Things to do Archives - The Phoenix Real Estate Guy

2014 Guide to Free and Discounted Admission Days at Phoenix Museums

May 16, 2014 By Michele Guss

Last week I posted updated information about the Culture Pass Program. As a follow-up to that post way back in July 2011 I wrote a post listing the Phoenix Area Museums that have free or discounted admission days. Apparently, that post still gets a lot of views, even more so lately. I suspect that people are looking for things to do indoors to escape the Arizona summer heat so, I decided to update that list today. Here is the updated list of as of March 16th, 2014.

Arizona Capitol Museum	Admission is always free
Arizona Historical Society Museum at Papago Park	2 for 1 Admission the First Tuesday of every month
Arizona Museum for Youth	First Sunday of the month, noon to 5 pm
Arizona Museum of Natural History	First Sunday of the month, noon to 5 pm
ASU Art Museums	Admission is always free at all 3 locations
Children’s Museum of Phoenix	Target sponsored Free First Friday Nights in 2014 from 5pm – 9pm: February 7, March 7, May 2, June 6, July 4, August 1, September 5, October 3, November 7, December 5. Note there are no Target Free First Friday Nights in January or April. Admission is free all day on Memorial Day, Monday May 26, 2014.
Desert Botanical Garden	Admission is free the 2nd Tuesday of every month from 8am – 4pm.
House of Broadcasting	Admission is always free
Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum	First Sunday of the month, noon to 5 pm
Phoenix Art Museum	Wednesdays, 3 to 9 pm First Friday of the month, 6 to 10 pm
Phoenix Police Museum	Admission is always free
Scottsdale Historical Museum	Admission is always free
Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art	Free on Thursdays 12 pm – 9pm, Free after 5pm on Friday & Saturday.
Tempe Center for the Arts	Admission is always free

This entry is cross posted on Phoenix NE Valley: Real Estate, Lifestyle & Living

49th Annual Jerome Historic Home & Building Tour: May 17th & 18th, 2014

May 14, 2014 By Michele Guss

The Phoenix summer temperatures are quickly approaching with highs expected in the 100-103 range for the Phoenix metro area this weekend. I am ~~sure~~ still hoping we will have a few more decent temperature days, but just in case, I have begun planning and plotting my mini escapes that help me stay somewhat sane through the dreaded summer months.

The first will be a “head to the hills” trip. I will be going up the winding, twisted road that leads to what was once known as the “wickedest town in the west”, the Town of Jerome, AZ, my little slice of heaven, to enjoy the 49th Annual Historic Home and Building Tour.

This was one of my favorite events in Jerome. I look forward to it and attend it every year. There will be 7 homes on this year’s tour. It is a guided tour with transportation available to shuttle you from home to home. The all-volunteer docents will explain the history (and they usually have fascinating stories to tell) at each of the stops along the way. Refreshments will be served at Haven United Methodist Church, midway through the tour.

If you have attended the home tour before, please note that there are a few changes this year. For the first time tour tickets will be available to purchase online in advance. When you arrive in Jerome go to Spook Hall to pick up your wristband to get on the tour shuttle from there. I walked the entire tour route the last 2 years. It is *not* suggested or recommended that you do so since there are plenty of uneven steps, winding paths, and steep hills and streets throughout the town. For the procrastinators, like myself, you can purchase tickets the day of the event, but rather than going to the old firehouse on Main Street, tickets will be available to purchase at Spook Hall as well.

I can’t go to Jerome without shopping in the local stores and eating before heading back to Phoenix. My favorite store in Jerome, Magpie, featuring jewelry and clothing designed by local Jerome resident, Christy Fisher, will be my first post tour stop. For a bite to eat you can’t beat the views from the outside patio at the Haunted Hamburger. Their burgers are great too. Grapes Restaurant is another one of my favorite spots. Everything on their menu is simply divine.

Zinful Mushroom Burger with side salad at Grapes

What: 49th Annual Jerome Historic Home and Building Tour

When: May 17th & 18th, 2014. Tours start at 9am daily with the last tour shuttle leaving at 3pm

Cost: $20 for Adults. $10 for Children under 12 yrs old, 3 or under are free.

