Top 10 #Christmas Holiday Stops for #Arizona Locals & Visitors

Christmas Holiday Cheer From Arizona!

Christmas Holiday Events in Arizona

You know the Christmas season is right around the corner. I'm blogging about wonderful Christmas events you can take part in this holiday season! 

You can choose from so many in Arizona. I had to go more than 5 this time - so 10 it is! I'm sure I've left out quite a few that are wonderful. I tried to get those I thought would be most fun or kid-thrilling. Or those I've done and loved! 

#10 - Audubon Bird Count

As a bird lover - I had to list this! Are you a birder? If not maybe you've never heard of this! You

Is There a Bird Hiding in
the Christmas Lights on the Saguaro Cactus?

might even think it's crazy - birding people doing this on Christmas day! Sponsored by the National Audubon Society. Anyone can take part!

You've never done this? You're put with an experienced birder!! No worries! The search is exciting & you'll learn so much! Kind-of like a nature treasure hunt! And you'll be helping scientific data research.

Thousands of volunteers help out. The actual dates for all involved are between Dec. 14 through Jan. 5. Local areas are assigned a specific date. Help count every bird you see or hear in your assigned 15 mile diameter circle - all day!

If you're intrigued - read More Here>

#9 - Christmas at the Princess

That's the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Resort. Get there & park (self - $35 or valet - $55) which will include super holiday activities! Up to 6 people in a vehicle are included for the rate! What fun!

See Santa in Arizona!

What are these cool attractions? You'll visit...

• Enchanted Plaza show
• Santa's Secret Headquarters
• Desert Ice-Skating Rink (skate rentals available)
• Princess Express Train rides
• S'mores Land
• Nativity Garden
• Even more!

All of this from November 22 through January 1. They're located at 7575 East Princess Drive, Scottsdale 85255. For further details call toll free (866) 540-4495 or locally (480) 585-4848.

#8 - Lake Havasu City Holiday Events

During December Lake Havasu City has lots going on to celebrate the Christmas Holidays! Stay for a few days - or stay for the month, and have a wonderful holiday season! For more details on these events - call the Lake Havasu Convention & Visitors Center: (800) 242-8278 or (928) 453-3444.

• Annual Christmas Tree Festival - Nov. 22 to Dec. 31, 10 am - 4 pm. At the Lake Havasu Museum of History. 12 & up $5, includes museum.
• Ice Skating at London Bridge - Nov. 25 to Jan. 9: Read More>
• Festival of Lights - Nov. 25 to Jan. 1, 6 to 10 pm. Under London Bridge and along the Bridgewater Channel walkway.
• Parade of Lights - Dec. 2 & 3, beginning at 6:30 pm. Watch a Christmas Parade on the water, as boats decorated for the holidays glide by. 
• Jingle Bell Walk & Fun Run: 5K - Dec. 3, Register at 8 am. Event 9 am - 12 noon. More here>
• Christmas Tuba Concert - Dec. 3 from 6 to 8 pm. A unique, free concert at the Community Presbyterian Church. Call 928-680-0743 for more details.
• Lake Havasu Community Choir's Annual Christmas Concert - Dec. 4 at 2 pm or 5 pm. $10 - adults; $5 - students. At Lake Havasu High School Performing Arts Center.
• Children's Community Celebration - Dec. 10, from 10 am to 2 pm. Free holiday party event for the kids! Bring them to the Community Rotary Park - held at the ball fields.
• "A Symphonic Holiday" by Lake Havasu Symphonic Winds - Dec. 11 at 3 pm. $10 adults, Student ID - free. At Lake Havasu High School Performing Arts Center.
• Drive-Through Nativity - Dec. 16 & 17, 5:30 - 9:30 pm. Free, at New Hope Calvary Church. Live performers and animals in a reenactment. For details call: 928-566-3629 or 928-764-0122
• Christmas Bird Count - See other details at #10. For Lake Havasu area the event is on Dec. 28 at Bill Williams Wildlife Refuge & on Dec. 29 at Havasu Wildlife Refuge. Contact: Ecologist Kathleen Blair  -  kathleen_blair@fws.gov    928-667-4144

#7 - Tucson Botanical Gardens Luminaria Nights

Dec 4 through 6 and Dec. 11 through 13, from 5:30 - 8:30 pm. These lovely gardens are decorated with beautiful luminarias and other holiday lights. As you walk among the pathways, holiday music filters through the air around the gorgeous desert plants, reflecting the surrounding glow.

Treats available to warm you up! And of course Santa will be there to see all the kids!

