Desert Botanical Gardens

Make a day of it…the Desert Botanical Gardens are so close to the Phoenix Zoo.  Head to the Zoo early in the morning, enjoy the sights and sounds of the animals and then cruise on over to the incredible flora at the Botanical Gardens.  What is it about Arizona plant life?  Being in the desert the plant life is much different from anywhere else in the nation.  Our long hot summers would kill most other plant life.  Arizona plant life is displayed beautifully at the Botanical Gardens as you will see when you visit there.  You will find volunteers all around who are caring for the plants and will gladly chat with you about the different varieties of cactus and succulents which thrive in the desert climate.

Spring time is the best time to visit.  You can see the new blooms in an array of breathtaking colors on the cactus, trees and shrubs which are indigent to the Arizona desert climates.  On Sundays from Noon – 2pm on the Ullman Terrace you can enjoy live music.

You can also check out the Botanical Gardens on line at www.dbg.org and see all the events that are available.  You can have a guided tour, plan an event or celebration, view the beautiful exhibits, or check out the current list of events.

Current events at the Desert Botanical Gardens:

Through September 24, 2011 you can enjoy nightly flashlight tours of the wonderful gardens.  See the flora and fauna react to the evening darkness.  Every Thursday and Saturday through September 24 at 7pm

September 9, 2011 – 6-8:30 pm -  BIG BUG sculptures tower above the trails of the Botanical Gardens.  This event is for garden fund and patron circle members only.  Enjoy the infestation of David Roger’s Big Bug sculptures.  There are refreshments and music.  Bring along your flashlight … you don’t want to run into one of these life size creatures unprepared.  Reservations required.  You can also purchase a picnic dinner on site while the little ones enjoy creating their own bug drawings or bug tattoos.  What a fun night

September 10, 2011- General Members Opening Night:  David Rogers’ Big Bug Member Preview

September 12, 2011 – January 1, 2012 – Grand Opening viewing of David Rogers’ Big Bugs all created from natural materials.  Come see for yourself…these are grand size creatures.

The FALL CONCERT series in incredible and you should plan in advance.

The 2011 Fall concert series is every Friday from 7pm-9pm and the doors open at 5:30pm.

October 7-- Sonoran Jazz Project (jJazz – Motown

October 14– Domingo Degrazia (Flamenco – Spanish Guitar)

October 21 –Silver Thread Trio featuring the Rosano Brothers (Americana – Gypsy Jazz)

October 28 –Sergio Mendoza Y La Orkesta (Latin – Mambo)

November 4 –  Crossing 32nd Street Music Ensemble dives into a tribute to the Beatles

November 11– Fuerza Caribe (Salsa)

November 18 –Traveler (Violin)

Fall Festivals at the Gardens include:

October 14-16 – The Fall Plant Sale Festival

This is the time to purchase from the largest arid-adapted plants that are for sale in one location

October 20-23 - The Great Pumpkin Festival

This is the place to find that Perfect Pumpkin for Halloween – bring the kids and let them pick out that perfect Great Pumpkin

October 29-30 – Dia De Los Muertos Celebration

This is a Latin American, Mexican and American Southwest celebration for departed loved ones.  The celebration includes entertainment, story telling, dance and song.   In the Mercado you will find wonderful items for sale such as artwork, delicious pastries and wonderful food.

November 11-13 – Enjoy Chiles and Chocolate (Friday- Sunday 10am-5pm)

The Gardens will be full of spicy and chocolate delights.  Indulge yourself with wonderful treats of the southwest while enjoying your tour of the gardens.

Entertainment is provided by DJ Miguel Ivery.  Enjoy his hot Latin tempo and hot dance routines

The Menu for this wonderful event is:

Station 1: Dorrance Hall

Traditional Chili, Green Chili with Pork, Chicken Mole, Vegetarian Chili, Ghirardelli Chocolate Brownies, Sodas, Bottled water and lemonade.

Station 2: Boppart Courtyard

Fresh roasted chilies, chicken street tacos, both served with chips, red and green salsa

Station 3:  Butterfly Kiosk

Fill up with bean, rice and cheese burritos, green chili pork burritos, tortilla chips and salsa

Enjoy the wonderful music and dance, the incredible food, the amazing gardens and of course the wonderful Arizona desert weather.

