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An Arizona Adventure

The following is my recollections of how myself and my two sons spent an incredible week in Arizona last summer, enjoying the scenery, the local flavor, and of course some golf. I plan on presenting it in different postings. Should it hold your interest, please enjoy.
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An Arizona Adventure
The story of how a dream vacation quickly became a reality

by Carl Trudel

As I sit here at home recovering from a recent illness, the television in the background continuously covers the upcoming Super Bowl between New York and New England. What makes this upcoming game so significant is its’ location….Arizona. Not such an unusual fact to most people, but seeing the scenery in the backgrounds will always take me back to a series of events which would eventually develop into literally a dream come true.

We begin at a local fast food restaurant in early 2007. Brian and I usually find ways to occasionally have lunch together on one of my days off. It’s become kind of a nice custom, especially now that he has moved out on his own. Needless to say I look forward to them. On this day the conversation took on its’ usual air of sports, except somehow or other, the subject of his travel club membership came up. I quizzed him about it with great interest and he pointed out to me that it could be utilized by any member of our family, and not just him. Not much else was made of this and the usual father and son chatter continued.

In the meantime, Matt the younger of my two sons, found himself preparing to face the home stretch of his high school days. Looking back on his high school experiences, his time on the golf team seemed pretty special, despite not always seeing eye to eye with the coach. The previous summer he attended golf camp in southern Virginia for a week with his friend and fellow teammate Mike, it proved to help his game immensely. Matt loved the game so much that he got a job at a local golf course. It’s amusing to think that Brian was the one who turned Matt and me onto the game, and we’ve all grown to like it.

My love of Arizona has never been a secret. I’ve always wondered what playing golf on Arizona desert courses would be like. The scenery, the climate, the sheer beauty of these courses is enough to make any golfer a little envious. At my computer one evening, Brian had stopped by and mentioned that there would be a possibility he could get access to a luxury condo in Arizona for only $200 for the week. And so, with that revelation, the planning stage for a one week golf getaway kicked into full force. Everything from that point just seemed to fall into place for all of us. Both Brian and I had a week’s vacation coming, and Matt was able to get off from his job at the golf course.

Our schedule called for our departure on Saturday morning on the 16th of June and returning the following Saturday evening. The planning continued for another week or two which resulted in a well outlined itinerary that included a day trip to the Grand Canyon, dining at Alice Cooper’s restaurant, and a Baltimore Orioles game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. We tried to fit in as much as we could in our seven day period.

Saturday June 16:

All preparation and packing having been tended to, sleep turned out to be a rare commodity the night before the trip. Saturday the 16th was finally here, and it was early rising to make an 8:40 AM flight. As we prepared to go through security at BWI, I thought taking off our shoes seemed pretty silly, since my portable GPS unit commandeered little attention. This was listed as a direct flight but did result in a stop over in Detroit. Other than our brief stop, the flight was truly uneventful.

At 1:40 PM MT (11:40 AM EST) we landed at Phoenix’s Sky Harbor Airport. I should probably note here that Arizona is one of the states that do not observe Daylight Savings Time. This means that it is always on Mountain Time, thus only a two hour time difference.

As we were taxiing to the terminal, the thought of what the Arizona climate was going to feel like kept my mind well occupied. When we finally stepped into the long hallway to the terminal from the aircraft, the heat felt no different than a hot summer day back in Maryland, but that would soon prove to be a mere deception from Mother Nature.

It was now time to play tourist and follow the herds to the baggage claim area. A little tougher assignment today, given the additional baggage of golf clubs, but we managed nicely. I then kept looking for the rental car booths which are so prevalent at terminals, but failed to spot any. After some inquiry I soon learned that they were all located in a separate building a short distance from the airport. Shuttle buses awaited passengers outside to ferry us there.

So far, so good. That is until we actually went outside to catch the bus. Now we experienced the actual ‘dry heat’ of the desert; “107 degrees today“, according to the driver. What we were told was very true. One learns very quickly that although you may not sweat, plenty of water and sun screen become part of your daily ritual.

As we were being chauffeured to get our rental car, we got our first look at the Arizona countryside. While on the freeway I noticed that cactus were in abundance and very much incorporated into the well manicured roadside landscaping. Bridges were constructed of sand colored concrete with the typical native Indian décor designed directly into them. There was, however, one thing that seemed to be missing, and the more we looked, the more difficult it became to spot grass. It was scarce to say the least; not many places had it. I remember thinking to myself that lawnmower sales in this area must not have been too profitable.

Finally we approach what seems to be an office type building, complete with accompanying parking garage. The signs eventually reveal that we’ve arrived at the home of our transportation for the next seven days. At the agency counter, the agent processes our reservation and informs us that our car for the week will be a Ford Taurus. This did not meet our needs space wise, as we needed enough to not only accommodate three adults, but also three sets of golf clubs. Then, in an attempt by the agent to mend the issue, she tried to suggest a Jeep Liberty, stating that it would have more room. Well, to make a long story short, we negotiated our way into a Grand Marquee. Enough about the car already!!!

Before departing Baltimore, we made a list of places we intended on visiting and entered them into our Garmin Portable GPS’ memory. Our condo address was entered into the system as our origination point, thus no matter where we went, we easily found our way back simply by pushing ’Home’. Now the time came for us to put our GPS to work.

Our original itinerary called for us to visit the Desert Botanical Gardens once we arrived, as our scheduled check in time to our resort condo was much later. Almost unanimously everyone started talking food, and the decision was made to take in lunch first. We decided to drive into town and find Majerle’s, where we promptly refueled. Being that this place is named after its’ owner, former Phoenix Suns star Bob Majerle; it was understandably decked out with all kinds of sports memorabilia. One particular thing that fascinated Brian was the Patron tequila dispensing machine on the bar. I think if he would have had the ability to get a hold of one, he would have found a way to bring it home. The food was very good and this restaurant proved to be a great choice to get our vacation week started. Once filled and content, we headed to the Botanical Gardens, where we truly began experiencing the Arizona climate. Armed with our water bottles and cameras, we began exploring the gardens and their natural beauty.

The excessive heat, I’m sure, was the major contributor to the lack of a crowd at the Gardens that afternoon. To say that we saw cactus here would be quite an understatement. The landscapes stretched for what seemed to be miles and miles, capturing the desert’s beauty on a massive scale. We all were quite impressed and in awe of this stunning scenery. I kept noticing holes in some of the cactus, and found out that birds make their nests inside because it is cool and moist. Makes sense when you consider that cactus roots go deep into the ground and absorb lots of water, thus the inner moisture.

After our scenic tour of the Botanical Gardens, we headed to check into our condominium, which was located north of downtown Phoenix. The drive wasn’t too long and we eventually pulled into the Pointe Resort Condominiums at Tapatio Cliffs. Entry to the grounds required a code to open the main gate. Our building was located in the first cluster of this rather large complex consisting of many buildings. The unit was on the second floor facing the parking lot.

The condo was very spacious and had everything one could want. A washer and dryer, fire place (although it was doubtful we’d be using it with the 100+ temperatures), cable, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and two balconies. The master bedroom had its’ own bath and balcony. Seeing as Brian had picked up the lodging tab, it was only right that he enjoy the master; besides a bed is just that, a bed!

Once unpacked and settled in, we firmed up plans and decided to go out and shop for necessities, such as snacks and bottled water, which we would definitely need when we set out on the golf courses. Finding such places as grocery stores, shopping malls, and gas stations was no problem with our Garmin.

