There’s quite a bit of entertainment that can come from a super action-packed, mostly-mindless, story-lacking but fun blockbuster movie. But for the next few days, Arizona is going get have the opportunity to enjoy a change of pace. Get ready to broaden your horizons and explore some cinematic art!

The Phoenix Film Festivals runs from March 29 – April 5 and there are some really great films worth checking out. The Harkins Theater in Scottsdale will turn into a mecca of storytelling and visual exploration through  a collection of international films as well as Arizona based films. The Phoenix Film Festival showcases a few competition categories that require the movies or shorts to be filmed in Arizona and/or written about Arizona, offering locals the chance to see Arizona from another perspective.

More than 160 films will screen during its eight-day run, and the schedule is packed with must-sees: From drag queen dreams of going to prom in A Fairy Tale to FDR: American Badass, which re-imagines WWI with werewolves, you won’t want to miss out on the kind of creativity that emerges when millions of dollars are not on the line. In addition to taking in indie flicks, film geeks can work on their filmmaking skills with free weekend seminars given by cast and crew members from the festival films.

You should come to the Phoenix Film Festival:

1) If you can’t find anything good to watch at AMC

2) If you have guessed the ending to the last seven movies you’ve watched

3) If you like Michael Bay movies

4) If you like romantic comedies, any of the dozen Saw movies, or a movie that spoofs another bad movie like Another Bad Teen Movie

5) If your  tired of your favorite actor playing the same role in every movie (except Tommy Lee Jones being authoritative and Sean Bean dying. They don’t count.)

6) If you find yourself not knowing most of the films nominated for Academy Awards

7) If you come out of most movies saying, “the special effects were awesome,” but struggle to talk about the storyline

8) If you’ve never seen a film short or don’t even know what is

9) If you’ve ever said, “movies these days suck”

10) If you’ve never been to the Phoenix Film Festival but saw a poster advertising it at your favorite bar

The Grand Canyon State (a.k.a The Valentine State) turns 100 years on February 14, 2012, and you bet there’s a lot of celebrating going on. From parades and festivals to lectures and outdoor adventures, Arizonans are celebrating all that makes Arizona the great state that it is. With such a rich cultural history and diversity in interests, there will be no shortage of things to do.  Events are going on year round, but you won’t want to miss the official day of the Centennial Celebration.

February 14, 2012 Arizona Statehood Day!

7:00 a.m. – 7:30 a.m. (Phoenix City Hall)

Arizona Native American Sunrise Ceremony (Sunrise Is At 7:12am)

 7:45 a.m. – 8:45 a.m. (begins at Phoenix City Hall)

Reenactment of Governor George W.P. Hunt’s Walk to Capitol

 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. (Senate & House Lawns)

Happy 100^th Birthday Arizona!

• Happy Birthday Ceremony w/ Governor Brewer (9-9:45am)
• USPS First Day Issue Ceremony (10-10:30am)
• Polly Rosenbaum Writing Contest Winners & Award (1-2pm)
• Wayne Newton (2-3pm) 

ALL DAY ACTIVITIES:

• USPS First Day Issue Stamp Sale & Cancellation
• Non-stop Arizona Entertainment
• Legacy Projects & Official Centennial Event EXPO
• Centennial Merchandise
• Phoenix Food Trucks
• Birthday Cake

Other upcoming events:

64^TH ANNUAL GOLD RUSH DAYS & RODEO, Wickenburg | (February 16-19,2012) Admission to: Rodeo, Melodrama, Barbeque, Family Carnival, contests, and Webb Center concerts. Free admission to arts/crafts faire, 4th largest parade in AZ on Saturday, old mining contests on Sunday. Award winning signature event celebrating Wickenburg’s mining and ranching heritage. 2012 is the 64th anniversary celebration. The event has been named twice by the Arizona Office of Tourism as the Best Rural Event in Arizona; and the Library of Congress named Gold Rush Days as one of the Legacy events.

A TALE OF TWO CITIES PARADE & FESTIVAL GOODYEAR AND AVONDALE CELEBRATE ARIZONA’S CENTENNIAL, Goodyear (February 25, 2012) | On Saturday, February 25, 2012, the cities of Goodyear and Avondale will host a joint parade through both cities. This inaugural parade and festival will be a celebration of Arizona’s Centennial which is being celebrated throughout 2012 beginning on the state’s 100th anniversary – February 14, 2012. The parade will begin at 10 a.m. on February 25th on Litchfield Road, travel east on Thomas Road and end at Dysart Road. Depending on the number of entrants, the parade is expected to last anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half. We are currently seeking parade entrants – floats, bands, vintage cars, horses, gymnastic troops, dance troops, or other entertaining parade entries. An outdoor, family-focused festival called Trains, Planes and Automobiles, celebrating 100 years of transportation, will take place at Estrella Mountain Community College (EMCC) following the parade from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This fun-filled event will feature gourmet food trucks, light musical entertainment, antique car displays, arts and crafts, bouncers, a Kids Zone, carnival games, face painting, balloon art, and caricature art.