Fall 2011 Avant-Garden – Thursday evenings 6pm-8:30pm

Local Arizona talent, food and music will be presented.  This season honors “David Rogers’ Big Bug” exhibit.  This is where you can learn about a different bug each week at the Discovery Station.

October 6 – Hail the Ale “Jon Schmidt” will present his knowledge of beer education.  This is an Oktoberfest inspired gathering with music from the “Bac Cactus Brass Band.

October 13 – In Bloom

Local fashion designers will present their new stylings to the tunes from local band “Covela”

October 27 – A Spirited Evening

Local Jester’z Improv Comedy will perform with local band Banana Gun

November 3 - Stop, Cook and Listen

Did anyone say HERBS, fresh from the garden.  Enjoy the cooking while relaxing under the stars and listening to bluegrass music

November 10 - Toast the Taste

Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate.  Wei of Chocolate and Fair Trade chocolatiers will present a chocolate array, organic wine tasting, and FourWayFree will perform acoustic pop-rock.

November 17 – Have You Heard

Poetry in the garden…HB and HomeBase Poetry return for an encore performance.

Location: 1201 North Galvin Parkway, Phoenix, AZ  85008 (in the Papago Park next to the Phoenix Zoo)

480-941-1225 (Monday through Friday)  Recorded Information:  480-941-1217

Hours:  Monday through Sunday year round – 8am to 8pm (7am for members on Wednesday and Sunday)

Admission:  Adults $15, Seniors $13.50, Students (13 to 18 yrs) $7.50, Kids (3 to 12 yrs) $5.00, Kids under 3 yrs are free

My wife and I had lunch with our good friend Spencer at the Thai House Restaurant in Mesa, Arizona, located on the N/E corner of Power & Southern. Spencer and Lolis have had Thai food before, so I was the “Thai Virgin” I guess. I know I can speak for all three of us when I say we have a wonderful meal and we would definitely recommend the Thai House to everyone we know. The portions were very generous, the taste was authentic Thai and the service was very good as well. The Mesa location was rather small with 5-6 tables and a small bar, but well worth the stop. You can have a sweet and savory meal made with coconut milk, or try a spicy meal from level 1 to 5 with some amazing Thai spices, “if you have the guts”.

For dessert, we do recommend that you try the delicious Fried Bananas, which we all found to be unique and tasty treat.

Below is a short video we made, so you could see how delicious everything was.

Thai House YouTube Video

If you find yourself staying in a wonderful rental home in Mesa, Arizona, you might want to try the Thai House during your stay. It will be a wonderful experience for your taste buds. The Thai House has 3 valley locations, so there might even be a Thai House close to you..!

If you need assistance finding lodging from experienced Scottsdale or Phoenix property management, contact Spencer, Susan and Shea at Arizona Lodging Experts at 602-404-2982 and 866-785-2350. They have over 20 years of personal experience combined offering premier Arizona Home Rentals and they are ready to assist you today!

Saguaro Lake Ranch Trail Rides

If you would like to go horseback riding you will not need to drive for hours to reach your desire. Saguaro Lake Ranch Trail Rides is just about an hour or so away of the Phoenix metropolitan area. Saguaro Lake Ranch is located just a little bit past the Tonto National Forest.

When you go horse-back riding at Saguaro Lake Ranch you will be happy to know that the team pairs you with a horse that will match your build and experience level. You have your option of taking a 90 minute ride or you can go for several hours just depends what you are up for. The terrain you choose can vary from very calm and gentle to very deep desert experiences if you have more experience on a horse.

You can really see and educate yourself about the beauty here in Arizona while horseback riding. Horseback riding allows you to stay away from the noise, pollution, and the busyness of city life. The guides for Saguaro Lake ranch are very familiar with the area and know the best places to take you depending in the time of the year.

