It’s ironic: Paradise Valley is a pretty good place to ride a bike most of the time. Yet the town wears that status begrudgingly. The … Read the rest
Category: featured
Abandoned Movie Theaters of Scottsdale
South Scottsdale is nothing like the palm trees-and-golf courses luxury destination you expect it to be. My neighborhood is full of abandoned and disused property. … Read the rest
What Does it Cost to Use a Blink Charging Station? UPDATED Nov. 2021
Back in September, the cost to use Blink EV charging took a slight dive. They switched from time-based charging to kilowatt-hour charging. This makes a … Read the rest
Papago Plaza is “Dilapidated.” And That Was the Plan.
Papago Plaza in Scottsdale is all but abandoned these days. And don’t think for a second that’s not by design.
The exodus of businesses from … Read the rest
Chevron and its Push Against Electric Cars
Chevron is using retirees to scare people away from electric vehicles. That’s according to a story in The Arizona Republic. You should read the story… Read the rest
This is a huge electric vehicle charging problem. Here’s how to fix it.
It’s easy to ignore a problem that you can’t see. People who live in the Phoenix area can’t deny the brown cloud that sometimes — … Read the rest
A Few People are Upset About Scottsdale Bike Share Services
Something new happened in Scottsdale, and already a snobby sliver of the population is complaining. The “something new” I’m talking about is the rise of … Read the rest
A Look Back at Defunct Sports Teams
The upcoming hockey season has me thinking about all the defunct sports teams from Arizona’s history. Yeah, I don’t get very excited about the Arizona … Read the rest
The Worst Things About Living in Scottsdale
A recent tweet by Arizona Central, the online home of The Arizona Republic, got me thinking about the worst things about living in Scottsdale.… Read the rest
Boost Your Mountain Bike Cred – 6 Easy Steps
Mountain biking can make you look cool. You don’t even have to be fast or even good at it. Just learn which style buttons to … Read the rest
Why I Won’t Commute by Bike in Phoenix
There’s no way I’ll commute by bike in present-day Arizona. A post at the Architecture Travel Writer blog made me think about why it’s not … Read the rest
24 Hours in Turku – A Visit to Ruisrock
It’s a warm summer weekend in Turku, Finland. I just stepped off the VR train from Helsinki to check out Ruisrock. This is … Read the rest
Backpack Tips for New Travelers
I saw a soon-to-be first-time traveler ask online about backpacks – specifically, which one he should take for a three-week trip. The question opens a … Read the rest
Australia and New Zealand – Not the Same Continent
To my friends in Australia and New Zealand,
If you felt a disturbance in The Force earlier, blame my co-worker. She said a few things … Read the rest
Heavy Metal Hammerfest: Thoughts from a Spectator
I just went to my first cyclocross race. And after seeing it in-person, I have to agree with Dr. John’s assessment: “Words hardly do … Read the rest
Hike Destinations: Landmannalaugar Versus Tongariro
Bacon or chocolate” A pint of craft beer or a wedge of aged gouda” The family dog or cat”
Picking my favorite hike destination is … Read the rest
My First SCUBA Dive Experience (Guest Post)
SCUBA diving is an amazing sport and trying to explain the underwater experience to someone that has never dived before is hard – if not … Read the rest
Scary SCUBA Advice – Truk Lagoon to Turtle Tomb
When I run the world, Halloween will be a quarterly holiday. I’ve been known to have multiple Halloween costumes each year. I use a Dremel … Read the rest
Darwin, Australia: My Guide to the Top End’s Top City
I’ve never talked to people about travel to Australia and had them say “you know, I’ve always wanted to visit Darwin.”
But ever since my … Read the rest