Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
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If anything, the show is even busier today. There are always long lines at the registration booths, and the aisles are bustling. We found some great products for all kinds of outdoor sports today - here are a few. Personal Security Products (PS Products) has a full line of non-lethal self defense products. The Pit Bull Keyring is something anyone could carry all the time. It's shaped like an animal head with sharp ears, and has a couple of holes for your fingers. If a mugger comes up and... Full story
We are staying in the Luxor hotel (which is incredible, by the way), and when we go out to dinner or are just walking back to the room after the show, we see and talk to a lot of people - waiters and waitresses, attendees of some of the other trade shows in town, the people who work in the shops, etc. They all seem to have major misconceptions about the SHOT Show. Everyone seems to think it's like the worlds biggest gun show, with people buying and selling guns all over the place. That isn't wha... Full story
Niko Romero has been fishing since he was a toddler, and fished his first tournament at age eight. He fishes Phoenix Junior Bassmasters, Phoenix High School Bassmasters, Wild West Bass Trail, and JML Outdoors. He already has a slew of sponsors, too, and he's only 14 years old. Niko is an avid bass angler who spends just about every free minute on the water, gaining the skills that made him the 2015 TBF Arizona Junior State Bass Fishing Champion and the 2015 TBF Junior Angler of the year. He... Full story
I'm an Arizona native, yet there are still countless sites in Arizona that are on my bucket list. My dad took me hunting and camping hundreds of times, and I've seen some gorgeous places – places that aren't on the typical tourist list of places to see. For instance, on a deer hunt off Dugas Road, I was walking along a small wash when it turned a corner and opened up into a little canyon. There was small stream, maybe a spring, that flowed just a short way before going underground. I'll Never F... Full story
It's finally getting cool enough to do some exploring and hiking in the central deserts of Arizona. There are plenty of beautiful things to see in the desert - you just have to know where to look. A great place to base your adventure is Wickenburg, which is central to recreational areas, mining towns and sites, hiking trails, and tons of opportunities to learn about the plants and environment of the area. Wickenburg is a thriving town with plenty of places to stay - everything from dude ranches... Full story
In summer, we always seem to think of going to the high country - Flagstaff, Payson, the White Mountains - but Southern Arizona has some absolutely gorgeous places to visit, and the weather is great. We head south often because there are plenty of things to do and places to see. Here are five of our favorites. Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve This summer was the first time we've visited this amazing place, but it definitely won't be the last time we come here. We took our teenaged... Full story
Every summer we pack up the grandkids and head for the hills for a week or so of hiking and outdoor fun. I've been going camping, hunting, and fishing since I was a kid so I have a lot of experience with various kinds of camping gear. When my dad and my brother and I went camping way back in the day, all our gear was U.S. Army surplus. This meant everything for cooking was metal and weighed a ton, our tents were olive drab canvas and weighed a ton, our packs were olive drab canvas and weighed a... Full story
When the weather starts heating up in Arizona, everyone begins to long for a large body of water to dive into. In an ideal situation, this body of water would also be beautiful and have lots of things to do and to look at. This pretty much describes Saguaro Lake in a nutshell. Now before I go getting you all excited about Saguaro, let me first tell you that Saguaro is a very popular lake and if you want to find a parking place for your boat trailer, you need to get there early. Fat Bass Add To L... Full story
We in Arizona are blessed to have a world-class birding destination in our own backyard. Madera Canyon and Madera Creek cover four different habitat types, from the desert to the top of the Santa Rita Mountains. There are tons of great trails to hike, ranging in difficulty from paved and handicapped-accessible walking trails, to steep and difficult trails that will take experienced hikers to the top of the mountains. You'll not only see beautiful birds here, but also you'll have the chance to... Full story
Until this past year, our visits to Flagstaff have always been during the summer. Since they were old enough to walk, we've been taking our granddaughters there to hike every summer, and we spend about a week exploring trails, caves, and everything the gorgeous area around Flagstaff has to offer. But now one of our granddaughters is a student at Northern Arizona University, so we go up to visit her and have gotten to experience Flagstaff during the fall and the spring. What a difference!... Full story
The SHOT Show (Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trades) was held in Las Vegas this past January. As always, the show was enormous and it took several days to get around to seeing everything. Even after several days, I'm sure I missed some great stuff, but I did see a bunch of things that I can't wait to tell you about. Wildo Campware I remember when my granddaughters were in grade school and I volunteered in the cafeteria. They would give the kids these little plastic sporks to eat with that were... Full story
One of our favorite places for a relaxing and beautiful hike is the Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park on Highway 60 just south of Superior, Ariz. This lovely place is open every day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and has over two miles of trails to explore. It is $10 per person to enter, and that includes guided nature walks if you want to go on one. They also have classes that you can sign up for, including photography and various craft classes. There are fees for the classes. 'Walk About' Australia... Full story