Some of the available trails are “Horse Thief Wash,” or “Skyline Trail.” These are wonderful rides and provide for a real sense of serenity. You will definitely want to bring your camera as you are about to embark on to some of the most beautiful areas in Arizona. You can choose to take a ride in the early morning hours or in the afternoon, it’s all up to your preference. All the rides start out at Saguaro Lake Ranch which was started in the 1930’s and over the last 80 years they have built quite a respectable reputation on excellence and value.

Already here looking for a company that does property management in Phoenix, Az.? If you are ready to take a horseback ride and have a real southwest experience then you are only about an hour away from the downtown Phoenix area. You should know that there are weight and age restrictions. Some of the rides require advanced reservations especially if you are bringing a large group or school. Be sure to call ahead before you make the drive up to Saguaro Lake Ranch to make sure they can accommodate your needs and provide for the most pleasant experience possible. If you decide that you have found your new love in horseback riding you will be happy to know that they offer guest quarters where you can stay the night or even a weekend and experience ranch life first hand.

Prices

90 min ride – $45

2 hour ride  – $55

2-1/2 hours ride – $70

4 hour ride – $120

**They also offer customized rates, and group package discounts but you will need to call in advance to make arrangements.

Address:

Saguaro Lake Ranch

13020 Bush Highway

Mesa, AZ 85215

Mystery Castle

If you are a fan of touring unique and unusual place you would definitely be entertained with a tour of the Mystery Castle. It can be found near our Phoenix vacation home rentals. The history of this building is very enchanting. The Mystery Castle is located in the heart of the South Mountain foothills. This castle is no typical fairy tale castle but more of an odd shaped dwelling that was erected in 1927 by a man named Boyce Luther Gulley. Gulley built this entire castle out of recycled materials and this may even be the first recycled home ever built in Phoenix.  Gulley had built this eclectic structure as a gift for his daughter. The materials used to construct this building were stones, old auto parts, mineshaft rails and beat up telephone poles. The building was held together with goat’s milk, calcium and cement, which were made into a mortar.

The castle was made up of 18 rooms on 3 different levels. The daughter resided in this castle all the way until her death in November of 2010. The building never had any electricity or plumbing until the year 1992. The tour of this castle is incredible. You can tour this facility for very cheap and make quite a day out of it. This is a great excuse to pack a picnic lunch and have a picnic right at South Mountain Park Reserve. The price to view the castle is $5 for people age 8 and older. If you are under 8 years old the price of admission is free.

Mystery Castle Address:

800 E Mineral Road

Phoenix, AZ 85042

(602) 268-1581

We would like to remind all of our winter visitors that there are a ton of great activities and events to enjoy in town during your stay in a relaxing home rental in Arizona. Many people visit Arizona year-round due to the great weather, and many of these activities go hand in hand. You can enjoy the Insight Bowl and Fiesta Bowl, Barrett Jackson and the Arabian Horse Show, concerts and plays and so much more! They predict a warm winter for us, so we recommend you come and take full advantage of it. To begin, you need to contact the experts at Arizona Lodging Experts and find yourself a great property to rent. ALE (for short) offers Phoenix Arizona property management, rentals in Scottsdale, Phoenix, Goodyear, Anthem, Cave Creek, Fountain Hills, Mesa, Paradise Valley and Carefree. They excel in customer service and attention to detail to ensure you find a great property to rent. Call the experts today at 602-404-2982 and 866-785-2350.

I woke up to an unusual site today when I step out onto my patio early this morning. We had fog as thick as “pea soup” in Phoenix, which is very odd for the Valley of the Sun.

I bet visitors who are in town enjoying a winter rental in Arizona were a little surprised to see fog on the ground, and I bet they most likely booked their lodging through Arizona Lodging Experts, the premier Scottsdale property management with over 10 years experience in helping people to find great rentals in Arizona.

It was exciting to see the foggy conditions, because it’s so rare for Arizona, but it was also difficult to drive in the fog without feeling a little unsafe, you know what I mean. It all worked out well as the fog lifted at about 9am to reveal the clouds over the surrounding mountains, including Camelback and Mummy Mountain.

