It is another beautiful day here in sunny Arizona and travelers from all around the world are coming to our beautiful state to enjoy our Scottsdale Arizona vacation rentals that are offered through Arizona Lodging Experts, the absolute best property management in Scottsdale and Phoenix. Arizona Lodging Experts (ALE for short) pride themselves in offering premier Scottsdale rentals, Phoenix rentals and many surrounding cities as well. ALE has been offering lodging in Arizona for over 14 years now, so they have a ton of great insight about the best restaurants, activities, seasons, ect.., so you can trust them to guide you in the right direction each and every time.

FYI: It is 85 today and windy, absolutely perfect….!

Call Spencer, Susan and Shea at Arizona Lodging Experts today.
602-404-2982
866-785-2350

The 6^th annual ASU Film Festival was going on April 24- April 26^th in Downtown Tempe. It was at the Harkins Valley Art Theatre and it was sold out for both nights. The event showcased the best short films by the students in the film department at ASU. There was a mix of dramas, comedies, and documentaries. The films were so creative and so professionally done. I attend the show every year because my son is a film student at the University. He won 1^st Place last year and 2^nd Place this year. I love seeing him and his friends winning all the awards at the festival. This is a group of young talented people who work hard and truly enjoy their craft.

It is always fun to go to Tempe for the event because the streets are overflowing with people everywhere and it is such a lively event. There are so many great restaurants on Mill Ave. to visit before and after the show. If you are enjoying a Vacation Rental in Scottsdale Arizona, you should certainly visit Tempe in the evening. It is such a bustling town with a lot of nightlife. The daytime is also packed with fun activities around Tempe Town Lake. It is a short drive from Scottsdale and a great addition to your Arizona vacation.

My wife and I had a wonderful Easter weekend, which included homemade Fish Tacos and a visit to Scottsdale to dine with our Compadre Spencer. Spencer is the manager at Arizona Lodging Experts, the best property management in Scottsdale, Phoenix and the surrounding area. Spencer offers seasonal rentals in Arizona in premier Arizona Home & Condo rentals, and has for over 12 years now. He is the AZ Expert!

The weekend really started to shape up when my lovely wife Lolis came up with the idea to make homemade Fish Tacos on Saturday, so off we went to the grocery stores to get the ingredients we would need. We decide to go with 2 different types of fish, Tilapia and Cod, and we also decide to make our homemade Cole Slaw, which only seems to get better and better each time we make it.

In addition, Lolis made delicious homemade Chips, Salsa and Guacamole, and a Chipotle Mayonnaise, which wasn’t too spicy “even for a wimp like me”. My wife Lolis and Spencer both swear up and down that the tacos were pretty darn good, and they even told me we MUST add the recipe to our monthly gathering.

On Sunday, we headed off to Scottsdale to help our Compadre Spencer move his Tv stand from his old apartment to his new Pimp Bachelor Pad, then we had lunch at Zipps Bar & Grill on Camelback. It was a really nice weekend from beginning to end, if I do say so myself.

My wife and I went to Arizona Mills this past weekend and enjoyed a day of window shopping and lunch at Johnny Rockets, our favorite burger joint!

As we made our way around the mall, we came upon the Rainforest Café, which is described as a “Wild Place to Shop & Eat”.  We have had lunch at the Rainforest Café twice before and we love the tropical rainforest setting with indigenous creatures all around you, but the best feature in our opinion is the large fish tanks at the entrance and in the dining room. This is a great place to take the kids.

So the next time you are enjoying one of our premier Vacation Rentals in Ph0nix, AZ that you reserved through Arizona Lodging Experts, you can make plans to visit the Rainforest Café and have your own wonderful adventure. If you want to secure your own Scottsdale Arizona vacation, just call the experts at Arizona Lodging Experts at 602-404-2982 and 866-785-2350. They offer premier Arizona home rentals in many areas in the valley of the sun, including Phoenix and Scottsdale.

