Here are some photos to enjoy of this weekend's Tempe Festival of the Arts. The festival features the works of more than 400 artists and attracts nearly 250,000 people to the Mill Avenue District. If you missed this weekend's event, be sure to catch the spring festival, March 26-28.
I took a tour yesterday of the Tempe Center for the Arts (TCA) and wanted to share a little of what I learned. Opened in 2007, the facility was designed to house nine arts groups including Childsplay, Tempe Little Theater, the Tempe Symphony Orchestra, and the Arizona Wind Ensemble. Two stages showcase the groups' performances. The main theater accommodates up to 600 and features African mahogany and stylistic seating. No seat is further than 55 feet from the stage. The smaller theater can accommodate up to 300, depending on what its used for: performance, dance, cabaret or even banquet space. 
Kino arrived in Mexico in 1687 and started northward. In 1691, he founded Arizona's oldest mission, Tumacacori, near Tubac. A national park, Tumacacori has a small museum and offers tours of the grounds, cemetery and the church. From time to time, other areas of the park are open for tours. Los Santos de Guevavi--a visitas or country church--can be visited during the fall and winter. The first captain of the Tubac presidio, Juan Tomas de Beldarrain, was mortally wounded by Seri Indians at Los Santos and is buried beneath the church's altar. Also available for guided tours is San Cayetano de Calabazas. Although it was founded later by Father Francisco Pauer, it had an interesting history of Apache attacks and eventually became Fort Mason for a short time.
I think this little studio in North Tucson is one of Arizona's hidden treasures. It's quirky, it's beautiful and it's free.
The beautiful mission (pictured above) nearby was built to honor Father Kino, the missionary who established a system of missions in Arizona. DeGrazia dedicated his mission to the Virgin of Guadalupe and painted her image on the altar. 
An interesting bit of trivia: To protest inheritance taxes on works of art, DeGrazia took about 100 of his paintings into the Superstition Mountains (yes, the same place where the Lost Dutchman's Goldmine is supposedly located), and he burned them. 
Hanny's Department Store opened on November 22, 1947 at the southwest corner of Adam and First Streets in downtown Phoenix. At the time, it was the "go-to" place for sophisticated men's attire in the Valley. The department store closed in 1986, but the building houses a restaurant, Hanny's, that serves as a reminder of its fashionable past.
Last weekend, I attended the American Heritage Festival, a three-day event held in the open fields of Schnepf Farms. Reenactors hold staged Revolutionary War and Civil War battles, set up camp and model period fashions. The kids really liked writing with a quill and ink at the school house and climbing on a WWII Army truck. The mountain man, with his collection of pelts, was another favorite, especially with my younger nieces and nephews.
The American Heritage Festival is held every November. It's a cash-only event, and I didn't see any ATMs, so come prepared. Speaking of being prepared, dress appropriately. You never know what to expect in November. Temperatures were chilly to begin with, then it started raining, but by the end of our visit, it was sunny and somewhat warm. Plan accordingly.
My first iPhone app is Phoenix Family-Friendly. That's what the contract calls it, but at least here, I'm going to refer to it as Family-Friendly Phoenix. What better way to start than with a short entry about Cerreta Candy Company? 
If you look closely at this photograph, you'll see a large metal pole anchoring two blue circles jut above the buildings. This is the new artwork in Downtown Civic Park. I couldn't get a better shot from where I was, the 9th floor of the Arizona Center parking garage, but you can see good photo in this month's issue of Sunset. It's supposedly inspired by monsoon clouds and cactus blooms, but I have to admit I don't really get it.
Yesterday, I visited the new Phoenix Visitor Center just next door to the Phoenix Convention Center. I picked up well over 100 brochures (or at least it felt like that many as I carried them back to my car). So, I have plenty of material for a while.
It would take maybe 20 minutes for the most avid plant enthusiast to meander its pink, crushed gravel paths--so definitely not worth a drive from Glendale--but if you're at Desert Mountain Park for a marathon day of organized kids' sports and need a break, the garden is definitely a pleasant escape.
This beautiful church was designed by Marguerite Brunswig Staude, a sculptor and student of Frank Lloyd Wright. Her inspiration came in 1932 when she viewed the newly constructed Empire State Building from a certain angle and saw what seemed to be a cross imposed through the very core of the structure. Staude had inherited a large sum of money and wanted to build a church that would glorify God and give thanks for the gifts she had received in life. After searching throughout Europe looking for the ideal location, she was struck by the beauty of Sedona and decided to build a "monument to faith" among its red rocks. It was completed in 1956.
The Boyce Thompson Arboretum is located near Superior, about 30-45 minutes past Apache Junction. More than 3,200 different plants from the Sonoran desert, African, South American, Asian and the Mediterranean regions plus more than 230 bird and 72 animal species call the arboretum home. When I was there last spring with my daughter for a school field trip, we saw birds, ground squirrels and lizards.