We are being told to be prepared for a warm winter, so we are expecting more visitors to make their way to Arizona, and we welcome them gladly. If anyone is looking for lodging in Arizona, all you have to do is contact Arizona Lodging Experts at 602-404-2982 and 866-785-2350. They will do their very best to find you a great rental from one of their Arizona home rentals, condos or townhomes. Call the experts today!

On the recommendation of two fellow employees at our office, my wife and I enjoyed a wonderful meal, complete with drinks, appetizers and great company, at Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen. It was a wonderful dining experience in every way.

First, we arrived early on a Saturday afternoon, so we beat the late night crowd. We began with drinks at the bar while we waited for our table. Our table was ready within 5 minutes of our arrival, so great service so far. Once we sat down and had a few minutes to look over the menu, we ordered some appetizers. We tried the Fried Calamari, Coconut Shrimp and Crabfingers, which were delicious as each was served with its own signature sauce of some kind. The Coconut shrimp came with some coleslaw is a spicy red sauce, and it was a big hit! Next it was time to order dinner. Lolis ordered the Jumbo Shrimp Brochette (char-grilled bacon wrapped shrimp filled with Monterey jack cheese & a sliver of jalapeno and dirty rice), and she loved it! Spencer went for the Hudson Bay Platter (shrimp brochette, grilled scallops & Caribbean lobster tail, with fresh green beans & dirty rice), and he enjoyed it very much. I decided to have the Costa Rican Tilapia Lafayette (grilled tilapia topped with fresh lump crabmeat, shrimp, tomato’s, capers & basil in beurre blanc with fresh green beans and spaghetti squash), and I am very, very happy with what I ordered. To top off the meal, we each ordered some wonderful dessert which included Crème brelee and Banana wafer pudding. The entire experience was fantastic from beginning to end, and the service from our waiter Ryan was top notch.

I would recommend Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen to anyone who is in Arizona, whether you are a local resident or a winter visitor enjoying a relaxing Scottsdale rental, (or one of the vacation rentals in Phoenix Arizona) and experience it for yourself. I think you will be happy you did. Oh, and don’t forget, if you need assistance finding a wonderful rental in Arizona, then you can call the experts at Arizona Lodging Experts. With over 10 years experience and lodging in many areas in Arizona, they will do their best to find you the best lodging available. Call the experts today at 602-404-2982 and 866-785-2350.

I couldn’t help notice the amazing sunset last night as I stopped by my local Fry’s Grocery Store. It kind of reminds me that Christmas is just 9 days away!

I love the Christmas Holidays because I get to spend time with my lovely wife and my family, but I have another reason to love it so much; my wife was born on December 25^th, so we get to celebrate Christmas and her birthday together, which is a true blessing.

As we make our way to the malls this year to do our share of shopping, we are noticing a lot of snowbird plates in the parking areas, which is nice to see. I think people are seeing the unusual warm weather we are having in sunny Arizona and they are making their way to the valley to enjoy all the fun and festivities as they stay in a comfortable Arizona home rental. Many activities we enjoy each year are outdoors, so this great weather has done its job and brought everyone “out and about”.

If you are not sure how to find a great rental in Arizona, then contact the team at Arizona Lodging Experts. They specialize in property management in Scottsdale, Phoenix and many other areas in Arizona, and they pride themselves on customer service with premium rentals. Call the experts at 480-429-3844 and 877-976-1234 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

I found a wonderful gift idea for the holiday, made by a local artist here in Arizona. It is called Refresh Glass “Functional Bottle Art”. The founder, Ray, has taken a green approach combining manufacturing engineering and art to craft a fun product that will make a difference for generations to come. A win-win for everyone. Ray has created an up and coming business by taking old wine bottles, cleaning them, removing the labels, then cutting the bottles into 12oz and 16oz sizes and turning them into art. Ray offers sets of 4 in Amber, Green, Gold, Clear and Antique. The founding story is a good read, so check it out! I think they would make a unique and memorable holiday gift, birthday gift, or any occasion really.

If you are looking for a great Vacation Rentals In Phoenix, with a ton of wonderful activities and events to enjoy, then you will want to contact Arizona Lodging Experts. They have premier properties in many areas in Arizona and they update their website with events and activities constantly, so for rentals in Arizona call the Arizona Lodging Experts today!