ROOSEVELT’S RIDE, Apache Junction (February 24 – 26, 2012) | The project will feature a President Theodore Roosevelt re-enactor who will be the Grand Marshall for the annual Lost Dutchman Days Parade. He will be riding in an era-specific vehicle. After the parade he will drive to more locations on the historic Apache Trail where he will speak about the building of the road to carry materials for the construction of the Roosevelt Dam.

THE FOUR HIKES OF SOUTHERN ARIZONA, Oro Valley (TBD) | The hiking event will focus on the beauty of the natural environment and education. A celebration at the historic Steam Pump Ranch in Oro Valley will involve activities for all family members and will focus on the historical aspect of the property and the heritage of Arizona.

TOWN OF PAYSON MOUNTAIN HIGH GAMES, Payson  (June 3-5, 2011) | The Payson Arizona Mountain High Games are the Southwest’s largest celebration of adventure sports combined with ATV trail rides, and a massive outdoor expo. Professional and amateur athletes from all over the Southwest and the Pacific Northwest will converge upon the mountain community of Payson to compete in 9 different competitions for cash and prizes. This year’s sporting events include: Mountain Biking, 5K Trail Run, Dutch Oven Cooking Contest, Archery Competition, ATV Rodeo, ATV Trail Rides, The Sawdust Festival, and an old fashioned horse shoe tournament.

Arizona Facts:

Arizona is located in the Southwestern United States and is one of the Four Corners states. Arizona is the sixth largest state in area and all New England plus the state of Pennsylvania would fit inside the state.  Only 15% of the land is privately owned, while the remaining area is public forest, park land, state trust land and Native American reservations. Due to the large area of the state, Arizona has several different climates. Phoenix is known for it’s triple digit heat in the summer, but its eight plus months 60 degree to 75 degree weather keeps the city’s population growing consistently.  Arizona has 3,928 mountain peaks and summits—more mountains than any one of the other Mountain States (Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming) with Mt. Humpheys in Flagstaff peaking at  a height of 12,643 feet. The main industries in Arizona can be summarized as the “Five C’s”: Cattle, Copper, Citrus, Cotton, and Climate.

For more Arizona Centennial Celebration events and information, go to http://www.az100years.org/

Photo credit: heyjohngreen on Flickr.com - View from Cathedral Rock

Sedona is a beautiful destination year-round. The most popular seasons are March through May and September through mid-December. Lodging rates are slightly lower in July and August, but the most economical prices of year are available from the first week of January to mid-February.

Individual tickets for shows in the Sedona Film Festival went on sale today, Monday February 15, 2010.  Over 125 films will be featured this week with special guest speakers like Michael Moore in addition to Festival favorites like the   screenwriting workshops and Sedona Green Event.  

Show tickets are selling out quickly, so make sure to check the Sedona Film Festival screening schedule and purchase them immediately.  General admission tickets are $12. If the show you would like to attend is already sold out or says “RUSH” in the schedule block, it’s worth going to theater and seeing if you can purchase a ticket last minute.

Top 10 List of recommended Sedona Film Festival movies:

1) Burma VJ – documentary by Anders Østergaard

2) Garbage Dreams – documentary by Mai Iskander

3) Which Way Home – documentary by Rebecca Cammisa

4) Sergio – feature by Greg Barker

5) Kavi – Live Action Short by Gregg Helvey

6) A Shine of Rainbows - Feature Drama by Vic Sarin

7) The Greatest – Narrative Feature by Shana Feste

8) Polliwood – by Barry Levinson (director of Rain Man)

9) Saving Grace B. Jones – Feature Drama by Connie Stevens

10) Blood Into Wine – documentary by Ryan Page & Christopher Pomerenke

* Since this is and Arizona Travel blog, we highly recommend “Blood Into Wine” for many reasons, one of them being that this is about the Page Springs Winery here in Arizona. The vineyard is ran by winemakers Eric Glomlski and Maynard James Keenan (Tool). The vineyard is gorgeous and worth a wine-tasting visit. Imagine watching the Blood Into Wine then stopping over at the Page Springs Vineyard to experience what you just saw in the theater! 3D films? Sheesh…that’s for fakers. Head over to the vineyard itself located about 25 minutes from the movie theater…really. You won’t regret it. Page Spring’s petite sirrahs are going to put Arizona wineries on the wine vacation destination map.  Here is a video of Eric Glomski giving a wine tour; a little taste if you will. If you’re thinking about staying in town for multiple nights, you can find Sedona hotels and bed & breakfasts, some with special film festival rates on Sedona.net.