Tickets: Purchase online in advance or at Spook Hall the day of the event. Wrist bands are required. If you ordered tickets online, pick them up at Spook Hall.

This tour is NOT handicapped accessible. Dogs are not allowed on the tour.

For additional information, contact the Jerome Chamber of Commerce or call them at 928 634-2900.

This entry is cross posted on Phoenix NE Valley: Real Estate, Lifestyle & Living

Arizona Spring Restaurant Week May 17 ”“ 26, 2014

May 12, 2014 By Michele Guss

Arizona Restaurant Week is a culinary event that showcases several of the Phoenix area restaurants that offer price fixed meals so you can sample some of the amazing food they have to offer. This event takes place twice a year, in the spring and again in the fall. The 2014 Spring event starts this weekend.

Each restaurant offers a three-course dinner menu of signature dishes for $30 or $40 per person, excluding beverages, tax, and gratuity. Sorry, no lunch options at this time. A few of the restaurants may be offering a glass of wine with your meal so look to see if there is a wine glass icon next to the restaurant listing. To serve special diet needs, some of the participating restaurants offer gluten free options, noted with a “G” in the listing, and/or vegetarian options, noted with a “V” in the listing as well.

Go to the list of participating restaurants, review their menu options, and pick what you want to try. It’s that simple! Due to the popularity of this event, it is strongly suggested that you make reservations in advance, so don’t delay.

Now the hard part comes, where to go. This year I am going to try one of the restaurants I haven’t dined at yet; Crudo, Posh, Bistro 24, or Clever Koi. I would also like to revisit a favorite or two that I haven’t been to in a while; Binkley’s, Lon’s at the Hermosa, Seasons 52, and T. Cooks. So many great choices!

For more information go to: Arizona Restaurant Week

ENJOY!

This entry is cross posted on Phoenix NE Valley: Real Estate, Lifestyle & Living

Phoenix Culture Pass 2014

May 6, 2014 By Michele Guss

I have written about the Phoenix Culture Pass program several times in the past. As of October 24, 2012 the company that was overseeing the program, Show Up.com, went out of business. The Culture Pass program is now made possible through the support of the Act One Foundation. Here are the latest updates and information about this program.

How It Works: Library cardholders can check out a Culture Pass for FREE admission for two (2) people at participating arts and cultural institutions. Passes are available on a first come, first served basis; they will not allow renewals or holds to be placed on them, nor will staff be able to pull them for you. The display for the Culture Pass Program is at the front of each library. Find the destination you’re interested in, and take the card to the checkout desk. Staff will give you a date-due slip admitting two people for a visit in the next seven days. You do not need to return the slip: it will expire 7 days from the date it is issued. Passes may be limited to general admission only. Special exhibitions may not be covered, and other restrictions may apply. One pass per family, two passes per month.

Participating libraries:
Apache Junction, Buckeye, Chandler, Desert Foothills Library in Cave Creek, Glendale, Mesa, Peoria, Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Tempe Public Libraries, and Arizona State University’s Downtown Library, Arizona State University’s Fletcher Library (West), Arizona State University’s Hayden Library (Tempe) and Arizona State University’s Polytechnic Library (East).

Participating Institutions:

Arcosanti-Cordes Junction
Arizona Historical Society Museum at Papago Park
Arizona Science Center
Cave Creek Museum
Children’s Museum of Phoenix
Deer Valley Rock Art Center
Desert Botanical Garden–Due to the “Chihuly in the Garden” special exhibit, the Desert Botanical Garden is not currently an active Culture Pass partner. DBG is expected to resume its partnership on Monday, May 19, 2014
Desert Caballeros Western Museum
Heard Museum
Phoenix Art Museum
Phoenix Zoo
Pueblo Grande Museum
Rossen House Museum
Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art
Superstition Mountain Museum

In addition to the museums listed above, there are also passes available for select performing art shows throughout the year. One time use performance passes have limited availability and are available approximately two weeks prior to the performance date.

For current information about what Museums, Cultural Attractions and Venues are available, click here.

This entry was originally cross posted on Phoenix NE Valley: Real Estate, Lifestyle & Living. That site has now been removed by its owner.

