10 things to know
about the Valley
Does it rain in Arizona? When will it get hot?
Expect rain during the monsoons, season, July through September. Even though
it's not technically correct to call each storm a monsoon, the term has become
standard usage. These windy, rainy storms can be tricky. Intersections in one
neighborhood may flood, while a mile away, there's not a drop of rain.
Last spring, triple-digit mania hit when the Valley reached 100 degrees on
April 14. For the past 30 years, the average date for the first 100-degree day
is May 5; for the last, it's Oct. 3. The hottest Valley temperature in recent
memory was 122 on June 26, 1990. The hottest temperature ever recorded in
Arizona occurred in Lake Havasu City: 128 degrees on June 29, 1994.
Can you tell me how to figure out which freeway is which?
As with two-digit interstate highways, Valley freeways that end with an even
number run east/west and odd numbers run north/south. I call freeways by the
number so it's easier to remember which direction the freeway goes.
Here's a handy list of names to memorize.
Papago Freeway: Interstate 10 from the Valley's western edge through
Deck Park Tunnel to near Sky Harbor International Airport.
Black Canyon Freeway: Interstate 17 from the Valley's northern edge
south to 19th Avenue in west-central Phoenix.
Maricopa Freeway: This one's tricky. It's I-17 from 19th Avenue east
to the I-10 junction near Sky Harbor. Then it continues along I-10 south through
Ahwatukee.
Superstition Freeway: U.S. 60 from I-10 in Tempe east to Apache
Junction.
Squaw Peak Freeway: Arizona 51 north from I-10 (Papago Freeway) to
Bell Road.
Red Mountain Freeway: Loop 202 (it's a line now but will loop when
complete in 10 years) east from I-10 at Arizona 51 (the Papago Freeway at Squaw
Peak) to Greenfield Road in Mesa.
Agua Fria Freeway: Loop 101 from I-10 in west Phoenix north to
Glendale and then east to the I-17 junction in Deer Valley.
Pima Freeway: Loop 101 from I-17 east and south to Loop 202.
Price Freeway: Loop 101 from Loop 202 south to Frye Road cq/ADOT in
Chandler.
Hohokam Expressway: Arizona 143 from McDowell to Broadway roads.
Sky Harbor Expressway: Arizona 153 south from Washington Street to
University Drive.
Beeline Highway: Arizona 87 goes to Payson from Mesa. Take the Country
Club Drive exit off Loop 202 in Mesa.
Who designed Phoenix?
Credit the logical layout to President Thomas Jefferson. He favored grids for
frontier towns. The main roads are all right angles and run north and south,
east and west. (Grand Avenue follows the train tracks.) Desk; the following is a
rewrite. The intersection of Central Avenue and Washington Street is the center,
which is zero block. Block numbers go up by 1000 every mile north or south of
Washington Street, and up by 1000 every mile east or west of Central. The
northernmost edge of Loop 101 is about 20 miles north of Washington Street,
which makes it the 20000 block. Numbered thoroughfares to the east of Central
are streets; to the west they are avenues.
Where can I take my family that's fun and outside?
How about fishing or hiking?
If Tempe Town Lake (Mill Avenue and Washington Street) is too timid a fishing
hole, drive two hours east to Roosevelt Lake, the biggest lake in central
Arizona. Take U.S. 60 east past the small town of Miami, then Arizona 88
northwest to the lake. Details: 1-(928)-467-2245.
With so many mountains to hike, visit travel.azcentral.com
What kind of creepy-crawly things do I need to look out for?
Scorpions and rattlesnakes top the dangerous list. Tarantulas, roof rats, gecko
lizards, cockroaches, crickets, ants and termites top the icky but mostly
harmless list. This is the desert; most of these creepy-crawlies will find a way
into your home. My pup tries to eat any crickets he finds in the house while my
boyfriend is yelling, armed with a broom should the creepy attack. Desk: the
following sentence added. The Arizona Cooperative Extension Web site has
information and publications on all kinds of insects and pests,
• ag.arizona.edu
Who is "berto" and why does he have so many restaurants?
Call them the Valley's version of Taco Bell without the gimmicks. Filiberto's,
Hilberto's, Alberto's and anything ending in berto's or beto's are fast-food
Mexican restaurants, usually with a 24-hour drive-up window and booths or picnic
tables to eat at. The food is inexpensive, tasty and usually hits the spot.
Where do I find out more about X
Driver's license and registration: Call (602) 255-0072 or visit dot.state.az.us.
Voter registration: Call (602) 542-8683 or visit sosaz.com.
Pet license: Maricopa County Animal Care and Control, (602) 506-7387.
Schools: Visit education.azcentral.com.
