AZ Vibe – The Ultimate Phoenix Entertainment Resource

This is something that we post every now and then regarding REI’s (mostly) free classes for various outdoors activities. They offer everything from Bicycle Maintenance to outdoor photography lessons.

Paradise Valley Location/Event Calendar:

http://www.rei.com/stores/56

Tempe Store Location/Event Calendar:

http://www.rei.com/stores/25

Popularity: 9% [?]

That’s right people! From 1 to 8 PM today (and every second Tuesday of the month), admission to the Desert Botanical Garden is 100% free. This is a great opportunity to learn about the plant life in your own backyard. The amount of plan life they have there is simply amazing.

http://www.dbg.org/

Close

Popularity: 17% [?]

It’s about that time of year where it’s going to be way to hot to do anything outdoors until the fall.  Make sure you take this opportunity with the break in the weather to get out and explor the many hiking trails not only in the Greater Phoenix Area but all around Arizona as well.  Instead of putting individual hikes in separate posts we found two EXCELLENT resources for hikes in Arizona.

First off a great resources within the Phoenix City Limits (from the City of Phoenix):

http://phoenix.gov/PARKS/hikemain.html

Finally, a great resource for hikes all around the state of Arizona:

http://www.hikearizona.com/

Even if you get out to climb something easy like Camelback mountain, don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy the scenery and fun that hiking in Arizona has to offer.

Popularity: 6% [?]

Every Thursday and Saturday during June, July, and August from 7 to 9 PM you can take a flashlight tour through the Desert Botanical Garden.  You can explore the desert at night and see some amazing creatures and flora.

It’s a great place to take a date or someone you love.

Popularity: 3% [?]

The National Park Service announced the other day that for three consecutive weekends this summer they will allow visitors free entry to all National Parks.  This special offer is to help reintroduce Americans to their National Parks and to help struggling families some relief in this recession.

This free admission does not apply to fees for camping, reservations, tours or concessions.

The Free Weekends are as follows and applies to all 391 National Parks from Florida to Alaska:

June 20-21

July 18-19

August 15-16

Popularity: 4% [?]

1) The Phoenix Coyotes vs. Edmonton Oilers – March 26 – 7 PM – Jobing.com Arena – One of last appearances of the season for the Canadian teams in the league, the Edmonton Oilers, make their final appearance of the season in the Valley of the Sun. 

http://www.ticketmaster.com/venueartist/246515/806002?brand=phxcoyotes&camefrom=CFC_COYOTES

2) Spring Training – Various Ballparks around the Greater Phoenix Area – Spring Training is just about over so don’t miss the opportunity to catch a ball game in this amazing weather!

http://www.cactusleague.com/

3) Norm McDonald -  Tempe Improv – $25 – March 26-29 – That’s right the former Saturday Night Live Cast member is making a special appearance in the Valley of the Sun. For more information, tickets and show times please refer to the following link:

http://www.symfonee.com/improv/tempe/comedians/Bio.aspx?Uid=bd190c8d-acc6-4b0d-ab76-70432b51c4cf

4) Star Trek Exhibition at the Arizona Science Center – How cool is it when you get to not only sit in Captain Kirk’s chair but check out the bridge from the Enterprise D? Open Daily. Please refer to the link below for hours and ticket information.

http://www.azscience.org/star_trek.php

5) Eric Lindell – Wed April 1, 2009 – 8:00 PM – Rhythm Room – $10 – $12 – Tickets can be purchased via the Ticketmaster widget in the upper right hand side of the screen.

6) Billy Joel and Elton John March 26, 2009 – 7:30 PM – US Airways Center – $49.50 – $175 – Tickets can be purchased via the Ticketmaster widget in the upper right hand side of the screen.

7) Shake! – Every Saturday Night – Rogue Bar – Scottsdale – $5 (approx) If you are a frequent reader of this site you know that one of the best places to go on a Saturday night is Shake!.  Great Music and fun for a great price!

http://www.azvibe.com/phoenix-entertainment/2008/10/27/review-shake-the-rogue-saturday-october-25th/

8) Charlie Daniels Band – Chester’s Harley Davidson – Mesa – $20-$25 – 2PM to 10 PM (Charlie Daniels Band takes the stage at 8 PM)

For more information and to purchase tickets please refer to the following page:

http://chestershd.com/custompage2.asp?pg=bikerbash

9) Arizona Renaissance Festival – $5-$20 – 2/7/09 – 3/29/09
– ENDS THIS WEEKEND!!!!

