by Dru Bloomfield on July 31, 2010
We visited the Arizona Science Center last weekend. It was a hot summer day, and my son picked it over a trip to the Grand Canyon. 
It had been many years since I’d visited the Science Center, so it was a good refresher. The building is currently undergoing major renovations, but there was still more than enough to see, even though we skipped the featured exhibit (The Science of Fear!), the planetarium, and the IMAX theatre.
On the first floor, the home construction exhibit, “Many Hands Make a Home”, is always a hit with both kids and adults. It is fun to see how a home is put together step by step.
Moving upstairs, we spent a bit of time on the “Music Landing” playing with sound, and then headed over to the Get Charged Up Gallery, another one of the many hands-on exhibits. In here, I laid on a bed of nails. It was prickly, but not painful at all. Actually, it felt pretty cool.
On the third floor, the “My Digital World” was new to me. Fun! I had to pull my camera out for one of the exhibits (see the show below). Still don’t know quite how the technology works on this one, but totally enjoyed watching everyone play with the light!
The Forces of Nature exhibits on this floor were interesting, too. My favorite was the short movie about weather, complete with wind, heat, and rain showers.
SRP sponsored a solar exhibit, “Solarville”, in the fourth floor hallway. Small, but definitely educational. It’s so much easier to understand a concept when you have a chance to play or get a hands-on experience.
The Arizona Science Center is located at 600 E. Washington in downtown Phoenix, just north of Chase Field. We parked in the garage just north of the Science Center, and with validation, the charge was only a buck (even though there was a Diamondbacks game going on at the same time). Exhibit hours are usually 10-5, seven days a week, but you will want to check the center’s web site to make sure.
Helpful Arizona Science Center Links:
by Dru Bloomfield on July 7, 2010
by Dru Bloomfield on July 4, 2010
Hard to believe that the Sunday night concert season at the McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park is tonight! These free summer concerts are a 25-year tradition at the train park, and now attract about 3,000 people, so get there early and know that you will probably need to park in the overflow parking across the street to the north.
Furious George will play from 7:30 to 9 p.m. (The newspaper says no fireworks.)
If it’s your first time to attend, bring blankets, chairs, food and drink (no glass!), then spread out and enjoy the music in a really, relaxed atmosphere. Food is also available for purchase. Train tickets are $2 and the carousel is a $1.
More Concert Info
Related Reading:
by Dru Bloomfield on June 18, 2010
photo credit: Dru Bloomfield – At Home in Scottsdale
The 34th annual Mighty Mud Mania is today, June 19th, 2010, from 8:30am to 2pm at Chaparral Park, located at 5401 N. Hayden Road in Scottsdale. Parking is fairly limited, so there will be shuttles from Mohave Elementary School which is located on the northeast corner of Jackrabbit and Granite Reef.
Map of Park, Parking, and Shuttle Service
Mud Mania was first held in 1976 as a promotional gimmick for Johnson’s Wax “Shout” spray pre-way. The company handed out 300 white t-shirts for participants, but the Arizona mud was just too much to the pre-wash, so Johnson dropped it’s sponsorship. However, the event was so successful that the city took it over as the “culminating activity of all the Scottsdale Parks and Recreation summer programs“.
I’ve been riding by the park watching the preparations for the last several weeks. Thursday, I stopped to take a few photos of the pits that were all ready for the big event. I also ran into Jan Cameron, Director of Scottsdale Parks and Recreation, who was surveying the scene. She mentioned that the event was being held on Saturday this year, so that more parents could watch and participate. She said the event was also being held earlier in the summer so the turf would have more time to recover for falls sports.
Here’s another photo of a mud pit ready for water and kids. It’s huge!
photo credit: Dru Bloomfield – At Home in Scottsdale
Today, there will lots of mud pits (with age group designations), giant mudslides, sandcastle building, and a hose-off. Swimming at Chaparral Pool is on a buck, but you must have a clean swim to get in!
Below are a couple photos from last year’s event. It really is amazing how muddy everybody gets, and how many adults spend the day in this mud soup!
The Scottsdale Fire Department was and will be on hand to hose everyone off afterwards!
Event details are here: City of Scottsdale’s Mighty Mud Mania page
by Dru Bloomfield on April 30, 2010
Time for some Friday fun.
I started listing bank-owned properties again, after a short lay0ff, and have been working with several clients getting offers negotiated and agreed to by today, to qualify the 2010 Home Buyer Tax Credit. As a result, my writing has fallen behind, so I thought I’d share a few of the photos I took at the 11th Annual Eldorado Skate Park Competition, held March 27, 2009.
A beautiful day to watch some amazing boarders.
A lot of concentration and athletic ability.
He did land this one!
Lots of rail riding.
I can fly!
Eldorado Park is a 60-acre park with 3 ramadas, 5 picnic areas, 3 softball fields, a soccer field, a full basketball court, a sand volleyball court, an outdoor amphitheater, swimming pool, 2 lakes, 2 playgrounds, a 5K course, horseshoes, restroom and home of the Wedge Skate Park.
A map of Eldorado Park:
View Larger Map
Learn more about other Scottsdale Parks
by Dru Bloomfield on January 25, 2010
The weather cleared Saturday for the 2nd annual Scottsdale Fit City Kickoff at the Civic Center Mall. The 5K Race / Walk was a first, and the mostly flat course was adjusted to workaround the flooding on Osborn. The day was absolutely beautiful, sunny, clear blue sky, and cool crisp air. Besides the run, there were many booths, featuring products and services for people of all ages interested in fitness, health and wellness.
Mayor Jim Lane issued a Fit City proclamation and handed out awards to the top race finishers. Many other local city, school, and business leaders were in attendance, too. The crowd was really friendly and very relaxed. I ran into a few people I hadn’t seen in awhile, plus got a great training tip from James, a trainer at Pulse Fitness, located in North Scottsdale.
Fun morning. I’m looking forward to next year’s event already!
UPDATE:
Race Results
