Phoenix in the Fall for Baseball: The Arizona Fall League

We all think of Spring Training as a reason to travel to Arizona. But did you know about fall baseball?  Baseball reporter Perry Van Hook lives in Surprise, Arizona and provides you with yet another reason to visit Arizona.

Courtesy: AFL

The Phoenix area is a great travel destination and in the fall has very nice (80’s day, 60’s night) weather for you to enjoy during your stay.

For six weeks in October and November the Phoenix area has the added benefit of having one of the best baseball leagues of the year.

The Arizona Fall League, AFL for short, is THE developmental league for major league baseball. Consider just a few of these numbers for the league’s 19-year history:

• More than 59% of all players appearing in the AFL have reached the major leagues
• 247 of those have been MLB All-Stars
• Fifteen have been MLB MVPs
• Six Cy Young Award winners
• Four World Series MVPs
• 26 MLB Rookies of the Year (not counting this years – both Corey Seager and Gary Sanchez the top candidates in their league played in the AFL

Here are the six AFL teams for 2016 with their home ballpark and the five MLB teams sending them players and some information about the areas near the stadium:

EAST Division

Mesa Solar Sox, Sloan Park – Cubs, Athletics, Blue Jays, Indians, and Marlins. Mesa is just East of Phoenix but very close. Plenty of hotels in the area from Days Inn and EconoLodge all the way up to the local Hyatt or Sheraton and the Westgate Painted Mountain Golf Resort. It is also a short easy drive to Talking Stick Resort in the East side of Scottsdale. Golf courses are plentiful in Mesa and surrounding area as they are in all of the Phoenix area. There are a lot of good restaurants in the area in all price ranges, but a couple of favorites would be D-vine Wine Bar & Bistro, and Dolce Vita Italian Grocer (save room for the gelatos)

Salt River Rafters, Salt River Fields at Talking Stick – Diamondbacks, Rockies, Braves, Brewers, and Tigers. Salt River Fields is in Scottsdale, west 101 (east) loop while Talking Stick Resort is just on the other side of the freeway and an excellent hotel with a top valley restaurant in Orange Sky. There are also plenty of hotels and restaurants in the Scottsdale area.

Scottsdale Scorpions, Scottsdale Stadium – Giants, Angels, Mets, Phillies, and Yankees. Scottsdale is a valley leader in golf resorts and destination hotels and restaurants. Scottsdale Stadium, spring training home of the San Francisco Giants is tucked into downtown and walking distance of many of those hotels and restaurants.

WEST Division

Glendale Desert Dogs, Camelback Ranch Stadium – Dodgers, White Sox, Astros, Cardinals, and Nationals. Camelback Ranch Stadium, the spring training home of the Dodgers and White Sox is just across the 101 (west) loop from Westgate Entertainment District which includes University of Phoenix Stadium home of the Arizona Cardinals (home games on 10/17, 10/23, and 11/13); Gila River Arena home of the Phoenix Coyotes; Westgate 20 theater complex; Tanger outlet stores; and several restaurants including an excellent Yard House.

Peoria Javelinas, Peoria Stadium – Mariners, Padres, Orioles, Rays, and Reds. Peoria Stadium is just off 83^rd Avenue south of Bell Road and next to the 101 (west) loop. There are half a dozen restaurants and economy hotels just a block or two away off 83^rd, and close to the Arrowhead Mall.

Surprise Saguaros, Surprise Stadium – Rangers, Royals, Pirates, Red Sox, and Twins. Surprise Stadium, the spring training home of the Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals is fifteen minutes West of the 101 (west) loop off Bell Road (with construction for the Bell/Grand overpass visitors coming from Phoenix or Mesa might be better off using the 303 highway to the West of the Stadium). Surprise is a residential community but there are several economy hotels close to the stadium (two just a block away) and plenty of restaurants in the area, notably Amuse Bouche and Vogue Bistro.

