Consider visiting downtown Glendale with its Glendale Glitters with special programs on Friday and Saturday evenings. It will be aglow with 1.5 million sparkling holiday lights, and Murphy Park will be filled with entertainment, arts and crafts, delicious food and horse-drawn carriage rides. Each weekend has a special theme with all kinds of fun for all ages. Glendale Glitters is aglow every evening from 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. through January 14.

Another place to see lights is Zoolights at the Phoenix Zoo. This runs nightly through January 9, 2011 from 6:00pm to 10:00pm. Tickets cost $10.00 per person for Sunday through Thursday nights and $12.00 on Friday and Saturday. There is a discount for Zoo members. Kids age 2 and younger are free. Fry’s has discounted tickets for sale.

One of our favorites is Las Noches de las Luminarias at the Desert Botanical Garden. Stroll through the garden which is lit by lights and luminarias. Stop at the many different spots to listen to musical performances. There is place to get refreshments. I do recommend that you purchase tickets in advance as some nights sell out. You can purchase tickets on-line. This event is mostly attended by adults.   However, if you have a child or teenager who enjoys sitting quietly and listening to music, they will enjoy it too.

Downtown Tempe is hosting the Fantasy of Lights in the Mill Avenue district. From November 27 to December 10, you can enter their Window Wonderland contest for a chance to win a $250 shopping spree.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a beautiful lights display at the Arizona Temple in Mesa. This runs from 5:30pm to 10:00 pm daily and is free. There is usually a half-hour outdoor concert at 7:00 pm. The Temple is located at 525 E Main St in Mesa.

As you sit down in the bleachers you’ll hear names like Lockjaw, Sockeye and Piano Legs. You’ll see men and women dressed like it was the 1860′s all over again with period base ball uniforms or at least long sleeve dress shirts, long pants or knickers. The ballists are playing base ball, Vintage style.

While some areas have one or two vintage base ball teams, Arizona is the home of an entire league that spans from Phoenix through Tucson and all the way down to Bisbee, near the Mexican border. The Arizona Vintage Base Ball league has been holding 1860′s rules base ball since 2007. In addition to the league games, there is a traveling team that plays games at a variety of community days, pioneer days and holiday celebrations throughout the state.

Now when you go, don’t be insulted when they call you a crank. That’s a base ball fan. You’ll need to brush up on your base ball vocabulary too. The pitcher is the hurler. The guys out in the grass are gardeners. The infielders are maintainers and the short stop was then the rover or short scout. When they say a player is dead, they just mean he’s out. Or if he’s lucky enough to round the bags and score, it’s not a run but an ace. The striker will then have to go to the scorers table which is very near home base on the playing field, raise his right hand and say, ” I swear that I score an Ace”, as he’s ringing a bell.

Now, it’s not easy to score an ace. If your hit is caught on the fly or on one bounce, it’s an out. You have to use a wooden bat. But, you do have some advantages. The hurler throws underhand and the nine in the field don’t wear gloves, they catch bare handed. Initially, the arbitrator doesn’t call balls and strikes. But, if the striker is too picky or the hurler is too wild, the arbitrator will start keeping track. The maintainers have to be within two steps of their base. You can bunt and any ball that hits in fair territory is a fair ball. It can even bounce straight back past the behind or catcher.  Now if a ballist complains to the arbitrator, he can fine that player a copper, but today it’s a quarter.

Now, as a crank you can get involved. Any foul ball caught by a crank whether on the fly or on one bounce is an out. That’s a home field advantage.

Games are played starting in November with a little break for the holidays and then until April. To learn more about the game or to see the schedule and plan to see a game visit the Arizona Vintage Base Ball website. You can also learn more about Vintage Base Ball at the Vintage Base Ball Association.

If you have any further questions call me. I’m not only a Realtor but I’m a hurler for the Phoenix Senators of the Arizona Vintage Base Ball league.

Pat “Pile Driver” Monahan (hey, it’s a better nickname than Frying Pan Hands)

Maricopa County celebrating centennial with hiking challenge.

On the second Sunday in October, Amy and I decided to hike the Peralta Trail. No not all of it, but a few miles up near the Freemont Saddle. The trail rises gently to get to the saddle. At the saddle you can take a side trip to a scenic overlook of Weaver’s Needle, visit Geronimo’s Cave or you can go further into the wilderness area. Weaver’s Needle is well know as being near the Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine. Find it and you’ll be set for life.

You could spend the rest of your life exploring the Superstition Wilderness and never hike the same trail twice. Dozens of trails lead to the south side of the range and just as many on the north side along the Apache Trail. There’s at least a half dozen trail heads with parking on each side as well.

1.  Chandler Public Libraries - There is a main library downtown and three branches.  The libraries offer free computer access to the public as well as reading areas for current magazines and newspapers.  In addition to books, you can also check out movies on DVD, books on CDs, and music on CDs.  The libraries offer book discussion groups and other programming for children, teens, and adults.  Currently there is a program running that allows you to check free passes for location attractions such as the Phoenix Zoo and Art Museum.

2. Chandler Center for the Arts- The Arts Center has a small gallery that puts on various art shows through out the year.  The next show Is Merrill Mahaffey The Artist’s Perspective:  50 Years in the West and it runs from September 3 to October 30.    The Center also offers some free concerts – tickets are available in advance for some of these.  Upcoming concerts include Brad Richter on Friday August 27 at 7:30pm and  the US Air Force Academy Band on Wednesday, COtober 13 at 7:00pm.