<-to be continued->

An Arizona Adventure (Part 2)

The story of how a dream vacation quickly became a reality

by Carl Trudel

Sunday June 17:

After yesterday’s busy day I can truly say that we all slept rather soundly; especially when you consider the time change, as well. We woke up to find a beautiful day awaiting us, and as we anxiously prepared to go out and hit the links, I thought to myself how great it was spending Fathers’ Day golfing with the boys. We had a tee time of 10:32 am at a course called The Duke, which is located in the town of Maricopa, about thirty miles southwest of Phoenix. The drive there seemed a little long. Perhaps it was due to the fact that we were in unfamiliar terrain. I remember the desert being just unending, seemingly like we were literally in the middle of nowhere and t was as if all that was missing was the vultures circling above us. The desert eventually gave way to a nice little town and its’ beautiful golf course awaiting us. The farther we advanced into Maricopa the more developed it became. It was like God had just decided to literally drop a town into the middle of nowhere. With such amenities as shopping centers, schools, churches, fire stations, and what seemed to be housing developments of all income levels, this place appeared to have it all. That was all most impressive, but our target was The Duke. Our navigation system instructed us to turn left, at one point, which brought us into this development of incredibly beautiful homes. As we made our way in through the streets we began noticing the golf course in the distance.

After checking in for our tee time twenty minutes early, we looked around the pro shop area and the snack bar. We managed to grab a quick snack, and before we knew it we were in our carts and ready to hit the links. Because of the heat, golf carts are equipped with mini coolers, and are filled with ice by the attendants in order for golfers to keep their drinks cold. For an additional charge, one could rent an air conditioned cart, but with enough cold water we didn’t see the need. Besides, the heat, while in the high nineties or low hundreds, was dry and there was no humidity.

Before we headed out to play, the starter went over the dos and don’ts of the course. We were encouraged to bring enough spare balls, because any that wound up out of bounds were not always easy to find or retrieve. We were told that unless a ball is readily reachable, we should stay in the immediate area of the course. He also said we should use clubs to reach under plants and bushes, because this was a ’living desert’ and creatures of all kinds could be living in them.

The first hole was upon us and it took on a very different flavor than the traditional ones we often play. Grass was only in areas such as tee boxes, fairways, and green areas. All other areas on the course was desert terrain, and I mean just the way you would find it if you were lost in the desert. All I could think of while I stared down range ahead of me was hitting the ball far enough to make the fairway. After a while I just got used to it. I guess the secret is concentrating on the fairway and wiping everything else out of your mind.

We did experience a strange if not bizarre incident on one of the holes. Another party caught up to us and an older individual in the group began shouting at us to speed up our game. He couldn’t understand why we hadn’t teed off for the next hole yet. We managed to stay focused on our game, and at the next hole, we reported this creature’s rude behavior to the course attendant, who quickly took matters into his own hands and made sure we weren’t harassed by his presence the rest of the way. Other than that incident, our visit to Maricopa and The Duke was a great one.

It was now time to head home and get some relief from the one hundred degree plus heat by jumping in the pool located just outside our door. Believe me, that thing turned out to be our best friend throughout the week. Once cooled off and cleaned up, we headed into downtown Phoenix for dinner. We checked the local listings in search of an eating establishment, and found one. It really wasn’t anything significant, other than it featured seafood. However it turned out to be one of those places where you place your order at the counter and pick it up when your number is called. The name escapes me at the moment, and I’m sure if you were to ask either of the boys, they wouldn’t remember it either. I do remember that the word lobster was in the name, but we failed to find any on the menu.

Ever since we arrived in Arizona, Matt & Brian had talked about going to the greyhound park to watch the dog races. So we took our well fed bodies and headed for the Phoenix Greyhound Park, which is located not far from downtown, just beyond the airport. While it was their first visit to the dog races, I had gone many years before. It’s simply amazing how those creatures can run. The boys enjoyed themselves immensely, despite losing a few bucks between the two of them. Not being a bettor, I simply sat and enjoyed watching and taking pictures.

Needless to say, by the end of the evening we were all worn out, and looked forward to the pillows awaiting us. I will always look back on this Fathers’ Day with great fondness and many wonderful memories. The fact that this special day didn’t seem to buy me any breaks from either of my ultra-competitive opponents, and it was every man for himself as usual; turned out to be more fun than I could describe or ever hope for.

