TRANSIT REPORT: Phoenix, Arizona

Picture courtesy of Wikimedia

Ixnayonthetimmay under CC BY-SA 1.0 license

Spend a few days in the Phoenix, Arizona area and one thing will be apparent…this place is huge!  What looks like it might be just down the street on a map can end up being twenty miles or more when you drive it.

This kind of sprawl makes public transit quite a challenge…a challenge that the Phoenix area is still trying, with various degrees of success, to meet.

Valley Metro is a conglomeration of various regional and city transit systems all working under one consolidated umbrella.  Mostly buses, a light rail component was added in 2008 running from Tempe/Mesa to north of downtown Phoenix.  It also serves the Sky Harbor Airport.

 

LIGHT RAIL – There are 27 stations on the route.  An airport shuttle will transport you to the nearby station there.  It mainly travels down the center of streets so it’s more like a street car in some respects.  An extension to the Metrocenter Mall, north of downtown Phoenix is under construction.

Picture courtesy of Flickr

Nick Bastian under CC BY-ND 2.0 license

LINK – This is a rapid-bus system that uses long, articulated buses on very limited stop service.  Buses have stoplight override capabilities and the stops themselves have “next bus arriving in” signs letting you know how long until the next bus shows up. 

LINK runs from Gilbert and Mesa in the east and from Chandler in the south to the Sycamore/Main St. Transit Center at the eastern edge of Tempe.  Click here for a route map and brochure of the LINK system.

BUS – Local, express, and limited stop bus services makes up service to the rest of the more than 2,000 square miles of the metropolitan area.  Express routes have route numbers in the 500’s. 

Click here for a route map of the system.

Fares are $1.75 for local buses and light rail.  $2.75 for express bus services.  A day pass is $3.50 if you buy before you get on board, $5.25 if you don’t.  Disabled passengers pay $.85 for local and light rail, $1.75 for a day pass.

All Metro services are accessible for wheelchairs and other disabilities.  For more information, visit valleymetro.org.

Picture courtesy of Wikimedia

Ixnayonthetimmay under CC BY-SA 1.0 license

Like our Videos? Want the Camera?

Sorry for this brief interruption...

Athough we use both the Flip and the Kodak HD Digital cameras for our videos, it is the Kodak that has proven more versatile over time...and now it's on sale!  If you'd like one, click the link above and, at no extra charge to you (heck, you'll get it at a big discount), this site gets a small comission.

Click soon before the sale ends...now back to our regular blogging.

Thanks.

Best of 2010 - Foods

Let's finish off our Best Of awards with the best foods we ate last year...

First, no change here, the best tacos we've had were at Los Tacos de Huicho in Bakersfield.  Tender slabs of pork, stacked up on a vertical spit with a big, sweet onion on top, slowly rotate and cook to provide the best al pastor tacos you've ever had.  At 99 cents, what a bargain too!  Tim also says they make some of the best fries he's ever had.  My wife says the fish tacos are to die for while I'll always get a couple of tacos de tripas to go with my al pastor.  All of us also love the sopes, thick bowls of masa served with meat, beans, cheese and cream. Served plain, you finish it off with their awesome salsa bar featuring their delectable, creamy, and spicy guacamole salsa. 

PIZZA! This is a hard choice.  Our picks may seem like heresy to some, but our favorites are in our hometown area of Los Angeles, California. Three pizza parlors make our top three, all very worthy contenders...Casa Bianca in Eagle Rock, Tony's Little Italy in Placentia, and Joey's Red Devil Pizza in La Verne.  Casa Bianca makes a mean thin crust pizza topped with their fennel-infused homemade sausage but have some quirky, customer unfriendly policies...they don't open until 4pm; they're closed Sundays and Mondays; they take many long vacations; there is almost no parking; and it's cash only.


Tony's has the very friendly Tony Sr. and Tony Jr. running things.  They're open everyday, take credit cards, offer acres of parking, and make a Chicago deep-dish style pizza you'd think was flown in from the Windy City that afternoon.  At almost 1,000 calories a slice, it's good...very good...but it has to be a rare treat.


