AZ Vibe – The Ultimate Phoenix Entertainment Resource

Need some Ideas on where to take dates around town?  Read on!

I’ve been talking with friends around town about their dating stories and it’s clear to me that some people just don’t know how to date or know where to go on good dates in Phoenix.  It’s not that they aren’t good people or good catches.  It’s the fact that some people simply are not educated on how to properly date a member of the opposite sex (this applies to men and women).

This is the first article in a dating series that gives people a list of current ideas on where to take dates. One of the first things that needs to be learned when it comes to dating is where to take your date and where not to take your date out for a few hours.  If you think the classic ‘Dinner and…’ dates are appropriate (Dinner and Dancing, Dinner and a Movie, Dinner and Drinks, etc) for say the first few dates, adjustments to your dating habits is probably what’s needed.   Hopefully, this list can help!

Without further delay, here’s the list (in no particular order)….

1. Biking/Walking/Rollerblading – With so many miles of paths (paved or not) and Canals that criss-cross the greater Phoenix Area, it’s really easy to plot out a date to a great destination no matter what the length of the trip may be.  While you’re out, there’s lots of time to talk and enjoy the weather (when it’s under 100 degrees).   This includes Rollerblading/Walking/Biking in places like the Scottsdale Greenbelt or around Tempe Town Lake.
2. Outdoor Cultural Festivals – Now that we’re on the tail end of the blazing summer heat, the weekends will soon be packed with Cultural Festivals, most of which will be free.  These events include Tempe Oktoberfest, the Tempe Festival of the Arts, and the Arizona Aloha Festival.  We will have up to date lists of all the Cultural events on the main AZ Vibe site as summer turns into Fall.
3. Salsa/Swing Dancing (the ones that have lessons before dancing) – These are one of the best places for dates as it’s a great way to not only socialize but interact and see if you can communicate well with your date while dancing.  If you’ve never taken any dancing lessons, that’s even better for both parties as it will be a great lesson on how the two of you can work together to learn a dance step or two. An example of a great place to go is the new Salsa Lessons/Dancing night at Camarone’s in the Westgate City Center (Glendale). $10 cover and the first 50 ladies get in for free. Dress Code is enforced.



4. Desert Botanical Gardens – Without a doubt, this is one of the best kept secrets for dating in the Phoenix area.  The Desert Botanical Gardens is a great destination for a date during the day time (when it’s not hot enough to quickly cook bacon and eggs in the summer heat).  In addition, during the Summer evenings is the amazing ‘Garden Flashlight Tours’. During the Flashlight Tours you get the chance to see the desert flora and fauna adjust from the daylight to the nighttime in an up close and personal setting.  This is a great educational experience AND there are plenty of chances to talk and connect in between the different areas and stations on the Flashlight Tours.
5. First Friday’s in Downtown Phoenix/Thursday Art Walks in Scottsdale – Art walks are a perfect destination for those of you who are on tight budgets.  Not only do you have lots of time to talk but you also can get into some potentially great discussions about art, your date’s philosophies, and whatnot.
6. Phoenix Art Museum/Heard Museum/Arizona Science Center – In regards to the Art Museums, much of what applies for #5, applies here.  The Phoenix Art Museum and the Heard Museum are two great cultural destinations with some amazing and educational displays for all to witness.  In regards to the Arizona Science Center, you have the  opportunity to let your proverbial hair down and be goofy with some of the exhibits (and to see if your date can let their proverbial hair down as well).   Note for the budget conscious: Admission to the Phoenix Art Museum on First Friday and every Wednesday are on a donation basis (essentially free).  The Heard Museum is free every third Friday for NU and every second Sunday for Arizona residents only.
7. Miniature Golf – Indoor and Outdoor – Another destination for the budget conscious, miniature golf is a great way to get the competitive juices flowing, while chatting and having fun.  Plus it’s also fun to make fun bets per hole or per game….like a bet for a second date.
8. Picnic in a Park – Probably not the best idea for a first date but if you are really clicking with someone, this is a great way to make an impression.  Lots of time to chat and it’s even better if you make the picnic a surprise.
9. Phoenix Mercury/Phoenix Coyotes/Arizona Diamondbacks Games – Heading to sporting events, if your date is indeed into sports, is a great way to spend a first or second date.  You can sit, chat and, if the noise level isn’t too loud,  have a great conversation as well as some fun!  However, make sure that you or your date are not hard core fans of any of these teams.  Find a sport that none of you know about and don’t have emotional investment in.  You don’t want your date to see you if your team loses because of a blown call or play now, do you?
   

   Note: I didn’t include the Phoenix Suns and Arizona Cardinals here because, as of press time, the Suns don’t have their ticket pricing up for next season and the Arizona Cardinals tickets are out of the range for what we consider appropriate spending for the first few dates.

10. Hiking – If you and your date are the active types, leveraging the Phoenix area’s many nearby hiking trails is a great way to spend a date.  You can talk while you hike to your destination and have a great time.  Remember: Make sure that you and your date are prepared for hiking when it’s hot out with these rules!!!

Honorable mention

Wine Tasting – The greater Phoenix area is blessed with so many tasting rooms it’s hard not to leverage them for a date.  Many of these tasting rooms have great deals on wine tastings and it’s a great way to spend time getting to know the person you are dating in an relaxed setting.

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This article isn’t meant to be ‘the’ list of places that everyone should take dates to.  These are just ideas, in no particular order, which hopefully can help you break out of the boring date destination mindset and increase your odds of making a match with your date.