Monday June 18:

Today we embark on the mother of sightseeing trips on our itinerary; The Grand Canyon. When planning our trip, both Brian and I listed The Grand Canyon at the top of our want to see list. Matt, however, wasn’t so keen about it, but as usual, Brian talked him into it. Matt referred to it as a hole in the ground, to which Brian quickly shot back “It’s not just any hole, it’s “THE HOLE!!!” Our journey today would bring us up Interstate 17 to US route 89, and eventually on Arizona State Highway 64, which runs along the south rim of the canyon.

After the usual water check and sun screen coatings, we departed around 10AM; making our snack food stop along the way. Unlike Matt and me, Brian isn’t a breakfast person, so the official food intake period into his body doesn’t officially begin until lunch time. Still, I sort of looked forward to the three and a half hour ride and the chance to see what the northern part of the state looked like. As usual, we had mapped out some places we thought would be interesting to see on a time permitting basis.

As we traveled north, we couldn’t help but notice the changing terrain. The desert appearance slowly gave way to very rocky plains the farther north we went. The highway ran by and cut through majestic mountains as they began revealing cliffs and canyons around every turn. As the cactus began to slowly disappear they were replaced with brush.

One of the attractions on the way which we were encouraged to visit was the town of Sedona; but time wasn’t on our side on this one. We continued through Flagstaff and onto US 89 north. Along the way we came across a Navajo Indian roadside stand where their hand made jewelry and artifacts were sold. The natives selling these art pieces resided in the nearby reservations. I noticed as I was looking over the scenery that in order to go onto the reservation, these people had to literally descend a stairway down the face of the cliffs that were just behind their display tables.

Eventually we reached the town of Cameron and turned onto Arizona Route 64 where we began the final thirty miles of our journey. This state road was a windy two way traffic highway, and the closer we got to the canyon, the more scenic it became. At one point we came to the actual entrance of the Grand Canyon National Park. I don’t actually remember what the admission price was, but it was somewhere around $25 and was good for more than one day. From there we continued and found that there were several scenic overlooks along the road leading up to the town of Grand Canyon, which was our intended destination.

Having made a couple of stops at the scenic overlooks, we finally arrived in the town of Grand Canyon around 12 noon. Cameras in hand and legs needing stretching from a long ride, we followed the crowds towards what seemed to be the main attraction of this section. As we advanced down the walk, we noticed a stone tower in the distance. As we closed in on it, we discovered it was a gift shop and a lookout point. It was at this site that we got our first full fledged glimpse of The Grand Canyon and its’ overwhelming splendor. As Brian simply put it ‘no camera can do it justice’.

We all just stood there in awe when realizing that this was actually a product of nature and not man. The depth of the Grand Canyon at its’ deepest point is six thousand feet. I overheard a tour guide say that the oldest rock in the canyon was located at the bottom and believed to be around six billion years old. As we looked directly across to the north rim, the distance was about ten miles, but the driving distance from our location would be 215 miles. Throughout the day the sun reflects off the canyon wall at various angles thus producing many different color variations. Many people would set up their cameras on tripods and stay all day shooting the different colors. While not staying all day, we managed to get some nice shots that we found impressive.

We managed to work our way into the gift shop and hunted down souvenirs to bring home as mementos of our visit. I managed to buy some Grand Canyon t-shirts, while Matt and Brian picked up some picture post cards. I did manage to find a very nice Christmas tree ornament which was part brass and part stained glass. I knew Sharon would love it. After eating lunch at a cafeteria just across the street from the gift shop, we agreed that having spent about an hour and a half at The Grand Canyon it was time to start heading back to Phoenix.

The drive back seemed shorter for some reason. Maybe the familiarity with the route from having recently traveled it made it seem that way. Along the way Brian remembered a road sign for a town named Bumble Bee and made sure he was well prepared to capture it with his camera. Matt, in the meantime managed to catch up with some sleep, as did Brian on occasions. The choice to visit The Grand Canyon was a good one, as all of us seemed impressed in one fashion or another. Even Matt enjoyed his visit once he was there. One particular recollection that stuck with me was how many people we saw there with foreign accents. Seeing the canyon was definitely a high point on the trip for me.