Just nudging out Tony's for our top spot is Joey's, next to an empty supermarket on the corner of Wheeler and Foothill in the really good pizza city of La Verne on the eastern edge of L.A. County.  Thin crust, flowing with melted cheese and sauce...we get the pepperoni, sausage, and American bacon pizza...these babies are the bomb!  Other items worth getting are the pizza crust bread sticks (not on the menu) that are wrapped around jalapeno peppers and cheese and the very excellent penne carbonara infused with garlic and bacon.  Get some Roland's sauce, a fiery hot pepper and vinegar potion made on the premises by Joey's mom, on the side.  It is also not on the menu but ask and you shall receive.

Barbecue.  This one's easy.  Go right now to Kansas City.  Find a Gate's restaurant.  Order the burnt ends sandwich.  Enter barbecue heaven.

Jalapeno poppers.  Thick, 5-6 inch long peppers.  Stuffed with ricotta.  Wrapped in bacon.  Smoked for two hours over oak wood.  Incredibly delicious.  This awesome piece of flavor is on the appetizer menu at The Dancing Bear restaurant in the old Plymouth Hotel in Plymouth, California in the heart of the Motherlode.

Hot dog, we went to a lot of ballparks last year and ate an astonishing array of tube steaks.  The best were the Hungarian sausages we made at home using the great sausages made at Huntington Meats at the L.A. Farmer's Market.  Outside of home, however, I have to give the nod to the Dinger Dog, available at Raley Field in Sacramento, home of the River Cats baseball team.

A half-pound, perfectly seasoned, natural casing sausage in a bun that can stand up to it.  Huge, snappy, and delicious...it's served plain and you load up with the ballpark's condiments.  It's not cheap at $9 but is big enough for two, I shared the sausage pictured with Tim and we were both full afterward.


That's our food finds for 2010!  Have a great and appetizing New Year.


-Darryl

THE COCKTAIL HOUR: Holiday Spirits

What were we drinking this holiday season here at The World on Wheels?  Well, watch and see.

Watch the Video!

Christmas Eve found us with family and friends as we sampled a variety of tequilas.  From what one person termed "rubbing alcohol" to the nectar of the Gods, we had quite a range of tastes.  Also, for this group of tequila drinkers, we tried two very good zinfandels from Story Winery.


Check out the video for our reactions and recommendations.  


Happy New Year from The World on Wheels!


-Darryl

BEST OF 2010: Winery and Brewery

Travel should be fun!  One way we like to have fun on vacation is to visit local vintners and breweries to see what great wines and beers we can try.  Sometimes, we have gone on a trip just to try the wines, like we did in Napa Valley and Amador County last year.  Here are our picks for the best winery and brewery we went to last year:

Story Winery makes some great zinfandels.  I really like their Red Passion Zin and their Miss Zin which is a 50/50 blend of zinfandel and mission grapes.  While this is all well and good, visiting Story Winery takes the experience to a whole new level.  


It takes some persistence to find this little tasting room, in an old miner's shack, located down a series of ever smaller winding country roads.  Once you do get there, past the sign warning equally to beware of rattlesnakes and not drinking another wine maker's product on the premises, you are rewarded with a cool glass of champagne before you even think about tasting the wine.


But do go ahead and taste.  The wines...especially the reds...are spectacular and the staff are fun and down-to-earth.  Bring a picnic, buy a bottle, and step outside to one of the most spectacular picnic areas on earth where you can enjoy your lunch and wine at the edge of the Consumnes River canyon overlooking the rows of old vine zinfandel trailing down the hillside.

Not far from the tourist mega center of the Disneyland Resort, off of the Chapman exit of the 57 freeway near the junction of the 5, an anonymous industrial park holds a great beer find.  The Bruery makes an assortment of ales, mostly Belgian style, that are truly awe inspiring.  Only open on weekend nights, go here and you'll think you're finding a particular good speakeasy from the prohibition days.


Each time we go, we find another brew worthy of taking home.  They also brewed a sour Flemish style ale that took a gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver.  Unfortunately, they ran out and are now in the middle of the 18 month (!) process of making the next batch.


On certain days they also tap a keg and pour via the only hand-pump tap I've ever seen in America.


Congratulations to our winners.  


You might also like to take a look at our Year in Review.


-Darryl

Best of 2010 - Hotel

In the lobby at St. Louis

Best Chain - Drury Inn and Suites.  Wow.  What don't you get at this great hotel chain?  Free hot breakfast, free cocktail hour, free wifi or ethernet internet (your choice!), free popcorn and soda all day long, free hour of domestic long distance each day, free 15 minutes of calls to Mexico or Canada each day, free snack/light dinner each night.  I'm probably missing something else that they give away free with your room here too.