The arboretum is part of the Arizona State Parks system, so kids can get a junior ranger booklet to complete during their visit and, like all the other state and Maricopa County parks, there are always classes available ranging from photography to plants of the Bible to juicing a prickly pear cactus. 
This is all that remains of the old Andrada homestead, which the Arizona Stage Company used as a rest stop on its route from Florence to Mesa. It was a simple one-room building about 10 feet by 10 feet with a door on the south side and gun ports instead of windows. The stage company came through Queen Creek and used this site from approximately 1868 to 1916.
A few years ago, when I was researching Great Escapes Arizona (Countryman Press), I learned about the lighthouses on Lake Havasu. Since then, I've wanted to see them. It's not that I'm into lighthouses or know much about them. I'm just fascinated by the idea that these mini-lighthouses are replicas of famous ones throughout the world.
My friend Heidi suggested that we should climb Camelback Mountain. She exercises four times a week and regularly hikes South Mountain. Let's just say I don't. Still, it seemed like a "good" idea, and my 12-year-old, Kelly, wanted to go. After studying our water-damaged hiking book (that's another story), Kelly decided we should attempt the "easier" Cholla Trail. Heidi thought that was fine, and we agreed to meet at 6:30 am last Saturday. 
You'll also want to allow plenty of time for the kids to play the Discovery Tour game. The game map is handed out at the booth at the park's entrance and consists of 18 park highlights. At each of these highlights, the kids will find a punch station, i.e. a hole punch attached to a small, turquoise box. Once, they have punched each box on their game map, they can go to either of the park's gift shops or to the trail ride office to collect a prize. Even my 12 year old got caught up in the game.
Plan to arrive at the Titan Missile Museum no later than 15 minutes before the hour. The general tours begin on the hour, every hour, from 9 am until 4 pm. If you show up at 9:15, you'll be waiting for 45 minutes in the Count Ferdinand von Galen Education and Research Center, and while there are some exhibits and a small gift shop, I think you'll be hard pressed to find enough to keep you occupied for much time, especially if you have small children.
If you have grade school-aged kids, especially girls, try to maneuver towards the front of the line as you enter the control room. There's a good chance they could be singled out, like my 10-year-old daughter was, to be the crew commander. She sat in the commander's chair as the guide talked about crew life and the inner workings of the control center. Near the end of this, he asked Kim to help him simulate a launch, which basically entailed them both turning a key at the exact time. She thought it was very cool. This particular tour guide said he liked to select girls for the task since this was one of the few positions, at the time, that women could hold in the Air Force. (Or at least, that's what I understood him to say.)
The El Conquistador does have some drawbacks. It's an older hotel, and it shows in places. For one, the carpet in our room was worn. Second, the hotel's layout in certain areas has issues (more on that later). Even so, it has some nice touches. The beds were great, there was a flat screen TV, and the air conditioning blew cold air (a little too cold according to my daughters).
One last thing: the staff here is great. I've never had bad service at the El Conquistador from anyone. They're always friendly and willing to go out of their way to help.
My favorite? I have a soft spot for '56 Chevys, my first car after I got my license (in 1985). As we meandered through the rows of auction cars, I kept a lookout for '55s, '56s and '57s, and I saw several wonderful examples, including a red and white one. Still, my favorite had to be the custom Corvette. Based on the 1962 model, this car was sleek and modern. I didn't dare ask how much it was worth because it would have put a quick end to my fantasy. Some day... Right? Okay, maybe not.
One of the day's high points was test driving the 2009 Mustang GT. Yes, they let me drive it although I was a little hesitant about pushing the car too much. No need to worry because after driving the GT you could ride in the Shelby. At first, I was disappointed that they wouldn't let you drive the Shelby, but it actually was for the best. The Ford representative drove faster and stopped harder than I ever would have. If you get the chance to ride in a Shelby, take it!
We planned on watching Robosaur, the car-chewing, fire-breathing metal dinosaur, at 4pm, but the arena was empty when we got there. I'm not exactly sure what time Robosaur was supposed to preform. Maybe, there wasn't even a show that day. I don't know, and I had a hard time finding out anything about it. But, as we stood there, I noticed something else, something that at least seemed as long and massive as Robosaur is tall: a 62 ft. houseboat available for rent at Lake Powell. More details to follow, but it looks like we might be taking a Lake Powell vacation this year.
If you are planning on going to Barrett Jackson this week, here's some advice:
I spent my pre-teen and college years in the Midwest, and I certainly don't miss wearing gloves or two pairs of socks with my boots every day. Still, there are times, when I get a little nostalgic about the snow. It's usually about the time my Michigan-raised husband decides he needs to teach our girls what "cold" in the wintertime really means. Luckily for us, we can jump in the car, and in less than three hours be up to our ankles in snow. Here are some of our favorite places to chill:I know there are other great places in Arizona to enjoy the snow, but I think I've covered the major ones. I'd love to hear from anyone that knows of a hidden gem or some unique way to enjoy Arizona's winter.