Once safely back at the resort, we took the time to dive into the pool and escape the local heat. Being relatively early in the evening, we decided to drive to nearby Scottsdale to do a little sightseeing and have dinner. After driving around and taking in a few sights, we started seeking a place to eat. The Elephant Bar and Restaurant became our final destination. It was getting a little late, and this place just seemed to cross our path at the right moment. Whether it was the name that caught our eye, or our curiosity about the menu, we ventured in and were not disappointed one iota. Despite the African décor, the menu featured normal selections such as burgers, fries, steaks, etc, and all of us fully enjoyed our meals.

At about 10:30 PM, we left the restaurant and headed back to the condo. Another day of golf awaited us in about ten hours or so, and a little sleep seemed, at that point, to be just what the doctor ordered.

<-to be continued->

An Arizona Adventure (Part 3)

The story of how a dream vacation quickly became a reality

by Carl Trudel

Tuesday June 19:

The heat continued to be at one hundred plus, and today proved to be no different. With our usual daily ration of bottled water we set out for our second day of desert golf. By this point on our trip, we were well mastered in the art of staying hydrated. Today’s tee time is 10:40 AM at Gold Canyon - Sidewinder Golf Club in Gold Canyon, AZ, located a few miles east of Scottsdale. This particular course caught our attention on the internet because of its’ breathtaking scenery.

Our drive there wasn’t too long; however our GPS failed us towards the end of the drive due to new home construction in areas where the road used to be. We sort of figured that out when the system instructed us to turn left into someone’s driveway! A quick call to the course revealed we were merely a couple of blocks from our destination and thus we were able to still make our tee time.

It seemed that there were not too many golfers playing around our tee time, which suited us just fine; this way we could enjoy the course and not worry about holding anybody up. The starter told us that at this time of the year with the excessive heat, most tee times are made early in the morning around opening. This would explain the light crowd we encountered at The Duke on Sunday. I guess making reservations for late morning proved to be a wise decision on our part.

When we got into our carts we were surprised to see that they were equipped with GPS, which gave us the distances to the tees from our current location, and mapped out the hole we were playing. This was my first time using one of these, however, much to my chagrin; it did not help my game one bit. I can’t speak for Brian or Matt, but they traditionally do better than me, anyway. None the less, it was a cool toy for us big kids to play with!

This course proved very nice, and we all enjoyed playing it very much. In my opinion, this course was the most desert-like of the three we would play. It featured interesting holes, challenging fairways and just a great golfing experience, as a whole. At one point, I found myself needing a new glove, so I proceeded to the pro shop to splurge for one. Much to my surprise, the glove had the Gold Canyon Golf Club logo on it. I’m sure that probably added to the cost, but hey, we were on vacation and I needed the glove.

With all the warnings we got at both courses so far about creatures possibly living on the desert courses, the only ones we kept seeing repeatedly were lizards, little tiny fast moving lizards. Hardly anything of a threatening nature, I might add. But what they lacked in scaring abilities they more than made up in entertainment. Seems that we would encounter them every time we were on the putting green. They were polite little creatures as well; stopping to watch us putt. I had no problem with them as long as they weren’t trying to sell me car insurance! (OK, that was bad!).

Before we knew it, the 18th hole was behind us and another great day on the golf course was over. As usual, Matt had the best score, Brian had the farthest shots, and me…..well, I just simply had fun! With another golf day in the books, so to speak, it was again sightseeing time. Being that it was only mid afternoon, we figured it would be a perfect opportunity to head out to Glendale and check out the University of Phoenix Stadium. Glendale is a suburb about twenty miles west of Phoenix, where the NFL Arizona Cardinals play. Jobing.com Arena, where the NHL Phoenix Coyotes play is also located in Glendale, directly across the parking lot.