Sedona Film Festival Information

Where: Harkins 8

2081 W. Highway 89A
Sedona, AZ  86336
928-282-2221

(Hwy 89A & Sunset Dr.)

From Phoenix
Start: Phoenix, Arizona
End: Sedona, Arizona
Total Distance: 113.4 Miles
Estimated Total Time: 2 hours 

Directions / Miles
Start: Depart Phoenix, Arizona
1: Take I-17 North / Flagstaff 98.4 Miles
2: At exit 298, Exit Ramp 0.2 Miles
3: Turn LEFT (West) onto SR-179 [FR-618 Rd] 0.1 Miles
4: Keep STRAIGHT onto SR-179 14.2 Miles
5: Turn Left (West) onto SR-89A [N HWY-89A] 2 Miles
End: Arrive Harkins Theatres, Sedona, Arizona 

When: February 21-28, 2010

Ticket Price: $12 per showing

Official Website: http://sedonafilm.org/

Event Poster. More at worldsoldestrodeo.com

The Professional Bull Riders are bucking into Prescott on Saturday, August 22 at 7:30 PM for an evening filled with rank bulls, high scores and big wrecks at the Prescott Rodeo Grounds!  This is the last scheduled professional rodeo event of the year!

The Copenhagen Challenger Tour is part of the PBR’s Built Ford Tough Series, presented by Wrangler and features current and up-and-coming bull riders within the four-tiered PBR series.  The tour is designed to take the best bull riders throughout the course of the competition and use them to stock the 45-man Built Ford Tough Series roster, the tour that leads to the World Finals of professional bull riding in Las Vegas.

Tickets are $16 & $26 and can be purchased by calling 866-407-6336 or 928-445-4320, or online at www.worldsoldestrodeo.com. After the performance, head on over to the Windsock Lounge on Iron Springs Road for music, dancing and libations, featuring great company and great music.

Find overnight accommodations in Prescott (so you can party late into the night and safely cab it to your hotel.)

Okay, okay… bad puns aside, this is a bit of sad news for Arizona locals and return visitors alike.  Sedona Jazz on the Rocks – after 27 seasons of this annual September event – has decided not to hold a festival in the fall of 2009.

The key drivers of the decision to cancel this year, as reported on their website, were…

“…lower-than-projected revenues from the 2008 Festival, donations and sponsors — and the current economic environment that is challenging all of us.”

“But,” they promise, “we’re not going away.”

Sedona Jazz on the Rocks reports that they have “already taken significant steps to weather the financial storm, including reducing our administrative costs by nearly 80%.”

“We plan to hold a series of smaller events during the year to build our financial base. We will strategically use this time to rethink, regroup and reinvent Sedona Jazz on the Rocks, with plans to bring the Festival back in 2010.”

Source: prescottjazz.com Photo by Jim Haas

Prescott Jazz Summit is Covering the Basses

So what will local and visiting Jazz and music-lovers do in the absence of this legacy event?

Good news! The 2009 Prescott Arizona Jazz Summit is happening August 28 – 30.  In its 9th season, the Prescott Area Jazz Summit is being headlined by Grammy Award-winning Toni Tennille of the 70s sensation Captain & Tennille, performing on Saturday night, with more than a dozen other renowned musicians filling a variety of downtown Prescott venues with music on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, including Master of Ceremonies Blaize Lantana, Jazz Director and host of nightly jazz programming on Phoenix’s NPR station, KJZZ 91.5 FM,

Musicians scheduled to perform include Judy Roberts, Reggie Thomas, Carl Saunders, Mike Vax, Scott Whitfield, Gary Hobbs, Greg Fishman, Blaise Lantana, Ginger Berglund, Joel Robin, Tony Vacca, Jack Petersen, Steve Annibale, Ted Sistrunk, Cleve Huff, Denny Garr, Les Czimber, Tom Winker, Larry Kantor and several youth acts, including the Sedona Jazz on the Rocks Youth Band.