The AFL plays Monday through Saturday with (most) afternoon games starting at 12:30 PM Mountain Standard Time, and night games starting at 6:30 PM MST.

Play will begin on Tuesday, October 11 and continue through Thursday, November 17 with the one game league championship between the division winners on Saturday, November 19 at Scottsdale Stadium. That game and the Rising Stars All Star game which will be played on Saturday, November 5 at Surprise Stadium will likely both be televised on the MLB Network as they were last year.

About the writer: Perry Van Hook

Perry retired to Arizona to watch baseball all year long and lives less than a mile from Surprise Stadium. Writes about baseball and football at Mastersball.com

Direct Flights Between Santa Fe and Phoenix Begin December 15th

Santa Fe Mayor Javier Gonzales announced today that beginning December 15, 2016, American Airlines will launch new service that runs once a day in each direction between the Santa Fe Airport and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. 



The tentative schedule is for the flight to depart Phoenix at 9:45 am and arriving in Santa Fe at 11:14 am, with 70 available seats. 
  


  

"This is very good news for Santa Fe" says Simon Brackley, President and CEO of the Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce." Daily service will connect Santa Fe to the Phoenix hub to access the West coast and bring Phoenicians easily to Santa Fe. The service will benefit hospitality, business and government throughout northern New Mexico. We invite all air service users to support the Northern New Mexico Air Alliance and Fly Santa Fe!” 

  

Tickets are on sale now.

North of Phoenix, Visit Montezuma Castle, Montezuma Well and Tuzigoot

Just north of Phoenix, Arizona, traveling north on I-17,  you'll find the Verde Valley. While many go there to enjoy the Verde Valley Wine Trail or take the Verde Canyon Railway excursion train, there are mysteries to be discovered in the remnants of the ancient cultures of the area.

The people that settled this valley came for the water and the abundant rich soil along the river. Visitors today can enjoy the massive "Montezuma Castle" cliff dwellings, drive a little farther north and hike in to see Montezuma Well and take a side trip to Tuzigoot National Monument with some great ruins to explore and a visitors center for information.

This is the way to get a sense of how these early people lived and, perhaps, why they moved on.

Visiting Montezuma Castle
Montezuma Castle isn't a castle at all. It's an impressive collection of ancient Sinaguan cliff dwellings. It is easy to see why ancient people stayed awhile to farm this land. What isn't clear is why they left. It is interesting that the people have been named the Sinagua (without water, in Spanish). You'll first stop at the Visitors Center where you'll learn about the ancient Sinaguan people.

The construction of Montezuma Castle began around 900 years ago and was abandoned about 600 years ago. The paved trail will take you to great places to view and photograph the cliff dwellings high up on the face of the cliff.

There are plenty of sycamore trees to shade you as you walk the short path to view the impressive dwellings.

As you continue on the path, you'll be able to visualize where the Sinaguans farmed and where they were able to draw water. And yes, there was water when they lived there. The name was given to them by archaeologists who noted, at the time of their work, that there was not much water in the valley.

You can no longer climb into the cliff dwellings as they are much too fragile and have had to be partially reconstructed. But the view from the pathways is striking.

Montezuma Well
Just north of Montezuma Castle is Montezuma Well, a fascinating sinkhole with some smaller cliff dwellings visible in the rock wall that surrounds the well. Formed long ago by the collapse of a limestone cavern, over one million gallons of water a day flows continuously into the Well. This constant supply of warm (74 degrees), fresh water provides an aquatic habitat like no other in the world, and has served as an oasis for wildlife and humans for thousands of years. If you look into the caves at the bottom of the path, you'll likely find some bats.

Not far from the well, follow the water to a lovely, grassy park. It is a quiet place to read a book in the shade.

Montezuma Well's outflow has been used for irrigation since the 8th century. Part of a prehistoric canal is preserved at the picnic ground.

Tuzigoot
Tuzigoot, not far from Montezuma Castle is an ancient village or pueblo also built by the Sinagua. The pueblo consisted of 110 rooms including second and third story structures. The first buildings were built around A.D. 1000. It is not a cliff dwelling.

