Why I love Phoenix!

<-- At the State Fair with my friend 2008.

Hi, My name is Paige. I am 19 yrs old, a Sophmore here at ASU working on my Teaching degree (aiming for 4th grade). I have lived in Laveen, Arizona all my life. I live

in an area where there are farms and I guess you could say I live on one includi

ng horses to chickens, a protective German Shepherd and two gopher killing cats. I travelled to many states when I was younger. My family travels during the summer to Imperial Beach, San Diego, California every year (this summer we didn't). I don't travel to many places but when it comes to helping my mother (She is a professional Photographer) I go to some wonderful places. Phoenix is a great place to live with all the fun and exciting things to do. Besides the weather in the summer time being hot and the crazy monsoons Phoenix is a great place to be.

<-- At Scottsdale Civic Center 2008.

<---- At the Renaissance Festival with my friend in 2007

#1 Night Spot: Gateway Pavillions

Gateway Pavillions is a great place to go to at night when you want to just hang out. You can go to a restuarant such as Native New Yorker or Peter Piper Pizza to enjoy some games and even go to the theater to catch a movie.

Why I love Gateway Pavillions

This is a great place to hang out with friends and be with family. I like coming here to see a movie and play games at Peter Piper Pizza. I like walking to the Starbucks and catching a bite to eat at McDonalds. Sometimes I would like to enjoy walking into one of the technology stores (I don't remember the name, I believe it closed) to buy a CD or Movie. But there is other stores as well like Game Stop (next to Starbucks) and even Costco.

Here is more information on Gateway Pavillions

*******This link is to Harkins Theater with reviews, however, this is in an area where there are lots of stores and restaurants to go to.*******

#2 Night Spot: The Buzz

The Buzz is a night club in North Scottsdale. It is a place for 18 and up age group. This is a great club to bring a group of friends to and dance the night away.

Why I love The Buzz

I love The Buzz because I can hang out with my friends and my own age group. There are two floors one downstairs for the under 21 and the upstairs for 21 and up. I love dancing to the music and hanging out with my friends. On Friday and Saturday nights around ten more people start to show up on the dance floor. It is a great way to make new friends and meet new people. And, for $10/ girls for 4hrs of dancing is pretty good.

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#3 Night Spot: Glendale Glitters

Glendale Glitters is a wonderful event to attend during Christmas time. There are beautiful Christmas Lights, vendors, Santa for the kids, and a Christmas Show. This is a wonderful event to take the family to.

Why I love Glendale Glitters

I love Glendale Glitters because I can enjoy a pleasant evening with my family. This is a great event that is brought up during the Christmas season. My family usually goes to the Mexican restuarant across the street for dinner then some walking around afterwards. With a nice hot chocolate in hand from a vendor to help keep warm during the night. I enjoy watching the Christmas show that have young children starring in them and you can watch them dance. There is even Santa for the kids and horse carriages too.

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#4 Night Spot: Great Skate

Great Skate is a wonderful place to relax and have fun with your friends.

Why I love Great Skate

I love Great Skate because I can hang out with friends and have fun teaching much to skate. I love hanging out here to get even exercise as I skate around. The food is very tasty as well. I like coming here at night to listen to my favorite tunes and skate around and even make new friends.

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#5 Night Spot: Brunswick Bowling

Brunswick bowling is great to have fun with the whole family and spend time with friends. There is Cosmic Bowling in which at night you go bowling and the lights are turned off and the white light is on.

Why I love Brunswick bowling

I love going here at night with friends because you can enjoy yummy food and listen to great music as you bowl. The whole family can enjoy a great time here at Brunswick. You rent out some shoes and pick out your bowling ball or even bring your own.

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#1 Valley Attraction: Diamond Backs- Chase Field

Diamond Backs are Arizona's baseball team. They play at Chase Field in Downtown Phoenix just down the street from Heritage Square and the Arizona Science Center. Arizona Diamond Backs are great to watch for entertainment during the summer.

Why I love the Arizona Diamond Backs

I love the Diamond Backs. Ever since my step father introduced me to them and the sport of baseball I have been a huge fan. I will be honest and say I don't know all the names of the players but I just love sitting and watching the game. The Chase field has delisious food to enjoy while you watch the game. There is even a place for the kids to play games at Peter Piper Pizza. Also, there is Baxter's (Mascot) Den as well. This is a great place for the whole family and spend time together having fun.

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#2 Valley Attraction: South Mountain Park

South Mountain is a great place to enjoy a nice hike, bike ride, horse back riding, or even a romantic getaway to have a pinic. It has an amazing view of the city especially around sunset.

Why I love South Mountain

I love South Mountain because of the amazing view you can see of the city. Like I said before, My mother is a photographer and I came along as she took pictures of an engagement couples, young children and even Seniors (High School). I did actually go here for Fourth of July this year with my boyfriend. It was great to see many firework shows at the same time for free. South Mountain has hiking and bike trails, and you can even horse back ride. South Moutain is a good place to go with friends to hang out or even to spend alone.

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#3 Valley Attraction: Sun Splash

Golfland Sun Splash is a great attraction to go to during the summer when the weather is hot. You can go here and hang out with your family and friends. It is a good place to enjoy a swim and ride a tube down the slides.