Hospitals: Just a few of the better known:
• St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, (602) 406-3000;
• Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, (602) 239-2000;
• Mayo Clinic Hospital, (480) 515-6296;
• Arizona Heart Institute, (602) 266-2200.
Home telephone: The largest provider is Qwest, 1-800-244-1111, qwest.com.
Pages 3 to 7 of the residential white pages of the 2002 phone book list other
providers.
Post office: Locate the five nearest post offices to your work or home
at usps.gov.
Electricity: The Valley is split between two major providers, Arizona
Public Service (APS) and Salt River Project (SRP). Ask your landlord or real
estate agent which company serves your area. For APS, call (602) 371-7171 or
visit aps.com. For SRP, call
(602) 236-8888 or visit srpnet.com.
Gas: Call Southwest Gas (602) 861-1999 or 1-800-873-2440.
Where is the nearest mall?
• Arizona Mills, U.S. 60 and I-10, Tempe.
• Arrowhead Towne Center, 75th Avenue and Bell Road, Glendale.
• Biltmore Fashion Park, 24th Street and Camelback Road, Phoenix.
• Borgata of Scottsdale, Lincoln and Scottsdale roads, Scottsdale.
• Chandler Fashion Center, Chandler Boulevard and Loop 101, Chandler.
• Desert Ridge Marketplace, Loop 101 and Tatum Boulevard, Phoenix.
• Desert Sky Mall, 75th Avenue and Thomas Road, Phoenix.
• Fiesta Mall, U.S. 60 and Alma School Road, Mesa.
• Gainey Village, Scottsdale and Doubletree roads, Scottsdale.
• Kierland Commons, Greenway Parkway and Scottsdale Road, Phoenix.
• Metrocenter Mall, I-17 and Dunlap Avenue, Phoenix.
• Paradise Valley Mall, Cactus Road and Tatum Boulevard, Phoenix.
• Scottsdale Fashion Square, Camelback and Scottsdale roads.
• Spectrum Mall, Bethany Home Road and 19th Avenue, Phoenix.
• Superstition Springs Center, U.S. 60 and Power Road, Mesa.
Where can I catch a game or show?
Here are some popular venues:
America West Arena: Home to the Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Coyotes and
other big-name events, 201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. (602) 379-7800; americawestarena.com.
Bank One Ballpark: Home to the Arizona Diamondbacks, 401 E. Jefferson
St., Phoenix. (602) 514-8400; bankoneballpark.com.
Celebrity Theatre: 440 N. 32nd St., Phoenix. (602) 267-1600; celebritytheatre.com.
Cricket Pavilion: 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix. (602) 254-7599; cricket-pavillion.com.
Dodge Theatre: 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. (602) 379-2888; dodgetheatre.com.
Gammage Auditorium: Gammage Parkway and Mill Avenue, Tempe. (480)
965-3434.
Herberger Theater: 222 E. Monroe St., Phoenix. (602) 254-7399; herbergertheater.org.
Mesa Amphitheater: University Drive and Center Street. (480) 644-2560;
ci.mesa.az.us.
Orpheum Theatre: 203 W. Adams St., Phoenix. (602) 262-7272; phoenix.gov/STAGES/orpheum.html.
Symphony Hall: 225 E. Adams St., Phoenix. (602) 262-7272; phoenixsymphony.org.
Where can I see a jackalope?
You're kidding, right? Add jackalopes to the list of mystical, magical,
make-believe creatures roaming the wild West. While we're at it, let's debunk a
few more myths.
The longer you live in the Valley, the easier it is to tolerate the heat. Ha!
Like I told my family in Seattle, the heat doesn't bother me; I work inside all
day. It's the duration of the heat, the 100-plus degrees every single day for
100 days, ack.
• It's a dry heat. Friends from Kansas thought desert equals dry
heat. That is, until they visited during monsoon season, when the humidity kicks
in. Ick. In the summer, Phoenix's average humidity is less than 20.percent.
During monsoons, the humidity soars above 50 percent.
• Every day cowboys fight it out with American Indians while cows roam
the city streets dodging stagecoaches and tumbleweeds. It's 2003, people. If
you want to see cowboys, drive to Payson for the rodeo, held for the past 118
years in August and billed as the "world's oldest continuous rodeo."
If you want to stare at Native Americans (it's rude, but your prerogative),
drive to one of the casinos. Go play bingo. Or, take a look around. We're
everywhere. Arizona ranked third behind California and Oklahoma in the 2000
Census for Native American population. In all, close to 255,879 residents. Learn
more at indianaffairs.state.az.us
• Roadrunners cheep, "Beep, beep." Don't even go there.
By Sadie Jo Smokey
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 4, 2003
Karen, and Bill Beltz, GRI