The Sinagua were farmers with trade connections that spanned hundreds of miles. As you walk the trails and along walls, you can see the area where the ancient people farmed and it is easy to imagine corn, beans and squash being grown and stored in rooms of the pueblo.

This site is closest to Cottonwood.

When You Go
Tuzigoot, Montezuma Castle and Montezuma Well can all be visited in a day.

Take a picnic and plenty of water. The best place to picnic is at the grassy area near the trailhead and parking for Montezuma Well. There are picnic tables and shade.

Avoid visiting in summer as it is just too hot.

Phone: (928) 567-3322 x221
Montezuma Castle Visitor Center phone line. Answered by a ranger during normal business hours.

Map of AZ Ancient Sites

Downtown Phoenix: A Destination for Art, Food and Community

The new mixes with
the historic in downtown Phoenix

Downtown Phoenix is becoming a destination for visitors and a place to live for locals. While not so long ago we saved the area for an occasional Diamondbacks game or a performance at the Herberger, there are changes in central Phoenix that have drawn people to live, work and dine there. And, I like what I see. 

I once lived in the West Valley and we found few reasons to venture into downtown Phoenix. But that is years ago. Buildings are being renovated, new condos are filling with residents excited about being part of the downtown vibe. And the vibe is there. Things are different. You want to be in downtown, now.

One morning we hung out at the Phoenix Public Market Café, a casual urban gathering place where you can have a meal, sip on a great cup of local Cartel coffee and pick up your CSA allotment. Focused on building community through food, the Café has become a gathering place for the downtown community. The Phoenix Farmers Market sets up there on Saturdays.

CSA shares waiting to
be picked up

Another change is transportation. The Valley Metro Light Rail runs from central Phoenix, through downtown, to Tempe and Mesa in the east. Stations are close by and run right by some of the area’s top attractions, such as the Heard Museum, Phoenix Art Museum, Arizona Science Center, Chase Field, Talking Stick Resort Arena (formerly US Airways Center), Arizona State University and more. It’s cheap. A one-way pass on the light rail costs $2 or an all-day pass is $4, which can be purchased at the ticket vending machines at each station.

The new Hilton
retained the old classic touches

We toured the new Hilton Garden Inn Phoenix Downtown on East Monroe and loved what we experienced. Once a 1930’s bank and professional office building, the amenity-filled urban hotel is located in a historical architectural gem. The art deco building was added to the National Register of Historic places in 1993. The building retains its original character and elegance with original marble floors, Phoenix birds crafted into bronze work and original touches such as the beautiful elevator doors. 

The Hilton features 170 ultra-modern guestrooms, a rooftop terrace and event space. The views from the windows of the cityscape reminded me that while things are changing for the better, the history of Phoenix is being lovingly retained.

Amazing view from the rooms includes
the Westward Ho, in the distance.

And, you don’t need to go far to experience one of the best dining spots in the Valley. You’ve probably heard of the popularity of Nook Kitchen, housed in Gaslight Square in the Acadia neighborhood. Nook is known for its wood-fired pizzas and both classic and creative modern Italian dishes. Chef Nick LaRosa recently opened the downtown version of Nook in the Hilton.

It’s a rather swanky place to be termed a “kitchen,” with central bar, 19 ft. tall windows and art deco accents. But the comfort and friendliness is retained. Chef Nick creates fresh, made from scratch dishes. Be sure and try their arancini appetizer, fried balls of risotto, house-pulled mozzarella and pomodoro sauce with a basalmic reduction. The pizzas from the custom-made, imported Italian Forno Bravo oven did not disappoint but why stop there. Nook Kitchen serves up steak, shrimp dishes and lamb all with a modern twist.

