Phoenix Sky Train Celebrates Grand Opening

After four years of construction and $644 million dollars, the first phase of the Phoenix Sky Train opened to the public on Monday, April 8th, 2013. This is the first phase of this mass-transportation system that will modernize Sky Harbor Airport.

The first section of the Sky Train ferries passengers along a 1.7-mile track from the East Economy Parking area to Terminal 4. Future sections will connect to Terminal 3 and to the Rental Car Center when the project is complete in the year 2020.

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Historic Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Visits Deer Valley Airport

One of the most iconic American warplanes is the Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress." These aircraft were used extensively in World War II in Europe and the Pacific. Unfortunately, many of them were shot down or were dismantled for scrap after the war.

One of these planes, "Sentimental Journey," will be making a stop at Deer Valley Airport in North Phoenix from April 15-17th, 2013. This is your chance to see one of the few B-17s left in the world in flying condition!

The B-17 is part of the Wings of Freedom tour which is put on by the Collings Foundation. In addition to the Flying Fortress, a Boeing B-24 Liberator, P-51 Mustang, and a Messerschmitt Me 262 will also be on display.

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Taliesin West Kicks Off 2012 Lecture Series

Each year, tens of thousands of visitors come to Taliesin West in Scottsdale, Arizona to learn about the life of Frank Lloyd Wright - arguably the most famous American architect in history. Many of these visitors are surprised to learn that Taliesin West was originally founded as a school, and is still an active campus today!

While enrollment numbers are extremely small, Taliesin West is an active educational institution for students pursuing careers in architecture and design. Every winter, the school hosts a series of lectures featuring professional architects.

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Aerial Photos of Arizona

Last month, my employer sent myself and some co-workers to Las Vegas to attend the Consumer Electronics Show, which is the largest trade show in North America. The flight from Phoenix to Las Vegas takes only 45 or 50 minutes, and my window seat afforded me some very unique photographic opportunities.

So without further ado, here are some aerial photos of Phoenix and Arizona that I took! Hope you enjoy them!

We took off from Sky Harbor facing east and then began to change course to Las Vegas. Out the window, you can clearly see the Loop 101 Pima Freeway as it passes through Scottsdale, AZ and the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.

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Exploring the Union Mine in North Phoenix

There are many reasons why people choose to move to Arizona today. The mild winters, safety from most natural disasters, and a lower cost of living than California continue to draw people to Arizona from all over the country and the world.

As we look back on 100 years of statehood, it's important to remember the reasons why people came here in the first place. One of the most common reasons was simply: gold.

The search for the soft, yellow metal has lured countless numbers of people to search every corner of the state. The evidence of this gold-lust can still be found today in the form of mines, holes, shafts, and adits.

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