Make It Mesa » Sonoran Desert

We love Pinterest!

VisitMesa — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 23:08:55 +0000

Have you heard of the new craze, Pinterest? It is very addicting for those “pinning” craft ideas, home décor, planning weddings, and book marking places they would like to visit, and things they want to see. It is like scrapbooking, only virtual. So Visit Mesa thought that we would create our own Pinterest account and be part of the action. After all, a picture says a thousand words and we have plenty of them and plenty to say about Mesa! We want to help people decide where to visit, use our tourism bureau as a fun resource while planning their trip, and connect with us after they have left. We also want to create a relationship with the local residents and show them how to experience their own city. Since starting Pinterest, we have found many connections with companies far and wide that have Pinterest accounts. All these efforts to show off Mesa’s many charms are what helps spread the word about our city’s friendly character and uniqueness as a tourism destination. Lucky for us, we can now share these images of Mesa’s great places and spaces with our followers through yet another outlet!

So, take a look at our Pinterest page and you will find boards such as: Places To Stay, Things To Do, Weddings and Events, The Outdoors, Art, Dining, Shopping, and Sports. And let us know if there is a board we haven’t yet created but should! We are always adding more and more pins and boards every day (word of caution: pinning is addicting!).

Pinterest requires an invitation so let us know if you would like an invite. We look forward to seeing you on the site. As Pinterest would say, “Happy Pinning”!

Mesa, a great city for active people!

VisitMesa — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:39:50 +0000

Hi my name is James Tevault and I’m known as the office athletic guy that enjoys training and racing in the East Valley. This past November I finally completed one of my major accomplishments, Ironman Arizona. As exciting as an experience as that was I’m just excited about several upcoming events including the Rock n Roll Arizona Marathon which is every January. This event is timed perfect after the holiday feasts and with temperatures typically 60 degrees. I ran RNRAZ Marathon again a few weeks ago with big expectations of qualifying for Boston Marathon. Unfortunately, I didn’t reach my goal, but I still finished with a respectable time of 3:29. Overall it was still a great experience because it was a gorgeous day for a long run. The race organizers did a good job with the logistics of the race and everything was smooth from the Expo at the Phoenix Convention Center all the way to the finish line at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe.

I’m fortunate to live in east Mesa because there are so many great places to train whether you’re a runner, cyclist, swimmer, etc… I have spent many hours and logged even more miles over the past 4+ years running the streets of Mesa and the Valley of the Sun. In addition to running in town on the streets or canals there are plenty of trails just minutes away.

This past Saturday I hopped on my bike and rode on the historic Apache Trail towards Tortilla Flats. This road along the Superstition Mountain allows anyone to experience the true beauty of the Sonoran Desert. The next day I laced up my running shoes to run hill repeats near Usery Recreation Center. This is another great place to run, enjoy the trails, or the new smooth pavement on a road bike. One time while riding on Usery I noticed a coyote and slowed until he ran off the road, but as I began pedaling I heard paws hitting the ground behind me as another coyote began chasing me! That may make you think twice before training out here, but I love experiencing nature and have seen everything from a pack of javelins to the wild horses when riding Usery loop.

As I continue to train for upcoming races I would encourage you to consider running the Phoenix Marathon this March 3rd with me. The inaugural event features half marathon distance then both half and full marathon courses in 2013 . This is going to be a great event starting at the top of Usery and running downhill to the finish line near one of Mesa’s finest golf courses Longbow Golf Club. Register now for the Phoenix Marathon and you can run with John Rhode’s the winner of Biggest Loser Season 12 and Mesa resident. More information

Good luck with all your training and upcoming races. -James

Open House at Mesa Grande Ruins

GoGo Ginger — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 22:50:14 +0000

Mesa Grande 2011 Public Open House

The 2011 Open House of the Mesa Grande Ruins Interpretive Trail will be held Saturday, March 19 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. The free event is the only day of the year this archaeological treasure is open to the public.

This self-guided tour of the ancient home of the Hohokam will give you the chance to tour this large prehistoric Hohokam temple mound, view prehistoric technology demonstrations and participate in ancient games at the archaeological site at the northwest corner of West 10th Street and Date/Brown. Experts will be stationed throughout the site to answer questions. A free pancake breakfast, sponsored by the Mesa Grande Community Alliance, will be served from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

“Mesa Grande is a unique treasure for the City and the open house is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about what the Hohokam built and our efforts to preserve it,” Arizona Museum of Natural History Curator of Anthropology Dr. Jerry Howard said. The City of Mesa purchased the Mesa Grande ruins to preserve this cultural treasure with the goal of opening it to the public as an educational and recreational facility. Mesa Grande is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is also an official Arizona Centennial Legacy Project. The City is building a new welcome center at Mesa Grande and the goal is to open it before the state centennial next February.

The 2011 Open House at Mesa Grande is sponsored by the Arizona Museum of Natural History, District 1 Councilmember Dave Richins, Southwest Archaeology Team, Mesa Grande Community Alliance and West Mesa Community Development Corporation. For more information on the event, contact Arizona Museum of Natural History Curator of Education Kathy Eastman at (480) 644-5662.

www.azmnh.org

Wait for it…wait for it…

VisitMesa — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 19:41:03 +0000

Ok – I know that patience is a virtue but all the winter rains we had in Mesa this year have made me as anxious as a school girl to go hiking and frolic among the wildflowers (truly!). This entire week we’ve had temps in the high-70s and I return home every night to a house with an internal temp of 80 so that must mean that spring is coming…quickly!

So, I checked the Arizona State Parks Ranger Cam and the official word on the street is “No Flowers Yet”. But trust me…they are coming! So, I wanted to share this website with anyone waiting (like me) so they, too, can check online and get updates on what flowers are blooming and where. It’s a great resource (one that I hope doesn’t go away like park access is going to…!) and they cover parks all across the state of Arizona. You can see images directly from the trails and plan accordingly. So, if you are like me and love fields of yellow, red, blue and purple – start your daily checks now because it is going to be one wild wildflower season. Check out this image of Awesome Blossoms by Melissa Sarver at Lost Dutchman State Park.
2010 Az State Park Ranger Cam Website: http://www.pr.state.az.us/rangercam/index.html