University of Phoenix Stadium is the only one of its’ kind, in that it has a field that slides in and out of the building on a track. When not in use, the natural grass surface remains outside and gets natural sunlight. Pretty interesting concept as long as the climate is right. As we drove around the stadium, I jokingly told Matt & Brian that this is where the New England Patriots were going to be playing on February 3rd. Lucky for me, I turned out to be right; not so lucky for me they lost the Super Bowl to the New York Giants!

Again we were headed back to our condo and our pool paradise. On the way we decided to stop by the supermarket and pick up some food for grilling that evening. The pool area at the condo features gas grills, so we thought that after our swim, we’d put the grills to good use and dine on one of our balconies. The burgers turned out delicious and despite the fact that it was well after 9 PM, and the temperature was still above 90 degrees, no one walked away from the table hungry. With all that we had seen and done up to this point, it was tough to think that we were just about at the half way point of our trip.

Wednesday June 20:

Because of our busy schedule the first three days, we rewarded ourselves by sleeping in today, which turned out to be another scorching one. Around 1 PM, we arrived at Out of Africa, which is a wild animal sanctuary located in Camp Verde, about half way between Phoenix and Flagstaff. The park features giraffes, lions, cheetahs, tigers, and other African animals. The desert climate of southern Arizona makes this refuge an ideal natural setting for seeing these wild animals.

Visitors are allowed to walk the park, or take advantage of the open air busses that ferry visitors to all areas of the preserve. Because of the heat, we too the busses and got off at various areas throughout the park. It just so happened that today, being Wednesday was a feeding day, and we would get a bird’s eye view of the animals feasting. The animals were fed raw meats such as beef and whole chickens. Workers would call the animals by their names and toss the giant pieces of meat over the fence. Judging by the way some of the creatures devoured their meals made me very thankful they weren’t eating directly out of my hand.

Around 4:30 PM we concluded our visit and left Camp Verde to return to Phoenix. Along the way we all decided to try and find a seafood restaurant for dinner. This time, our goal was to avoid a repeat of Sunday night’s fiasco, where we wound up eating at a ’fast food type’ seafood restaurant. This one had to be the real McCoy! While driving on the Interstate just outside of Phoenix, a restaurant caught our eye. It was called Pappadeux Seafood Kitchen, and it looked a little fancy, but we met the criteria for dining there….we were all hungry, it was there, and it was vacation time!

Pappadeux had a menu that would stimulate any seafood lover’s palate. When ordering appetizers, an unusual selection on the menu caught our eyes and we decided to give it a try. So, without further adieu, we ordered the fried alligator. Turns out it was pretty good, with both the boys believing it tasted like squid. Had we not known exactly what we were eating, alligator would have probably been our absolute last guess. In fact, Brian and Matt liked it so much that they brought home an order to have for breakfast Thursday morning. A little bit too much gourmet to start off my day, so I did the traditional thing.

Thursday June 21:

Day 6 of our trip featured our last golf outing on the schedule. This one would take us north of the city about 20 miles to Cave Creek, Arizona for a 10:26 AM tee time at a course called Dove Valley Ranch. As it had been every day of our visit, the temperature continued to break the one hundred mark, but after a few days of dealing with this, we almost were getting to feel like natives.

Dove Valley Ranch was an extremely attractive course, set nicely amongst the desert rolling plains, surrounded by well kept and nicely landscaped homes. Being that June is considered off-season in Arizona due to the excessive heat, I’m guessing that the majority of these homes were vacation homes, seeing that they were better than ninety percent vacant. At one of the holes on the course we came across one of the biggest cactus I had ever seen. Its’ mammoth size was highlighted by the house that was besides it, which seemed small in comparison. And so, as we neared the last hole of the day at Dove Valley Ranch, I think we all started realizing that the desert golfing portion of our trip would soon be coming to a close. I’m sure I speak for all of us when I say that we would have loved to play a few more rounds.