While we discovered a vibrant downtown, we know there is room for more. I was in a room on an upper floor of the new Hilton looking out over the city, and saw the venerable Westward Ho building… still there, ripe for additional (it is now a low income residence with ASU health services) renovation and just begging to be the center of attention once again. The Westward Ho once held the title of tallest building in Arizona for over 30 years.

One of Nook Kitchen's refreshing desserts.

A huge wood-fired oven is the
centerpiece of Nook Kitchen.

 If you have been resistant, in any way, to venturing downtown for an evening out or just to walk around and see what’s happening, now is the time. Roosevelt Row (RoRo), Phoenix’ eclectic arts district has First Friday gallery openings, there are small theaters, restaurants and boutiques. It’s an area worth exploring. 

The Arts District connects downtown Phoenix to historic neighborhoods including Garfield, Evans Churchill, F.Q. Story, Willow, Roosevelt, Historic Roosevelt and Grand Avenue.

Things are changing in central Phoenix. Get away to downtown. Take a look.

More Information
Roosevelt Row
Visit Downtown Phoenix
Visit Phoenix

This experience was part of a media tour provided by Visit Mesa and Visit Phoenix. While this has not influenced this content, the writer believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest.

5 Popular Things to Do When Visiting Phoenix, Arizona

Explore the Desert Botanical Garden

Phoenix and the Valley of the Sun have outdoor activities, great museums, historical sites and much more. We all have our favorites. But these are what people usually rave about. We have chosen 5 must-dos for your visit to Phoenix.

1. Enjoy Baseball Spring Training
15 professional teams train in the Phoenix metropolitan area in the greatest concentration of professional baseball facilities found anywhere in the United States. Cheer on your favorite team up close and personal every spring. Cactus League Website

2. Explore the Desert Botanical Garden
The meandering paths of the Desert Botanical Garden wind through red buttes of Papago Park. The Desert Botanical Garden hosts one of the world’s finest collections of desert plants of the Southwest. The Garden is a fun place to explore no matter what the season. In early spring there are often special delights with butterfly exhibits, wildflowers and blooming cacti. Desert Botanical Garden Website.

3. Take the Scenic Apache Trail Drive into the Superstitions
A drive on the Apache Trail is one of the most scenic drives near the Phoenix area. This well-travelled road affords visitors an incredible view of canyons, geologic formations, desert plants and trees, desert and lake views, and wildflowers in season. There is mining history and wild west intrigue on a trip to the Superstitions. Take a day and schedule a ride on the Dolly Steamboat on Canyon Lake. ApacheTrail Tour  DollySteamboat Cruise

4. Visit the Heard Museum

The Heard museum is one of the nation's top places to see Native American artifacts. The museum displays some of the more than 35,000 artifacts in a permanent collection. Three additional gallery spaces, a 400-seat multipurpose auditorium, a well-stocked Museum Shop and Bookstore, and the indoor/outdoor Courtyard Cafe are all features of the famous Heard Museum. If you are in town during a special event at the Heard such as the Indian Market or Spanish Market be sure and fit it in. Heard Museum Website

5. Visit Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West in Scottsdale
Learn about Frank Lloyd Wright's style of desert architecture on the beautiful site of Taliesin West. I highly recommend that you include Taliesin West in your list of things to do while in Scottsdale or the Phoenix valley. You'll see Wright's home as he left it, the art-filled grounds and learn about the education young architects received on the desert grounds. Taliesin West Tour Information.

More Phoenix Information
Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport
Phoenix Visitors Bureau

Photography copyright: Elizabeth Rose Photography

Warm up in Phoenix with The Seasonal Dinner Series

The Seasonal Table is a new series at the Desert Botanical Garden featuring a four-course dinner of fresh, locally sourced seasonal cuisine with wine pairings.  Each dinner will be held in a special Garden location chosen for its beauty.  Upon arrival to the dinner venue, guests will enjoy a welcome drink and hors d’oeuvres. While seated at extended harvest tables, guests will experience a four-course dinner that will incorporate the freshest, seasonal, and locally sourced ingredients.

