Recreation

A Trip to Mary Coyle Ol’ Fashion Ice Cream in Downtown Phoenix

October 24, 2022 by admin

On a hot summer day, there is nothing better than some old-fashioned ice cream. That is exactly what is found at Mary Coyle’s in downtown Phoenix. It is a cute little place on the bottom floor of an upscale apartment complex just north of Encanto Boulevard on Central Avenue. There is also a light rail stop just across the street.

It was such a cute place to just sit and relax. There was a steady flow of customers, but at the same time, it was a slow enough pace to still enjoy the moment.

I just may head back for another Banana Split…maybe I will take the light rail and explore a little too!

Can’t Get Out? Take a Virtual Adventure to Crater Lake National Park!!

April 14, 2020 by admin

So, these are different times right now. Whatever the reason is that you can’t get out, you can still experience an adventure and enjoy the great outdoors, and dream and plan for when you can get out! We will be exploring different virtual adventures from time to time. ‘Crater Lake National Park 360 Video Tour with Dierks Bentley‘ is our very first virtual tour to post on and share with you!!

If you go to the National Park Foundation website to explore Crater Lake National Park, they have some great information to learn about this National Park. We have so much beauty and history in the USA, we can’t wait to explore these parks not only virtually, but one day in person. We can’t wait to share both with you!

Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States and the seventh deepest lake in the world. It is located in Southern Oregon at the Cascade Mountains. Crater Lake is 1,943 feet deep and lies inside a caldera (volcanic basin). The lake is filled by mostly snowfall, and therefore, is one of the clearest lakes in the world!

So, be sure and go here and experience the virtual tour of Crater Lake with Dierks Bentley! Crater Lake is just beautiful! We can’t wait to get there in person, but for now, we will enjoy the virtual adventure!!

We Went on a Sunset Dinner Cruise on Lake Pleasant in Arizona!!

December 11, 2019 by admin

So, we were wanting to experience something new, but also needed a little bit of relaxation. We had always wanted to take a cruise around Lake Pleasant, so we decided to go on a Sunset Dinner Cruise. We didn’t know what to expect. We have both been on big cruise ships, so we weren’t sure how this would go. We had a great time! We arrived at the marina about 45 minutes early. We were taken by a golf cart shuttle down to where the boat was docked.

We arrived early enough that we could look around and enjoy the beautiful scenery. We were allowed to board the ship 30 minutes early, and seating was first come, first serve. On board, a cash bar was available which sold many drinks, including hot chocolate! The evening was cool, so the hot chocolate was perfect! The tour was not sold out, which made it nice, so we could freely move around and stay inside or go above deck to get some amazing views!

The scenery was just amazing! The dinner was prime rib or salmon, along with a salad and a couple of side dishes. The food was great! Also, second servings were allowed once everyone had been served. After dinner, a dessert was served, which was also delicious. Later, we went to the upper deck, for a bit, to enjoy the music and views. People were sitting and listening to the live music, while others were moving about taking in the changing scenery as the sun was setting. Afterward, we went back inside and just enjoyed the final few minutes as the cruise came to an end. It was a very relaxing evening. Whether you plan to take your significant other, or your entire family, everyone will enjoy this relaxing, entertaining and scenic cruise!

A Trip to the Tonto Natural Bridge…Wow!!

November 26, 2019 by admin

Our adventure this week took us up to the Tonto Natural Bridge, just 10 miles north of the beautiful town of Payson, Arizona. We both grew up in Arizona, and we had never been to the Tonto Natural Bridge. Can you believe it? We couldn’t, and now after visiting there, we really can’t believe it!! It was so gorgeous there! Tonto Natural Bridge is believed to be the largest natural travertine bridge in the world. It stands 183 feet high over a 400 foot long tunnel that measures 150 feet at its widest point. Just amazing!!

