Embracing the heat
Doug Kreutz
dkreutz@azstarnet.com
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 05.24.2007
Our name is Caliente. It means hot. Hot doesn't scare us. We embrace hot. That's why we went to Phoenix — the very heart of hot — in a week of record-breaking temperatures. We climbed blistering Camelback Mountain with sunburned Phoenicians, dropped by Tempe Town Lake for some midday fishing, and queried Valley of the Sun residents on everything from hot sports events to hot restaurants. Maybe their heat-survival strategies can help you get through the sweaty season in Tucson — or at least amuse you. So pull on some shorts and flip-flops, slather on the sunscreen and follow us into the inferno of Phoenix.
SOME LIKE IT HOT
The thermometer might say 98 degrees, 103 degrees or something hellishly higher — but Valley residents such as Chip Weber don't let that keep them from a midday hike up sun-scorched Camelback Mountain.
Weber, sartorially scoffing at the sun by wearing a black T-shirt and black shorts for his trek, practically trotted up steep slopes to the 2,704-foot summit.
Why do you live in Phoenix?
"I came to get away from the cold weather back east.
How long have you lived here?
"Since 1997."
Love the heat, or hate it?
"The real heat? I hate it."
Summer heat strategy?
"Hydrate, hydrate. And I try to balance the electrolytes" with sports drinks.
Hottest restaurant?
"Chelsea's Kitchen. I like the smoked pork soft tacos." (5040 N. 40th St., Phoenix; 1-602-957-2555.)
Go
Echo Canyon Summit Trail
Length: A strenuous and difficult 1.2 miles one way.
Trailhead: Enter at Echo Canyon Parkway just east of Tatum Boulevard off McDonald Drive. You may find the parking lot full by 5:30 a.m. with hikers trying to avoid the summer heat.
Also try:
Piestewa Peak — A 2.4-mile, round-trip hike, with an elevation gain of 1,200 feet.
Trailhead: Take Interstate 10 to Arizona 51, then head north to the exit for Lincoln Drive. Go east on Lincoln Drive to Squaw Peak Drive, then turn left and head to the Phoenix Mountains Park and Recreation Area.
South Mountain Park/Preserve
Trailhead: Take I-10 to the Elliot Road exit. Go west to 48th Street, then north to Pima Canyon Road and follow the signs.
BAKE AT THE LAKE
Many anglers and boaters slink off to high-country lakes when the heat hits. But fans of Tempe Town Lake think their local lagoon is just, literally, ducky — even in the long season of triple-digit temperatures.
Witness Gilbert resident Todd Mayhew, who fished his way through a furnace of an afternoon with daughters Toni, 10, and Abby, 5.
While Abby reeled in a small sunfish and as ducks paddled past, Mayhew savored the shade of a bridge and answered some questions.
Why do you live in the Phoenix area?
"I love the weather, and it's a great place to raise a family."
How long have you lived here?
"Ten years."
Love the heat, or hate it?
"I don't mind it. It's a penalty we pay for the other seven months of the year."
Summer heat strategy?
"I find shade if I'm out in the middle of the day. Otherwise, I go out early and don't go out again until after 7 at night."
Hottest restaurant?
"Romeo's Euro Café." (207 N. Gilbert Road, Gilbert; 1-480-962-4224.)
Go
What's there: Kayaking, sailing, rowing, skating and picnicking, along with boat tours and rentals. Splash Playground is a free water park that's open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. through September.
Fishing: The state stocks the lake with trout, but other fish, including largemouth bass, find their way in.
Boat rentals: Rio Lago Cruise Company offers a wide variety of rentals from kayaks to chartered cruises for up to 35 people. Call 1-480-517-4050 or visit online at riolagocruise.com.
Find Tempe Beach Park: From I-10, take the airport exit north to the exit for the 202 East, then exit turning right onto Priest Road. Turn left onto the Rio Salado Parkway and go for nearly a mile — you'll pass the Tempe Center for the Arts (opening in September).
Fireworks: The Kiwanis Fourth of July Celebration, with music and food, draws more than 150,000 spectators.
A FAUX BEACH IS BETTER THAN NO BEACH
Water parks, such as Big Surf at 1500 N. McClintock Drive in Tempe, can take the sting out of summer — and put the splash in it.
"This is Phoenix's beach," said Greg Sieber of GolfLand Entertainment Centers, which operates Big Surf (reopening on Saturday). "It's a great reprieve from the heat."
Why do you live in the Phoenix area?
"I absolutely love the weather and the people."
How long have you lived here?
"Twelve years."
Love the heat, or hate it?
"I love the heat right now, but by October I'd like to turn it off."
Summer heat strategy?
"I go swimming every day — at my pool at home."
Hottest restaurant?
"Someburros." (Several East Valley locations, including 101 E. Baseline Road, Tempe; 1-480-839-8226.)
Also try:
Salt River Tubing and Recreation, on Power Road, seven miles north of Arizona 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) East, 1-480-984-3305 and www.saltrivertubing.com. Float the Lower Salt River. Tube rentals and shuttle are available daily starting at 9 a.m. through September. All-day rate: $14 per person (one tube).
Mesa GolfLand Sunsplash, 155 W. Hampton Ave., Mesa. 1-480-834-8319; www.golfland.com. Sunsplash opens Saturday for the 2007 season and includes three body slides, two speed slides, five tube slides, a wave pool, a 250-foot lazy river and kiddie play area. Variety of prices, including $24 general admission for anyone at least 48 inches tall.
Foothills Recreation and Aquatics Center, 5600 W. Union Hills Drive, Glendale; 1-623-930-4600. Includes two pools, two giant slides, water playground and lazy river. Call for hours. Cost: $6 a day for nonresident adults; $3 nonresident children age 3 and up, and seniors age 55 or older.
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