The Arizona Coach Talker
Newsletter of the Arizona Guides Association
Volume 19, Issue 1
August 20, 2005
Join us for our Annual “Meet and Greet” with AGA Associate Members......a mutual opportunity to find
out more about each other. For those who have never attended, this traditional September meeting starts our
new season, and gives regular members a chance to meet our Associate Members. Members can visit each
Associate’s table and briefly introduce themselves to the many destination managers and suppliers who
support our organization as Associate Members.
This meeting is a ‘must attend’ not only for the “Meet n’ Greet”,
but because our special guest is Marshall Trimble!!
For anyone unfamiliar with our official State Historian, Marshall Trimble, is the most widely read
chronicler of Arizona’s heritage. He’s the author of several books and numerous articles about his native state,
the kind of history folks love to read: factual and comprehensive, yet laced with delightful legends and yarns
about the Arizona of yesteryear.
He is well known as “the Will Rogers of Arizona: a lecturer and cowboy balladeer who can hold an audience
of hundreds enthralled for hours with his tall tales, his homely philosophy, and his guitar strumming.”
Born in Tempe in 1939, he moved with his family to the railroad town of Ash Fork at the end of WWII,
and still considers Ash Fork his home town. He has traveled every square mile of Arizona, and knows its back
country and its traditions as well as any person alive.
His book, A Roadside History of Arizona, is the definitive resource for Arizona tour guides, or for
anyone who wants to explore the true essence of our diverse and spectacular State.
When:
Monday, September 12, 2005 *
Where:
in Scottsdale, AZ
(SE Corner of Scottsdale Road and Pinnacle Peak Road)
6:00 P.M.
(Look for AGA signs once you enter the front gate)
Time:
RAWHIDE
* Both Regular Members and Associate Members please RSVP to Dee Hunt:
jazzhunt37@cox.net or 480-429-1747.
Arizona is a study in contrasts combining the romance of the Old West with the challenge of spaceage technology. Betsy Todd, President of Arizona Guides Association, invites our membership to celebrate
"the romance of the Old West" by "wearin’ our cowboy clothes to this meetin’.”
Rawhide depicts an authentic Arizona 1880's Territorial Town and presents an exciting trip back in
time for a taste of the Old West. It opened in 1971 and was developed by Jim and Betty Paul, the same
couple that built Mountain Shadows, and at one time also owned Carefree Ranch and Carefree Inn. