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Councilman Greg Stanton's
North Central News Column
July 2005
Family Fun to be Found in Phoenix
You don't have to head to San Diego or drive to Arizona 's high country to find fun family activities to do this summer.
Staying in town can cut stress, save you money on gas and hotels, and even help Phoenix 's economy. Mayor Phil Gordon and I are strong supporters of local tourism and some of our best summer tourists are people who live right here in Phoenix.
From mountain hikes to wild animals, there's plenty in and around north central Phoenix to keep your entire family busy.
And if you plan it out right, you can even overcome the heat.
Start early in the morning with a hike in the Phoenix Mountain Preserves, perhaps even scaling one of the city's best-known landmarks, the 2,608-foot Piestewa Peak . You can see its rocky pinnacle from many parts of the city. The 1.2-mile route to the summit from the park off Glendale Avenue near 22 nd Street is the most popular hiking trail in the area. Hiking tips are available at phoenix.gov/parks. Due to the heat, plan your hike for early morning or early evening, bring plenty of water, wear sunscreen, and only expect to make it to the top if you hike regularly.
If you're looking for wild animal adventures, the Phoenix Zoo on Galvin Parkway just off Van Buren Street is the place to visit. The Zoo has more than 1,000 wild creatures, from tiny geckos to giant giraffes. It opens daily at 7 a.m. and runs special summer night activities each Friday through the end of July. Call 602-273-1341 or visit
www.phoenixzoo.org to find out more.
Just north of the Zoo and in the heart of beautiful Papago Park, you'll find the spacious Desert Botanical Garden, which features one of the world's finest collections of desert plants and 139 rare and endangered plant species from around the world. It opens daily at 7 a.m. for early morning guests and stays open until 8 p.m. for evening visits. A call to 480-941-1225 or a visit to
www.desertbotanical.org will get you more information.
The city's Parks and Recreation Department also offers a variety of family activities, including organized sports, swimming lessons, golf lessons, and arts and museum programs. Kids even golf for free at the city's three par three courses, Aguila, Encanto and Palo Verde, when a paying adult joins them. Visit phoenix.gov/parks for a full lineup of Parks and Recreation activities.
If you want to get your dog involved in some summer fun, too, you can visit one of the city's four dog parks, including PETsMART Dog Park at Washington Park on 23 rd Avenue , south of Glendale Avenue . It's open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily and features more than two acres of grass surface divided into separately fenced areas for large and small dogs.
And for cooling down, the city offers 29 public pools, which are open daily from noon to 8 p.m. To find a pool near you or check on swimming lessons, call 602-534-SWIM (7946) or visit phoenix.gov/parks.
For indoor fun, the city's 14 libraries offer a variety of activities for families. Adults will find a great collection of daily newspapers and magazines, and computers with Internet access. For children and teens there are story times and two reading contests – “Read Your Way to the Ballpark” and “Shut Up and Read.” The kids can win prizes for reading.
Among the libraries offering special summer programs are Acacia at 750 E. Townley Ave. (just south of Dunlap Avenue), Yucca at 5648 N. 15 th Ave. (south of Bethany Home Road) and, of course, Burton Barr Central Library at 1221 N. Central Ave. (south of McDowell Road). Call 602-262-4636 or visit phoenixpubliclibrary.org for more information.
So, if you're sticking around north central Phoenix this summer, just look around and you'll find plenty of things for everyone in your family to do. Enjoy.
Phoenix City Councilman Greg Stanton represents north central Phoenix. If you have any questions about any issues, please feel free to call Councilman Stanton's office at 602-262-7491, e-mail greg.stanton@phoenix.gov or visit phoenix.gov/district6.
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