures.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01443133234012054059noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20089301.post-1135239011398789012005-12-22T00:49:00.000-07:002005-12-22T01:10:11.410-07:00Welcome to my new blog! Anyone who was born in Phoenix knows the feeling of being alone in a crowd of people. Most everyone we know seems to come from somewhere else. Does Phoenix have its own identity? Yes! I'll be writing about favorite places and things in Phoenix, past and present. It will be part nostalgia and part celebration of all the things that make Phoenix what it is today.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1