10) The Phoenix Coyotes vs. Dallas Stars – March 26 – 8 PM – Jobing.com Arena – Come see the Coyotes do battle with

http://www.ticketmaster.com/venueartist/246515/806002?brand=phxcoyotes&camefrom=CFC_COYOTES

11) BBQ – This yet another absolute perfect weekend to host or attend a BBQ at a friends house or your neighborhood park.

12) Go Hiking or Biking! The perfect weather is not going to be here for much longer. Get out and enjoy it while you can!

Popularity: 13% [?]

Now that the technical challenges with AZ Vibe have been resolved here’s the list of things to do for the coming week.  Lots of fun stuff to do!

1) The Phoenix Coyotes vs. Vancouver Canucks – March 21 – 7 PM – Jobing.com Arena – One of the top teams in the league, the Vancouver Canucks, make their final appearance of the season in the Valley of the Sun.  It’s also 80’s night at the Coyotes Game and prizes will be given out to the best costume.

http://coyotes.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=414140

2) Spring Training – Various Ballparks around the Greater Phoenix Area – Spring Training is just about over so don’t miss the opportunity to catch a ball game in this amazing weather!

http://www.cactusleague.com/

3) Charlie Murphy -  Tempe Improv – March 21 @ 8 and 10 PM – March 22 @ 8 PM – If you don’t know who Charlie Murphy is, here’s a refresher… http://www.pp2g.tv/vYnt6YXQ_.aspx

http://www.tempeimprov.com/

4) The 39th Annual Scottsdale Arts Festival – March 21 from 10 AM to 6 PM and March 22 from 10 AM to 5 PM – Scottsdale Civic Center Mall – One of the top Arts Festivals in the Nation is back again for artists to display their many and various works to the public.

http://www.scottsdaleartsfestival.org/

5) New Found Glory – Wed March 25th – 6:00 PM – Marquee Theater – $18.50 – $22.00 – Tempe

6) Bikini contest – Sunday’s Through April 5 – American Junkie – Scottsdale – Free – Not too much is know about this as it is a Facebook event which means we’re probably going to have to check it out.  Shoot.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=52834859196

7) Shake! – Every Saturday Night – Rogue Bar – Scottsdale – $5 (approx) If you are a frequent reader of this site you know that one of the best places to go on a Saturday night is Shake!.  Great Music and fun for a great price!

http://www.azvibe.com/phoenix-entertainment/2008/10/27/review-shake-the-rogue-saturday-october-25th/

8) Saw Film Festival (Saw 2, 3, and 4) – Chandler Cinemas – $15 – This is a fundraiser for the wonderful and hard working people that make up the many events that take place at the Chandler Cinemas.  There is SO much going on this weekend that it would be impossible to list.  Instead, refer to the Chandler Cinema’s website for the complete list of what’s going on.  If you get bored here, you probably don’t have a pulse:

http://www.chandlercinemas.com/news.html

9) Arizona Renaissance Festival – $5-$20 – 2/7/09 – 3/29/09

10) BBQ – This is the absolute perfect weekend to host or attend a BBQ at a friends house or your neighborhood park.

Popularity: 18% [?]

The Phoenix Chapter of the Chron’s and Colitis Foundation is sponsoring a training program that helps you get trained to run or walk a half marathon. The Program is called ‘Team Challenge’ and helps you to train for the marathon while you help raise money for a great cause.

‘Team Challenge’ is now recruiting teams for our Kona, Hawaii and Napa-to-Sonoma Wine County Half Marathons.

Information Meetings for the Kona & Napa Summer Season:

Saturday, February 21, 2009 @ 9:30 am – Red Mountain Multigenerational Center (Mesa)

Thursday, February 26, 2009 @ 5:30 pm – Trader Vic’s (Scottsdale)

* You are asked to RSVP to these events so they can save you a spot

For more information please visit the Team Challenge Website:

http://www.ccteamchallenge.org

Popularity: 7% [?]

Reviewed Nov 11th by Ed.

