It looks like all of our hard work this year has paid off because my wife and I made enough money to have a wonderful Christmas season, and still have enough money to buy a plane ticket so my honey Lolis can go home to Mazatlan and see our family for the holidays.

It is an annual trip that my wife makes each year when the money is available, and this year we made it happen! We are both super excited, although I will be lonely and bored while she is gone, like always, so I might have to pull out the old PS2 and keep myself distracted until she is home again.

There are a lot of snowbirds in town right now enjoying an Arizona vacation in one of many Phoenix vacation home rentals, and who can blame them with temperatures in the mid to high 70’s and low 80’s. If you are ready to escape the cold and snowy weather in your hometown, then pick up the phone and call the Arizona Lodging Experts. The Arizona Lodging Experts (ALE) offer premier lodging in many areas of the Valley of the Sun, such as a 3 Bedroom/2 Bath in Anthem, a 5 Bedroom/3 Bath in Goodyear and a 4 Bedroom/3.5 Bath in Cave Creek, just to name a few. If you would like to come and enjoy the above average temperatures we are having in December, call 602-404-2982 today!

It is early December here is Arizona, and it feels like its Spring when you step outside. It has been holding in the mid to upper 70’s for the past week and a half, and now they say it may reach 80 degrees this weekend, in December! No complaints here….

It is definitely above average weather we are having. This is the ideal time to enjoy beautiful Arizona home rentals from Arizona Lodging Experts. Arizona Lodging Experts are a Phoenix Rental Property Management company with rental listings in many locations in Arizona, including Anthem, Carefree, Cave Creek, Fountain Hills, Goodyear, Mesa, Paradise Valley, Phoenix and Scottsdale. ALE (for short) excels in offering the best lodging available, with the most knowledgeable staff to assist you. Now is the time to enjoy a relax vacation in sunny Arizona in a furnished Scottsdale rental. With weather like this, the choices will go fast, so call today!

Arizona Lodging Experts
www.arizonalodgingexperts.com
866-785-2350
602-404-2982

Sedona Arizona

Sedona, Arizona's Famous Red Rocks

Snow Covered Mountain in the Distance

Sedona, Arizona

(P.S. Please forgive the old photos. We will get news ones soon, I promise)

Jerome, Historic Mining Camp Est. 1876

Old House near Jerome

Jerome seems to have everything a person could want or need. You have several local bars that you can visit like the Spirit Room and the Jerome Brewery. Here is the Spirit Room, and again, forgive the crappy picture, but I wanted you to see what it looks like. Oh, buy the way, if you do stop by the Spirit Room and happen to find a charming old man playing the washboard with the band, then that would most likely be my father, Rick. He is fun to watch when he plays!

The Spirit Room

I wasn’t able to find a photo of the Jerome Brewery, which is all the more reason to go soon and take some new pictures, right? I agree! In the meantime, here are a few other my wife and I have taken in the past. We hope you enjoy them.

Old Truck in Mountain Wall

Jerome Winery

Local Artist Shop

Stairs by my Papas home

If you decide to eat something during your trip to Jerome, you have made the right decision. There are some local eateries that will delight you in many, many ways, with delicious homemade meals and home brews or regular spirits, which are available with every meal. Sodas for the children please, and for the designated drivers! You don’t want to drink and drive on these windy hills folks. When it is time to feed your hunger, you can stop by the Flat Iron Cafe and have a cup of coffee and a nice hot breakfast. Or swing by the Palace-Haunted Hamburger and have the delicious hamburgers they are so famous for. Our personal favorite is the Jerome Brewery where they serve a artichoke bruschetta and a 3 cheese pizza that are just unbelievable. Just talking about it made me hungry right now.

I would recommend that you take a scenic drive to Jerome the next chance you get, and really see for yourselves how much fun it is to walk around the streets of this old mining town and visit all the shops and local eateries. You will want to come back again and again, I promise.

Don’t forget to contact Spencer and Scott at Arizona Lodging Experts to reserve a beautiful home, townhome or condo and enjoy some of this amazing weather we have here at the Vacation Rentals in Phoenix AZ and all the local attractions like Jerome. It is just a short hour and a half drive from Phoenix to Jerome.

Toll free 877-276-5745
Local in Phoenix 480-429-3844

Living in Arizona for over 35 years now has given me a strong desire to learn more about our old west history. I am fascinated by the items were used back in the 1800’s and 1900’s, and how many of these items have withstood the test of time and are still around today. On a day trip my wife and I took to Goldfield Ghost Town, I found a few “surviving items” from the wild, wild west, so I took some photos to take home with me.

The first photo I have is a photo of 2 old pieces of luggage.

