Beat the Phoenix Heat by Staying in the Shade

Phoenix Shade Trees

Beat the Phoenix Heat by Staying in the Shade

The American southwest has gone from being a lawless haven for outlaws in the late 19th century to the most popular destination for millions by the end of the 20th century. The once fearsome desert heat found in southern California, Arizona, and New Mexico used to keep many away, but Americans have flocked to these desert regions by the thousands during the past two decades. Phoenix, Arizona is now one of the largest cities in the southwest with a population of 4.4 million in the metropolitan area. Living in such a harsh climate requires a little bit of know how to help beat the heat and make it a more enjoyable place to live year round.

Arizona’s warm, dry climate dominates the weather pattern for the majority of the year. Summers in Phoenix are particularly nasty with temperatures often exceeding 100 degrees. While staying inside and cranking up the air conditioning is the first thought in most minds, there are other options available to stay cool during the summer in Phoenix. The top 10 options for staying cool include:

• - Canopy
• - Tents
• - Mist systems
• - Sprinklers
• – Pools
• - Water parks
• - Lakes
• - Rivers
• - Libraries
• - Museums

It’s only natural to beat the heat by staying out of it all together. Staying in the shade is a great way to avoid direct sunlight, making it feel cooler. A simple canopy covering your deck or patio can provide shade for your family and friends, making it possible to enjoy the outdoors without being cooked.

Outdoor enthusiasts may find their summer plans hindered by the excessive summer temperatures of Phoenix. Bringing a tent along to outdoor gatherings provides an open area for friends and family to gather. A simply canopy-style tent with no walls allows air to flow through while also protecting those underneath from the warm rays of the sun.

Those who want to put a little more work into keeping cool can install a misting system on their deck or patio. These systems are often quite simple, small tubing is installed along the canopy cover of the deck or patio. The tubes have small holes punctured in them, and when water is pumped through the system the small holes produce a mist that cools all those underneath the canopy.

Finding water is the logical next step beyond simple shade to help stay cool. Kids in particular can get exercise and cool down at the same time by simply romping through the sprinkler in the front yard. Those with the luxury of their own pool can hop in anytime to cool their bodies and beat the heat.

If you want to go beyond your own yard for ways to stay cool, Phoenix is home to a number of outdoor activities that provide a cooling relief. There are a number of water parks, lakes, and rivers in the Phoenix area that provide fun and entertainment, in addition to the cooling relief of water. Pack up the tent and canopy before heading out to these local parks, lakes, and rivers:

• - Tubing on the Salt River (available for $15 per person)
• - Lake Pleasant
• - Big Surf Water Park (located in the suburb of Tempe, AZ)
• - Wet ‘n’ Wild Water Park (located in the suburb of Glendale, AZ)

Finally, there are other indoor options if you don’t feel like running up your own A/C bill around the house. Phoenix has a number of libraries, museums, and science centers where the whole family can learn, be entertained, and stay cool all at the same time. Consider the following local attractions to stay cool in the summer:

• - Arizona Science Center
• - The Heard Museum
• - Children’s Museum of Phoenix
• - Phoenix Public Library System

When you live in a city with an average of 110 days a year at or above 100 degrees, it can seem daunting to find enjoyable ways to stay cool. Hopefully these top 10 ways to stay cool provide exciting, new options for beating the Phoenix heat!

10 Things You Can Only Do in Phoenix by Trevor Freeman

10 Things You Can Only Do in Phoenix

By: Trevor Freeman

Like any major city, Phoenix has its share of excellent shopping, dining, and entertainment attractions. But what if you want to do something a little more unique, something a little more…Arizona? In that case, here are ten activities which you can only do in Phoenix.

10. Ride “Desert Storm”

Castles-N-Coasters is the home of Desert Storm, Arizona’s biggest roller coaster and the only one in the state with two inverted loops. Besides the coaster, Castles-N-Coasters also offers other rides, miniature golf, and a two-story arcade.

Hotel San Carlos Phoenix

9. Take a Ghost Tour

The Hotel San Carlos in downtown Phoenix is rumored to be haunted by the spirit of a woman who leapt to her death from the hotel’s roof in the 1930s. The hotel caters to ghost hunters with guided tours running October through December.

8. Climb Camelback Mountain

This Phoenix landmark does sort of look like a camel’s hump, if you squint a little. It is one of the most popular trails in town and provides hikers with an excellent view of Phoenix and the quirky Camelback Castle.

7. Catch a Diamondbacks Game

Nothing is more enjoyable than watching a baseball game on a real grass field – unless of course it were air-conditioned! That’s exactly the case at Chase Field, where the retractable roof opens and closes in just over four minutes.

6. Eat at Pizzeria Bianco

This locally owned pizzeria in downtown Phoenix was voted the Best Pizza in America by New York food critic Ed Levine in 2005. Chef Chris Bianco’s gourmet wood-fired pizzas are a big draw, so grab a drink at the bar while you wait for a table. Wait times can be as long as 2 hours, even on a weeknight!