My wife and I had the pleasure of trying our friend Spencer’s homemade Seafood Spaghetti Sauce this past weekend, and we both agree, it was 100% delicious, not to mention the simple ingredients. It consists of Onions, Garlic, Tomatoes, Fresh Basil, Sea Salt, Cracked Black Pepper, Heavy Cream, Mushrooms and Fresh Parmesan. All ingredients were blended accept for the mushrooms. They were added after blending so they could become soft in the reheating of the now creamy sauce. Trust me when I say “It was a work of art.” It was like watching a great chef in a famous restaurant show you how it’s done by making this amazing dish look about as easy as making a box of Mac and Cheese. Lucky for you, I documented the entire process with photos that can be seen in the following slideshow. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 Sweet Yellow Onion
6 Cloves of Garlic
12 Roma Tomatoes
1 Lb of Shrimp
6 Large Scallops
1 Lobster Tail
1 Package of Sliced Mushrooms
Heavy Cream
Fresh Basil
Salt & Pepper

We hope that you might find the time to try one of our many recommended recipes while enjoying a wonderful vacation rental in Arizona provided by Arizona Lodging Experts. Arizona Lodging Experts has been offering premier property management in Scottsdale, Phoenix and the surrounding area for over 12 years now. Contact them for all your rental needs in Arizona.

Montezumas Castle National Monument

In 1906 Montezuma’s Castle was recognized as a National Monument.  The Sinagua culture,  a native group survived in this area in the cliff dwelling and in huts along the waterways for centuries, long before Columbus discovered the “new world”.  The Verde Valley provided everything they needed to sustain the habitat they lived in.  The public has not been allowed inside the Castle for the past 50 plus years.  This is due mainly to its age and fragility.  Built into a cliff, you will find this 20 room apartment above Beaver Creek. This was not the only structure at that time, however, it is the only one that has survived time.   When you look through the windows you are peeking into America’s past and into the best kept cliff dwelling in the US.  Built by the Sinagua’s  nearly 1,000 years ago it depicts survival and amazing creativity in designing a dwelling to protect them from the blistering desert sun during the day and cool to frigid temperatures at night. At 9am every Sunday Ranger John will guide you through the Montezuma Well which is 11 miles from the Castle. The Well is the result of a collapsed limestone cavern allowing a million plus gallons of water to run through the well daily.  The fresh warm water that continuously flows created an aquatic habitat found nowhere else in the world.  For thousands of years this well has provided an oasis for humans and the local wildlife.   Here you will find animal species you have never seen before. NAU has been researching where the water is coming from and how it maintains its constant and consistent 74 degree temperature.  Somewhere deep in the layers of earth lies the secret of this well.   As you wander through the winding pre-historic dwellings you will find pueblo ruins and an irrigation ditch over 1,000 years old that is still used today by the locals.  In 1933 an excavation crew discovered the Tuzigoot Village, stabilized it and built a museum which holds the Tuzigoot People’s story.  Not a lot is known about the Tuzigoot people.  They were believed to be hunters and traveled along the Verde Valley.  The citadel is said to have possibly house 250 people in its 110 rooms.  The size of the city and the number of people caused them to create solutions to problems and learn how to live together and make good choices to survive.

The Montezuma Castle Visitor Center holds the largest displays of ancient Sinagua artifacts, approximately 23,016 items. They were known for their beautiful textiles and pottery.  You will find the displays incredible.

There is a lot of walking and the summer temperatures are extreme.  Dress appropriately, wear comfortable shoes and bring lots of bottled water to make sure you stay hydrated.  Winter temperatures can range between 14 degrees and 45 degrees, a vast difference from the summer temperatures.

Mailing Address:  Montezuma Castle National Monument, PO Box 219, Camp Verde, Arizona   86322

Visitor Center Phone:  928-567-3322 – Managed by the National Park Services

Park Headquarters Phone:  928-567-5276  Fax:  928-567-3597

Website:  www.nps.gov
Directions:  take the I-17 to exit 289 drive east approximately 1/2 mile to the red traffic light turn left on Montezuma Castle Road.

Hours:  June through August  8am to 5pm;  September through May 7am to 5pm (Closed on Christmas Day)

Montezuma Castle Admission:  Adults 16 and over, $5.00 (good for 7 days) Children under 16 are free

Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot National Monuments – discounted rate for both together is $8.00 – ask for the pass if you plan to see both parks.  There is no admission fee to visit Montezuma’s Well.

This past Saturday, March 12th, it was 87 degrees here in Phoenix Arizona, so my wife and I decided to visit Desert Ridge Mall. Desert Ridge is less than 10 minutes from our apartment, so getting there was a snap! We decided stop by the Rock Bottom Brewery and have a cold beer before making our way to Fatburger for lunch. It was so nice to sit outside on the patio and enjoy a cold Pilsner beer with my lovely wife Lolis, while watching all the people “out and about” enjoying this amazing warm weather. I imagine all the visitors from out of state that are here enjoying a great rental property in Arizona are happy with this above average weather, especially our Canadian visitors. It has been a cold winter for many people. Many visitors that come to enjoy one of many Arizona home rentals do so because of the weather, so we welcome you with open arms.

