Our flight from Indianapolis to Phoenix included a 2-1/2 hr layover in Minneapolis... just enough time to have a nice "birthday" visit with our friends Jim, Carol, Nathan and Molly. Carol and Heather share a December 24th birthday, and it's first time our families have been together on their big day. 
 Randy and Stephanie (my sister) invited the family to a gourmet Christmas dinner at their house. Stephanie's good friend Lisa, an "immigrant" from Pennsylvania helped out. |
During last year's visit to Phoenix, Heather and I took a daytrip to Nogales, Mexico. It's a typical "border town" located approx 2-1/2 hrs south of Phoenix. This year, the whole group took the trip. We drove into Nogales, Arizona.... paid $5 to park in a fenced lot on the US side, and then walked across the border into Nogales, Mexico. The crossing makes you appreciate how easy it is to get into our country from Mexico and how difficult it is to prevent illegal immigration. Most of the shops have identical items for sale... don't get sucked in to buying in the first shops you come to. The better shops have "fixed" prices, but that takes the fun out of for many of us. "Check it out", "Come in rich Americans" and "Hey Barbie (Kristin)"... I'm ready to go back again to practice my Spanish. 
The poverty in Nogales is very evident... there are street vendors everywhere selling handicrafts, trinkets and the always-present "Chiclets". I gave this little boy $1 and asked him if I could take his picture. In the full-sized photo (click on the thumbnail) you can see his mother in the background. The shy, impish expression on his face is priceless.
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 The "Red Rocks" of Sedona are only a 2-3 hr trip from Phoenix. Last year's trip was disappointing because the weather was cloudy and rainy. This year it was perfect. We only spent one night there... it was a stopover on the way to the Grand Canyon.
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 My Aunt Janice flew to Phoenix on January 1 from the frozen tundra of North Dakota to spend a couple of months in the sun. Two of her children ( my cousins ) live in the Phoenix area with their families. My Dad gets lots of visitors North... it gets the farmers out of the coffee shops! (That's for you, David) |
| Arizona Guide | ... the Arizona Office of Tourism's "official site |
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| Phoenix Entertainment Magazine | ... an "Entertainment On-Line" publication |
| "Where" Magazine | ... the magazine found in hotels & restaurants |
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... guide to dining, resorts & leisure |
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... the local newspaper's on-line site |
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... a fantastic complex in Downtown Phoenix |
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... home of the Suns, Coyotes & entertainment |
e-mail tstoa@hotmail.com
Last modified 02/07/99
