Two weeks ago we came down the Rim sunburned and smelling like campfire, and apparently that wasn’t enough, because the News board filled right back up with reasons to go north. This weekend the White Mountains are throwing everything at once: a mud run in Show Low, a free movie under the pines in Lakeside, an ice cream social at the Taylor pool, and a small-town stage musical for good measure. Meanwhile the valley forecast says 103°. ...
The circus is coming to town. The actual, capital-C circus — Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey rolls into downtown Phoenix for four days at the end of the month, and Charlotte has never been to one. I remember my first. Now it’s her turn. We haven’t picked our performance, our seats, or what goes around it yet. This is the planning board: all six showtimes, the real ticket deal, and a few different ways to make a day of Charlotte’s first circus without accidentally making it a day of sitting in downtown traffic. ...
A company holiday landed on Friday, so we strung it into a full long weekend up north — trading 100°+ valley heat for cool pine air and the kind of small-town 4th of July you can’t get in the city. Five of us in one truck: me and Charlotte, GiGi, and cousins Sam and Nate. (Steven, Rachael, and Ryha couldn’t make the drive this year — missed them.) 🚗 Day One — The Drive Up Loaded and rolling from GiGi’s right on schedule — five of us in the truck, walkie-talkie on the console, spirits high. ...
It was a good-night kind of day after all. My daughter and I headed to Tempe for dinner and a show — burgers first, a beast second — and didn’t roll back in the door until eleven. Our friend Khan joined us for the whole evening, which made it that much better — and her husband Giorgio came along for the dinner half. 🍔 Dinner First — The Chuckbox We parked at the Fulton Center visitor garage — no drama at all, and it turned out to be the perfect home base, an easy walk to both dinner and the theater, right through the heart of the ASU campus. Then we met up with Khan and Giorgio at the Chuckbox, the old-school Tempe burger joint that’s been feeding ASU students and families alike since the ’50s — griddled patties, paper plates, no pretense. Charlotte parked herself right at the counter glass to watch the grill work. ...
I love the Arizona State Fair. Not “yeah it’s fine” love — block-out-multiple-nights, ride-the-SkyRide-every-time love. So this year I’m not treating it like a one-and-done: I’m planning several visits, each with its own mission — a food crawl one night, the demolition derby another, a concert, a kids-and-rides afternoon. This post is my running game plan so I can make the most of the whole month. The Arizona State Fairgrounds on McDowell Rd, with the Veterans Memorial Coliseum and downtown Phoenix behind. Photo: Gchiordi, CC BY-SA 4.0. ...
Some of the best days are the ones you barely plan. We met up with cousin Elana and Uncle Joby for a west-side outing — start with good barbecue, end with a science center, and let the afternoon fill in the rest. 🍖 Eric’s Barbecue – West Side First stop, lunch. Eric’s Barbecue sits in an old Spanish-tile spot on the west side, and the second you walk in you know it’s a real one — graffiti-painted walls, hockey sticks and license plates, an Anthony Bourdain shrine, and the smell of smoke baked into the place. ...
We headed up north to the pines for the 4th of July weekend — a chance to cool down, unplug, and let the days shape themselves. With a rough idea of events and a few favorite stops in mind, we left room for discovery, because the best memories don’t always come from a schedule. 🌤️ Weather Outlook (July 3–6) Trading desert heat for mountain air: Thursday (Phoenix → Heber): ~104°F in the Valley, but just ~77°F up in Heber. Friday (Heber & Show Low): Sunny, ~85°F, light breeze Saturday (Heber): Warm mid-80s, some late-day clouds Sunday (Heber → Phoenix): Mostly sunny, high ~86°F on return 🍔 Day One – The Drive Up & a Crown Stop Thursday, July 3rd – the start of our long weekend up north. ...