Now that the weather in the area has cooled down I’m following up on something I promised to do in a post this summer.  Go hiking.  Now since I am new to the area, I was not sure where to go that would be fun and new.  I was debating on reviewing Camelback Mountain but that will be a review for a later date.  I was taken out by a lovely lady who is very familiar with hiking in the Phoenix area to the Superstition Mountains.

Just about 5 miles north of Apache Junction on Highway 88, as you are driving towards Lake Roosevelt, is Lost Dutchman State Park.  Nestled at the base of the Superstition Mountains, Lost Dutchman State Park is a combination of Day Hiking and Overnight Camping (just about 70 spots from what I can see on the map given to me by the Park Ranger).

Once you arrive at Lost Dutchman State Park, you pay $5 for parking and park usage and $12 for non-electric camping.  We were given a map by the Park Rangers and decided to hike the Treasure Loop Trail.

The trail started out moderately flat but rose in elevation pretty quickly one you were about a mile or so into the hike.  Every once in a while I had to stop, turn around and take a look at the simply breathtaking scenery such as the image below:

With the weather cooler in the area, the hiking conditions were perfect but I needed water as I went up.  There is plenty of opportunity and room to talk side by side as the trails, for the majority of the hike, were pretty wide.  This makes hiking at the Lost Dutchman State Park perfect for dates or taking your significant other out for the afternoon.

With the hiking experiences I had in Seattle coupled with watching all the stories on the local news of idiot hikers who went into the mountains in the middle of the summer without water, I brought more than enough water.  The inclines were somewhat steep but nothing that’s impassable.  Once you got to the apex of the trail you had a simply amazing view of the entire valley from the perspective of the base of the Superstition Mountains.

The Treasure Loop hike is indeed a workout but nothing that’s going to leave you soaked in sweat when you get back to your car….unless you are out of shape.

Lost Dutchman is a great place to go in the middle of the week as there was hardly anyone there when my date and I went.  Furthermore, there is the Saloon at the Goldfield Ghost Town just down the road which is perfect for a post hike beer and/or meal.  My date grabbed a bite to eat there and checked out the town afterwords.

All in all, the hiking at the Lost Dutchman State Park is a MUST SEE/DO!!! It’s the perfect quick getaway from town for the day and can be the basis for a really fun date or day with a group of people.  It’s also a fun time if you want to just spend some time by yourself.  There are plenty of benches along the trails to just sit down and read a book if you wish.

For more information and other events that go on at Lost Dutchman State Park, please refer to their official website:

http://azstateparks.com/Parks/LODU/index.html

For more information about Goldfield Ghost Town please refer to their site:

http://www.goldfieldghosttown.com/

Popularity: 26% [?]

This one is way too cool not to post.  On Friday September 26th is Ballet Under the Stars put on by the Tempe Center for the Arts.  On the grounds of the Tempe Center for the Arts is an outdoor amphitheater where they will be having a “family-friendly performance of classical and contemporary dance under the direction of Ib Anderson”.  Bring a blanket and/or a Lawn Chair, sit back and watch some great ballet in probably the perfect setting in Phoenix.

Guys, if you need to get out of the doghouse for any reason or a great place to take a date and impress her, this event should do it.

There will be food and drinks available (not sure if they’re free or not) so you couldn’t ask for anything more.

Did I mention that this event is Free.

Tempe Center for the Arts
700 W. Rio Salado Parkway
Tempe, AZ 85281
Phone: 480-350-2829

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=110117270783108833567.000456eb10abeaf65649c&ll=33.434736,-111.947916&spn=0.008022,0.013883&z=16

Popularity: 1% [?]

That’s right, on Saturday November 8th starting at 7 AM you get a chance to Outrun the FBI and have your money go to a great cause!  The Phoenix FBI Citizens Academy Alumni Association (FBICAAA) is sponsoring the first ever ‘Outrun the FBI’ race benefiting Educational programs for schools and parents on the safety of the internet.  I have been told that all money raised for this event will stay in state so all the money raised will help kids and adults around the state.

So why is the event called ‘Outrun the FBI’?

Well it’s a 3.1 mile/5K race where runners and walkers will get a head start.  Sometime after the racers/walkers are into the race the FBI runners will start and will try to outrun the field.  All of those runners who beat the FBI will get a special “I outran the FBI” T-shirt. The race is open to individual runners and teams (must have at least 5 to a team and no more than 10 to a team).

