Springtime in Arizona is a prime time to encounter a rattlesnake. These tips can keep you safe in the desert, and make a potential meeting with a rattler an amazing nature experience rather than a frightening trip to the emergency room.
March, 2010:
Dog in Hot Tub Soils Reliable Hotel
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve stayed at the Travelodge on Butler Avenue in Flagstaff, Ariz. It’s been a haven for its reasonable price, hot tub, sauna and proximity to good food.
But it’s time to pull up stakes and find a new place. I think the low prices have pulled in a new sort of clientele that doesn’t seem to have any clue how to behave in a hotel. I didn’t think “don’t put your dog in the hot tub” would need to be among the written pool rules. The band of hillbillies during my last visit, however, proved me wrong.
Even worse, the staff didn’t seem interested in doing anything about it. I didn’t even see any sign that they cleaned the hot tub after learning that some people mistook it for a dog bath.
A bummer, that is. I was really looking forward to a good soak after a day on the slopes. But I got deprived of an amenity I always enjoyed. But now, I kind of regret my frequent trips to the Travelodge hot tub. I can’t help what else has floated in there unchecked over the years.
See ya, Travelodge on Butler. It’s been a good run. But no more. If you’re headed to Flagstaff, don’t be tempted by the price. Unless you’re comfortable with the possibility of splashing around with someone else’s hound.
First Ascent Outerwear Shootout – Downlight Versus Serrano
Eddie Bauer is doing some work to make its original mountain explorer image part of its company vibe again. At the heart of the effort is its First Ascent brand.
You won’t find First Ascent casual wear of any sort. It’s meant to be technical wear, and you will see it on some of the world’s highest peaks. First Ascent designed the line with input from experienced mountaineers like Ed Visteurs and Melissa Arnott. And these experts are outfitted with First Ascent gear as they span the world climbing all sorts of crazy stuff.
Obviously, First Ascent wants this stuff to hold up against some stern tests. That’s good news for everyday people like me, who are more likely to just go skiing, snowshoeing or even just sledding in the cold weather.
I recently tested the First Ascent Downlight sweater and Serrano jacket, and came away with some impressions. This should help you figure out which is better for you.
Up with Downlight
The first to endure my abuse was the Downlight sweater ($169-$189). I grabbed a blue XL from my local Eddie Bauer store. Its first assignment was keeping me warm at the Kona 24 Hours of Old Pueblo – mostly at night when I wasn’t on my bike. Temperatures got into the low 30s F. Mission accomplished! Next up was four days in Breckenridge, Colo., with temperatures from 12 to 22 degrees. Even in windy conditions on the slopes, the Downlight kept me warm. I teamed it with an UnderArmour Heatgear shirt, a [...]
Taste of Tops Ups the Ante for Craft Brew
Late in 2009, Taste of Tops opened in Tempe attached to the venerable Tops Liquor. Despite being close to Arizona State University, this really isn’t a place to pick up a 24-pack of frat boy swill. It’s a place for for hardcore brew fans to find stuff to hit the taste buds hard.
Taste of Tops took the Tops inclination for craft brew further – they offer about a dozen taps, all connected to kegs of high-quality offerings. You won’t find Bud here. Ever.
You will find a somewhat high price tag, as noted in the Brew Dork Times. I differ from that post about ToT in a few ways: I’ve always found the service friendly, and I get recognized by the staff every time I visit (being a long-haired dude kind of helps). I’ve had great conversations with the staff, too. As for the “sterile” feel of ToT … well, it’s brand new. I don’t think anyone has a right to expect a place to feel lived in from the day it opens. And really, customers are a huge part of the atmosphere. I have no problem getting a good chat going with strangers, and that means more to me than decor.
Now, there’s been an unexpected consequence of ToT’s opening: It’s really forced Papago Brewing in Scottsdale to pick up its game. Before ToT started drawing people, I could often go to Papago and find barely anything interesting on tap. I’ve noticed a marked change in this. Now, I have a [...]
Feds Closing Dacite Cliffs Mine in Superstitions
The Superstition Mountains over on the east side of Phoenix is one of the most scenic and historic places near the city. And it’s still riddled with mine shafts and tunnels (not the same thing – shafts, or adits, are horizontal and shafts are vertical). One of the most-visited is Carney’s Mine in the Dacite Cliffs. It’s also sometimes called the Dacite Cliffs Mine.
Call it what you want – by any name, it’s a solid tunnel offering little danger aside from the overwhelming smell of bat guano. It’s bored into solid volcanic rock, and it’s a cool link to Arizona’s wild mining past. But the federal government has decided to bar it to further visitors. The reasons given?
1. Achieve visitor management in such a manner that preserves the wilderness character of the area, whatever the hell that means. I’m assuming the feds think putting metal bars on a mine shaft matches wilderness character, unlike rock climbers putting much-less obvious climbing bolts in the rock. Go figure.
2. Reduce risk of exposure to rabies, undetonated explosives (I call BS on this – clearing that mine of any undetonated explosives would be faster and cheaper than using metals bars to block the way), carbon monoxide poisoning (again, easier to check for the gas) and keeping people from bugging the bats, as if they’re endangered or something.
Closing tunnels is such a knee-jerk reaction. Shafts can truly be dangerous, and sometimes tunnels contain shafts. But still, why not evaluate them on a case-by-case basis and [...]
Five-Dollar Feed – Da Vang in Phoenix
Sometimes, you just don’t want to spend a lot of money, but you want to have something tasty and maybe –just maybe– even a little healthy. That’s why I started the Five-Dollar Feed feature here at Wanderingjustin.com – to help find non-corporate, non-fast food places to get some good food for a reasonable price. Today, we’re at Da Vang for a bowl of pho.
Vietnamese restaurants really have a knack for finding nondescript, cheerless locations. Here on 19th Avenue and Campbell, you’ll find Da Vang ensconced in a squat, run-down building. It’s one of those times where you should really get over the appearance and concentrate on the food.
Especially the pho. This is a Vietnamese noodle soup, which comes in several varieties. The difference is the meat in each. Pho ga comes with chicken, pho tai with sliced beef. Still others will have those funky Vietnamese meatballs, tripe, brisket, beef tendon or some combination of them all (I’ll call that pho dunt no).
Pho tai is my favorite. I’ll usually go for an iced coffee or a limeade to chase it. Call that an extra $2.50, tops.
Before your pho arrives, you’ll usually get a plate of bean sprouts, fresh jalapenos, basil and limes to garnish the pho. I also recommend a squirt of Sriracha hot sauce (which is the king of hot sauces of the non-homemade variety) and a generous dollop of hoison sauce. To keep things from getting splashy and messy, I attack the broth first before devouring the beef and [...]