From Dove Valley Ranch we headed back to the condo, as usual, and partook in our regular daily pool ritual. Once cooled off and cleaned up, it was time to tend to our appetites. Our destination today was Alice Cooper’s in Downtown Phoenix. The Cooperstown Restaurant proved to be a good one. The menu featured such everyday things as burgers, chicken, salads, and other items normally found on the average restaurant’s menu. The thing I found to be the most interesting about this establishment was the décor. The dining room walls were lined with display cases filled with music and sports memorabilia; obviously related to Alice Cooper’s life and career.

<-to be continued->

An Arizona Adventure (Part 4)

The story of how a dream vacation quickly became a reality

By Carl Trudel

Friday June 22:

Today our plans included a little bit of home, in that we were scheduled to attend an Arizona Diamondbacks baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles later that night. Considering the fact that this would be our last full day in Arizona, it seemed like a fitting way to end our memorable week. Our agenda called for us to take the tour of Chase Field in downtown Phoenix, home of the D’backs, after which we would do some sightseeing, and finally topping off the day at the evening game.

Our stadium tour was scheduled for 11:00 AM. We gathered at the main entrance to Chase Field, along with about a half dozen other people. One group of four was wearing miscellaneous Baltimore Oriole gear. We struck up a conversation with them and soon learned that they were from Ellicott City, Maryland, literally down the road from our home town. One woman stated that she taught high school at Long Reach High School, which happens to be Matt’s high school; though he did not recognize her.

The tour started right on time, and we were met by our tour guide, an elderly retired gentleman named Walt. He was extremely knowledgeable and very thorough throughout the guided tour. In the stadium entryway there were two display cases which featured World Series memorabilia from the Diamondbacks one and only championship. The walls of the multi-leveled entry area were tiled with Arizona desert scenery, the floor was a tiled map of the state of Arizona.

As we entered the main stadium area the retractable roof was open and various maintenance crews were busy at work throughout the stadium. Walt began escorting the group around the park, starting with the left field area and continuing in a clockwise direction. The building has the incredible ability to present a ’very open’ appearance when the roof is retracted. The center field area also features eight giant panels that, when open, provide ventilation as well as a view of the Phoenix skyline.

On game days, when the team plays in the evening, the roof and center field panels are closed around 3 PM and the massive air conditioning system is turned on. About 15 minutes before game time, the roof and panels are opened so that the game can take advantage of an outdoor setting. Afternoon games, however, are played in a completely enclosed environment to escape the stifling desert heat.

If you were attending a game at Chase, one of your options would be the ability to dine right from a center field balcony at the TGI Fridays located there. For about $30.00 plus the cost of food, they featured tables for up to four people from where one could watch the game.

Moving on to the right of the center field area, we came across what I thought was the most unique part of this ball park; a swimming pool available for rental to groups of 35 during games. The exact rental fee is about six thousand dollars for the group, but it includes food. We were told that when home runs are hit into the pool, fountains around it put on a show of their own.

Our visit included the press box area, where we got a reporters view of the playing area, including their lavish dining room. A private luxury suite was our next stop, so we could see what some fans did to ‘rough it’ during games. We also were taken into the visitor’s locker room, and my personal favorite area; the home team dugout. What an amazing experience to be able to see the stadium from field level like the players do. All in all, the tour was a most instructive and interesting one, with Walt constantly keeping us informed around every turn.

With the stadium tour behind us, lunch time beckoned, so we decided to head towards Arizona Center, a downtown mall area, where we would have lunch at Hooter’s. After lunch, we spent the afternoon sightseeing and visiting some of the shops at the Center. We then wanted to search out the Mystery Castle, which is located just on the outskirts of the city.