Hiking Arizona: Tom’s Thumb-Scottsdale McDowell Sonoran Preserve

May 6, 2014 By Michele Guss

Scottsdale McDowell Sonoran Preserve is one of my favorite places to hike for a lot of reasons; trails that vary from easy to extremely difficult, most of the views are nothing short of breathtakingly amazing, and the opportunity to see desert wildlife, plants, wildflowers (when they are in bloom) and cactus are endless. The Sunrise, Lost Dog, and Gateway Trailheads are an easy 10-20 minute drive from my home in Fountain Hills, so I tend to stick to them. I have my favorite “go to” hikes at each of these trailheads.

Last Monday I was feeling the stress from an upcoming buyer closing that was scheduled for Wednesday. The loan docs weren’t out of underwriting approval or at title yet. Rather than sit around freaking out or calling and texting the lender every 5 minutes, I decided to venture out to someplace I hadn’t been in a while, the Tom’s Thumb Trail. There are several different hiking options here. The Tom’s Thumb Trail is a 5 mile out, 5 mile back, extremely difficult, 10 mile round trip hike. I have not hiked it in its entirety yet. I have hiked out to the Thumb, over to the Lookout and back to the trailhead, a 5.9 mile round trip hike, and from the Tom’s Thumb Trailhead to the Gateway Trailhead, a 7.5 mile one way hike in the past. Since the drive there takes about 45 minutes and I was somewhat pressed for time, I planned to hike from the Trailhead to the Thumb and back. A fairly short, but challenging hike that I could complete in 2 hours.

The trail starts of easy. Some cactus were in bloom for me to enjoy as I started out.

: Cactus in bloom on the Tom’s Thumb Trail

.4 mile from the trailhead there is a turn off for the Feldspar Trail. Keep straight. The trail continues to get steeper and there are several switchbacks to climb. The next sign you will see says 1.1 miles to the Thumb (actually, it is another .3 miles in addition to that, but who’s counting?). You are about .9 miles into the hike at this point. Continue hiking up another .7 miles or so and you will reach the turn off for the East End Trail. Be sure to take in all of the unusual rock formations along the way.

: Rock formations along the Tom’s Thumb Trail

Rock formations along the Tom’s Thumb Trail

Rock formations along the Tom’s Thumb Trail

Continue on from there another .3 miles. At this point you will come to a sign directing you turn to go .3 miles up to the Thumb. Continue on for .3 miles and you have arrived!

: Tom’s Thumb

Rock formations at the Thumb

Rock formations at the Thumb

Fountain Hills fountain can be seen looking East from the Thumb

I have been told that if you continue hiking to the left, or West of the Thumb and follow the trail almost until the mountain begins to drop, you will find Ogre’s den, a cave formed by fallen boulders. Inside the cave there artifacts and a hiker’s sign-in log book. I left that exploration for another trip.

: Path leading to Ogre’s Den is between these rocks

To Get There: From the intersection of Happy Valley and Pima Road, head east on Happy Valley for about 4.25 miles. Turn right (east) on Ranch Gate Road and go 1.3 miles. Turn right (south) on 128th St, this part of 128th St is now paved. It’s at the end of 128th St, about 1 mile. There are signs for the trailhead.

DISTANCE: Approx 4.5 miles Round-Trip
ELEVATION GAIN: Approximately 1,000 feet
RATING: Difficult. This hike is NOT recommended for beginning hikers.
DURATION: 2-3 hours, depending on how fast you hike
TRAIL STYLE: In-and-out style
DOGS: Yes, if leashed.
FACILITIES: Bathrooms only, no water
WEBSITE: Trailmap
WHAT TO BRING: 2-3 Liters of water, plenty of snacks, and a camera

This entry is cross posted on Phoenix NE Valley: Real Estate, Lifestyle & Living

2014 Guide to Free and Discounted Admission Days at Phoenix Museums

49th Annual Jerome Historic Home & Building Tour: May 17th & 18th, 2014

Arizona Spring Restaurant Week May 17 ”“ 26, 2014

Phoenix Culture Pass 2014

Hiking Arizona: Tom’s Thumb-Scottsdale McDowell Sonoran Preserve

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