These dinners will be enjoyed in the elegant ambience of the various Garden venues. Learn the story behind your meal from Matthew Taylor, Executive Chef at the Garden’s own Gertrude’s, and how your wine compliments each course from knowledgeable winery representatives. 

Saturday, February 7, 2015: Wine & Dine

Enjoy a dining experience celebrating the wide and varied culinary uses of wine!  Upon arrival to the Boppart Courtyard, guests will be welcomed with a specialty cocktail and hors d’oeuvres. Each of the four courses will have wine as a special ingredient and will also be carefully paired with the featured wine of the evening. Enjoy the evening’s courses paired with the soulful styling of local jazz favorite, The Dmitri Matheny Group.

Saturday, March 14, 2015: Tequila Ole!

Learn to appreciate the nuances of flavor in the different varieties of tequila, all the while enjoying an elegant four-course meal under the stars!  Guests will begin their evening with a welcome margarita and hors d’oeuvres in our beautiful Steele Herb Garden.  Each dinner course will be paired with the evening’s featured tequila, and a representative will be present to discuss the finer points of tasting.  The elegance of the evening’s ambiance will be enhanced by Miguel de Maria’s Spanish guitar performance played throughout the night.

Saturday, April 11, 2015: Dig Into Spring

Celebrate the beauty of spring at the Desert Botanical Garden!  Upon arriving to the Ullman Terrace, guests will be greeted with the evening’s welcome cocktail and seasonal hors d’oeuvres.  Enjoy a four- course menu which will feature the fresh, seasonal cuisine that this season has to offer, pairing the evening’s featured wine with each.  The sophisticated DeGrazia String Trio will be performing a serenade of string music to complete the evening’s experience.

TIME:                  6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

WHERE:            Desert Botanical Garden

                             1201 North Galvin Parkway

                             Phoenix, AZ  85008

                           

TICKETS:           Members: $145 / General Public: $150

                             Pricing is per person / per dinner

                             This event is 21 and over

INFO:    For additional information call 480-481-8188 or visit http://dbg.org/shop/events-exhibitions/seasonal-table-wine-and-dine-2-7-15

Margaritas and Chihuly at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix

Enjoy the Chihuly glass installation during Agave on the Rocks

Agave on the Rocks returns to the Desert Botanical Garden on Friday, March 28, 2014, with gourmet cuisine prepared by renowned Valley chefs, an eclectic mix of Latin inspired music and of course, margaritas.  The event takes place 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

This year, guests will be able to view Chihuly in the Garden and listen to DJ Seduce, Grupo Liberdade, SambAZ Dancers and Capoeira Brasil Arizona.

Guests must be 21 or older to attend and must show proper identification to be admitted. No exceptions. Children will not be admitted, even if a parent or guardian is present. 

Tickets must be purchase is in advance and will not be available at the door. Event programming is subject to change No outside food, beverage or alcohol may be brought into the event. No refunds, exchanges or rain dates. Event price represents full market value and is not tax deductible.  Ticket prices are $70 for members and $75 for the general public. You can purchase tickets online at www.dbg.org

Desert Botanical Garden (in Papago Park)
1201 North Galvin Parkway
Phoenix, AZ  85008

For more information visit www.dbg.org.

Festival at the Farm November 15 and 16th showcases Arizona wines

November 2013 is the time to enjoy the bounty of Arizona's wine country. 

Kent Callaghan, winemaker with Callaghan Vineyards and a pioneer in the Arizona wine industry, compared the 2013 harvest season to the 1992 and 2006 harvest years - wet and late but great quality potential. Harvest 2013 is more than half over for most Arizona wineries. Vineyards located at low elevations such as Charron Vineyards in Vail, Arizona (just southeast of Tucson) start bringing in their grapes in mid-August, and the higher elevation vineyards will be harvesting into October. 