Once runners cross the finish line, there will be a wide array of food, music, demonstrations by the FBI and other cool things to do.  You don’t have to participate in the run to enjoy the family friendly fun, food, and music.

Check-in for the race begins at 7 AM and the Race starts promptly at 8:00 AM.

There will be awards handed out in many age categories and for teams as well.

Race Fees:

Before Oct. 31, 2008: $25/individual, $20/team member (teams must be 5-10 people); After Oct. 31, 2008: $30/individual, $25/team member

If don’t plan to participate in the run but want to donate to this worthy cause you can submit your donations online here:

http://www.active.com/donate/outrunthefbi5k

To register for the event and more detailed information, please refer to this page:

http://www.active.com/page/Event_Details.htm?event_id=1602407&assetId=b3310c36-e349-44b2-963f-8b46e4d18322

Popularity: 6% [?]

Ok other than our site.  Hee hee.

Anyways, I got an e-mail from the Executive Director of the Maricopa Council on Youth Sports and Physical Activity with a link to what I believe to be one of the greatest resources for public Park/Sports/recreation facilities in the Valley of the Sun. The site is Called ‘Spaces to Play’ and is a site devoted to finding places to play sports around the valley.  The site is going to always be adding features over the course of the coming months so don’t think this is a be all/end all list.

Here’s the types of information you can find on this site (that is located around Maricopa County):

• Where to play Outdoor Volleyball (Sand)
• Where to play Baseball/Softball
• Outdoor Basketball
• Running Tracks
• Public Golf Courses
• Off-Leash Dog Parks
• Running Track (as in circular tracks at High Schools and Colleges)

I personally am an avid outdoor Volleyball player and this site is a godsend as there are many parks around the area that are just simply full sometimes when I want to play.  The site centers around a Google map that shows the resources available for you to go check out.  For example, if you select soccer your location results will appear as soccer balls on the map of the Greater Phoenix area.  You can click on the given sports Icon on the Google Map and you will be shown the location and address of the given park.  You can scroll in to a greater detail to get an exact location of a park, golf course, track, or Volleyball Court.

I have been told that one of the next features on the site will be hiking trails around the valley.  I know there’s a lot of hikers out there that would love this kind of information.  As soon as we find out about it, we will let you all know!

Here’s the link to ‘Spaces to Play’.  BOOKMARK THIS NOW!!!

http://www.spacestoplay.org/map/

Popularity: 4% [?]

That’s right Folks the last stop on the 2008 AVP Beach Volleyball Tour is coming to Glendale in the Parking lot of the Westgate Center. Two Time Olympic Gold Medalists Misty May-Trenaor and Kerri Walsh fresh off their Summer Olympics vitory, will head up the list of the best Beach Volleyball Players in the World. Don’t miss this chance to see Misty May-Trenaor and Kerri Walsh as this may be their last appearance on this tour.

Westgate City Center
101 Loop Glendale Ave
Glendale, AZ 85305

More information:

http://ww2.avp.com/events/index.jsp?eventId=1037

Link to Tickets:

http://ww2.avp.com/events/tickets.jsp?eventId=1037

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=110117270783108833567.0004556aa2b0020fe77a7&ll=33.556846,-112.226887&spn=0.064087,0.130634&z=13

Popularity: 2% [?]

I was checking out the Phoenix Magazine website today and noticed a really great section about hikes around the area for various skill levels. They also had a huge section in their July magazine about great hikes mostly in Central and Northern Arizona. If you’re looking to get out of town and go hiking to beat the heat this section of the Phoenix Magazine website is for you. Enjoy.

http://www.phoenixmag.com/travel/hiking-guide/

Popularity: 2% [?]

I found this place a few minutes ago online and this will definitely be a place I will be reviewing in the coming weeks.  I used to rock climb when I was living in Seattle many many moons ago with my old room mate. It’s a great way not only to develop good concentration skills but it’s also a great upper body workout.

All the details you need are on the website (prices, info, etc).

If you’ve never gone (indoor) rock climbing or want to try something new.  Check it out!

http://www.phoenixrockgym.com/

Popularity: 1% [?]