It wasn’t too crowded when we visited. There were other people there, but at some points, it felt as if we were the only people there…it was a nice balance. There were visitors of all ages and abilities. You can stick to the trails and viewpoints above, or you can take a trail below and venture under the bridge! It truly is beautiful!

If you choose to hike down and hike either to or under the bridge, you will have to cross through some water. You shouldn’t get wet, but be prepared to cross the water by rock, the rocks can be slippery! If you are able, we recommend hiking down the trails to go below the bridge!

Just a bit of history from the Tonto Natural Bridge State Park Map…as the story goes, the bridge was discovered by a prospector who found it as he was being chased by Apaches! David Gowan, the prospecor, hid for two nights inside a cave inside the bridge. The third day, he left the cave to explore the tunnel and surrounding areas. He later claimed squatter’s rights! You can find out more at azstateparks.com.

We loved our trip to the Tonto Natural Bridge!! It was a great day!!

A Fun Day at Old Tucson Studios

November 22, 2019 by admin

We spent a relaxing afternoon at Old Tucson Studios. We hadn’t been there since we were there on a grade school field trip! We could remember some things from when we were kids (such as seeing stuntmen in a bar room fight) and scenes from movies, but a lot had changed because of a fire that burned much of Old Tucson Studios years ago. It is still something to see and experience. While you will recognize scenery from recent movies and music videos recorded there, some scenes from older movies (McClintock, Three Amigos, Tombstone, etc.) are hard to place because rebuilding from the fire has changed things.

There is plenty to see as you walk around the grounds of Old Tucson Studios. There is an entrance fee to get in, and there are additional fees if you want to take the narrated stagecoach ride and/or train ride. We didn’t do the train ride. We did take the stagecoach ride, it was informative, but a little short.

While we had a good time while we were there, we left feeling like they could have structured their entrance/ride fees better, maybe an all-inclusive entrance fee? Overall, we enjoyed the trip, things changed from our childhood memories, but it was still a lot of fun!

The 3rd Annual Vintage Wings And Wheels Car Show was AMAZING!!

November 17, 2019 by admin

We anticipated, we waited, we read Southwest Street Rod’s posts….but nothing prepared us for it. The 3rd Annual Vintage Wings and Wheels Car Show was completely amazing! Southwest Street Rods put on quite an event! They appeared to have thought everything out, from the number of entries (perfect number…not overwhelming), to parking and overflow parking…they did a great job!!

We loved to look at the vintage automobiles and airplanes. The car show was held at Falcon Field where there is an airplane museum. It was fun and educational to walk through the museum. They had volunteers that shared their knowledge about the airplanes. You could walk through parts of some of the airplanes, climb up a ladder to get a look inside other airplanes, and some others you could just admire from below. As for the cars (and a few trucks), you could walk around them and get a close-up look at them. The owners were usually not too far (could you blame them?😉), so you could ask questions or just have a friendly conversation with them. Did I mention we had a great time??

These were just some of the amazing automobiles there. Every time we turned around, we wanted to take a picture. At some point, we decided to stop taking pictures and just take it all in and enjoy being there, in the moment! Our pictures and even this post cannot do justice to this event. It truly was a great event, we are so glad that we attended, and cannot wait for the 4th Annual Vintage Wings and Wheels Car Show!!

A Turnaround Trip to Laughlin, Nevada

November 14, 2019 by admin

On a whim, we decided to do a turnaround trip to Laughlin, Nevada! It was a great weekend. It was a pretty and scenic drive…some parts more than others, but scenic none the less. You have to understand, I love pine trees and mountains, so for me to say the desert is beautiful, it must really be something to see! The desert really can be so beautiful!!

Along the way, we drove through Nothing, Arizona. You get the picture. 😉 We also saw this rocket with Snoopy on it in Wikieup, Arizona. It is definitely a photo-op for all Snoopy fans!

We stayed at the Riverside Casino. They made us feel welcome, and our room was very comfortable. We had a great view!

