The Pivin Loop at Papago Park has become unbelievably fun over the past few years. It didn’t even exist until a few years ago when the City of Phoenix decided to — without public input — plow the existing singletrack trails. There was plenty of howling and gnashing of teeth (including myself). Some people wanted…
Rio Salado Bike Path: A Ride Guide (With Video)
The Rio Salado bike path is one of the most-overlooked places to ride in metro Phoenix. It’s a 16-mile stretch of sweet car-free riding. I’ve had many local riders act completely surprised to hear about it. So let’s lift the lid on the Rio Salado bike path, which doesn’t even seem to have an official…
Is Swoop Airlines Your Ticket to the Northern Lights?
One challenge of being a traveling family is deciding what the littlest person in your family is ready to experience. With a nearly 4-year-old, we’re trying to figure out a few things: Is she ready for the huge crowds of Tokyo? Is she ready to deal with motor scooters zooming every which way – even…
Hawaiian Airlines 787: What It Could Mean for Travelers
It’s been nearly a month since Hawaiian Airlines announced its switch from the Airbus A330-900 to the Boeing 787-9. This was great news, but I was also too caught up in writing about gravel bikes to put much effort into a post here. The Hawaiian Airlines 787 will now get its due. Airline geeks will…
Can Condor Airlines Help Phoenix Become a "Real City?"
Condor Airlines just might help Phoenix become a real city. Here’s what I mean: Whenever Phoenix and Philadelphia play leapfrog in the city size rankings (which invariably makes our local journalists generate reams of predictable content), I always bring up Sky Harbor International Airport and its lack of intercontinental flights. My view: I don’t care…
Phoenix Destroys Some of the Nation’s Best Urban Mountain Biking
NOTE: See the updates at the end of the post. Congratulations, Phoenix. You’ve officially destroyed one of the nation’s best urban mountain biking areas. And you managed to do it on the down-low. By the time I started mountain biking in 1992, the Papago Park trails were the gathering place for local riders looking for…
Lightning Over Scottsdale
I don’t usually do photo-only posts. But I snapped a nice shot from the nighttime storm that rolled into Phoenix. I’m not sure if this is actually a monsoon storm or not … but hey, call it what you will. It’s something besides hot, dry and sunny. This shot of lightning over Scottsdale is probably…
What Makes Phoenix Better Than Tucson?
People from Phoenix love to shit all over Tucson by saying things like “It’s dirty” and “the roads are terrible.” (Disclaimer: I am an Arizona State University graduate. But I also have little regard for silly-ass tribalism. I also like Tucson more and more with every visit.) While those who bash Tucson run their mouths,…
Thoughts on Culture and Live Theater in Phoenix
People love to say that Phoenix doesn’t have any culture. It’s a notion that people parrot constantly. And it puts me in the mood to brandish a cricket bat in a threatening manner. What they really mean is one of of the following: I’m too lazy to go out and find any culture in Phoenix The…
Hawaiian Airlines Flight Deals to Asia from Phoenix
Hawaiian Airlines latest flight deals offer travelers in the know a convenient way to get to Auckland and Taipei.
Capstone Cathedral – Visiting a Phoenix Icon
I’ve always been fascinated by the Capstone Cathedral. One day, I got my chance to take a close-up and inside look at this iconic Phoenix building.
Bike Commuting Still a Pain – In Phoenix, Anyway
I decide to take another try at bike commuting in Phoenix, Ariz. Find out how I fare among the drivers and disjointed network of bike lanes.
Why I Won’t Commute by Bike in Phoenix
There’s no way I’d commute by bike in Phoenix again. It has no credible infrastructure, and only pays lip service to making the streets bike friendly. City officials could change my mind by truly addressing the problems.
Arizona Mountain Bike Trail Profile: FINS
I hate comparing anything to Fight Club – especially a mountain bike trail. But I have no choice with the Fantasy Island North Singletrack.
British Airways Adds Extra Flight to Phoenix Sky Harbor
Phoenix city officials breathlessly announced that British Airways will bump service to Sky Harbor from six to seven flights weekly. But let’s parse the puffery and see what that really means for Valley travelers.
American Airlines and US Airways Merger – One Traveler’s Wish List
American Airlines and US Airways are destined to merge, if you believe the many airline industry talking heads. Here’s my wish list for the two airlines, post merger.
Phoenix Mountain Biking : Grading the Trails
Mountain biking near Phoenix offers any rider some hard choices. There’s no shortage of great mountain bike trails. See how they rate, and which you should ride.
Aviation Photos – The 161st Air Refueling Wing/Phoenix Sky Harbor
A ground-level view from an airport’s runway – it’s the sort of perspective that gets a photographer excited. See what kind of cool images you could get from a runway-side vantage point.
The Phoenix Hipster Travel Guide
Welcome to my Phoenix travel guide for hipsters. Grab your fixie and your can of PBR and let’s get going!
What’s Up With Wasted Dates?
Cities in Arizona squander a cheap, easy way to get greener: harvesting their many date trees. Only Arizona State University is putting its many date trees to work.