5. Ride the Light Rail

Valley Light Metro Rail

Phoenix’s light rail system offers 20 miles of track connecting the city with Mesa and Tempe. Take a ride on the smooth and quiet electric train and experience one of Phoenix’s newest icons.

4. Play Golf in December

There’s no question about it, Phoenix is a hotspot for golfers. With over 250 days of sunshine per year and over 150 courses in the greater Phoenix area, you can get in another round at any time of the year.

3. Dine with a Twist

The Compass Restaurant in downtown Phoenix will have your head spinning before you even get to your table! As Arizona’s only revolving restaurant, it makes one full revolution in about an hour. Lunch and dinner are served year round.

2. Visit Hunt’s Tomb

Located in Papago Park near the Phoenix Zoo, Hunt’s Tomb is the final resting place of Arizona’s first Governor. Mr. Hunt served seven terms as Governor of Arizona and is one of the few non-Egyptians to be commemorated with a pyramid.

1. Visit Ro Ho En Japanese Garden

This Japanese garden is one of Phoenix’s best kept secrets. Located above the Interstate 10 “Deck Park” tunnel, the garden features traditional Japanese plants and landscaping that provide a truly relaxing experience.

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Trevor Freeman is a resident of the Phoenix valley and a contributing author to Phoenix.org. He also maintains his own local blog at NorthPhoenixBlog.Blogspot.com.

If you would like to contribute an article to Phoenix.org then please contact our editor at Troy@Phoenix.org.

Arizona State Parks Foundation Announces Houseboat Vacation Giveaway

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Arizona State Parks Foundation Announces Houseboat Vacation Giveaway

By: Trevor Freeman

Arizona State Parks Houseboat Giveaway

Are you feeling the need to get away from it all, but you cannot afford to take a vacation? Then pay close attention, because the Arizona State Parks Foundation is giving away a week-long houseboat vacation absolutely free!

To enter, all you have to do is visit the Arizona State Parks Foundation website between now and December 31^st, 2010. Simply complete a short online form and you will be entered to win the grand prize. There are no entry fees or hoops to jump through. It’s just that easy!

On January 5^th, 2011, a winner will be drawn from the entries collected. The lucky winner will get a one-week vacation aboard a 59-foot Deluxe XT houseboat and a full tank of fuel, courtesy of ForeverResorts.com. This prize is worth

Best of all, you get to pick which lake you take the vacation on! The choices are Lake Mead, Lake Mohave, or Lake Powell. The vacation must be taken within one year of the drawing.

A houseboat vacation is a great way to experience the natural beauty of Arizona. It offers more amenities than camping, more privacy than a hotel, and much more space than a camper or RV. As far as houseboats go, the Deluxe XT is fully-loaded. It holds 10 to 12 people and features a Sun Canopy, 4 bedrooms, and a full kitchen. For the complete list of amenities, check out http://foreverhouseboats.com/houseboatdetail.cfm/59XT

The giveaway is sponsored by the Arizona State Parks Foundation, a non-profit organization that helps to raise money and provide community support and public education about Arizona’s 30 state parks.

To read the complete terms and conditions of the contest or to submit your entry, please visit: http://arizonastateparksfoundation.org/contest.html

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Trevor Freeman is a resident of the Phoenix valley and a contributing author to Phoenix.org. He also maintains his own local blog at NorthPhoenixBlog.Blogspot.com.

If you would like to contribute an article to Phoenix.org then please contact our editor at Troy@Phoenix.org.

Save Big with Arizona Solar Rebates by Trevor Freeman

Save Big with Arizona Solar Rebates

By: Trevor Freeman

Phoenix, Arizona is famous for its clear, blue skies and sunny days. With over 200 days of sunshine per year, the nickname “Valley of the Sun” is no exaggeration. The abundant sunshine also makes Phoenix an ideal location for solar energy.

A solar panel is a device that converts light energy into electrical energy in the form of direct current. When one or more panels are linked together (such as to power a residential home), it is called a photovoltaic array, or PV array for short.

The market for residential PV arrays has been heating up like crazy during the past several years. One reason is that people are becoming more conscious of the environmental effects of using grid power, which comes from sources like nuclear and natural gas power plants.

However, one of the biggest incentives for going solar is the financial savings. Homeowners are completely at the mercy of local utilities, which seem to raise the rates more often than they lower them.

Solar helps you save some cash...

With solar panels, a homeowner can generate most (if not all) of the energy they will need to power their home. Any extra energy generated can be sold back to the utility company, which typically pays $1 or $2 dollars per kilowatt-hour in Arizona.