Why I love Sun Splash

First, Sun Splash is fun to cool down when the weather is over 100 degrees. Second, this is a great place to bring a group of friends and family to enjoy the big wave pool and the tube rides. I actually went here over the summer with a girlfriend of mine and it was just the two of us. They changed the Wave pool to letting only a certain number of people in there. You have to stand in line for just a few minutes though. It is totally worth it. Even though lots of people are at this place it is worth the wait to stand in lines. There is even a kiddie pool that small children can enjoy. They are even open at night (I would say more for the pre-teens to college students).

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#4 Valley Attraction: Castles 'N' Coasters

Castles 'N' Coasters is a great place for young children to have fun especially for birthday parties. Young children to teen can ride from the Desert Storm to Bumper cars to Splashdown to the Sea Dragon and More. They even half miniature golf and Aracade games you can play. This is not like Disneyland/Disney world. It is a much smaller park.

Why I love Castles 'N' Coasters

I remember having birthday parties 2 yrs in a row here. It is an amazing place. I went here with a friend for her birthday last year and they added a new ride called the Sky Diver. It goes all the way to the top and drops down really fast. I love Castle's N Coasters because it is a great place to have fun and enjoy a theme park that isn't as crowded as Disneyland. It is fun for the whole family. My favorite rides here are the Sea Dragon, the bumper cars, and the Magic Carpet.

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#5 Valley Attraction: Arizona Mills Mall

Arizona Mills mall is a great place to bring the family, hang out with friends, shop, and enjoy some food.

Why I love Arizona Mills

I love Arizona Mills mall because it is a great place to hang out with my friends, go to the movies and enjoy some shopping. I like going here because it is the closest mall to where I live and most people go here, I even see classmates that I went to High School with. This is a pretty well known mall. Just recently new stores have been included. In the mall there are also some restaurants you can go to eat at including the RainForest Cafe, 5 in dinner, Johnny Rockets, and Garcia's.

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#6 Valley Attraction: Desert Botantical Gardens

The Desert Botantical Gardens is a wonderful environment to learn about the desert. It great to understand and view the nature that we have here in Arizona. The Botantical Garden has from the beautiful plants to the animals such as butterflies and hummingbirds to observe as you enjoy a stroll around the garden. Make sure to wear walking shoes and lots of water.

Why I love the Botantical Garden

I love the Botantical garden because of the beautiful plant and animal life you are able to observe. I actually haven't seen as many hummingbirds as I do here (because of all the flowers). And again, I have been here with my mother to assist her in taking photographs of young children in the gardens of extrodinary flowers. One day we had made a mistake in meeting a client here and my mother and I actually stayed to observe the Botantical Garden. The Chihuly: The Nature of Glass was a wonderful piece throughout the garden. It was very spectactular to think a man made all these amazing glass artworks and were put together wonderfully in the Botantical Garden.



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#7 Valley Attraction: The Phoenix Zoo

The Phoenix Zoo is a great place for the whole family. Make sure to bring your walking shoes and bottled water. This a wonderful learning environment for the kids and to have fun. You can even feed some of the animals.

Why I love the Phoenix Zoo

The Phoenix Zoo is a great place to observe the animal life that are in the wild. I love the Phoenix Zoo because I can enjoy the experience of wild animals and learn about there habitats. This is great place to even have a wedding. I enjoy the relaxation of the zoo and shade of the trees. I just recently went here with a friend and her family, I really miss being a little kid. But even though I am an adult I still enjoyed looking at all the animals.

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#8 Valley Attraction: Arizona Science Center

The Arizona Science Center is great for the whole family. Here at the Science Center you will enjoy a fun and educational experience. This is in the same area as Heritage Square, if you visit one you should go to the other.

Why I Love The Arizona Science Center

I love the Science Center because I learned alot from going to the exhibits and the many exhibits that will come. You can enjoy hands on interaction as well as watch flicks in the big theater rooms. I hope to bring my children here and my students here to learn about Science and even amazing exhibits such as Star Trek (I saw this in San Diego at a similar place...after we had returned from San Diego it was here in Phx. How Ironic!). The last exhibit I had seen was with my parents, it was called "The Body World" . I enjoyed learning about all the muscles and different parts of the human body. I love the Arizona Science Center because it is a great learning environment not only for me but my friends and family.

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#9 Valley Attraction: Heritage Square

Heritage Square is a great place to explore and SHOP! There are small shops, cafe's and yummy food as well as a wonderful history behind it.

Why I Love Heritage Square

I personally haven't really been here to just be here and browse but I have been there enough to know what it's all about. My mother is a photography and most of the time when there were young children or an engagement couple being photographed it was here at Heritage Square. My mother, step father and I went to the Pizzeria restaurant after a shoot one time and oh boy was it delicious. You could actually watch them make the pizza, and they didn't have what you see at Peter Piper in a regular oven but an actually brick oven they made the pizza in. This a beautiful an wonderful historical venue. This is great place to even have a wedding at.

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#10 Valley Attraction: Lake Pleasant

Lake Pleasent is a wonderful place to hang out with friends and family. It is the best place to go to in the summer time. You can enjoy gliding on the lake in a speed boat, fishing, camping, swimming and hiking.

Why I love Lake Pleasant?

I like Lake Pleasant because I am able to be with family on certain holidays to get together. A family member has connections and we are able to be on either side of the lake. One side has this house or mini hotel you could say (I'm not sure what you would call it) and on the other is the camp side with RV's and families camping out. Most of the time you can see kids jumping off this dock. Lake Pleasant is a place to relax, enjoy time with family members and friends.

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