After enjoying a few cold beers at Rock Bottom, we did a little window shopping as we past each store on our way to Fatburger. We like Fatburger more than In-N-Out burger, and of course a lot more than McDonalds and Jack in the Box. No comparison. Fatburger has well cook, made to order burgers which have a great flavor and fresh ingredients. I am glad we have a Fatburger so close to home.

If you have plans to enjoy a beautiful Phoenix or Scottsdale rental anytime soon, then contact the experts at Arizona Lodging Experts and they can assist you with your search. ALE “for short” can also help you with restaurant ideas, shopping ideas, you name it! They are the best at what they do and have proven so for over 12 years now. They are one of the only Phoenix Property Management Companies that can boast this.

Fatburger at Deset Ridge Mall

Great Burgers!

The  Arizona  State Capitol Museum is located on the  Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza.  The dome is built from  copper and the building itself is a simple design out of  granite.    The Capitol Museum is the original Capitol building, dating back to 1900 and built 12 years before Arizona became a recognized state.  Starting in 1960 the legislature moved to the building behind the Museum because they outgrew the old building.

Inside the Museum you will find an array of murals showing Arizona’s scenery, how it developed and progressed to becoming a state.  The murals tell the story of Arizona.   A statue of Arizona’s first governor, George W. P. Hunt, many notable photos, as well as the original house and senate chambers are in the museum.  Outside you can journey around the Wesley Bolin Plaza and enjoy a grassy area encompassing 2 blocks of sculptures and monuments.

The anchor from the USS Arizona, which sank during the Pearl Harbor invasion by the Japanese in 1941, is mounted on the eastern end of the plaza.  The anchor serves as a memorial to those who died aboard the ship serving their country.  There are other memorials for both Korean and Vietnam war veterans.

The Museum is open from 8am- 5pm weekdays, admission is free.  The Wesley Bolin Plaza is accessible during day light hours only and is free.  If you make arrangements in advance you can schedule a guided tour through both the Museum and the Plaza.  Tours run 2 times a day. A great place to visit while staying at vacation rentals in Scottsdale, Az.

Phoenix Open History

The Phoenix Open first started in 1932, but there was not a lot of local support for this event so they cancelled the tournament after the 1935 season. Bob Goldwater brought this tournament back to life in 1939. Bob Goldwater was a great golfer and encouraged his friends who were members of the Thunderbirds organization into chairing the event. He had been very persuasive to his fellow Thunderbirds that they decided to support and revive the tournament and once again the Phoenix Open was reborn in 1939.

Most of the work had to be done by Bob Goldwater because he still had a lot of persuading of the Thunderbirds in his path. When Bob was committed to a plan he stayed committed and never once backed down. Some of the responsibilities that Bob Goldwater achieved all on his own included having a printer make up tickets, selling to sponsors, and making sure they could use the Phoenix Country Club as the venue. He also invited a handful of celebrity friends such as Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, and Ben Hogan.

In the 1939 revival of the Phoenix Open a young man named Byron Nelson won the first prize, which at the time was $700.00. The second place winner was Ben Hogan who received $450.00. Due to the revival by Bob Goldwater of the 1939 Phoenix Open tournament the Thunderbirds sponsored every tournament in its history with the exception of one tournament in 1943 and that was because there were restrictions during wartime.

Some of the players that have taken first place in the tournament over the years include Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, Billy Casper, Jimmy Demaret, Gene Littler, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Johnny Miller, Miller Barber, Vijay Singh, Lee Janzen, Mark Calcavecchia, Phil Mickelson, and also Kenny Perry.

During the last 75 years the Phoenix Open has gone by several different names based on who the biggest sponsor of the event was at the time. Some of the names include Arizona Open, Western Open, The Phoenix Open, The Ben Hogan Invitational, The Waste Management Open and The FBR Open. The tournament started out at the Phoenix Country Club but has been played at the TPC Scottsdale for the last 23 years. The 2011 tournament will mark the 24^th year that the tournament has taken place at the TPC Scottsdale. The TPC Scottsdale hosts the most TPC tournaments on the PGA TOUR with exception to the TPC Sawgrass.

