5 Arizona Things that People Don’t Believe Exist

“Wait…that’s a real thing?!”

People from outside of Arizona have been surprised or skeptical when these 5 things have come up, but they’re all for real.

How many of these have you seen?

1. Tumbleweeds – Not just the stuff of western movie lore, they’re actually Russian thistle plants. When they’re alive, they’re green and grow like weeds. The dead, dry ones break off and roll around in the wind. It’s not like I have to stop my car for tumbleweeds rolling across the road every day. But it has happened.

Also, the city of Chandler builds a big tumbleweed tree for the holidays every year.

2. Gila monsters – They’re more fat lizards than monsters. Yes, they have a poisonous bite. However, that’s not a big concern, since they’re not particularly quick or aggressive or likely to chase you down (or meet you at the airport). In fact, it’s rare to even see one out and about.

We felt lucky when we spotted a Gila monster sauntering through the shadows at Boyce-Thompson Arboretum.

bta-gila-text

3. Desert monsoons – A friend from Taiwan laughed when I mentioned monsoons in Phoenix. While what we call “monsoon season” isn’t what you’d see in South Asia, it comes with bigger storms and more rainfall than we get other times of the year. Sonoran desert storms are dramatic – and beautiful – in their own way with downpours, thunder, lightning, wind, and dust storms (see #4).

4. Dust storms – If you saw Mad Max Fury Road, that’s not what a dust storm is like inside. Think fog made of sand, and you’ve got the picture. When it’s dry and very windy, blowing dust forms a cloud you can see approaching from miles away. sometimes an eerie orange color in the afternoon light.

5. Roadrunners – Although they look nothing like the Wile E. Coyote’s nemesis, they are an actual type of bird. That runs. Sometimes on roads.

So there you have it: the real story behind Arizona’s mythological-seeming creatures and phenomena, which are, in fact, the real deal.

Of course, the jury is still out on the Phoenix Lights.

sierra-estrella

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Photos:

1. Willcox, AZ

2. Tumbleweed Tree, Chandler, AZ

3. Gila monster. Photo by Blueag9. CCL.

4. Gila monster at Boyce-Thompson Arboretum.

5-8. Phoenix area during monsoon season.

9. Roadrunner. Photo by Ralph Arvesen. CCL.

10. Sierra Estrella Park.

October 12, 2015October 12, 2015

Colombia Day and Other #ColumbusDayAlternatives

While I like having a 3-day weekend in October, I don’t think Columbus deserves his own holiday. So I was brainstorming Columbus Day alternatives (Columbus, Ohio Day; Bus Day; Cumulonimbus Day…) and decided my favorite was Colombia Day.

There are lots of ways you could celebrate here in Phoenix or elsewhere:

Order a Colombian coffee at your favorite local coffee shop.
Try a Colombian restaurant – a friend recommended La Tiendita Colombiana in Mesa.
Visit Colombian animals, like the Andean bears at the Phoenix Zoo.
Listen to Colombian music. We dig Juanes and old school Shakira (it should be in Spanish and she should have dark hair on the cover).
Dance cumbia or salsa.
Visit a Colombian or Latino cultural center. Although Phoenix’s Arizona Latin@ Arts and Cultural Center is closed Monday, you can check it out Tuesday through Saturday 11a-6p. Celebrando Nuestra Cultura is their current exhibition of 15 Arizona artists exploring Mexican history, which is not Colombian but sounds pretty interesting.

Some cities have nixed Columbus Day in favor of an Indigenous Peoples’ Day. In that spirit, you could visit the Heard Museum or another place in your area to learn about Native American cultures.

However, if you want to celebrate by watching the clouds, taking public transit, or even visiting Ohio, that works too. Those are all things worth celebrating more than Christopher Columbus.

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July 2, 2015July 5, 2022

Honey Bear’s BBQ

[UPDATE March 2022: Since writing this, Honey Bear’s has remodeled their original restaurant on Van Buren, and (I believe) closed their additional locations. I don’t get to Phoenix as often these days, but, from what I hear, their food remains delicious!]

In Phoenix, summer barbecue season means feeling like you’re on the grill whenever you step outside.

When I was looking through photos for pre-Independence Day post ideas, I came across some from Honey Bear’s BBQ, and I thought, “well, that beats standing in the sun in triple-digit temps!”