Come to Prescott where summer temperatures are mild; afternoon temperatures about 80 degrees and evening temps in the 60s. Perfect for kicking back on Courthouse Square, grabbing dinner and drinks in one of the happenin’ downtown Prescott restaurants and bars along “Whiskey Row” and beyond, and shopping in local boutique retail shops and art galleries that frame the downtown epicenter.

Tickets are affordable, with the best deal being the All Concert Pass for just $70. Individual concerts priced around $25 per person and specialty tickets like Meet the Musicians and a Sunday Jazz Brunch are also available.

Buy tickets online at www.prescottjazz.com or order by phone at 925-218-2336.

Tickets also on sale at the Hassayampa Inn and the Prescott Chamber of Commerce.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FESTIVAL:
Call 928-771-1268 or 925-872-1942

Download PDF

Bad dog pun aside, if you’re a dog loving Arizonan, you should definitely put Woofstock at Talking Rock on your August calendar.  This August 16, 2008 inaugural event, hosted by Talking Rock – Prescott, Arizona’s premier master-planned resort lifestyle golf community – will feature pet adoptions, dog agility demonstrations, a community dog walk and more.

Talking Rock is a dog-friendly community and is reaching out to two and four-legged residents and neighbors to benefit the Yavapai Humane Society no-kill shelter.  Read more about this worthy cause and family and pet-friendly summer event in the cool mountain town of Prescott, Arizona at www.talkingrockranch.com.

It’s going to be a mad house! In what state other than Arizona would there be full-blown Super Bowl parties and events hosted in at least four different cities? Between Scottsdale, Phoenix, Glendale, & Tempe, Super Bowl XLII is going to be one massive 30 x 30 mile party. Let’s not forget the oh so popular Phoenix Open (aka FBR Open) happening on the same weekend. With literally thousands of good-looking cougars on the prowl, ASU hotties, and many a Hawaiian shirt wearing yuppies wearing spikes just in case Phil Mickelson decides to call out into the crowd for a substitute…ah, you’ve gotta love the Open. Everyone, I have an announcement to make:

ARIZONA IS GOING TO BE ONE, GIGANTIC PARTY

What to Expect: Super Bowl in Arizona

(once you accept these few facts and move on, the better your Super Bowl experience will be)

1. Prices are going to be exceptionally high for everything
The term price gouging has been thrown around a lot.

2. Metro Phoenix is very spread out
Although the actual game is in Glendale, the real Super Bowl parties are in Scottsdale, Tempe & Downtown Phoenix respectively. All of these places are no less than 15 miles away from each other.

3. Metro Phoenix is a up-and-coming area
Meaning, there is not a lot of character unless you define character as the usual Bed Bath & Beyond, Home Depot, Borders and Starbucks strip malls. But, it is a very clean city and our freeways are pretty with cool kokopelli and iguana designs.

4. University of Phoenix stadium is out in the middle of nowhere
As much as the city of Glendale is trying to grow, please don’t mistake that type of growth with the crops surrounding the stadium.

5. Transportation/travel will be a b*t#h
A GPS in the rental car would be well worth it; cabs, town cars, limos will be expensive but less stress for you.
Note: Good luck with public transportation because it is almost non-existent for now.

6. The University of Phoenix stadium is NOT a space ship
I know…I wish is was, too. It’s actually a giant, metal rattlesnake. Go figure.

7. Yes, the rumors you’ve heard about Arizona ladies are for the most part true
The concentration of that population is about 20+ miles east of the Stadium, which is Scottsdale & Tempe.

Super Bowl XLII Event Calender

2008 Arizona Indian Festival
Jan 18-20, 2008 10:00am – 6:00pm
Tickets : $8 adults, $5 Children 12-18, $5 seniors
Steele Indian School Park
300 E. Indian School Rd.
Phoenix, AZ 85012

Super Construction
Jan 31, 2008 Tickets:
Tickets:Canned food donation

Arrowhead Towne Center 75^thAve &Bell Rd.
Glendale AZ 85308

Chandler Fashion Center
Chandler Blvd. & Loop 101
Chandler, AZ 85226

Downtown End Zone Party
January 31 – Feb 2, 2008 4:00pm -2:00am
Tickets: $20 per day $10 Thursday with a Phoenix Suns game ticket
Downtown Phoenix – 2nd st between Washington and Jefferson