And the rooms?  Ranging from great to spectacular.  A small upcharge gets you into a large, two room suite which are also available as accessible units with roll-in shower in a large bathroom.  There are also fitness rooms and swimming pools.  Stay at their line of Plaza hotels and you'll be in the lap of luxury.  Among the locations we were at was The Plaza at the Arch in St. Louis which is among the most luxurious hotels we've seen this year.  I'd go back there in a second, what a great hotel!  This all for around $70 - $120 at most locations.

To win our award, a hotel must allow you to book an accessible room online.

I should also mention that the staff here is so friendly and helpful that you'll be spoiled for anywhere else.

Best independent hotel - Flamingo Resort in Santa Rosa, California.  Great, true resort hotel very close to Napa Valley.  If it had slot machines, you'd swear you were in Vegas circa 1960.  This Flamingo was built around the same time as the Vegas version and is a perfectly restored piece of retro Americana.  A huge courtyard with an olympic size pool as the centerpiece invites a relaxed, party atmosphere in the summer.  Nearby, a large restaurant and nightclub complete the scene.

We like the large accessible rooms in the Executive wing at the back of the property.  At around 500 sq. feet, this room is as big as a suite and features a king size bed, a large sofabed, large flat screen TV, and an accessible bathroom with roll-in shower.  Rooms normally run around $150 but frequent specials can be found here for less than $100.

Although there is a fitness room on the property, guests also have access to a huge fitness club located adjacent to the back of the hotel.

A great location with numerous good restaurants withing walking distance, downtown Santa Rosa a 5 minute drive or bus ride away, and a quick half-hour jaunt over the hills will put you in Calistoga at the top of Napa Valley.  Sonoma is also nearby.

Congratulations to this year's hotel winners.


While you're here you may want to check out our Year In Review.

-Darryl

Best of 2010 - Accessible Destination

There were two strong contenders for this year's title.  Both had great accessible transportation and nice, compact downtown areas to walk around in.  Both had great accessible sports venues and both had a nice variety of accessible hotel rooms.  It was close, and St. Louis was almost chosen but it loses out to our winner due to not having as much to do in its downtown area and also the wheelchair unfriendly Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Park (the Gateway Arch) and riverfront.

Our winner is the capitol of the Golden State: Sacramento, California.  Great accessible light rail service augmented by a good bus system serves this area well.  In the downtown area are many sights to see and activities to do.  We especially like Old Sacramento on the riverfront (easily accessible), the Capitol Building, Sutter's Fort, and especially walking across the golden Tower Bridge to Raley Field to watch the Sacramento River Cats play baseball.

See our report on this year's winner here:  Sacramento Trip Report.

Congratulations to this year's winner.

While you're here you may want to check out our Year In Review.

-Darryl

Best of 2010 - Airline

Do a job well and do it consistently.  Two ways to easy success.  Why is it so rare to find somebody that can do it?  Well, someone can and for the second year in a row, Southwest Airlines wins our airline of the year cudos.

Consistency, on-time performance, no hidden fees, friendly and helpful staff, comfort, good prices, and good equipment handling are longtime hallmarks of this year's Airline of the Year - Southwest Airlines.

Long known as a no-frills, budget carrier Southwest, by being consistent, has evened it up with the legacy carriers. This year's flight to Cincinnati, on another "big" carrier (who ended up merged with another) we were subjected to wheelchair loading rules made up on the fly...one time we were boarded first, another time last...told no seat changes were available only to have our seating assignments changed without our permission; and big fees for checked luggage. 

It's bad enough that you have to endure the indignities of TSA when you get to the airport, it's another when your airline continues proving that the worst part of traveling is the actual traveling.

On the other hand, Southwest had clean planes, friendly cabin staff, the best baggage handlers when it came to loading our chair, free checked luggage, free snacks - on the longer flights even approaching a light meal, free use of pillows and blankets, no delays, and low prices.

The only knock I can think of is that there is no assigned seating on Southwest and it can be a free-for-all to find a seat. Get there early if you don't qualify for pre-boarding to get one of the first boarding passed - Southwest has three tiers, A, B, and C, and are handed out first-come, first-served. A boards first, B second, and C last.