Children - $9, Adults - $18. Members get discounted rates. For more details call (520) 326-9686. They're located on N. Alvernon Way, just south of Grant Rd.

#6 - ZooLights at the Phoenix Zoo

From November 23 through January 8, every evening 5:30 to 9:30 pm. ZooLights is a popular holiday light experience held at the Phoenix Zoo. This will be its 25th year!

Saguaro Filled with Lights!

Pricing depends on the night - some are "Peak Nights" = priced higher. But children aged 2 or younger are free. Admittance fees support the zoo, as it's a nonprofit enterprise. They suggest you purchase your tickets online: Pricing Here>

Per its name - it's about lights! Lights galore! Millions of them, including holiday tree lights and motion show lights. Many colored lights glowing in the night sky! There are rides (some for further pay) & lots of visual events! Many parts of the regular zoo are closed during these hours.

Much parking is available in the zoo parking lots. Get there: 455 N. Galvin Parkway, Phoenix 85008.

#5 - Winterhaven Festival - Tucson

Winterhaven Home

The Winterhaven Neighborhood begins at the intersection of Country Club & Fort Lowell Rd. Yearly, residents participate in the Festival of Lights. Most people voluntarily decorate their homes for the holidays with fantastic scenes that are amazing to see! 

The tradition began in 1949, the oldest festival of this sort in the US. This will be its 67th year. It has gathered more and more strength with each season! You have these choices for viewing:

• Have a leisurely walk through the neighborhood streets
• Drive through by car on December 26 between 6 and 9 pm
• Take a wagon-ride through - 40 min. for $10 to $16 per person: reservations suggested Here>
• Get a group of 15 & rent a Party Bike: More Here>

There's no fee to walk through, but they do ask for a food-bank contribution.

It's happening from December 10 through December 26 - 6 to 10 pm

#4 - Tombstone Lighting of the Luminarias

I have to recommend my hometown during the holidays! It's a great place any time of the year. You'll

Allen Street, Tombstone

love the atmosphere during Christmas time. Special events are scheduled throughout December. One thing you'll want to be there for is this event at the historic Courthouse!

It's sponsored by the Courthouse, which is an Arizona State Historic Park along with the Tombstone Restoration Commission. It's an annual event, this year to be held on December 10th, to mark the beginning of the Christmas holiday season.

Luminarias Placed Along Pathways

Luminarias are arranged: lined out on the entryway, and along the walls in front and alongside the courthouse. Luminarias are brown paper bags with sand at the bottom. A lit votive candle is then placed inside. The tradition is based on the Spanish Missionaries' commemoration. They lit bonfires on roadsides and into their chapel yards to guide people to Midnight Mass during the holiday season.

Mexican culture continued this lighting of the pathway for Mary and Joseph to find the way to Las Posadas - the now ceremonial inn where they found shelter for Jesus' birth. Following the Courthouse Lighting of the Luminarias visitors can come inside for warmth, Victorian holiday decorations and cheer.

Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park

The Courthouse State Historic Park is located at the SW corner of Toughnut & Third Streets. More details on the park and all its features can be found on their website.  Read More>

#3 North Pole Experience - Flagstaff

A very popular event for kids and adults happens throughout November and December. Reserve it quickly - because their limited times sell out fast: More here>

Visit Santa's Workshop!

For a little over an hour an a half - you get to visit Santa's workshop at the North Pole! You enter a magic portal in Flagstaff to arrive there! Wow! work alongside Santa's elves to build some toys. Get a treat in Mrs. Claus's Bakery. Meet Santa & get a present from him. And much more!

There are afternoon and evening slots available. The location to start is at the American Hotel, 2515 E. Butler Avenue in Flagstaff. It's a thrilling time your kids will never forget!

#2 - Carefree Christmas Festival

For 3 days and 2 nights - rev up your Christmas Holiday spirit the Carefree way! Friday, Saturday &

Christmas Electric Lights Float

Sunday, December 9, 10 & 11 - there will be joyous things to do & see! Everything is located in Carefree Arizona - downtown at the Carefree Desert Gardens, 101 Easy Street.

Throughout the entire weekend there will be real snow prepared for playing in & sledding on! A regularly scheduled train to the North Pole will be running. Santa will be there all weekend - get those cute photos! See & hear holiday performers, carolers & nativity scenes. Visit the Christmas Village! See the snow sculpture by Artist Ray Villafane. All free - all throughout the 3 days!