Because this event has become so fan friendly the course at the TPC Scottsdale attracts the biggest variety of all the golf tournaments in the world. When the Phoenix Open used to be held at the Phoenix Country Club its biggest turnout was in 1986 at 186,000 people. The biggest turn out at the TPC Scottsdale was 550,000 in 2008, in one day alone attendance reached 186,000 people.

The spectators have grown immensely through the years of the Phoenix Open and the grand purse prize has also grown to over 1 million dollars. Back in the 1930’s the grand prize was $700 and look to where that number has risen! In the 1991 Phoenix Open that was the first time the tournament had seen a million dollar purse. That 1991 Phoenix Open tournament was won by Nolan Henke and he went home with almost $200k.  The leader in monetary winnings from the Phoenix Open is Phil Mickelson who has taken over $2.5 million over 20 tournaments. The second highest monetary winner of the open is Kenny Perry with $2.1 million in 22 Phoenix Open appearances.

Contact one of the select property management companies near Phoenix, Scottsdale or the surrounding areas to rent vacation rentals that are up to par to stay for this event.

The Barrett Jackson Collector Car Event takes place January 17-23, 2011 and

 takes place at West World in Scottsdale, AZ

You can watch live auction coverage on the SPEED Channel.

 Schedule of Events:  

Monday January 17, 2011  

8am         – Gates open and Vendors and Sponsors open their booths

8am-3pm -  Cox Communications hosts Family Values Day

8am-3pm -  Entertainment provided by Radio Disney

10am       – The Tilted Kilt Patio opens

12pm-3pm – Appearance by Cox Communications on digital

7pm-11pm – Event Opener Gala *This Event Requires an Invitation

9pm-10:30pm – Fashion Show hosted by Dillards and makeup artist from CHANEL

 Tuesday January 18th, 2011  

8am-close -Gates open and Vendors and Sponsors open their booths

10am – The Tilted Kilt Patio opens

9am-2pm Automobile Memorabilia Auction

2pm-close – Barrett Jackson Auto Auction

5pm – Auction for Twilight

5pm-10pm – Auction is live on the SPEED channel

7pm-9pm – Celebrity Fashion Walk Show

 Wednesday January 19th, 2011  

8am-close -Gates open and Vendors and Sponsors open their booths

8:45-10am – Automobile Memorabilia Auction

10am-Close – Barrett – Jackson Car Auction

10am-12pm – Women who are into Speed panel

5pm – Twilight hours Auction

5pm-10pm Auction is shown live on the SPEED Channel

 Thursday January 20th, 2011  

8am-close -Gates open and Vendors and Sponsors open their booths

10am – Tilted Kilt opens their patio

10am-11am – Corvette Seminar for the Sports Car market

8:45am-10am – Automobile memorabilia auction

10am-close – Barrett – Jackson Car auction

5pm – Twilight hours auction

5pm-10pm – Barrett Jackson Auto Auction shown live on SPEED channel

 Friday January 21st, 2011  

8am-close -Gates open and Vendors and Sponsors open their booths

8:45am-10am – Automobile Memorabilia Auction

10am – Tilted Kilt opens their patio

10am-close – Barrett – Jackson Car auction

10am – Car polishing Seminar

11:30am – tips on restoring your classic car seminar

2pm – Dynacone wheel polishing seminar

3:30 – How to remove polishing swirls seminar

5pm – Twilight hours auction

12pm-11pm – Barrett Jackson Auto Auction shown live on SPEED channel

 Saturday January 22nd, 2011  

8am-close -Gates open and Vendors and Sponsors open their booths

8:45am-10am – Automobile Memorabilia Auction

10am – Tilted Kilt opens their patio

10am-close – Barrett – Jackson Car auction

10am – Car polishing Seminar

11:30 am – How to restore headlights seminar

2pm – Dynacone wheel polishing seminar

3:30 – How to remove polishing swirls seminar

5pm – Twilight hours auction

12pm-11pm – Barrett Jackson Auto Auction shown live on SPEED channel

 Sunday January 23rd, 2011  

8am-close -Gates open and Vendors and Sponsors open their booths

8:45am-10am – Automobile Memorabilia Auction

10am – Tilted Kilt opens their patio

10am-close – Barrett – Jackson Car auction

10am – How to remove polishing swirls seminar

12pm-4pm Barrett Jackson Auto Auction shown live on SPEED channel