By Bridgette M. Redman In a city known for its views, few can compete with those from the restaurants and rooms of the Marina del Rey Hotel. It’s one of the grand dames of the coastal town, having been built in 1964 and then being fully renovated in 2014. From the moment one turns down the dock leading to this waterfront hotel, everything is designed to transport guests to a coastal paradise, one where boat ...

By Summer Aguirre Tierra Madre Horse & Human Sanctuary is growing, and its latest expansion will incorporate programming for young people with autism. While the Cave Creek sanctuary’s purpose is to provide a forever home for disadvantaged horses, its team also aims to help humans navigate their personal challenges with the healing powers of its two dozen-plus equines. Tierra Madre’s youth programming, i ...

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Haley Reinhart looks back on “American Idol” fondly — especially her connection with fellow 10th season contestant Casey Abrams. Twelve years later, she’s still supporting Abrams, who has suffered from ulcerative colitis since he was young. Recently, he was hospitalized and underwent a lifesaving surgery that forced the removal of his entire colon. Abrams will recover, but he n ...

By Sue Kern-Fleischer In the heart of Cave Creek, two large Tamarisk trees provide more than shade. They are a symbol of new beginnings, strength and resilience. So, it was only fitting that a group of eight artists open The Finer Arts Gallery in the historic “Treehouse” building adjacent to the two trees. Pat Isaacson, a glass artist and one of the gallery’s eight co-owners, says The Finer Arts Gallery fir ...

By Josh Ortega After 12 years of preparation, country star Lainey Wilson says she’s finally entered the race, but the process was all a part of paying her dues. “They say Nashville is a 10-year town, and I truly believe it,” Wilson says. The Louisiana native saw the fruits of her labor in 2022, nabbing an armful of accolades including CMA Female Vocalist of the Year, CMA New Artist of the Year, ACM’s New Fe ...

By Joe McHugh  After record-breaking attendance in 2022, bringing in over 719,000 fans, the WM Phoenix Open is firing back up at TPC Scottsdale, in what should be its biggest tournament. With the Super Bowl in town the same weekend, all systems will be a go to bring the tournament to new heights. “We’re going to have probably 90,000 people per day at a minimum,” tournament Chairman Pat Williams says. “Certa ...

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski North Valley Symphony Orchestra will celebrate its past, present and future with Casino Musicale Gala, this year’s major fundraiser. The Saturday, February 25, benefit at the DoubleTree by Hilton Phoenix North will feature a welcome drink, silent auction, dinner, live music performances and casino-style gaming for $100. “Each year, our major fundraising gala gets more spectacul ...

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Speculation abounds about what the North Valley housing market will look like in 2023. When it comes to North Phoenix, North Scottsdale, Cave Creek and Carefree, the real estate landscape is drastically different from what was experienced during the pandemic-fueled market when home prices skyrocketed, competition was fierce between buyers and demand was sparse. “The housing mar ...

By Kamala Kirk Prior to moving to Arizona, Jennifer Keely would fly in from Chicago every year to attend the Waste Management Phoenix Open for her birthday. While staying at a hotel in 2020, a commercial came on that caught her attention — and ultimately changed her life. “At the time I was living in Chicago, and we would come out to Arizona to get some sunshine,” Keely says. “I was watching this ad featuri ...

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski The pandemic was tough for restaurants, and Geoff Stanisic can attest to that. The owner of build-your-own stir-fry concept YC’s Mongolian Grill says he is grateful that the industry has returned to some semblance of normalcy. “We’re just very grateful,” Stanisic says. “A lot of establishments didn’t make it out of COVID. We had some minor setbacks, but we circled the wagons an ...

By Christopher Elliott Joy Wills’ dishwasher doesn’t work. Her extended protection plan purchased through Lowe’s isn’t working either. It’s been six months — will she ever get a working appliance? Question: I’m having difficulty getting Lowe’s to honor the extended protection plan that we purchased on our GE dishwasher. I can’t get any power to the appliance. Despite numerous visits by technicians, checking ...

By C.A. Haire Audi offered to send us an A3 sport sedan to try for a week, so why say no? The base price is reasonable, with a tab of $35,000. But loaded up with all the optional goodies, it soars to a hefty $45,000. Either way, there is a drive control button that allows for comfort, dynamic, auto or individual modes of operation. The A3 has other controls that are a bit unusual. First is the transmission ...

By Summer Aguirre Veronique Munro aims to end dog homelessness one spray tan at a time. Munro — the founder and CEO of the sunless tanning company Infinity Sun — combined her business and passion for dogs and created her charity organization, Sprays for Strays. Having recently relocated to Scottsdale from Los Angeles, the nonprofit fundraises through the sunless tanning industry to benefit dog rescue progra ...

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Barrett-Jackson, The World’s Greatest Collector Car Auctions, hosts its annual flagship auction at WestWorld of Scottsdale each January, serving as the gateway to the Valley's event season. This year — like years past — Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Craig Jackson expects another incredible event with an enviable No Reserve collector car docket and a host of activities fo ...

By Summer Aguirre With the holiday season comes many festive, colorful lights, and the Valley isn’t lacking any shine this year. From Waddell to Gilbert, families all over Maricopa County can enjoy millions of lights glimmering on displays of snowmen, candy canes, reindeer and Christmas trees. Be sure to put on warm scarves and gloves for these wintery adventures. Arizona Lights in the Night To kick off the ...