Congratulations to Southwest for being consistently (there's that word again) the best airline we've flown.


While you're here, you may want to see our Year In Review.

-Darryl

TRIP REPORT: Inland Empire Amusement Parks

Everybody knows about Disneyland, most people know about Knott’s Berry Farm and Universal Studios, and many also know about Six Flags Magic Mountain.  Those make up the Big Four amusement parks in Southern California.  What most don’t know is that there are several smaller parks dotted around the region.  Today, we’ll focus on those in the area east of Los Angeles known as the Inland Empire (IE).

Besides seeing a slice of Americana you’d be hard pressed to see in the neighboring area to the west, these smaller parks have an added advantage of being at least half the price of their better known Southern California brethren.

Fiesta Village is a small park in Colton, just off of the 215 freeway at Washington Street.  A hillside location and a surplus ski lift enabled it to open up some popular waterslides in the summer, expanding on their miniature golf.  Now, they’ve added a few small amusement park rides for thrills and a roller rink for spills.  Free admission, various charges for rides and attractions.

Picture courtesy of Flickr

Lorena Javier under CC-BY license

Scandia, part of a chain of family fun centers, operates a fairly extensive park next to Interstate 15 in Ontario, between the 10 and 60 freeways.  Of note here is the Scandia Screamer, a highly rated roller coaster that will give you some real thrills as it dives through its metal skeleton.  Also featuring such standard rides as tilt-a-whirl, hammerhead, and a swinging ship.  Free admission, unlimited ride passes are $22.95 for adults and $17.95 for kids.  Individual ride tickets are also available.

The granddaddy of the Inland Empire amusement parks is Castle Park in Riverside, along the 91 freeway between the La Sierra and Polk exits.  Started as a miniature golf course in 1976, this park was the product of the imagination of Bud Hurlbut who created such iconic rides as the Log Jammer and the Calico Mine Train at Knott’s Berry Farm.  Now owned by a large amusement park company, the park has over thirty rides including three coasters.  It’s also home to a large and imaginative mini golf course and a go kart track.  Ride park admission is $21.99 for adults and $14.99 for kids which includes unlimited rides.  Separate prices for other attractions.

-Darryl
Copyright 2010 – Darryl Musick
All Rights Reserved

TRAVEL GEAR: Christmas Gift Ideas for Travelers

It's Support the Blog Day here at The World on Wheels.  Below are links to products at Amazon.com that we think would make great presents for those on your holiday gift list.  By visiting Amazon and buying your gear through these links, you also help support our mission financially at no extra cost to you. 

If you'd like to support the blog in a more direct way, you can donate to this site via the PayPal button to your left labeled Tim's Tip Jar (all money generated by this site goes to support him).  We also accept advertising, if interested shoot us an e-mail at dmusick - at - gmail.com and we'll discuss opportunities for you.

Thanks for your support...

If you're going to Europe, Rick Steves produces just about the best guide books there are.  This would be a great present for any of your friends or family that might be planning that trip across the pond next year.

This is essential for traveling out of the country.  The world has many different electric systems with their own style of outlets.  This item has come in very handy for us to use hair dryers, laptops, charge cameras, and more.  A little money goes a long way with this adapter. 

My wife bought a few of these a few years ago and we've been using them ever since, both at home and on the road.  This will save many stubbed toes and banged knees when you're trying to find the bathroom in the middle of the night in an unfamiliar room.  Just plug into an outlet and a dim green glow will allow you to navigate in the dark without interrupting your sleep.

Love this overnight bag.  Holds all your toiletries in one convenient place.  Fold up and carry like a satchel, or open up and put in your suitcase, where it lies flat...especially if you have your liquids in larger containers.  When you get to your hotel, just hang up in the bathroom and you have an instant medicine cabinet without sacrificing any counter space.

Finally, we'll put in this manual wheelchair for those of you who'd like to travel but find taking your power chair is too much of a hassle.  Tim bought this chair prior to our Midwest Baseball Tour last year and said it's the most comfortable manual chair he's ever sat it.  For less than $350 with free shipping, it's also a great deal.  Also qualifies for most FSA reimbursements.

So that's our Christmas suggestion list for our traveler friends.  We hope you have a happy and easy holiday shopping season and thank you for visiting Amazon.com via our links and supported our blog.

-Darryl