3. Chandler Parks - Chandler has a number of  neighborhood and community parks.  Did you know that the Paseo Vista Recreation Area has a great archery range as well as a playground, walking trail, and disc (Frisbee) golf range.    Parks such as Desert Breeze have a small lake where fishing is allowed.  See AZ Dept. of Game & Fish licensing requirements for fishing.

4. Chandler Environmental Education Center- The Center is located at Veterans Oasis Park.  It offers programs for adults and children including Meet the Creature, Dragons and Butterflies, and Organic Gardening.

5. The Zelma Basha Salmeri Gallery of Western American and Native American Art - The Gallery is located in Basha’s headquarters at 22402 S. Basha Road, Chandler, Arizona 85248.  It is typically open from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm Monday through Friday and admission is free.  However, they recommend that you verify it is open on the day you want to visit by calling  480-895-5230 and press option 2.    It has a collection of  over 3,000 paintings, drawings, sculptures, wood-turned bowls, basketry, pottery, kachinas and jewelry.

6. Paseo Trail- This is a 6.5 mile trail that runs along the sides of the Consolidated Canal.  One side is paved for pedestrian use (running and walking) and the other side is a dirt surface that can be used for horseback riding or biking.

7. Spray Pads & Pools - Several of the parks offer free fun spray for kids to cool off and play in during the summer.   You need to check the Chandler Parks website to see when the spray pads will be running in the park you plan to visit.   Chandler pools offer low admittance fees and some include water slides and toddler play areas.

Gilbert used to be the town that was way out there. Past the highways, past the malls, past the paved roads. It was synonymous with ‘Day Trip’. Not today. Now you can get on the Superstition (US 60) or the 202 and get anywhere in Gilbert in minutes. Plus, you have the option of the old downtown, the newer Gilbert Town Square or SanTan Village for shopping and dining.

 You can visit the Raparian Preserve and see an assortment of birds and waterfowl. Go to Freestone Park and ride the train, play softball or workout in the city gym. Explore  the canal trail system on foot or by horseback. You can even learn about Gilbert at  the Gilbert Historical Museum for fun. You can enjoy an evening at the Hale Theatre (pictured above) or playing softball at Big League Dreams.

Gilbert is southeast of Phoenix and Tempe. It borders Chandler and Mesa and being the fastest growing city in Arizona it will soon have over 200,000 residents. There’s not a lot of industry, so much of the employment is office and retail in nature. The city was know as the ‘hay capitol of the world’ in the early part of the 20th century and still has farms and ranches to the south and east.

Watch this video, it’s pretty cool.

Or play there. The 10 year old Tempe Town Lake is the centerpiece for sailing, rowing and fishing. But, it also attracks triathletes, runners and folks just out to picnic. The lake and Tempe Beach Park host the Ironman ArizonaTriathlon every November. Other times of the year you can see carnivals, concerts and parties on or around the lake. Tempe has other parks worth checking out too, like Kiwanis Park to the south, Papago Park to the north and 48 parks total. Papago Park is part Tempe and part Phoenix. Either way, you’ll enjoy the hiking, mountaineering, zoo and botanical gardens.

Just to the south of the lake is Mill Avenue, a collection of trendy restaurants, unique boutiques and rowdy bars. Mill is the western boundary of Arizona State University. Pac 10 sports happens on campus year around, plus you can visit over a dozen museums, collections and galleries on campus. All around ASU and Mill Avenue you’ll find shopping, but if you can’t get enough; venture out to Arizona Mills Outlet Mall or Tempe Market Place.

The newest addition to Tempe is the Metro light rail that goes east to Mesa and west to Phoenix. It passes Sun Devil Staduim, Wells Fargo Arena, Mill Ave and heads to Papago Park (short walk) and the A’s spring training home (short walk) and then onto downtown Phoenix, the Diamondbacks and Suns home. Tempe is one of three cities (Phoenix and Scottsdale) that make up the heart of the valley of the sun.

There are a lot of palm trees grown in the Phoenix area.  There are a number of different varieties.  Desert Palms provides a lot of detailed information about the different types of palm trees that will grow in the Phoenix area.    Palm trees have developed an association with a resort or vacation destination.  So if you want to create a mini-resort in your back yard.  Plant a palm tree or two.  Put a hammock or lounge chair underneath and get yourself a drink with an umbrella in it.  Then relax and enjoy!

Living in Chandler is never a dull proposition. You’ll have numerous parks to play in, the largest of which is Tumbleweed. Tumbleweed has playtopia, called the best playground in Arizona by The New Times, Tumbleweed Recreation Center, the cities newest spot to run, lift weights, spin or visit with friends and the tennis center with 15 lighted courts. Or you can shop in downtown Chandler, the Chandler Fashion Center, Casa Paloma or the Fulton Ranch Towne Center. Wanting to run, walk or bike? Check out the Paseo Trail that runs right through Chandler or the soon to be completed Western Canal trail.

Wanting culture? Check out who’s playing at the Chandler Center for the Arts, what’s happening at the Chandler Museum, who’s racing atFirebird International Raceway or hang out at either the Wild Horse Pass Casino or Lone Butte Casino. Hey, it’s culture to somebody.

And this is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Learn more about living in Chandler.