Jupiter Rising   The largest planet in our Solar System dominates spring skies. By Steve Kates   The night skies of Arizona are above for your viewing and enjoyment. We’re lucky to be located in this most amazing location, where the dark of the night sky is just a short drive away. April offers us some amazing treats in the sky. This is the month of Jupiter, the king of the planets. Jupiter is the larg ...

Dr. Mom  Jennifer Geoghegan, M.D., balances motherhood and a growing medical practice. By Michelle Talsma Everson   Geoghegan knows a thing or two about the balancing act it takes to be a working mom. A board certified plastic surgeon, Geoghegan is the owner of Oasis Plastic Surgery in Scottsdale, where she offers cosmetic services alongside both plastic and reconstructive surgery options. At Oasis Pla ...

Ballet Barre Workout Achieve a long and lean dancer’s body with postures inspired by ballet, yoga, and Pilates. By Kim Miller and Shannon Dougherty     If you’ve never tried a ballet barre workout, now is the time. People are often intimidated by ballet barre, especially if they don’t have a background in dance. However, barre workouts are really designed for anyone interested in trying and they can al ...

Gerry Jones Designer of first Carefree home is still developing mountain homes into his 90s. By David M. Brown     When Gerry Jones arrived here, Carefree wasn’t Carefree. The well-known architectural designer and developer, now in his 90s, came to the foothills area north of Scottsdale just after the Korean War, when he had trained U.S. Marines in judo and survival techniques. Before this, he had ...

While Carefree and Cave Creek are often synonymous, Cave Creek was established first, before Arizona was declared a state. Carefree came later. Offering scenic views of Black Mountain, this foothills town is 28.2 square miles. Established along “the Military Road,” a trail between Camp McDowell and Fort Whipple, Cave Creek earned its moniker when cavalry soldiers noticed a large cave butting up to the creek ...

Coup des Tartes French-inspired restaurant serves up delectable dishes. By Andrew Leach Take a trip to a more refined era at Coup des Tartes, Arizona’s longest running, award-winning French-inspired restaurant. Here, the food is delicious and the atmosphere is warm and welcoming. Housed in a 1922 house situated on a one-acre lot, it has a quaint, romantic outdoor patio cooled by old shade trees and lush gre ...

Improved Vision Dr. Julie Lam on how to eliminate nearsightedness with the Gentle Vision Shaping System.   The Gentle Vision Shaping System (GVSS) uses specially designed vision retainers to gently and gradually reshape the front surface of the eye (the cornea) to eliminate or reduce nearsightedness (myopia) or astigmatism. The principle is similar to the use of a dental retainer used by an orthodontis ...

Getting Crafty  Writer Kristin Caliendo tries out the latest DIY trend. Are you tired of doing the same old thing on date night or girl’s night out? Maybe you’ve wanted to put a different twist on an upcoming birthday party, a wedding anniversary, or a bachelorette party. If so, than a Board and Brush Creative Studio outing may be just what you’re looking for. I recently attended the grand opening weekend o ...

What to Read in March  By Julie Carlson   THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD By Colson Whitehead Throughout history there have been countless stories about the Underground Railroad, from the real-life legacy of Harriet Tubman to WGN's TV series, Underground. Author Colson Whitehead, whose previous work includes the bestselling novel Zone One, which focused on a post-apocalyptic world of zombies, brings us the st ...

Springtime Essentials  Seven must haves for bettering your home, life, style, and health. By Nadine Bubeck Get a good night’s sleep by updating your mattress. Phoenix-based Tuft & Needle offers one style of mattress made with special foam. The mattress is conveniently delivered in a small box (shipped free of charge), and easily unfolds within seconds. Comfortably equipped with a high quality support la ...

The Nifty 50s  State historian Marshall Trimble looks back at a decade worth remembering.  The Nifty ’50s spawned bomb shelters, drive-in movies, Hula Hoops, rock and roll music, car hops, McDonalds, Little League baseball, and Elvis. In 1950, Arizona had a population of 750,000 residents; the city of Phoenix covered only 17 square miles and had a population of 107,000. Scottsdale’s residents numbered 2,000 ...

On the Mark  Improve your putting stroke with this simple exercise. By Scott Sackett We all want to make more putts and do so from every length. There are many theories out there regarding how to improve your putting stroke and drills that help with distance or directional control. What I’ve found is there isn’t a whole lot in putting you can take from the practice green out to the course that will help rig ...

A New Cadenza For those interested in the function of a luxury sedan with the low-key practicality of a Kia, the Cadenza is a compelling option, details auto writer Greg Rubenstein.   Just over three years ago, North Valley Magazine featured a review of Kia’s then all-new Cadenza flagship. For 2017, Kia has launched its second-generation Cadenza, demonstrating maturity of both the product and this Sout ...

Designed by You Kingdom is changing the bike business, one option at a time. By Bradley Callow In a world where social media companies like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter are thriving as the result of creating their own consumer driven cultures, businesses with more physical products are moving to do the same. Startup entrepreneurs and established businesses alike are trying to create products t ...

California Fresh  Long Beach is emerging as the hip, fresh, urban alternative for SoCal adventures. By Sondra Barr Long Beach isn’t Los Angeles. It’s not Orange County either. It’s somewhere decidedly different and a heck of a lot cooler than you’d expect––literally and figuratively. Just a quick flight from Phoenix (FYI, the Long Beach Airport was named one of the 10 most beautiful airports by the BBC), it ...