The State Parks in Arizona are offering guided hikes for New Years Day as part of a program called 1st Day Hikes. Guided hikes are great, even if you are an experienced hiker, because the guides will have lots of information about the area that you might not have known. The State Parks are great places to visit at any time, and the opportunity for a free guided hike is a bonus. Generally, the weather is cool on New Years Day, but at higher altitudes, you should add layers. Also, bring your own w... Full story
This destination provides not only beauty and serenity but also lessons from a history that was the opposite: bloody and violent. Fort Bowie is a National Historic Site near Willcox, Ariz., between the Dos Cabezes Mountains and the Chiricahuas. It's a fascinating place, and part of the charm is the fact that once you drive to the parking lot, you need to walk three miles to get to the site and back. This makes the visit an adventure. The hike is pretty easy, with under 200 feet elevation gain.... Full story
Every angler loves to get fishing gear as a gift, but if you're not a fisherman yourself, it can be difficult to pick out something useful and appropriate. A great gift for a bass angler is not necessarily a great gift for a trout fisherman or a crappie angler. So here are some ideas specific to what your angler loves to fish for. Bass Anglers Savage Gear won best of show for their 3D shrimp at ICAST this year, and they have other 3D lures as well. One thing that works particularly well for big... Full story
Before you know it, the annual gift-giving season will be upon us. I don't know about you, but I like to start the shopping early to spread the cost over a couple of months. If you've got outdoor types on your list, here are a few ideas that are sure to make them happy. Weego Chargers Weego has a great gift package this season: It's a Weego Jump Starter Battery+ bundled with a Weego smartphone charger. The Weego is pocket sized and capable of starting 12V batteries in cars, boats, trucks, etc,... Full story
I've been telling you about a lot of great hikes lately, and hiking is one of my favorite outdoor activities. Because I've been hiking and hunting for so many years, I've learned a thing or two about what to carry. Thing is, you want to be prepared because you could be miles from the car with no cell service, but you don't want to lug around a lot of extra weight. I am always the one with the backpack on our family adventures, and I sure don't want that thing heavier than it needs to be. So,... Full story
We have been taking our granddaughters on hiking vacations to Flagstaff every summer for the past twelve years or so. Recently, the oldest received a scholarship to NAU and while she was at orientation, she attended a lecture on things to do around Flagstaff. "Grandma, I've been to every one of them!" she reported. There are just so many things to do in and around Flagstaff that one vacation can't cover them all. As the granddaughters have grown, the things we do together in Flagstaff have... Full story
The wonderful thing about living in Arizona is that we have such a range of altitudes and ecosystems. When it's too cold up north, we can mess around in the desert, and when the desert is broiling, we can either keep cool at one of the desert reservoirs or head up to higher altitudes and enjoy cooler weather. We enjoyed an unseasonably cool and wonderful May, but now that June and July are here, the summer weather has fully set in. So here are my picks of the top ten ways to enjoy the summer out... Full story
The area around Sierra Vista Arizona is diverse: everything from pine forests to desert and riparian areas. It makes for a great little vacation, and there is plenty to do down there. Last month I told you about a couple of things to do on the way down there from Phoenix or Tucson, plus Ramsey Canyon which is just south of Sierra Vista. After hiking Ramsey Canyon, you may be in the mood for a drive and perhaps another little uphill hike along the way. Coronado National Memorial The perfect... Full story
This is a gorgeous time of year to visit Saguaro National Park. There are two different parts to this park: the Tucson District west of Tucson, and the Rincon District which is just southeast of Tucson. The Rincon Mountain District of Saguaro National Park is easy to get to: Take the Old Spanish Trail from Tucson to the Rincon Visitor Center. There is a loop drive through the western part of the Rincon District that you should definitely investigate. You can ask for trail maps and information... Full story
If you're looking for a great day trip from Phoenix, I've got a great idea for you - the Pinal Mountain Recreation Area. We have driven past the little brown sign for it in Globe dozens of times, and we finally decided to go check it out. I'm really glad we did, because it's a beautiful place. There are campgrounds and plenty to see up there, and the Forest Service site says the campgrounds are good for trailers up to 20 feet. We actually had a bit of a time finding it, even though we took the t... Full story
A few months ago I wrote about some hikes near Safford in the Pinaleno Mountains, and the hiking and fishing available at Roper Lake and Dankworth Pond. The Safford area has a lot to offer, and it's a great place to visit this time of year because the weather is gorgeous and it's the perfect time to hike or just camp somewhere beautiful. Beautiful Scenery If you take Highway 70 east from Safford for ten miles or so, you will come to Highway 191. Follow 191 to milepost 160, four miles south of... Full story
One of our favorite things to do is take day drives in Arizona. Recently we decided to head east for a change, since every road we take off the highway going north seems to be closed to shooting. We wanted to do a little target practice, so we headed down Highway 60 toward Superior. At first we tried Mineral Mountain Road which goes south off 60 just a few miles past Florence Junction, but that road also had "No Shooting" signs. This time, for State Trust Land. According to my map, it changes to... Full story
When exploring the beauty of the Superstitions, even if you don't have a 4WD vehicle, you can get off the main highway and see a lot of things that you would never notice otherwise. If you take the Queen Valley turn-off and stay on 357 without turning north onto 172, you will be on a very good gravel road that makes a sort of triangle to the north before rejoining US 60. Since gravel roads slow you down, you have a chance to notice a lot more. These are some of the bird photos that were taken... Full story