Make sure you always scout your date locations ahead of time and have a backup plan in case of weather or other last minute changes!

Who knows?  Perhaps this list will help you find that special someone.

Next week at this time, we will have an article about the worst places to take a date in Phoenix.

Popularity: 100% [?]

First off don’t forget to check out our new ‘Things to do to beat the heat’ feature! Some great ideas to get out of the triple digit temperatures!

http://www.azvibe.com/phoenix-entertainment/2009/05/20/fun-things-to-do-to-beat-the-heat/

1) This Saturday at the Arizona Diamondbacks game there will be a post game concert with Lifehouse right on the field.  The Diamondbacks have somewhat of a secret promotion for the concert. If you purchase tickets to the game and concert, using the link below to Sat’s game the first 50 people will get VIP passes to Lifehouse concert!

http://bit.ly/13emyl

ID: twitter

Password: dbacks

2) Arizona Diamondbacks – Chase Field – That’s right folks! Another season of Arizona Diamondbacks baseball is underway! Their current homestand goes through this Sunday.  Come and see your Diamondbacks take on some of the best teams in the league and battle their way to the playoffs! Tickets can be purchased through the Arizona Diamondbacks website:

http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/ticketing/index.jsp?c_id=ari

3) The Phoenix Mercury begins a new season on the 6th and they are poised to make a championship run!  Don’t miss all the action this season as your Phoenix Mercury take on the WNBA’s best!  The Phoenix Mercury are quietly becoming the hottest ticket in town this summer!!!

http://www.wnba.com/mercury/schedule/

4) Dub Auto Show – Featuring Ice Cube in Concert – 4 to 9 PM – Saturday June 13 – Phoenix Convention Center – The top cars and vendors in the custom auto field will be at the Phoenix Convention Center showin’ their stuff off.

Tickets:

http://www.dubshowtour.com/

5) This weekend marks the grand opening of the Madcap Theaters in Tempe just off of Mill Ave.  For their opening weekend of June 12th and 13, all events will be free of charge (on a first come, first served basis).  Check out the newest contribution to the Arts Community during this Grand Opening weekend.

For More information please refer to the Madcap Theaters site:

http://madcaptheaters.com/

6) George Lopez – Friday and Saturday 6/12 and 6/13 – Dodge Theater – Don’t miss this chance to see one of the funniest comedians on tour today.  George Lopez brings his unique brand of comedy to the Dodge Theater for two shows.  Don’t miss it!

Tickets for Friday’s Show:

http://www.livenation.com/edp/eventId/403812/

Ticket’s for Saturday’s Show:

http://www.livenation.com/edp/eventId/403815/

7) FUSE – Bar Smith – Friday Nights – $5 – Bar Smith – Downtown Phoenix – 10PM – 2 AM

8) 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/

9) Destination Saturday Pool Party at the Mondrian Hotel – Noon to 6 Every Saturday.  The party not to miss continues every Saturday afternoon at the Mondrian!

10) Salt River Tubing – It’s getting into the triple digits again so that must mean that it’s that time of year to start floating down the Salt River.  It’s Pirate Day Saturday!

http://www.saltrivertubing.com/

11)  Garden Flashlight Shows – Thursdays and Saturdays during June, July and August – Desert Botanical Gardens – $7.50 – $15.00 (Free for Garden Members)

http://dbg.org/index.php/about/news/flashlightours

12) Don’t forget the Downtown Phoenix Public Market – Weekly on Wednesdays from 4 to 8 PM and Saturday from 8 AM to Noon.

http://www.foodconnect.org/phoenixmarket/

13) The Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art has free admission every Thursday

http://www.smoca.org/

14) Seeing how this is probably one of the last few opportunities to be able to hike in the middle of the day for quite some time, we have put together a resource for hiking not only in the City limits of Phoenix but for Hiking all around the State of Arizona.

http://www.azvibe.com/phoenix-entertainment/2009/06/10/last-minute-hikes-around-phoenix-and-arizona-before-the-triple-digit-weather-season/

15) Movies under the Stars – WaterDance Film Festival – Every Friday Through June at the Westgate City Center in Glendale – 8:00 PM – Free – See the link below for more information.

http://www.azvibe.com/phoenix-entertainment/2009/04/23/westgate-city-center-hosts-the-first-annual-waterdance-film-festival/

16) Star Swim returns for another summer!!! – After the Phoenix Fire Department pretty much shut them down last summer (500 people in a 50 person capacity pool will do that), the masterminds behind Star Swim are back for another summer. The party has moved to the Wyndham Hotel’s Pool and is sure to be another great classic party.

This weekend features the editor’s Favorite band, Black Carl so do not miss this edition of Star Swim.

For more information and the bands/artists scheduled to appear please check out the Star Swim website:

http://www.starswimphx.com

Tickets on sale this week:

Lisa Lampenelli – Dubbed the Queen of Mean for a reason – Most noted for her Comedy Central celebrity roasts she puts on one amazing and memorable show while offending just about everyone possible.  Don’t beleive me?  I’ll let the videos do the talking.  Be warned, this is NSFW and not even remotely Politically Correct.

Tickets can be purchased here starting Friday 6/12 at 10 AM:

http://www.livenation.com/edp/eventId/409392

Popularity: 5% [?]

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: 2% [?]

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: 2% [?]

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: 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: 19% [?]

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: 3% [?]

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% [?]