The Sonora Desert Museum is a private non  profit organization that was founded in 1952 and is funded entirely by admissions, memberships, grants and donations.  They are dedicated to teaching the community about conservation and the Southwestern environment. Entrance fees for adults usually range from $12.00 to $14.50 unless you come in after four on Saturday evenings in the summer when the fees are half price and kids under five are always free.  There are plenty of hotels and motels in Tucson and this is a great place to take your family for a memorable family Getaway.

 All around Arizona the colors are showing up now that the weather is finally cooling off.  A couple of days ago we were traveling to Prescott Valley and noticed some very colorful trees just outside of Mayer.  It only took a few minutes to venture off the beaten path to find some beautiful fall colors along a lane in the middle of town.  As the cooler weather sets in there will be more fall colors to view at the lower elevations closer in to Phoenix.  If you only have an hour or two to spare why not take the family out for a drive on Saturday and take in some of the elevation changes along the roadway to Prescott Valley and Prescott.  Then make your way to Yarnell and Wickenburg.  The scenery is gorgeous.  There is lots of history along the route and you may want to visit one of the many museums along the way.

If you like getting off the beaten track with your family and watching some really exciting racing events then Speedworld MX Park is the place for you this weekend.  There are several classes of events planned and you won’t want to miss out on the Car and Bike Show and the Miss Speedworld Contest.

 This Saturday they are planning Jet Car Racing, Short Course Racing and the Car and Bike Show.  There will be Drag Races, Motocross and Freestyle MX. Be sure to watch the Sand Drags and the Mud Bog competition. There will be something for everyone at this Special 9/11 Memorial event.

 Adult tickets will be $20.00 at the gate and kids under 12 are free.  Any active Military in Uniform will be admitted free!   Head out on the West side of Phoenix on Highway 60 about nine miles North of Bell Road.  You’ll find Speedworld at Jomax Road and Grand Avenue.  There will be lots of races , DJ’s, entertainment and fun for the whole family out in the country on the West side of Surprise.

Arizona will be represented at the races by Robert Naughton of Flagstaff, Rich Ronco of Glendale and Fooddrill Morotsports of Peoria.

Round 3 of the Off Road Racing Series gets underway on Saturday with practice at 10:30 am and races staring at 2:30 pm and the gates will open at 9am. Admission is $30.00 for adults and $10.00 for kids 6 to 12 years of age. Don’t miss the Margarita Party after the races from 7 to 11 at Chuy’s Mesquite Broiler in Surprise.

On Sunday Round 4 will begin practice at 8:00 am and admission will be $30.00 and $10.00 just as they are on Saturday. Races will again start at 2:30 pm.

Speedworld is an off road park which accommodates everything from BMX races to radio controlled model airplane competition. For further information call the track hotline
at 623-546-1605 or go to RaceSpeedWorld.com. Overnight camping is available for the weekend.

This competition was mistakenly listed previously as taking place on last weekend.  We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

                                                                        the  West side of Phoenix near the White Tank Mountains.  This

                                                                        is the perfect time for a family hike in the White Tanks.

1. The first thing I want to suggest is that you begin looking a little closer to home this year. It’s a lot of fun to take the family out to the coast or up to the mountains for a few days to a place that is entirely new to everyone but if you stop to think about it there could be such a place right in your own neighborhood. Many organizations sponsor camp outs for kids and families. I will never forget the camping trips I went on with the YMCA when I was a teenager. After I got a couple of years experience camping I was able to go to camps as an aid and I then camped for free as long as I was willing to be a counselor for younger campers.
2. If you are looking for a low cost family vacation then camping has to be one of the first things you consider. Whether you go camping in a pop up trailer or use a tent you’ll save a bunch of money on your sleeping arrangements every night. Each year you can add a few pieces of new equipment to your gear or you can shop the local yard sales and save a little extra on you purchases that way. The Goodwill store can be a great source of used equipment that can be in excellent  condition.
3. There are always lots of things to see and do in your own area. For great discoount family vacation ideas, start at the local office of tourism. They will have suggestions for many great places to visit and lots of places to go camping with your family. You will find that your local Chamber of Commerce will also be a very good source of information about places of interest and places to stay. 
4. Talk to family members and see if anyone has a time share that isn’t being used this year. It may be possible to vacation with another part of your family or you might be able to make use of an unused timeshare that might otherwise go to waste. However it won’t be a low cost family vacation if you decide to attend a presentation and end up buying your own timeshare plan. (Just say NO!)
5. Here is an idea that has become very popular recently and can save you a bundle.You can make arrangements to trade houses with someone who would  like to spend their vacation in your area. There are several large home exchange clubs that can easily be found on the web. There are rarely any problems with these arrangements and they can certainly lead to some interesting new acquaintances.

