Who says turning 39 means having to always be an adult? The question runs through my head as I unabashedly bang a large drum in the experience gallery here at the Musical Instrument Museum, an incredible modern institution in north Phoenix. I smile, my beating getting louder as I attempt to accompany the group of…
I lived in Phoenix from 2004 to 2006 while working at Arizona State University, and the dining scene was almost exclusively made up of chain restaurants. Finding a good, independent option at which to eat was a struggle. Shortly after I left the city to move to the Bay Area, my best friend, Daniel Warren,…
The northern half of Arizona is known as having the interesting places to see. The Grand Canyon, Sedona, the Painted Desert, these are the destinations that call to visitors from around the country and the world. However, southern Arizona, mostly flat desert, is also a wonderful place to explore. To start with, the southern portion…
Some national parks immediately impress you with their sheer grandeur. Yosemite and Glacier come immediately to mind. Others are more subtle, like the old growth floodplain forest of Congaree or the rocks and unique foliage of Joshua Tree. Saguaro National Park, just outside Tucson, Arizona, falls into the second category. The beauty of the desert…
If ever the name of a place could conjure up specific imagery, Tombstone, Arizona is such a place. The town, a silver boomtown in the late nineteenth century, has been sensationalized in books, songs, and films as a rough and tumble western outpost, with its entire history summed up by a singular event: the gunfight…
In 1963, the Cold War was heating up. The Berlin Wall had gone up two years earlier. The Cuban Missile Crisis was less than a year in the past. The next generation of US nuclear missiles was ready, and 54 silos were created in three locations, each containing a single, new Titan II missile, the…
In the desert of northern Arizona lies a forest, a forest so old it was ancient even when dinosaurs roamed the planet. Yes, this forest is more than 200 million years old, and it can still be seen. How, you ask? Petrified Forest National Park contains one of the largest collections of petrified wood in…
I've said it before and I'll say it again: I love driving trips! I especially love driving trips when they combine seeing close friends, eating amazing food, experiencing exciting culture, and basking in natural beauty. Tomorrow I head east for a week spent driving through Arizona and New Mexico. Here is my itinerary, and of…
I've been through the desert on a horse with no name It felt good to be out of the rain In the desert you can remember your name 'Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain This song by America was in my head on constant repeat as I journeyed north from…
When a visitor first arrives in Phoenix, his thoughts tend to revolve around how new the city looks. After all, the city has grown from about 100,000 in 1950 to more than 1.6 million today, making it the sixth largest city in the country. Such explosive growth has led to a feeling of newness everywhere.…