Archive for category: Neighborhood Info

One of the most magical ways to see the beautiful vistas of the Valley of the Sun is by floating through the air in the basket of a hot air balloon.  Thankfully there are many options at your disposal for this fun mode of transportation.

Rainbow Ryders–  This company features sunrise balloon rides, departing from North Phoenix, for both adults and children (ages 5 and up), as well as sunset balloon rides from November to March.  The sunset balloon ride package is 4 hours in duration and also depart from North Phoenix.

Hot Air Expeditions—Hot Air Expeditions offers various packages, all of which include viewing of the hot air balloon being inflated.  Their Balloons and Tunes package includes a 45-60 minute balloon ride, post-flight champagne and breakfast at Vincent’s on Camelback, plus a transfer to the Musical Instrument Museum.  Sunset flights include hors d’oeuvres catered by Vincent’s.  Flights depart from the Deer Valley Airport.

Aerogelic Ballooning—This company features two different launch locations.  One in North Phoenix, and one in Gilbert.  Various packages are offered from sunrise or sunset balloon rides to dawn patrol and full moon balloon experiences.

Apex Balloon Rides—Offering rides 7 days a week from October to May, Apex Balloon Rides launch daily at sunrise, and also at sunrise beginning in the cooler months of November through March.  This owner/pilot operated company aims to offer a more personal experience, and even offers hot air balloon weddings.

Scottsdale Hot Air Balloons–  This company features shared and group rides with 4-8 people, as well as private rides.

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Looking for something new and fun to do, instead of the usual dinner and a movie?  How about drinking wine (or your beverage of choice) while painting a beautiful canvas?  If you’re missing that crafty gene, no worries as part of the activity is learning how to paint, step by step, from an instructor who will lead you through each step.  There are a few different venues here in the Valley of Sun at which you can try out this fun new activity . . .

1. Pinot’s Palette has one current location in Paradise Valley, but has three more upcoming locations.  Check out their calendar and click on the canvas you’d like to paint, and then click on the day you’d like to paint it, and you can reserve your spot to create your very own masterpiece.  This location also offers date nights (where you can paint one canvas half of a painting while your significant other paints the other half) as well as open studio times where you can create a canvas of your choosing, under the guidance of an instructor.  This studio is BYOB and food, and children are permitted so long as they are over the age of 5.
2. The Brush Bar features a mixture of Open Studio nights as well as nights featuring certain paintings you’d like to create. This studio offers Mimosa mornings on Sundays, $30 Thursdays and Family Days.
3. Paint Party and Wine hosts private events at locations in Gilbert and Ahwahtukee.   For private events, you can choose the canvas size and time it takes to paint, and the price is set based on the number of participants.
4. Carrie Curran Art Studios offers several types of painting events, from family events, couples events as well as after school and home school art classes for the kiddos.  There is even a Paint Your Pet class where you email in a photo of your pet, a sketch is created on canvas, and then you learn how to fill it in with paint in a group setting.
5. The Painter’s Lounge in downtown Phoenix on Roosevelt Row in the Arts District.  Guided by instructors, you will create the masterpiece of the day (chosen from their calendar online), and you are permitted to BYOB as well as any snacks or food you’d like to enjoy while painting.  This location is next door to locally-owned Pita Jungle.

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We are in the dog days of summer, and keeping cool is objective #1!  Learning to swim is a rite of passage for kids in the Valley of the Sun.  To that end, here are a few places to look if you’re interested in helping your kids learn this all-important summer skill:

1. Phoenix Parks and Recreation is one of the largest operators of swim lessons here in the Valley of the Sun.  With 30 public pools and two week sessions from Monday-Thursday available to both residents and non-residents of all ages, you’re sure to find a location and date that works for your schedule.  Pricing is the most reasonable through Parks and Rec programs at $15 for two-week group lessons (about 6 children per instructor in the beginning level courses) up to $45 for semi-private sessions (about 3 children per instructor).
2. Scottsdale Parks and Recreation also operates swimming lessons, for kids and adults.  Lessons are 30 minutes long and are also offered in two-week sessions, Mondays through Thursdays.  Price is $24 for Scottsdale residents and $36 for non-residents.
3. Options for private swim lessons abound here in Arizona.  One popular option you may want to explore is Hubbard Swim School.   This school offers several different types of programs, for all age levels.  Drop-in lessons are $15 for a group class, and $20 for a semi-private class.  Hubbard also hosts a free baby splash class for children 2-5 months old.  For regular classes, the cost averages $81-$122 per month for weekly classes.
4. Aqua Tots is another private swim school, with 10 locations around the Valley of the Sun.  Both private and semi-private classes are available, and rates vary by location, but average $79-$207 for 1-3 days per week for the first child.
5. With locations in both Scottsdale and Gilbert, Aqua Safe is a private swim school featuring classes every half hour at both locations at least 4 days a week.  They offer a program for first-time swimmers which includes two classes per week for eight weeks, for $150 per month.

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Amenities such as good shopping centers are important for homeowners searching for new homes.  Here in the Valley of the Sun, we have a wealth of great retail centers, including several major malls such as the Scottsdale Fashion Square, Kierland Commons, Scottsdale Quarter, Arrowhead Mall, and Chandler Fashion Center, among others.  But for serious shoppers in search of a bargain, only an outlet mall will do.  Phoenix and its outlying suburbs have plenty of these retail havens:

1. Arizona Mills Mall.  This mall located in Tempe at Baseline Road and the I-10 freeway is the largest outlet mall in Arizona.  Featuring over 185 stores and dozens of restaurants, Arizona Mills is sure to delight every shopper.
2. About ten minutes south of Arizona Mills is the newest outlet mall in Phoenix, Phoenix Premium Outlets.  Located in Chandler, off the I-10 freeway, this mall has 90 different stores in an outdoor setting.
3. Heading west to Glendale, shoppers will find the Tanger Outlet.  Just west of the 101 freeway, at the Glendale Avenue exit, this outdoor outlet mall has over 60 stores.
4. The Outlets at Anthem, located just north of Phoenix off the 1-10 freeway in Anthem, Arizona, is a smaller mall with approximately 40 stores, but has plenty of bargains for every shopper.

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