Best of all, a wide variety of federal and local rebates, tax breaks, and other discounts are available to help reduce the cost of purchasing and installing a photovoltaic system. A complete list of Arizona solar rebates and tax credits can be found at this website: http://solar.calfinder.com/rebates/Arizona

A 5-kilowatt solar panel array for a single family home costs between $20,000 and $40,000 on average. The majority of systems are typically still connected to the power grid, which can supply power as-needed, such as on cloudy or rainy days for example.

High-end residential solar systems may be completely disconnected from the grid. These are often found in rural and remote locations where the cost of running utility lines is prohibitively expensive. These systems may use a bank of deep-cycle batteries to store solar energy.

With an off-grid system, the sky is the limit in terms of cost. Installations may range from $60,000 to $100,000 or more, depending on the home’s energy needs.

If all of this sounds fantastically expensive, don’t panic. There are still steps you can take to reduce your energy costs without spending a fortune. Two of the most popular ways are by installing a solar water heater or solar pool heater for your home.

Phoenix Sun

A water heater is often the biggest culprit for energy usage in a single-family home. By installing a solar water heater, you can save some real money on your electric bill each month. Best of all, solar water heaters typically cost between $1,000 and $3,500 installed. Solar powered swimming pool heaters range between $3,000 and $4,000 for a complete system.

If you haven’t looked into solar energy before, I would encourage you to do some research. You might be surprised at how much you could be saving!

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Trevor Freeman is a resident of the Phoenix valley and a contributing author to Phoenix.org. He also maintains his own local blog at NorthPhoenixBlog.Blogspot.com.

If you would like to contribute an article to Phoenix.org then please contact our editor at Troy@Phoenix.org.

Pumpkin and Chili Party at Schnepf Farms through October 31st

Another year, another opportunity to enjoy the feast and fun at the annual Pumpkin and Chili Party at Schnepf Farms.  Where else in Arizona can you experiance pig races, petting zoos, roller coasters, corn mazes, fair rides, dog shows and food, food,  food. The entry fee is only $15 per person at that gate (children 2 and under are free). If you want to save a few bucks buy your tickets at any Fry’s in town and they only cost $12 (you wont need to wait in line either… i’m in!).

Schnepf Farms is located in Queen Creek Arizona, just a small drive from Phoenix proper. The farm has been supplying residents of Arizona with fun and fresh produce for many years.

For more information visit PumpkinAndChiliParty.com.

Thanks, and have a great time.

Overview of Phoenix Gardening

This article is provided by one of Phoenix.org’s guest writers. We are still in the process of finding a local writer to compose our weekly home and garden column. If you know of an individual that would like the exposure that will come from a weekly column on the Valley of the Sun’s most trusted resource site then have them contact Phoenix.org.

Gardening in Phoenix

Phoenix Gardening Tomatos

Phoenix is blessed with almost year-round sunshine. Although it can get extremely hot in the summer, temperatures rarely dip below freezing even in the coldest month, January. There are two growing seasons in Phoenix, from mid-February through May, and then from September to mid-November. Get started early by planting summer bulbs and root vegetables, such as asparagus and carrots, in January. You can also plant a variety of flowers then, including African daisies, pansies, petunias, and verbena.

February kicks off the growing season, so plant vines and other fruits and vegetables then. Good ideas for your garden include melons, beans, corn, peppers, squash, and tomatoes. If you have citrus trees, start fertilizing them, because they’ll begin blossoming by March. March is when you should plant your herbs and other quick-growing plants, such as basil, lavender, and marigolds. By April, the rising temperatures will have weeds overrunning your garden unless you’re vigilant, so make sure you weed and feed your garden regularly. Summer exotics likes bougainvillea are best planted in April.

May starts the summer months in Phoenix, so take extra steps to protect your plants. Mulch wherever the sun shines to protect young roots, and paint the trunks of your citrus trees with diluted flat latex white paint to reflect the glare of the sun. Because it gets so hot in the summer – up to 130º – keep everything watered; some plants may need watering twice a day. By June, you probably won’t be able to plant anything except the hardiest of plants, like palm trees, pumpkin, and winter squash. July and August begin to cool off thanks to the monsoon, so you can start planting vines, beans, and corn for the fall growing season, but be sure to keep watering.

September sees the end of the monsoon, and also the time when you should plant more delicate vegetables and flowers, like garlic, lettuce, broccoli, sweet peas, and poppies. Because it can still be very hot during the daytime, plant early in the morning or in the evening, when temperatures are less likely to fry your seedlings. October is the month you should plant perennials, wild flowers, and pretty much anything else you can think of, including iris, impatiens, artichokes, and radishes. In November, plant bulbs that require cooler temperatures, such as tulips, crocuses, and hyacinths. Consider wrapping the trunks of your citrus trees to protect them from dropping temperatures. In December, you can plant root vegetables, like carrots, beets, and radishes, but watch for frosts. Trim and shape your trees before spring budding, and get ready to start all over again!