At Lawrence Dunham Vineyards, over 15 tons of Viognier has been harvested, and according to Curt Dunham, owner/winemaker, there is another 10-12 tons still in the vineyard for which he is trying to find buyers. “I would have never guessed that we would be harvesting this much Viognier in mid-September when we harvested Viognier in 2012 in mid-August,” said Dunham. “After last week’s hail storm, I am thrilled to have grapes to harvest.” He reported some damage to the vine canopies but not  to the grapes.

All the vineyards across Arizona have commented on the amount of rain and cloudy days that have occurred late in the season. The cloudy days have made it difficult for the grapes to ripen and caused significant bunch rot. Many of the vineyards have had to cut back the vine canopies so that the sun can penetrate the grape-filled vines to encourage increased brix (or sugar levels).

Flying Leap Vineyards is experiencing their first harvest from their vineyards in Cochise County and Elgin. Mark Beres, one of Flying Leaps owners, said they still have not harvested a single grape from their Elgin vineyard because the sugar levels have not risen to where they want them to be. “However, the story for this year’s harvest is certainly how early we picked at our vineyard in Cochise County,” Beres exclaimed. “Who would ever have imagined that we’d be harvesting Grenache at 23.6 brix levels on August 10^th?”

Kief Manning, winemaker at Kief-Joshua Vineyards in Sonoita, said that harvest was going well. “Our vineyard had good fruit set and the quality looks great” Manning said. “I think it is better than last year which was good and it followed two bad years with hail in 2010 and a series of spring frosts in 2011.” 

Page Springs Cellars, located in the Verde Valley, reports processing 80 of an expected 125-ton harvest. Like Southeastern Arizona, it has been a wet season in Northern Arizona causing an increase in predation and rot issues over 2012. However, the monsoon weather has been very localized, and Page Springs Cellars reports that they have some amazing fruit namely Dos Padres Syrah (third leaf), Stage Stop Shiraz, and House Mountain Petite Sirah. 

“We’re really excited about the potential of some of these young Northern Arizona vineyards,” said Page Springs Cellars’ winemaker Matt Rollain. “Despite the frost issues experienced earlier this year at our Colibri Vineyards in the Chiricahua Mountains, the Syrah (low yield) and Mourvedre (high yield) look amazing,” Rollain said.

Though harvest is not yet over, winemakers have their fingers crossed that it is going to be a good year both in quantity and quality of the wine grapes. Some of the vineyards will wrap up harvest in early October where efforts shift to the winery.

Arizona wines have received much recognition this past year with wines made from Arizona-grown grapes receiving high marks from nationally-respected publications and wines winning prestigious awards in competitions with the best wines in the world. The number of vineyard acres is growing, wine production is increasing, and the wine quality is being recognized. The gallons of wine being produced in Arizona more than doubled from 2011 to 2012. 

James Callahan, winemaker Rune Wines + Halcyon Vineyards, see a bumper crop because of the long hang time even with two major rain events. “For the first time there is a lot of fruit for sale,” he said. 

Peggy Fiandaca, President of the Arizona Wine Growers Association, said “The opportunities of the Arizona wine industry are great, and there is no reason that the wine industry cannot be the next billion dollar wine region like Washington and Oregon.”  “The Arizona wine industry is excited about the 2013 growing season as well as the recognition the industry is receiving which boosts Arizona’s image as a quality winemaking region,” Fiandaca said.

The Arizona wine industry will celebrate the fruits of their labor at the annual Festival at the Farm November 15 and 16 at the Farm at South Mountain. The Arizona Republic announces the winners of the annual wine competition at a reception on Friday, November 15 at Quiessence Restaurant. The festival on Saturday is where participants can taste the award-winning wines, sample wines and talk to winemakers from around the state, attend educational seminars, listen to music, enjoy a picnic lunch under the Pecan trees, and hopefully walk away with the winning bid for an incredible live/silent wine auction packages. 

To learn more and purchase tickets visit http://www.azwinefestivalatthefarm.com/tickets.html.

Photography copyright: Elizabeth Rose Photography