Then there are special events on Special Days:

FRIDAY:

• 5 - 9 P.M. ~ Carriage rides along Easy Street

  

  Carefree Christmas Festival Decor

SATURDAY:

• 1 - 1:45 p.m. ~ Mrs. Claus Story Time at Desert Foothills Library
• 5 - 9 p.m. ~ Pre/Post Christmas Parade Party with Kyle Collie
• 6 p.m. ~ Christmas Electric Light Parade on Easy Street, with fireworks afterward

SUNDAY:

• 9 a.m. - Noon ~ On Pet Day... Holiday Dog Walk presented by Foothills Animal Rescue. Pet pictures with Santa! *Register to enter your dog. For Info

#1 - Grand Canyon Railway Polar Express

Take a round-trip 90 minute train ride from William AZ to the North Pole! Along the way the kids will be thrilled to see the characters right out of the book by Chris Van Allsburg and the movie!

Christmas Cookies for the Kids!

Here's an example:

• Santa's Chefs deliver Hot Chocolate & Christmas Cookies
• Visits by elves
• Hear and Participate in the story by Van Allsburg
• Holiday carol Sing-alongs
• Santa visits each child with a gift after arriving to the North Pole

🙌 - Take the Christmas Eve Limited on Christmas Eve - just as it happened in the book & movie!

Packages are available - or just take the ride. Either way it's a family treat that will be a memory forever! Details Here>

5 Animals You Don't Want to Run Into - In Arizona

Bull Elk Walks Nearby to Cars

#5 - Elk

You may think of an Elk like an over-sized deer. They are kinda like cousins. Some call them wapiti. That's the Native American word. It means "light-colored deer." They really don't give much of that Bambi effect either!

Are they dangerous though? Well, if you're driving on an Arizona road at night - could be! A herd of Elk can suddenly start to cross. You could run into one!

You could damage your car - it could even cause you bodily harm. Read: auto accident trauma! Warning signs are placed throughout areas of Arizona. They'll be located where Elk typically like to cross the road.

Other Elk dangers lurk! A freak accident happened - not in AZ. In Oregon by a hunter getting impaled on an Elk's antlers! Read More> 

My son, Sean, took the photo of the Elk you see here. He shot it with his cell phone from his truck, during his working travels. He was in an area outside of Flagstaff Arizona.

Although an Elk may not come to your mind as a scary animal - if you come across one - use caution!

#4 - Brown Recluse Spider

Are you creeped out by spiders? I feel like they have their place. They do capture & eat worse insects, after all. But - there's a limit to my friendly feelings!

Brown Recluse Compared to a Penny

Take this one - the Brown Recluse. Stay away if you can! That is, you must notice it... It likes to hide! 

Get the hint in its name? It is reclusive. It likes places such as the back corners of a shed. Or underneath some items sitting by the trash cans. Maybe even in the back of a closet - yikes!

The problem is its venom. The poison slowly eats away at your flesh. It's like a flesh-eating monster! Miniature sized! As the venom spreads your flesh basically rots. To stop it, they must surgically cut away the area. You end up with a big hole in your arm or leg - or wherever you were bitten. (The film-maker below offers an immediate-use product to avoid that drastic situation. Can't offer a review!)

Just be aware in hidden areas! They'll bite if trapped. They'll run if they can:  

(Video Source: www.brown-recluse.com/spiderinfo.html)

#3 - Cougar

Do you love cats? Big cats? Maybe - Maybe not... This one is beautiful - for sure! But it's not the cuddly kind. Although it can purr like a house cat! It also loves the night life! The Cougar's primary US residence is throughout the Western states & an area of Florida. 

The Cougar

You might have heard its other names. Mountain lion, puma, and panther. They live solitary lives - except during family times. Babies stay with their moms for about 2 years.

I've never seen one in the wild. When our son Sean was middle school age, we took a road trip. Went on back roads through the desert between Florence and Winkelman Arizona. Picnicked by the roadside in a Mesquite shaded pull-out. 

Sean took a walk to a near-by rocky hill & climbed up. He backed down urgently after looking over a rock ledge. He excitedly told us: there was a cougar lounging just over the way! Rather than go look ourselves - we continued down the road!

We undoubtedly weren't in danger. But since the late 1800s documented cougar attacks on people in North American number about 145. With growing populations, just under 50 happened in the past 20 years. A little more than 20 were fatal.

They're excellent hunters. Cougars stay hidden until the last moment, when they pounce. They're at the top of the food chain. They really don't have any enemies - except for people with guns! Or more recently cars on freeways! Just try not to share their hunting night-life!

#2 - Diamondback Rattlesnake

This animal will put the scaries into you! I've "run into" a few of them. The babies are the most dangerous. Haven't yet learned to control their venom dosage - just shoot it all out! Babies don't necessarily warn you. Horrors!

