2 Apr 2019, 11:31am
Arizona Discovery Map The Southwest:
by
Comments Off on Top Reasons to Go to the Grand Canyon and Flagstaff, Arizona

Top Reasons to Go to the Grand Canyon and Flagstaff, Arizona

The Mighty Grand Canyon

Happy 100th birthday to you, Grand Canyon! February 26, 2019 marked the 100-year anniversary of when the Grand Canyon was designated a national park, however, events to commemorate this great milestone are taking place all year long. Find out more at the Grand Canyon National Park Centennial page of the National Park Service.

I’ve been twice and was awestruck each time. My most memorable visit was with my parents in 2010. It was always my father’s dream to see the Grand Canyon before he passed and he sure wasn’t disappointed. You can read about that trip and also our travels to Monument Valley at Touring the Southwest with My Parents.

Dad Flanked by Mom and Me at the Grand Canyon

I revisited this magnificent site (in my mind this time) when I wrote it up recently for Discovery Map. Check out Historic Highlights of the Grand Canyon and Historic Highlights of Williams to find out why you should plan a good amount of time for traveling in this part of the Southwest.

Only about eighty miles from the Grand Canyon, people often combine a trip to Flagstaff with one to the Grand Canyon. It’s a must for lovers of the outdoors! Read Flagstaff Outdoors and Flagstaff History to learn about some of the highlights that I think are noteworthy. 

more »

Top Reasons to Go to Carefree, Cave Creek and North Scottsdale, Arizona

Desert Owls

Last week in my story Feeling English at Teatime in Arizona, I highlighted the English Rose Tea Room in Carefree, Arizona. This spurred me into thinking about this destination, one of my favorite places in the Southwest. If you’re going to Phoenix or Scottsdale, you must add on a few days and spend some time in Carefree, Cave Creek and North Scottsdale. Or, you could make it a destination in and of itself–there’s that much to do there. From the natural beauty of the Sonoran Desert to terrific dining, lodging, shopping and spa-going, this area enchants me in so many ways and I’m sure you’ll feel the same.

Picture Perfect Sonoran Desert

Sonoran Desert

It was the first destination I wrote up for Discovery Map; check out Embrace the Desert and Desert Dining and Shopping to find out the top reasons why you should visit this part of America. I also chose to start with this destination because Discovery Map Carefree, Cave Creek and North Scottsdale is owned by Margie Hans, a childhood friend. She lives in Carefree, practically across the street from the breathtaking Boulders Resort & Spa (more on this fabulous place later). She became involved in the map business via her brother, Peter Hans, another old friend of mine, who is the owner of Discovery Map International. Yes, it’s a franchise business with well over 150 maps across the U.S. and beyond. 

more »

Feeling English at Teatime in Arizona

Mom and Me Having Tea at the Arizona Biltmore

Sigh. It was just over a week ago that our minds and hearts were flooded with images of the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, now the Duke and Duchesse of Sussex. I drank English Breakfast Tea and nibbled on scones as I watched the coverage and yes, I even donned a fascinator to accessorize my silk pajamas. Didn’t you? There were so many reasons to be enchanted by this marvelous show of pomp and elegance, love and inclusion. I think most of us wanted to feel part English, part Black and oh yes, part royal. At least for a day.

The Recent Royal Wedding

It all reminded me of two exquisite teatimes I shared with my mother in Arizona, one at the charming English Rose Tea Room in Carefree, the other at the resplendent Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix. Mom and I dressed the part on two different occasions and even donned large picture hats that I had transported in an over-sized shopping bag as my carryon piece of luggage from Colorado. We savored every sip and tasty treat and indeed we felt oh-so British. It was most memorable and I know we have both thought about all the fun we had during these two special outings many times over.

more »

24 Jul 2014, 11:21am
Arizona Art & Culture Music & Dance:
by
Comments Off on Making Memories at the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix

Making Memories at the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix

Inside the Musical Instrument Museum

Inside the Musical Instrument Museum

It has been almost a week that I returned from a wonderful nine-day trip with my mother to the Phoenix/Scottsdale/Carefree, Arizona area. We visited many fine establishments, so expect to see posts on this glorious, sun-drenched part of the United States in the upcoming months.

We shared such a special mother/daughter time that I’ve, of course, been missing her. Thankfully I have many photos, mementos and music to remind me of the times we had together. Yes, some fabulous music that I discovered has taken me right back there with mom.

Are you familiar with French gypsy music? I’m talking about swinging gypsy jazz, moody boleros and tangos à la Django Reinhart. It’s the music of Paris from 1910 through the mid 1920s. You hear it and you imagine a smoky nightclub scene in the City of Light as you tap your foot and swing to the zippy beat. We heard this music performed by Zazu, a local French orchestra of Phoenix, during the Bastille Day celebration concert at the Musical Instrument Museum. Quelle découverte! Experiencing this music and this stunning museum was one of the highlights of our trip.

more »

10 Jul 2014, 11:14am
Arizona Restaurants The Southwest Travel:
by
Comments Off on My Mom: A True Original

My Mom: A True Original

My Mom:  Mary Ellen Trigger Rogers Clemente

My Mom: Mary Ellen Trigger Rogers Clemente

“I was great for telling stories,” my mom, née Mary Ellen Rogers, told me as we sipped frosty beers and munched on chips and salsa in an old cowboy bar in Scottsdale, Arizona. “When I was a  young girl, my neighbor had a beautiful horse called Suntan,” she continued. “I dreamed of having a horse, so I started telling the story that Roy Rogers was my uncle. It was a plausible story, since my father was from Wyoming and, of course, my last name was Rogers.”

As I listened to my mom recount this tale—one that I had heard before but was relishing even more beneath the sweltering summer heat of Arizona here in this beloved watering hole where so many had come before–I sensed that she had lived this story so much that she almost believed it to be true. “When I was in the sixth grade, I had a leather belt with letters that hung down, spelling out TRIG. You know, as in Trigger, Roy Rogers’s horse. I was tall with long, bushy, blond hair, so I did sort of look like a horse.”

“I remember people calling you Trig,” I said.

“Yes, a few people—those that are still alive—still do,” my mom added as she scooped up the chunky salsa with her tortilla chip.

more »

 
  • Follow A Tour of the Heart

     Follow A Tour of the Heart
  • Email Newsletter icon, E-mail Newsletter icon, Email List icon, E-mail List icon Sign Up Today for My Email Newsletter
    For Email Marketing you can trust
  • Categories

  • Recent Posts

  • Ads



  • Meta

  • Disclosure

    This blog is a personal blog written and edited by Maribeth Clemente. This blog sometimes accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation. The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog. That content, advertising space or post may not always be identified as paid or sponsored content. The owner of this blog is sometimes compensated to provide opinion on products, services, Web sites and various other topics. Even though the owner of this blog receives compensation for certain posts or advertisements, she always gives her honest opinions, findings, beliefs or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blogger's own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question. This blog does not contain any content which might present a conflict of interest.
  • Permission

    Please note that unless otherwise attributed to someone else, the content that appears on this Web site/blog is the property of the author, Maribeth Clemente. Written permission is required if you choose to use or excerpt any of this material.