Inside a building with a charmingly ramshackle facade on Van Buren in Phoenix, two families have been serving slow-cooked Tenessee-style barbecue since 1986. They regularly win New Times Best of Phoenix awards.

If you can’t decide between a barbecue pork, beef, or chicken sandwich, you can get sliders and try them all. They also have really good sides – classics like cole slaw and mac + cheese.

The original Van Buren location is not far from Papago Park. In fact, the last time we visited was right after a trip to the Phoenix Zoo. They also have a restaurant on Central. And you’ll be able to find them at several events around the Valley of the Sun 4th of July weekend.

February 5, 2015January 7, 2021

Valentine’s DIY

I keep seeing things that would be awesome to make for Valentine’s Day. Definitely more things than I have time to actually make, so I thought I’d share a few with you.

Most of these weren’t specifically made for Valentine’s Day. They’re all fairly simple ideas that you can adapt to be romantic – or not.

1. Tiny Travel Album in a Box: I’ve been wanting to make a version of this mini photo book by Camille Styles. It’s meant to be a travel memento, but I think it would make a great Valentine’s gift with photos of a trip you took together or just fun random shots.

2. Stenciled Valentine Gift Bags: Fun idea from Martha Stewart for adding a personal touch to a small gift! Choose a stencil to fit the occasion.

3. Little self-folding envelopes: I love these colorful envelopes I spotted on Ingthings! You can fold up origami paper or repurpose whatever paper’s on hand, cutting it to size.

4. DIY Satsuma Orange Candle: I’ve been seeing this around Pinterest, and I think I found the original source: HonestlyWTF. It’s an ingeniously simple DIY, and I bet it smells nice too.

5. Seven Days of Surprises: Tuck a week full of goodies into a pill container for someone to enjoy each day! The post on The Dating Divas has printable love notes, but you could write your own or use strategically-chosen conversation hearts.

6. DIY: Lacey Clay Containers: This is a tutorial on making dishes from clay and imprinting with lace. Design Mom used the pieces she made to organize her make-up drawer, but the cup would make a great vase and the plate would be so cute topped with strawberries or Nutella brownie bites!

7. Origami Ornaments: Anne-Solange of Cachemire & Soie saw a lamp shade she loved and figured out how to re-create the look. Several of these hanging up or in a centerpiece would make a room feel so festive!

– More ideas –

2014 Valentine’s DIY roundup
Follow our Facebook for more easy ideas every week on Try Today Friday.
Learn how to make fabric flowers at CraftHack 2/9.

Let me know if you give any of these a try!

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Photos from their respective sites. (See links.)

December 19, 2014

DIY Gift Bags

Does doing something 2 years in a row make it a tradition?

If so, then we continued our gift-bag making tradition at CraftHack this month.

You can make your own gift bags out of regular old paper lunch sacks and craft supplies you already have. Here are some tips…

Get your stuff together!

Lunch bags. If you have regular brown ones around, great! Otherwise, check out your color options – white, red, yellow, blue. I’ve seen a bunch at my local Target.
Scissors. Fancy-edge scissors, a small paper cutter, and/or a paper punch might also be useful if you have them.
Embellishments. Use what you’ve got – scrapbook paper, washi tape, old greeting cards, ribbon, glitter, stickers, that last little bit of wrapping paper on the roll, etc.

Customize!

Bag size. Take a bit off the top to break up the lunch baggy proportions. You can use your fancy scissors to create an interesting edge.

Handles. 3 ways to handle handles:

1. Cut out a shape an inch or so from the top of the bag. Straight sided shapes – like a long inverted triangle – work best.

2. Vertical handles. Use ribbon, two pieces of washi tape (sticky sides together), or scraps cut from the top of your paper bag to make a handle that goes over the top of the bag. You can staple it (use your embellishments to cover staples), or punch/cut holes to thread ribbon through and secure with tape or big knots.

3. Horizontal handles. Some of the CraftHackers came up with this one. It works best using fabric ribbon. You cut rectangles into thee bag that are as tall as the ribbon is wide and weave it through, maybe with help from a friend.

Decorate! Once you’ve sized your bag and made handles, get creative using supplies you have on hand. Cut shapes out of paper, add glitter, make a pattern from paper, create stripes from ribbon or washi tape, go a little crazy with stickers, have fun!

Check out my last-minute holiday guide for more gift, entertaining, and decorating ideas!