My wife and I wanted to share a local restaurant here in Phoenix that we just discovered this past weekend, with the help of our good friend & Phoenix Property Manager, Spencer, at Arizona Lodging Experts. The place is called Uncle Sam’s, and they actually have 3 locations here in the Valley of the Sun. The one we went to is located on Shea blvd, between the 51 Freeway and 32^nd street. On their website at www.unclesamsaz.com they claim to have the only true Cheese Steaks, Hoagies and Grinders “this side of Philadelphia”, and after eating lunch there for the first time on Sunday, I have to agree with them. They have some really good sandwiches and tasty hot wings. My wife had the Mushroom Pepper Cheese Steak and 6 hot wings and I had the All American Hoagie, which has 6 meats and 2 cheeses. We really enjoyed the food very much and we look forward to our next visit. The best part is that Uncle Sam’s is only 15 minutes from our apartment in Phoenix, so we will become regulars in no time at all. So, whether you’re a local in Arizona, or a winter visitor enjoying one of many beautiful Arizona resort condos, we encourage you to stop by Uncle Sam’s and enjoy a great meal with family and friends. Your tummy will be very happy that you did.

“Az Crazies”

Next, put the chicken in the oven (middle rack) and set a time for 1 and 1/2 hours. Now, just sit back, enjoy a cold drink and wait for the magic to happen. For some amazing reason, which I am truly grateful for, the Stubbs sauce breaks down during the cooking process and mixes with the oil and broth to create this amazing spicy oil-juice that you can save and use on other dishes such as “Chef-Shea’s Spicy Chicken Green Chili Cheese Enchiladas”, which I will share with you another time, I promise!

(Sneak Peak)

Spicy Chicken Green Chili Cheese Enchiladas

Once you finally hear the timer go “ding”, it is time to sample some of the best chicken breast you will ever taste!

Spicy Chichen Breast 325 degrees - 1 1/2 hours

You can serve them any way you want to, maybe with a side of veggies and mashed potatoes and a side salad, or maximize your dish and make some tasty spicy tacos or spicy chicken cheese enchiladas. The chicken is fork tender now and full of great flavor. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do, and don’t forget to save the juices in the pan for later use.

Happy Eats Everyone!

And to all of our visitors that are renting our Vacation Rentals in Phoenix Arizona or any of the premier Homes, Townhomes or Condos from Arizona Lodging Experts, we hope you too can enjoy some wonderful home cooked meals and margaritas during your stay “thanks to great blogs like these”!

(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!