I find myself easily impressed by items such as these that have traveled the open dusty trail, exposed to the everyday elements, but still somehow managed to survive for over 200 years.

The next photo is just a old rocking chair.

Old Rocking Chair

If you look close, you will notice that this chair is held together by a few wires and a couple of nails. It is a simple design, made by hand - not in a warehouse, and it’s still with us to this very day. It is funny to think that this chair is three times my age and probably in better shape that I am. (haha)

The last photo I wanted to share with you shows some old saloon doors, but what caught my attention was the old Civil War Confederate Flag on the back wall.

"Gunfighters Only"

It looks like it has seen better days, you know what I mean, and you just have to wonder, “How old is the flag itself and has it actually been in a War”? I wish I knew the answer, but it sure is fun to think about anyway.

Now I hope to be able to travel with my lovely wife and visit all the other great historic cities in Arizona like Tombstone, Bisbee, Jerome, Prescott and Flagstaff. Think of the history. Think of the heritage. Think of the photos we could take. Wish us luck!

During our visit to Tlaquepaque in January, my wife and I found this cool little statue called “The Kiss”, created by Kim Kori.

"The Kiss"

The Kiss by Kim Kori

It would seem that this little kissing frog has become a dry “wishing well” for many tourist, as you can see by the coins that lay in his hand and at his feet. My wife loves everything frog-related, so finding this statue during our visit was a nice surprise. Once we returned to Phoenix, we took a digital photo of our new froggy pal and we had it printed and framed for our apartment. My wife just loves it!

“This just goes to show that you can never tell when you with encounter something fun and memorable that will stay with you forever”.

Shea & Lolis
Phx, Az

I think the one thing Arizona is most famous for is the breathtaking landscape of the Sonoran Desert. It seems that no matter which city you visit, you can always find something beautiful to photograph.

On a recent trip to Tortilla Flats, my wife and I decided to take a short walk after lunch before jumping back into our truck and heading back to Phoenix. I had a small camera with us, so I took a few photos of the local decor around Tortilla Flats.

Old Wagon

Outhouse "Out of Order"

I absolutely love the old west history that is so rich in Arizona. The trip itself was wonderful from the meal at Tortilla Flats to the scenery and historic feel you get from the entire area. It was a fun, inexpensive trip, and those are always the best kind, right?! When is your next Arizona adventure going to take place?

If you need lodging in the Phoenix area, then please feel free to contact Spencer and Scott at Arizona Lodging Experts. Toll free at 877-276-5745 and local in Phoenix at 480-429-3844. They offer 60+ luxurious homes-townhomes-condos in Arizona.

The Arizona Desert

On your next visit to Sedona, Arizona, you may want to make time to visit the wonderful Arts & Crafts Village of Tlaquepaque.

Tlaquepaque Shops and Restaurants

Tlaquepaque Village

Today, Tlaquepaque is the ideal place for visitors to come look and wander, to sample and buy, to eat, drink and refresh the body and soul.

My wife and I had the pleasure of taking a drive north to Sedona, Arizona, in mid January this year. We stayed overnight in a gorgeous resort called the Sedona Summit, located just off of Arizona 89A between Cottonwood and Sedona. We arrived at about 8pm on Friday night, so we were not able to really appreciate the stunning view we had until the next morning. It was breathtaking!

This was the view from our 2 Bedroom Suite in Sedona

Saturday morning, we decided to venture into town and grab some breakfast. The town of Sedona is less than 5 minutes from the resort, and the first place we came upon that caught our interest was a small cafe called Cafe Jose. We stopped in and had their Rancho breakfast, which was very good by the way. Once we had our fill of good eats and treats, we took a drive into the heart of town where they have a great variety of shops and restaurants to choose from, and we found the local trolly called the Sedona Road Runner.

Sedona Roadrunner Trolly

It wasn’t easy finding a parking space, but we eventually found one and began our on foot adventures. We must have walked around for hours stopping in as many shops as we could to absorbe the local art work. It was a wonderful day that my wife and I will remember for a long time.

Once reality set in, we remenbered that we had to check out today from our beautiful 2 bedroom suite at Sedona Summit and head back south to Phoenix where we live and work. Before we returned to Phoenix, we were instructed by our good friend Scott to stop in the Rock Springs Cafe and purchase two pies, which he could only describe as a heavenly treat. Rock Springs cafe is just off the I-17 on exit 242. We did as instructed and picked up 2 pies for Scott and we decided to grab one for ourselves. We had to see what the fuss was all about. We also took home a Pulled Pork sandwich with baked beans and homemade coleslaw, which my wife says was the best she’d had in a very long time. The pie was homemade and made with nothing but love and care and it was a really good pie everyone. We might make this a regular stop from now on.

Thanks for the tip Scott!