Food + Beverage

Downtown Chandler Farmers Market

Fresh Finds and Family Fun at the Revamped Downtown Chandler Farmers Market Article by Alison Stanton | Photography by Provided Fresh fruits and vegetables, grown by local farmers. Food trucks dishing out gourmet goodness. Artisan vendors, offering beautiful handcrafted items. A monthly Kids Day celebration on the first Saturday in May through October, with booths offering hands-on, family-friendly fun. These are just a small sample of the many amazing highlights of the Downtown Chandler...

Life + Culture

Capybaras & Connections

Ghost Ranch Exotics Offers a One-of-a-Kind Petting Zoo Experience Article by Micaela Camacho | Photography by Provided Just outside of Tucson, in the quiet town of Marana, there’s a place where kids can feed a porcupine, pet a capybara, and watch peacocks strut by while learning about animals from around the world. Ghost Ranch Exotics is a private zoo that offers something different: a hands-on, heartwarming experience designed for connection and education. “We wanted to build something where...

Education

Elephant Care Unchained

Chandler nonprofit helps captive elephants and the people who care for them around the world Article by Alison Stanton | Photography by Courtesy Steve Koyle From the time he was a young boy, Steve Koyle has loved elephants. Koyle’s interest in elephants inspired him to earn a degree in zoology, and it also led him to a job in 2002 at The Phoenix Zoo, where he worked as an elephant keeper. Around that time, Koyle heard tragic stories about captive elephants that were being mistreated. ...

Sports + Recreation

Basketball for Young Hoopers

The Ocotillo Village Health Club & Spa is Home to the Great Training X Village Basketball Program Article by Alison Stanton | Photography by Courtesy Ocotillo Village Health Club and Spa Kids and young teens who are looking to develop skills and build friendships as part of a basketball team are welcome to join the program at the Ocotillo Village Health Club & Spa. As Head Coach Tyree York, who also manages the Basketball Programming notes, the “Great Training X Village Basketball Program”...

Life + Culture

Kids & Their Pets

Meet These 4 Local Kids and Their Beloved Pets Article and Photography by Whether it’s waking up at 6 a.m. to feed goats, spending time training a puppy, taking a cat for a walk in a cat stroller, or feeding a dog out of their hand, these kids love their pets and the time the spend with them. In this story, we shine a spotlight on the sweet and heartwarming connections local kids share with their beloved pets.   Kendra Galaviz, 11 Pets: Luna, Daisy, and Taquito “Kendra is a natural...

Travel

Nearby Getaway

Saguaro Lake Guest Ranch Offers a Scenic Trip to a Simpler, Historic Time Article by Georgann Yara | Photography by Courtesy Saguaro Lake Guest Ranch Nestled in the Tonto National Forest, minutes from Saguaro Lake and all its natural attributes and unfettered access to the Salt River and its wildlife, the Saguaro Lake Guest Ranch is an idyllic oasis of peace and pristine beauty where nature fully flaunts all the assets of true Arizona desert living. And with all of these assets, the...

Style + Beauty

Summer Skin Care

Desert Eyesthetics Offers Helpful Tips to Keep Your Skin Healthy Article by Alison Stanton | Photography by Lindsay Borg Denise Garcia, M.D., oculofacial plastic surgeon and founder of Desert Eyesthetics, knows firsthand how important it is to take great care of one’s skin. “The medical side of my practice includes managing the aging-related issues that affect the eyelids and surrounding tissues, treating skin cancers, tearing, and thyroid eye disease, to name a few,” Garcia says of the...

Food + Beverage

Cool Cocktails

3 That Are Perfect for a Hot Summer Article by Michelle Glicksman | Photography by Courtesy The Mexicano When we were thinking about creative cocktails that are perfect for summer, one destination immediately sprung to mind—The Mexicano, which recently opened its second Valley location in Chandler. The locale not only has a build-your-own margarita bar but also is known for its inventive and tasty cocktail creations. The team there was happy to share these with us so that you can create them...

Travel

Summer Wines 101

Certified Sommelier Andrew McCreery Shares His Picks Article by Alison Stanton | Photography by Lindsay Borg Wine has always been a part of Andrew McCreery’s life. “I grew up in a formal household and every Sunday we would have a roast or leg of lamb with the wine to accompany it,” McCreery says. McCreery, who co-owns d’Vine Gourmet ( dVineGourmet.com ) and Boutique on Boston with his wife Denise, experienced his first grape harvest in Mainz Germany in 1985 when he was stationed there while...

Life + Culture

Mini and Mighty

Article by Georgann Yara | Photography by Courtesy Dwarf Car Museum When Ernie Adams was a kid in the 5-square mile town of Harvard, Nebraska, two brothers would drop off a batch of what they caught fishing that day. But what really caught his eye was the 1934 Ford two-door sedan they pulled up to the house in.  “They would drive up slowly and I saw those spokes in the wheel roll real slow,” Adams recalls. “I still see that in my mind today.”  Those images sparked the car creator’s lifelong...