Grandma’s Sunburn Remedy

I sunburn easily.

I blame my genes. Basically, I descend from a mélange of peoples, who, I assume, just kept walking north until they got to the regions of Europe that were cold and cloudy enough not to punish their pallid skin.

Generations later, I was born in sunny Phoenix, Arizona, wearing the maladapted melanin of my kin. Here, summer rays can be intense enough to burn a Celtic lass like me within 10 minutes.

My grandma used to tell me to put vinegar on sunburns. “The sooner the better,” she’d say. Being a teenager, I’d roll my eyes and/or ignore her advice.

Then, after one sunburn that left my skin ablaze like a village after a Viking* raid, I finally gave in and tried it. The pain was gone almost instantly. I did smell like vinegar, but I had no intentions of going back outside anytime soon anyway.

Now I wear a moisturizer with sunscreen in it daily. If I do get a sunburn, I have no problem reaching for the vinegar and gently daubing some on. Totally worth smelling like a salad dressing (or maybe a jar of pickles) for a few hours.

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*I also have Viking ancestors. I like to think of them as not the village-destroying type, though. Maybe horned-hat-wearing and fierce – like you wouldn’t want to mess with them – yet somehow kind hearted. (This may not be historically accurate.)

August 18, 2015August 23, 2015

Phoenix Classic Movie Nights

It’s not too late for summer movies! In fact, there are some interesting movie events coming up in the Phoenix/Tempe area this week that I thought I’d share.

Since the current temperature outside is officially hothothot, 2 out of 3 are indoors – the other one includes snow imported to cool things down. More of the traditional “movies in the park” nights around here happen in the spring, so I’ve listed those, as well.

Screenings Starting This Week

1. Heist film series at FilmBar

Today through 9/3

Series includes True Romance, The Italian Job, The Usual Suspects
FilmBar also features a monthly Arizona Filmmaker Showcase (next one: 9/5) and wine tastings the 3rd Friday of every month.
Light rail stop: Roosevelt/Central
FilmBar and CityScape (see #2) are each about .5 mile from Civic Space Park and its suspended sculpture, Her Secret is Patience.

2. Grease at CityScape

8/20 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. (Movie at 7:40 p.m.)

Part of Cool Summer Nights at CityScape, the event will also include shaved ice, a snow slide, and misters.
Dress as your favorite Grease character.
Light rail stop: Washington/Central
You’ll be super close to the downtown Phoenix location of Cartel Coffee – but it closes at 4pm.

3. The Last Starfighter at Pollack Tempe Cinemas

8/22 9:30pm

Cult Classics hosts a monthly screening of classic films year-round with giveaways and commemorative merch.
Each screening is announced the month before.
VIP ticket packages that include prints, t-shirts, etc. are also available.

Spring events

Phoenix Film Festival (April 7-14, 2016)

Movies in the park (approximate dates based on past year):

Biltmore Fashion Park (March-April)
Kiwanis Park (May)

What kind of movie events do you enjoy (in Phoenix or elsewhere)?

June 11, 2015July 27, 2022

Morning Hikes and Breakfast Bites

As midday temperatures rise, outdoor activities tend to get pushed out to the cooler edges of the day, when the sun is lower in the sky and less punishing.

So it was great to come across a list of shaded and/or shorter summer morning Phoenix hikes paired with local breakfast spots! The list came from a 2011 article* on the no-longer-existent Phoenix Metromix site. However, you can still read it on the Internet Archive.

The first few recommendations from Metromix (MM) are below, along with my notes.

MM reco #1: Echo Canyon (Camelback Mountain) Ramada Loop Trail + La Grande Orange

The Ramada Loop Trail is not on the Park map. Maybe it’s closed. Maybe they just forgot about it. Other sites also mention it, so I assume it actually exists.
Echo Canyon Bobbie’s Rock Trail is another short hike, which begins at the Summit/Echo Canyon Trailhead.
Dogs aren’t allowed in the Echo Canyon area.
I’m totally in favor of breakfast at La Grande Orange. Keep in mind, though, like the trailhead, it can get really busy on the weekends and parking gets tricky. (There is a valet in front of the restaurant.)

MM reco #2: South Mountain Park Kiwanis Trail + Local Breeze (closed)**

You can hike at South Mountain with four-legged friends.
Phoenix Public Market Cafe has great breakfast and a dog-friendly patio.
September through May, we also like the nearby Farm at South Mountain.

MM reco #3: White Tanks Mountain Regional Park Mesquite Canyon and Willow Canyon Trails (loop) + Bobbie’s Café

The White Tank Mountain Regional Park’s website describes this 7-mile loop as “very difficult and not recommended for novice hikers, small children and pets.” Which does not sound like something I’m going to be attempting before breakfast.
There other hikes in the Park that are rated as less strenuous.
I haven’t been to Bobbie’s cafe. I do like hanging out at Ground Control when I’m on that side of town.

Bonus reco (from me): Lo Piano Bosque Habitat Canal Trail + Ncounter

The Canal Path is partially shaded, about .7 miles long, and is in this little stretch of nature that’s oddly close to the freeway.
From Curry, head south on Lake View Drive. You can either turn right immediately to park or keep going south and park in the shade under the freeway.
Ncounter has omelets – as well as other hearty breakfast options – and good coffee.

Finally, be safe out there and take lots of water with you! In fact, if you’re not used to very hot, dry climates, you might want to skip the Phoenix-area trails until about October. In the meantime, just head straight to breakfast.

Do you have a favorite hike/breakfast combo?

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*I wish the 2011 article had been called “7 Hikes for 7 Breakfasts.” But it was an article, not a 1950s musical.

**The former Local Breeze location is now The Vig, which serves brunch and opens daily at 10 or 11am.

Photos by me. Map via Google Maps.

June 14, 2014May 28, 2019

June is not the end of the world

Yeah, I get it. Summer in Phoenix is hot. But I think we Phoenicians sometimes give up too early on the great outdoors.

Even in mid-June, the temperatures often still drop at night. And that makes everything so much more bearable. You can still get out early or late in the day to take a walk or sit in the shade. We still get an occasional coolish day. (After it’s been 108, 93 seems quite lovely!)

Just getting away from the city can lower the temp by 10 degrees or so – you don’t have to go far, just away from all that concrete.

There comes a point in the year where it never cools down. It’s how we pay for our gorgeous non-summer days. We get our version of cabin fever, and it gets a bit depressing.

But June can still surprise you.