Phoenix Arizona Waterfront Homes

A Constantly Changing Educational Forum

Phoenix area residents are fortunate to have a facility such as  the Arizona Science Center. The icing on the cake is the proximity to the light rail transit station.   Myself, my wife and my son and his friend parked at the Sycamore & Main park and ride in Mesa and boarded the light rail and rode into Phoenix and got off 1 block from the center.  An all day light rail adult ticket was $3.50, and for children $1.75. My only regret was that we arrived so late in the afternoon that we could not take advantage of all the attractions. Fry’s was sponsoring the entire weekend so admission was free.  Thank you, Fry’s.

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Is it Cactuses or Cacti?

Whatever the answer, you’ll find a lot of them at the Desert Botanical Gardens in Papago Park. The 140 acre  botanical park was established at this site in 1939 by the Arizonza Cactus and Native Flora Society.  The garden has more than 21,000 plants many of which are rare, endangered or threatened.   Cactus describes a single plant and the plural is “cacti”.

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Veterans Oasis Park in Chandler includes Urban Fishing Lake

If you are looking for a place for a family picnic or to just hang out, the Veterans Oasis Park that sits on 113 acres may be your answer. There are over 4 miles of biking and hiking trails,  ramadas and picnic areas, and equestrian trails.   Among the many activities,  the 5 acre urban fishing lake is stocked with trout, bluegill, catfish, large mouth bass and other types of fish,  is next to the Environmental Education Center.  Arizona’s Urban Fishing Program is nationally recognized as one of the best in the nation.  Another feature of the park is the 78 acres of wetlands, riparian, and ground water recharge basins. You’ll also feel safe because a Chandler Police Substation also shares the a portion of the 113 acre park.

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The next time you turn on the faucet or take a shower, take time to realize that you live in a desert where the average rainfall in the Phoenix valley is less than 9 inches/year but  the average person uses 150 gallons of water PER day.  So how do we satisfy our “thirst” for water that exceeds our natural supply  in the valley? Read the rest of this entry

Big League Dreams past one year mark

The Big League Dreams Park in Gilbert  has received plenty of exposure since opening in January of 2008.  Critics cite the $40 million cost, originally estimated at $26 million, and deteriorating field conditions since opening day. Town officials defend the public/private partnership as a way to attract outside revenue and an alternative to traditional subsidized recreational activities.   Add in the sometimes bumpy relationship with Big League Dreams that operates the park and there is no doubt the first year of operation has been more eventful than anyone expected. Read the rest of this entry

Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch serves many purposes

Synergy is an unlikely word to describe this 110 acre mulit-purpose facility, but it is very fitting.  The Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch is a neighbor to the Southeast Valley Library, providing one of the most scenic libarary views in the city.  The preserve is also home to the Gilbert Rotary Centennial Observatory, which is open every Friday and Saturday evening at nightfall.  The preserve is a bird lovers’ oasis where over 200 different species have been observed.  The lake is  stocked with catfish, trout, bass, and sunfish by the Arizona Game and Fish department.  Less obvious is  the water recycling which replenishes  the underground water supply. All of this comes together to contribute to family fun and entertainment  in an environmentally minded way. And there is no charge to enjoy this unique Gilbert attraction.

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Award winning dog park in Gilbert

I’ve driven by it many times and knew it was a dog park, but I never realized how impressive it was until I visited Cosmo dog park with our two dogs, my 11 year old son and his friend.  What I thought would be a 20 minute stay quickly turned into an enjoyable hour watching our two small dogs run un-leashed in the fenced enclosures and remind us how afraid of the water they are.  The dog in the picture is not either one of  them.  Here’s a quick video of a water loving dog

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Ice Skating in the Desert

What are your chances of finding an ice skating rink in Phoenix?  Probably the same odds as the Cardinals going to the Super Bowl, but they both came true.  Polar Ice has facilities in Gilbert, Chandler and Peoria that offer public skating and hockey leagues.  Since only a fraction of the population is from Arizona; the midwest transplants from Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, etc.  now have a new bounce to their step.

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McQueen Park has wide variety of activities

If you’re driving south on McQueen Rd between Guadalupe and Elliot, you could easily miss one of Gilbert’s most amenity rich parks, McQueen Park.  With only 500 ft of street frontage on the east side of the street, you will not see the 27,000 sq.ft actiivty center with a 2 acre lake or the sand volleyball courts or tennis courts or soccer fields and ramadas and barqueques. The total complex, park and activity center, covers approximately 40 acres.

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Scottsdale homes near Bartlett Lake

 A well known gathering place for watersport enthusiasts living in the north Scottsdale area is Bartlett Lake.  From communities such as Desert Mountain, Boulder Heights, Treviso, Mirabel and others, just 14 miles away is one of the valley’s favorite lakes for those who have a passion for fishing, boating, waterskiing, wakeboarding and hydrofoiling. Bartlett Lake has a surface area larger than Canyon Lake and Saguaro Lake combined, over 2800 acres, and is open year round. Since Scottsdale does not have any private waterski lakes, an ideal strategy for those who would crave the waterskiing, wakeboarding and hydrofoiling is to find a north Scottsdale home that has adequate garage space or a dedicated RV garage that will accomodate a boat then make the short 14 miles drive when you want to enjoy the H20.

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