NFL Experience
Saturday Jan 26: 10am – 10pm
Sunday Jan 27: 11am – 8pm
Thursday: Jan 31: 3pm – 10pm
Friday: Feb 1: 3pm -10 pm
Saturday Feb 2: 10am -10pm
Sunday, Feb 3: Open to Super Bowl XLII ticket holders only
Location: West Parking Lot adjacent to the University of Phoenix Stadium Tickets: $17.50 for adults – $12.50 for children 12 and under

Taste of the NFL
6:00 pm VIP 7:00 pm
Main Event 9:45pm Live Entertainment
Tickets: $500 Guest Ticket VIP – $600

The Big Ticket Experience
Wednesday Jan 30 2008 6:00 – 10:00pm
Contact Sallie Sargent 480-362-4232
ssargent@azsuperbowl.com
The Phoenician
6000 E. Camelback Rd
Scottsdale, AZ 85251

Featuring:
Emcee, Chris Berman, Host of ESPN Sports Center
NLF Commissioner Roger Goodell
20 NFL Hall of Fame inductees
Special performance by Jay Leno
Silent and live auctions – All proceeds benefit the Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee and the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Corporate table for 10 with VIP amenities $6,000

Scottsdale Super Artwalk
February 2, 2008
12:00 – 5:00pm FREE
Scottsdale Arts District www.scottsdalegalleries.com/artwalks2.html

944 Super Village
February 2, 2008
5 Days/Nights
www.944.com/az superbowl

PEPSI Super Bowl Bash
Thursday Jan. 31 – Friday Feb1 2008 6:00pm
Tickets: $40 per show
Jobing.com Arena 9400 W. Maryland Ave
Glendale AZ 85305
www.nfl.com/Superbowl

Superbowl Saturday Night
Feb 2, 2008 6:00 – 10:00pm FREE
Tempe Town Lake 85281

Unique family event commemorating a year of NFL football and celebrating the arrival of Super Bowl XLII.
Thousands of fans will join in the festivities at Tempe Town Lake, nestled in the hear of downtown Tempe. The event will feature a live headliner concert in the park followed by a spectacular Super Bowl fireworks show over the lake

NLF Youth Football Clinic
Clinics will teach basic football skills, good sportsmanship and healthy lifestyle lessons
Clinics will be led by current and former NFL players and volunteer coaches
All participants receive free NFL merchandise, courtesy of the Host Committee
Community outreach section www.azsuperbowl.com

Getting Around Metro Phoenix for the Super Bowl XLII

So let’s all try to be efficient about this and try to do a little planning. After all, I’m not kidding when I say that this is going to be 30 x 30 mile party. Having the Super Bowl here is actually quite ridiculous, simply because Metro Phoenix is so spread out. You’ll have to plan accordingly if you don’t want to spend thousands of dollars on transportation and if you don’t want to get killed. Let’s just say that Arizona is known for having a lot of DUIs and that’s never good for anyone.

My advice is to get an idea of where the events are taking place (which part of Metro Phoenix you want to be in for the day or night) and arrange some type of transportation. Trust me, don’t try to hit multiple cities in one night. Yes, I said cities because they’re not just different parts of town. This is the desert, people, and the builders/city planners here have succeeded in sprawling out as much as possible.

Airport Information:

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
www.phoenix.gov/skyharborairport/index.html
602.273.3300

Glendale Airport (GEU)
www.glendaleaz.com/airport
623.930.2188

Scottsdale Airport (SDL)
www.scottsdaleaz.gov/airport
480.312.2321

SuperShuttle
Provides 24-hour door-to-door service from Sky harbor International Airport with no advanced reservation required. Once you have claimed your luggage proceed to a uniformed SuperShuttle Guest Service Representative will arrange transportation to your destination.
602.244.9000
800 Blue-Van

Town Cars & Cabs

Getting to the University of Phoenix Stadium

From the North
South on loop 101
Exit Northern Ave
Left on Northern Ave
Right on 91st Ave
Right on Coyotes Blvd

From the South
North on Loop 101
Exit Glendale Ave
Right on Glendale
Right on 95th Ave

On Superbowl XLII Game Day:
Please follow the instruction s on your parking pass. There will be no designated bus, limo, sedan or shuttle drop offs or pick ups areas at the University of Phoenix Stadium on Super Bowl Sunday so please plan your transportation accordingly.

