AZ Vibe – The Ultimate Phoenix Entertainment Resource

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: 5% [?]

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: 15% [?]

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: 31% [?]

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: 8% [?]

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: 4% [?]