Mystery Castle was built by Boyce Gulley in the 1930s for his daughter Mary Lou. He left Seattle and his family in 1930 after having been diagnosed with tuberculosis. Like so many victims of this deadly disease did at that time, he moved to Phoenix and its’ dry climate. Boyce laid claim on a large piece of property in the foothills just outside of the city, and lived there until his death in 1945. He would never see his family again. During his time there, he built an 18 room three story sprawling structure for the daughter he had left behind. He used a variety of recycled and discarded materials such as car parts, rails from mines, telephone poles, stone and others, held together with mortar, cement, calcium, and goat milk.

Mary Lou eventually moved into the house, where she still resides today. Over the years she was known to give tours of the house personally, however her age and health today do not permit her to continue. It would have been an interesting experience to visit Mystery Castle, but unfortunately it was closed. Hopefully I can return to Phoenix some day when I can visit this fascinating attraction.

As we arrived at the parking garage near Chase Field, we noticed a car with Arizona tags filled with Baltimore Oriole fans. After thinking about it I finally realized how not so strange that really is, being that I follow the Red Sox despite living near Baltimore. After entering the park, we decided to walk around and check it out from a night time perspective. The roof was fully closed and the air conditioning was keeping the inside at a very comfortable temperature.

We made our way to the upper level and as we were rounding the left field corner area, we noticed that the roof was beginning to open. We quickly grabbed our cameras, and an attendant, who was an elderly retired gentleman, opened up a roped off area and told us we could go to the railing and get a better view. Like Walt earlier that day, this guy was a great people person. From the center field area we noticed that the pool was in full swing and the TGI Friday’s special tables were all occupied. The center field panels had also been opened, and the park was now taking on an outdoor flavor. The temperature would eventually rise during the course of the game, but not significant enough to be uncomfortable, as the now turned off air conditioning had cooled off the inside substantially and was able to offset any heat coming in from outside the park. Having made a full circle around the park, we eventually reached our seats, which were located directly behind home plate in the upper deck. The view was perfect and to top off the night, the Orioles won the game. As it turns out, it would be their only win in the three game weekend series. After the game we visited Majerle’s for dinner before making our way back to the condo to face the haunting reality that this would be our last night here.

Saturday June 23:

As usual, the weather would greet us with a bright sun accompanied by very hot temperatures. Seemed hard to believe that just last Saturday at this time we were preparing to depart Baltimore for Arizona. To say that time flew by would be a huge understatement. Our flight today was scheduled to take off at 1:40 PM MT and arrive in Baltimore at 9:05 EST.

We arrived at Sky Harbor a little early, and once we were checked in and cleared security, we decided to grab something to eat before boarding. We then headed to our boarding gate and, as usual, played the waiting game along with hundreds of other travelers. I always was fascinated with airports, and all the people coming and going. One can’t help but wonder from where they’re coming or where they’re going. Also with them they bring such mixed emotions….laughter, crying, anxiety; it’s all so mesmerizing.

Finally, the announcement to board and with a little melancholy on all our parts, I’m sure, we got on the aircraft. Just as on our flight out here, we were unable to sit together, but that didn’t seem to bother any of us. Once we started moving, it wasn’t too long before we were airborne, and at around 2:00 PM we caught our last glimpse of Phoenix, Arizona from the air.

With frightful similarity, the flight home seemed no different than the one out eight days earlier; at least on the surface. But I feel quite certain that deep down inside, we all were experiencing that post vacation blues feeling one gets when the time to return to reality arrives. A little after 9PM we finally landed at BWI, and once again the race for the baggage claim area was on. Sharon was due to pick us up just outside the claim area, and after retrieving our luggage we kept waiting for the golf clubs to arrive. After a few minutes I discovered a sign pointing to a special cargo area, so I decided to check it out for the heck of it. I wasn’t disappointed as all three golf bags were the only ones lying on that belt. And with that, we met Sharon out front for the trip home.

When we think back on our life experiences, they will probably be measured in many ways. For me, this trip will always carry fond memories of how much enjoyment we all got out of it. Whether it was the food, the sites, the heat, the city, Walt, or even the golf, for that matter; I’m sure it’s safe to say that we all enjoyed ourselves immensely.

Our Daily Escape From The AZ Heat!