Printable Maps and Driving Tips

Metro Phoenix Map
Phoenix Map
Scottsdale Map
University of Phoenix Stadium Area Map

Mobile Google Maps – if you don’t have a GPS or you are drunk at 3am not knowing where you are, I suggest downloading Google Maps onto your cell phone because is a great way to locate yourself and where you want to go ; )

All of this information and more can be found on the Official Arizona Super Bowl XLII website or you could print out or take a look at an interactive Super Bowl XLII Event Guide which, so kindly, provided me with most of this information.

Local Watering Holes and Places Worth Seeing

Feel free to ask us about the places to hit up while you are here in Arizona or to leave your recommendations for others. There are quite a few places to see and drink at depending on what you are looking for. And remember, you’re only a few hours away from one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, the Grand Canyon, as well as Sedona,”The Most Beautiful Place in the World” according to USA Today. Consider making a stop.

This year my mother and I joined my long-time Main Squeeze’s family for a Thanksgiving just east of Scottsdale along the Verde River. I have lived here for over 20 years and never knew that there was a beautiful river about 30 minutes away from my backyard!

My parents moved to Arizona in the 1970′s from the Philippines and have always enjoyed the tales of the Wild West as children. I call them my Desert Pilgrims. It so happens that Mr. Main Squeeze comes from a deep rooted ranching family in northern California. His parents moved to Arizona in 1983 to an area in the middle of Phoenix, which was surrounded by Arabian horse stables at the time. They look like what you would expect business professionals to look like, but they still love the outdoors just as much. Well, needless to say, our two families often bond over the love of Cowboy Cookouts and stories told around campfires – and that’s exactly how I spend this Thanksgiving.

The Verde River was a easy drive east along Dynamite Road and a bit of optional off-roading for some extra seclusion. We chose a spot on a moderately high cliff overlooking the river with tall reeds growing along the banks, while expansive hills spread into the distance. Although I have enjoyed most of my Thanksgivings in the past, being outside in the middle of nature made me feel a little closer to the real meaning of the holiday.

We created a little dining room with an Easy-up to help provide some shade, but it was a beautiful 72 degrees. We had a little portable gas stove to cook all the fixings, and even set up a full wet bar for the whiskey, vodka, and assorted beers! We pre-cooked the turkey this year, but usually they smoke it at the campsite. While we cooked, we played games and told stories, and enjoyed a few cocktails in the process while inhaling the fresh air surrounding us. It was just the break I needed from the construction and rapid growth of metro Phoenix.

Often times I get bored living in Arizona – but that’s absolutely ridiculous! With a Natural Wonder of the World just a handful of hours away and a river just down the street with golf courses and small artist communities everywhere…It’s time for me to be thankful.

Thanksgiving Weekend was glorious down in the metro Phoenix area. With temps in the mid-70s, sunshine and clear skies, it was a perfect time to spend with family and friends outside.

I stayed away from the malls and big box stores on Black Friday, but did check out one of my favorite locally owned children’s boutiques to take advantage of a big sale. Twinkle Toes, located at the Scottsdale Waterfront across from Scottsdale Fashion Square, is owned by a good friend and carries the most amazing duds for children, toddlers and babies. Good stuff.

I also ventured out on Saturday to the Biltmore Fashion Park which, I was pleasantly surprised to discover, was buzzing with activity but not ridiculously crowded. After lunch with a friend and her daughter at Cheesecake Factory, we spent some time basking in the aforementioned ideal weather on the mall’s main grassy courtyard. There was a live band and complimentary espresso and kettle corn – very festive!

Sunday, I uncovered a delightful secret; while everyone else is shopping, it’s a great time to visit the Phoenix Art Museum. I am a member of the museum and try to visit at least once a quarter – there are truly fascinating exhibits rotating there year-round that typically draw significant crowds six days a week – and was giddy to find we had the museum practically all to ourselves! My friend and I toured the New Mexican “retablos” exhibit – religious art circa the 18th and 19th centuries – and had a fabulous lunch at the Art Museum Cafe, a restaurant run by local favorite, Arcadia Farms.

If you’d like to check out any of these places in Phoenix and Scottsdale, note these upcoming events and more:

Biltmore Fashion Park

SUPER TASTE OF THE VALLEY EVENT

Sunday, December 2, 2007
6 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Click above for information and tickets

Phoenix Art Museum – Upcoming Exhibitions

Illuminated Manuscripts
Steele Gallery
December 11, 2007 – March 9, 2008

Richard Avedon: Photographer of Influence
Norton Photography Gallery
January 12, 2008 – April 13, 2008

Masterpiece Replayed: Monet, Matisse and More
Katz Wing, Main Level
January 20, 2008 – May 4, 2008