It was a great time! Check out some of these rock formations we saw on the drive!

Along the drive, we passed through a huge stand of Joshua Trees….both amazing and beautiful. It is well worth the drive to see the beautiful desert between Phoenix, Arizona and Laughlin, Nevada!!

We visited Montezuma Castle…so beautiful!!

November 12, 2019 by admin

We took a fun, short drive up to Montezuma Castle! Honestly, while we had been in the area recently, we hadn’t actually visited Montezuma Castle since we were on a grade school field trip! A lot has changed in that time, in regards to how you can see the dwellings, but it is still just as amazing! When we were kids, we were allowed to climb up ladders to visit part of the dwellings, and we can actually remember being able to drink out of a spring coming out of the cliff. The National Park Service has had to change how they protect the National Parks so that the dwellings will be best preserved and here for many generations.

There were many people out enjoying the sights and this great weather. There was even a reunion of National Parks volunteers. So, we were treated to a lot of extra information about Montezuma Castle and the surrounding area! We really enjoyed this visit…it is just amazing and beautful!

We love the Arizona Mountains!!

November 11, 2019 by admin

We wanted to go up to Pinetop, Arizona, but we also wanted to go to Flagstaff. We couldn’t decide, so we decided to go to both. We decided to start this trip by going to Pinetop, Arizona, then head over to Flagstaff before heading back home. It was a great trip. We saw some beautiful scenery along the way. On the way up to Pinetop, we stopped along the Mogollon Rim to take some pictures. We had camped as kids and still as adults at some of the Mountain Lakes in this area. It is so beautiful on the Rim.

After stopping at the Rim to take in the views and going for a short walk, we headed to Pinetop. One of the things that we wanted to do in Pinetop was to eat dinner at Charlie Clark’s Steakhouse. The meal was unbelievable!! We had the Prime Rib and the Ribeye. They were both so good! You really must eat at Charlie Clark’s if you are in the area. If you aren’t in the area, you should consider going there! The next morning, we went for a short drive through town before heading our way to Flagstaff, via Holbrook and Winslow.

On our way to Flagstaff, we traveled through Holbrook and Winslow. We saw the Wigwam Motel. It was so fun! For those of you who have seen the movie Cars, you will recognize the motel. The motel had wigwams with old cars parked out front. In the movie, the wigwams were traffic cones! 🙂

We also stopped at a roadside shop call Geronimo. At the shop, they have a huge petrified log standing about 10ft in the air! It weighs 89,000lbs., therefore, it is also buried 9ft below ground and the part below ground is encased in cement! There are also other pieces of the tree laying on the ground beside it! The pieces of petrified log were just huge! What a fun drive!!

The final stretch of our weekend trip was driving up to Arizona Snowbowl. The drive was beautiful with the Fall colors in all their glory. The gold and auburn colors were just breathtaking!

After leaving Snowbowl, we drove through Sedona. Sedona was busy, but that is because it has such a unique, natural beauty. If you have never been there, it is worth the trip!

Goldfield Ghost Town and the Superstition Mountains

October 31, 2019 by admin

We decided to take a drive out the the Superstition Mountains and visit Goldfield Ghost Town!! Oh what fun that turned out to be! We had such a great time! We both had been there before, but as it turns out, there were things that neither of us had seen. In addition, after talking to some of the guides there, the guides do their own research and share that information with the tourists! So, you may get new information each time you visit, and the information is so much more interesting because the guides are truly vested and interested in the information that they are sharing.

They Mystery Shack was so much fun!! It will amaze you and make you think!! It is full of angles, optical illusions, and well, things just seem to defy gravity! People walk at 45 degree angles, water runs uphill, and brooms stand up by themselves just to name a few. A must see!!

The building on the left is said to be haunted and was even featured on the show Ghost Adventures. It truly is a fun place to visit and a great local destination. If you are in the area or passing through, be sure to visit Goldfield Ghost Town.