Posted by David Porter on November 27, 2010 · 1 Comment
One of the stated missions of The Roaming Boomers™ is to unearth fun things to do and share them with you. Here’s five wonderful holiday events in Phoenix and Scottsdale that we think you will really enjoy.
Phoenix Zoo Lights
- 3.5 million lights, 600 displays, 12 weeks to set up.
- Starts Nov 25th ~ $12 weekends/$10 weekdays, children under 2 free.
Las Noches de Las Luminarias at Desert Botanical Garden
- 8,000 hand-lit luminarias, warm cup of cider, the sounds of handbells ringing and Dickens Carolers.
- Starts Dec 9th ~ $25 for adults, $12.50 for children (ages 3-12) (children under three are admitted free).
Snow-capped Gingerbread Village – Four Seasons Scottsdale
- 20 gingerbread houses, a working train, free hot roasted chestnuts, steaming apple cider, and local school choirs.
- Dec 7th & 8th – Dec 14th &15th (Friday & Saturday Nights), 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. ~ Free to the public.
4-Story Tree Lighting w/ American Idol’s Scott MacIntryre – Fairmont Scottsdale Princess
- Phoenix Boys Choir, American Idol’s Scott MacIntrye, Tree Lighting, and Santa
- November 30th @ 6:00 p.m. ~ Free to the public.
Phoenix Symphony – Home for the Holidays
- Conductor Bob Moody in a Santa hat, ASU choir, and a lot of toe-tapping holiday favorites.
- Dec 3rd, 4th (two concerts), and 5th ~ Tickets start at $18.
Posted by David Porter on November 24, 2010 · Leave a Comment
The Phoenix Zoo Lights holiday event draws 270,000 people, has over 3.5 million lights, nearly 600 displays, and takes 12 weeks to install. Wow! We can’t wait to go. Stay tuned!
Posted by David Porter on November 23, 2010 · 1 Comment
We are greatly looking forward to spending a few nights at The Lodge at Sedona while we are in town for the Perfect Pairings Gourmet Getaway in Sedona. The lodge has a long string of industry awards and specializes in pampering their guests for an “Unforgettable Sedona, AZ Bed and Breakfast Experience”. Can’t wait!
Posted by David Porter on November 23, 2010 · 2 Comments
Carmel Valley, California -The wines of the Monterey wine country are very unique. Why? I’m glad you asked.
Here’s this from the Monterey County Vintners and Growers Association:
“Monterey Wine Country is home to the Blue Grand Canyon™. The Monterey Canyon begins at Moss Landing, in the middle of Monterey Bay, and extends approximately 95 miles into the Pacific Ocean. The canyon’s bottom is about 2 miles below the surface, making it comparable in depth to the Grand Canyon. This has a significant impact on the growing areas, the wind pattern, the constant and predictable weather throughout the County, and the coolness of the region in northern to central Monterey Wine Country.
In addition, the Thermal Rainbow™ is a leading factor in the 42 varietals that are grown throughout the County. The factors of the Thermal Rainbow™ are both geographical and time dependent. At the start of the day temperatures are consistent from the Monterey Bay all the way to Southern Monterey County, usually in the low 50’s. The marine influence, driven by the sun, is the determining factor in the temperature variances across this vast region. As the day progresses all areas experience a warming effect due to the sun. As the sun goes down, the region reverts to cooler temperatures quickly. Like guests at a vast coastal spa, this allows Monterey’s grapes to luxuriate in just-right conditions. Superb soils. Warm sunshine. Cool ocean breezes. The result is a slow and leisurely ripening – up to 6O days longer than other wine growing regions.”
It’s early Sunday afternoon, it’s a cloudy and rainy day in Carmel Valley, California and we do a bit of group think: what shall we do?
Simultaneously, a four-point counterpoint rose in the air: Wine tasting!
As we were spending three nights at the Bernardus Lodge (our review), we figured we should make our first stop at the Bernardus Winery (pictured right).
We sampled Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Marinus (a Bordeaux blend), and Pinot Noir. Personally, we loved the Marinus and Pinot Noir. In fact, we came home with a case full. We’ve even got a special ’05 Marinus tucked away for a special day when this very website hits a particular benchmark.
Our second stop was Joullian vineyards.
We sampled Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon…plus Carmel Valley’s first Zinfandel. We walked out with a nice stash of Zin! YUM!
For our last stop, we dropped in to visit Talbott Vineyards. There we sampled Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Guess what? We walked out with a very nice Pinot Noir.
Although we limited our wine-tasting tour to three vineyards, the charming little town of Carmel Valley has many more tasting rooms to offer. Here’s a wonderful on-line brochure complete with maps from the Carmel Valley Chamber of Commerce to guide you on your way.
Enjoy and don’t drink too much! 🙂
The Roaming Boomers
