The History of Lake Pleasant

Water has always played a critical role in man's ability to survive in the desert. One of the earliest water sources in central Arizona territory was none other than Lake Pleasant. Today the Lake Pleasant Recreation Area plays a very important role in water storage and irrigation, just as it did back in the frontier days.

The Pleasant Dam
As far back as the 1890s, the Lake Pleasant region was bustling with the activity of miners and ranchers. A settler by the name of William B. Pratt built a small dam across the Agua Fria River to hold water for the miners in the area, but unfortunately a flood washed away his dam the following year.

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Four Unique Hotels in Phoenix

One of the most unnerving parts of traveling is dealing with the unknown. When you have to visit a city for the first time, you don't know what to expect. You have to worry about the weather, finding your way around, where to eat, and of course finding a safe place to stay for the night. Fortunately, there is no shortage of world class hotels in Phoenix, AZ.

Whether you are visiting for business or for pleasure, here are four Phoenix hotels that I think really stand out from the crowd.

Sheraton Phoenix Downtown
If I had to sum this place up in just three words, it would be "The Crown Jewel." The Sheraton Phoenix Downtown has set a new standard for hotels that will be extremely hard to beat.

Since it opened in October 2008, the Sheraton has claimed the title of Arizona's Largest Hotel. With one-thousand rooms (47 of which are executive suites), it is absolutely gigantic. Besides being Phoenix's newest and largest hotel, it has also received the coveted Four Diamond Award from the Automobile Association of America.

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Top 10 Arizona Myths Busted

One of my favorite TV shows is Mythbusters on the Discovery Channel. On this highly entertaining show, the hosts set out to prove or disprove the truth behind popular myths and legends in the name of science. There is a lot of misinformation out there about the State of Arizona, so I thought it would be best to investigate what I feel are the Top 10 Myths About Arizona.

10. There's nothing to do in Arizona.
Just pick up a travel guide and you will discover how much more Arizona has to offer besides the Grand Canyon. The Mogollon Rim and Colorado Plateau regions of Arizona offer four full seasons of indoor and outdoor activities. If you're planning on visiting the Phoenix area, be sure to check out my list of 101 Things to Do in Phoenix. Whether you come to visit for a weekend or forever, there's no shortage of things to do here!

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The Story of the Albatross

Every time I drive by Deer Valley Airport, I cannot help but look and see what's parked on the tarmac. There are the usual blue-tipped Cessnas and Pipers that belong to the Westwind flight school. If the door of the Atlantic Aviation hangar is open, you might catch a glimpse of a goregeous business or charter jet hiding inside. Heck, you might even see John Travolta's Boeing 707 if you are lucky! Most of the aircraft there are pretty normal though.

However, last year I spotted a very unusual plane parked at KDVT. It was impossible to ignore this gigantic aircraft which was parked in the far corner of the tarmac, as close as possible to the main road.

The aircraft had such an unusual appearance that I had to stop and take a picture of it. I had no idea what it was, but the high-mounted propeller engines and the wheel wells in the side of the fuselage were clear indications that this aircraft was designed for water landings. I wondered why an amphibious aircraft would be parked in North Phoenix, hundreds of miles from the ocean?

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Fast Times at the Tucson Roller Derby

When a friend invited me to attend the Tucson Roller Derby on Saturday, August 28th, I could barely contain my excitement. Ever since I first heard about roller derby, I had been hoping to see this unique event for myself.

For those not familiar with the sport, allow me to explain. Roller derby is an aggressive contact sport in which teams of skaters compete against each other on a flat track course (banked tracks exist but are not as common). The majority of leagues are all-female, however junior and men's leagues also exist.

In a nutshell, two teams of skaters make their way around an oval track in 2-minute heats called "jams." Teams score points when a designated member of each team called a "jammer" passes members of the opposing team. The opposing team can try to regain the lead by blocking the offending jammer. It is a very fast-paced sport where players come in full contact with each other at high speeds.

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