Spring training gets into full swing at the end of February in Surprise Arizona. The teams have finally arrived in the area, workouts are underway at the training fields and many games have been scheduled over the next month. Follow this link for this season’s schedule.

Be sure to plan on attending the first game on the 4^th of March. Its the 8^th annual Sundancers Charity Game and the action starts at 1:05 pm at the stadium in Surprise Arizona with the Texas Rangers facing the Kansas City Royals.

This is going to be a great way for you to start Spring Training in Surprise because you’ll have a chance to visit with the players and pick up a few autographs while you’re there.

Every morning around 10:00am the practice fields will be open for the public to watch the Texas Rangers or the Kansas City Royals work out.  The teams are usually there until around noon.  There is plenty of parking and some bleacher seating is provided around the outside of the fields.
After the game if you want to head out to a local restaurant there isn’t much within walking distance but there are a large number of eating places within a couple of miles of the Surprise Recreation Complex.

If you need help with transportation from your hotel to the Surprise Arizona Stadium your best bet is to call a local town car service.  They are quick and reliable and provide dependable service.  Contact Copper Trails Towncar Service at 480-650-6147 for service valley wide.

Palm springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California located in the Cachella Vlley desert region right along interstate 10. The area is sheltered by mountains on all four sides. It is one of nine adjacent cities that make up the Coachella Valley (Palm Springs area). As the western gateway of the Cachella Vlley, Palm Springs draws visitors from all over the world with its beautiful landscape, rich culture, fine restaurants, spectacular resorts, outstanding attractions, and a climate that boasts 350 clear days every year.

We arrived on Friday evening and made our way to the rooms at Marquis Villas which is actually a time share facility that rents suites in the $125.00 to $175.00 range. They had a very nice work out gym and an outdoor pool and jacuzzi, there were tables for pool and ping pong and we were all very satisfied with our sleeping arrangements. Right next door we stopped at Sherman’s Deli for supper. On the tables were slices of dill pickles and sourkrauut provided to work up your appetite just like chips and salsa in the Mexican restaurants. I had a huge Pastrami sandwhich with a scoop of potato salad on the side that cost $9.99 and was it VERY GOOD.

We spent the first morning at the Living Desert which is a little to the east of Palm Springs in Palm Desert. We set aside about three hours for the visit there but could have used up two or three more hours with no problem. One of the first things we ran into was one of the largest displays of G guage model trains in the world. It ws all out doors and that attests to the great weather they have there. The Living Desert exhibits included animals from the American Southwest, Mexico and Africa. There is a botanical garden that includes plants from these same areas and also from Madagascar. There are over five miles of hiking trails at the facility and they range from easy loop trails to a wilderness trail across boulders and narrow switch backs along the base of Eisenhower Mountain. There is a petting zoo for those who want to get a little closer to the animals and of course there are wildlife shows which feature the animals who live at The Living Desert.

For the Afternoon we decided to take the Ariel Tramway to the top of Mt. an Jacinto.
The tramway is located about 6 miles from Palm Springs and is easy to get to. The ride will take you through five distinct life zones and an elevation gain of over 5,000 feet. At the top we found a wonderland that is Mt San Jacinto State Park. There was a shorter 3/4 mile nature trail that gives you an introduction to the pristine 14,000 acre wilderness and then a total of 54 miles of trails for hikers from novice through expert. Primitive campsites are located throughout the park but permits are required. We had a mixture of ages and decided to stay a little closer to the tram station and nature trail.

That evening we had dinner at the Blue Coyote, a Mexican restaurant thats been in town for about thirty years. Meals ran from $10.00 to $15.00 and the plates were piled high with food that was delicious.(Be sure to ask about the Margarita specials)

On Sunday morning several of the men decided to play golf and there are lots of golf courses to choose from. We went to a smaller nine hole course and only spent about thirty bucks apiece. The women went for facials and body wraps and by two o’clock in the afternoon most of us had decided we really didn’t want to leave.

We found a lot more than we expected in Palm Springs and are already talking about when we can get back and head for the top of Mt San Jacinto early in the morning and take one of the longer hikes in the Alpine Wilderness.