Off Road Amp up your overall fitness with trail running. By Kim Miller and Shannon Dougherty Photos by Stephanie Heymann Photography Trail running is an excellent way to nurture one’s physical and mental fitness abilities. Getting off the roads and venturing through nature can transform both the body and the mind. For those new to trail running, start with shorter runs and don’t be afraid to combine running ...

Ask Dirk A guy’s perspective on matters of the heart and home.     Dirk, I have been having trouble with a guy I work with. He is always harassing me with terrible puns and repeating the same jokes over and over again, week after week. It’s incessant. It's driving me nuts. He thinks it’s funny but it really just gets on my nerves and disrupts the office. This particular gent walks into the office ...

Tutti Santi  Authentic Italian food and service await at iconic Scottsdale restaurant. By Nadine Bubeck Photos by Stellar Photography When I first heard Leonardo Zacchino voice, it brought me back to my babymoon in Florence. I visited Italy nearly 20 weeks pregnant, and upon touching ground in the breathtaking country, I felt a sense far-far away, taken aback by the rich culture and magnificent history. Whe ...

Un Jour En France Antique store represents an American dream come true. By Sondra Barr Cave Creek is about as Western a town as you’ll find anywhere in this day and age, which is exactly what appealed to Richard and Isabelle Martin when they were looking for a spot to open Un Jour En France. The French natives grew up enamored with John Ford Western movies and everything Americana. And, it was during their ...

Bands to Brides From the music industry to the wedding scene, photographer Chadwick Fowler makes art for a lifetime of enjoyment and beyond. By Sondra Barr   In early 2000, photographer Chadwick Fowler never envisioned he’d be creating wedding art. He was too busy taking tour photos and shooting record covers for some of the biggest rock bands of the era including Limp Bizkit, Puddle of Mudd, and Korn. ...

  APRIL   2 & 3 Head to the Repticon Phoenix Reptile & Exotic Animal Show featuring vendors offering reptile pets, supplies, feeders, cages, and merchandise, in addition to live animal seminars. This is an educational, family-oriented event for everyone. Doors open at 10 a.m. $10. Arizona State Fairground Wesley Bolin Building, 1826 W. McDowell Rd. repticon.com/phoenix.html   3 Ladies don your ...

Water Works Bartlett Lake Marina offers boating fun close to home. By Michelle Talsma Everson Located less than 50 miles from downtown Phoenix and 17 miles northeast of Carefree, Bartlett Lake offers a boating surface area of 2,815 acres—more than Canyon Lake and Saguaro Lake combined, according to the staff at Bartlett Lake Marina. The popular marina is home to the only boat club in the Southwest and sever ...

#LoveUp Radio star Johnjay Van Es puts his fame towards good. By Nadine Bubeck Every morning Johnjay Van Es gets in his car at 4:03 a.m. The A-list Valley radio personality looks forward to his peaceful drive to work before the sun comes up; it gives him time to pray to whoever’s listening, thanking his lucky stars for his wife, children, job, and many blessings. Van Es has made quite a name for himself as ...

2016 Kia Sedona SXL  This seemingly routine minivan is anything but mundane and offers a whole lot more than meets the eye, says auto writer Greg Rubenstein. If there’s any doubt this year’s vehicles aren’t the hippest, safest, and cushiest ever made, a few minutes looking around and inside Kia’s 2016 Sedona will convince you. This seemingly routine minivan is anything but mundane, chock full of goodies onc ...

[caption id="attachment_1958" align="alignleft" width="198"] OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA[/caption] Cornish Miners and Tommyknockers The perils of gold mining led to the stuff of legends––some real and some imagined. By Marshall Trimble The rocky wilderness of the American West turned out to be the richest treasure trove of natural resources in the history of the civilized world. And the chance to get rich quick ...

Mark your calendars for Saturday, May 21st as North Valley Symphony Orchestra will perform their final concert of the season titled “American Freedoms.” The concert is a celebration of the freedoms guaranteed by our country, which will feature composer Robert Russell-Bennett’s The Four Freedoms. This piece was inspired by Franklin D. Roosevelt's famous 1941 speech, and the four Norman Rockwell paintings dep ...

Spring Cleaning 101 From an epic house-cleaning playlist to cleaning your home naturally, Kristin Caliendo makes spring-cleaning easy breezy.   You shouldn’t feel defined by whether or not your windows shine, but it’s hard not to judge your own housekeeping skills when trying to stay ahead of the gunk and grime that inevitably comes with having kids. I’ve found that being a step ahead of the mess helps ...

Chilaquiles Mama G. (aka Leann Grunwald) makes yesterday's tortillas today’s breakfast. Yesterday’s tortillas are today’s breakfast with chilaquiles, crispy golden fried tortillas, softened to absorb the spicy liquid of whatever delicious chili sauce they are immersed in. The beauty of chilaquiles lies in the incredible versatility of the dish. Although the basic ingredients consist of tortillas and sauce, ...

The Casitas at Maravilla Scottsdale A new approach to resort retirement living awaits. Elegant, yet functional, warm and inviting, replete with exceptional resort-style amenities and services—a new approach to retirement living has arrived. Welcome to the Casitas at Maravilla Scottsdale. The perfect option for those seeking privacy in a resort retirement setting, the Casitas redefine spacious, single-level ...

The Spirit of Discovery Gateway Canyons Resort & Spa is the ultimate escape for travelers seeking adventure, relaxation, and rejuvenation. By Sondra Barr Your starting point: Sky Harbor Airport. That’s where intrepid Arizona travelers begin their journey to one of Colorado’s best-kept (but not for long) secrets––Gateway Canyons Resort & Spa. One of the top 100 resorts in the world, according to Cond ...