In the Spring, about 25 years ago I saw a few baby Diamondbacks at the entrance to a den. It was on the first acre property we bought in the desert outside of Tucson. 

Before that, I'd encountered one while hiking on a trail into the Rincon Mountains. It rattled a warning - thankfully! I backed away carefully - & nervously - as it slithered away.

I saw another Diamondback recently. We just renovated the Tombstone home we bought. It's from 1946 - very exciting! I asked the carpenters to save a panel of shiplap they removed to make a new closet. They put it on the ground in the backyard.

The Rattler in Our Backyard - He was Quite Mad!

The DirecTV installer came over a few weeks later. Working in the yard, he stepped on the shiplap board - and heard a rattle! He nearly screamed! He came inside yelling "I almost got bit by a rattlesnake!"

We called Tombstone Animal Control. It turned out to be the local Marshall. He came with 2 orange jump-suited guys - prison workers! Together they lifted the panel. That D-back was mad! It reared back & rattled! 

They got the pole with the loop (Snake Stick) & caught the rattler. Put it in a lidded bucket. Took it away for release out in the Tombstone Hills - away from residents.

The Western Diamondback Rattlesnake could be "run into" during warmer weather. They hibernate when it's cold - in Winter. They live throughout the Southwestern US. Rodents are one diet choice - so that's their nice value! But we don't want to accidentally get in their way!!

You can see it has distinctive striping on its tail end - before the rattles. The head is triangular in shape. It has triangles (diamonds) along its side. Its coloring blends into its habitat - so you might not see it at first.

It's probably the most aggressive poisonous snake. It accounts for more venomous snake bites than any other in the US. The venom causes great swelling, hemorrhaging & cell destruction.

It's important to quickly get medical help if you're bitten. Also to stay calm (easier said than done!) so the venom doesn't spread more quickly with your increasing heart beat! With fast treatment survival is the norm.

Remember that the Rattlesnake isn't out to get you. It doesn't always warn with a rattle, but it will if it can. Just be aware if you're hiking on a trail! And don't put your hand into places where they're sleeping!

#1 - Most Scary Animal - The Black Bear

The Black Bear is the only bear in Arizona, you'll hope to not encounter. It's smaller than a grizzly, but it's still big enough! From 5 to 7 feet tall when up on their hind legs. And massive!

They're usually on their own. They only mate every other year. Often 2 cubs are born. Sometimes more. A mother stays with her cubs until the Spring of their first year. Black bears will group together when feeding. A very limited & restricted hunting season is allowed in Arizona. Read More>

Black bears typically like forested, mountainous areas. In Arizona, that would be elevations above 4000 to 5000 feet. Yet they've been seen down in desert areas closer to 2000 ft. There's been sightings near Tucson and Phoenix when rainfall has dipped. That affects their food supply. They roam further then in search of opportunities. Speaking of eats - they know to search out campsites for food. Be aware! They're fast learners for easy pickings.

Black bear diets are pretty varied. Plants, berries, nuts, insects, fish, small & larger animals. They're carnivores & herbivores. They have long, sharp front claws, as well as hefty teeth for biting. 

With hibernation from November through March, you won't likely see them in winter. But once they're out & about - caution is the word. Attacks have happened. Arizona Game & Fish has advice for residents:

• A reminder that feeding any animals outdoors on your property can attract bears
• Garbage attracts them - so keep it secured in buildings or consistently removed
• Your dog or outdoor lights hasn't been demonstrated to effectively deter bears
• Bears can climb - so a fence is not effective unless made non-climbable & at least 6 ft. high
• Have a 50 yard clearance of brush & cover around your house
• If you see a bear in your yard - make noise from inside only, to scare it away. Keep your door closed!

For anyone hiking or camping, other safety advice from Arizona Game & Fish:

1. If you see a bear ahead in the distance, go a different way
2. If a bear approaches you, do not run or play dead - try to stay calm & give the bear a chance to leave while backing away slowly. Give the bear a chance to leave.
3. If the bear doesn't leave, stay calm, continue backing away.
4. If the bear continues getting closer to you - make yourself appear as large as possible! Stand upright & tall! Wave your arms around. If you have a jacket or other items - wave those around. Make loud noises - whistle, yell, shout "go away bear!" If nearby to such items - bang together pots & pans, etc.
5. If nothing works, and you're attacked - you must fight back as best you can! With all your might! Fists - sticks - rocks - aim for the top of its snout/nose or eyes! Use E.P.A. registered bear pepper spray!

I don't want to scare you off from enjoying nature. People enjoy the outdoors without incident all the time. But please be aware - so that you and your family stay safe!

This is Grams - Signing Off  For Now!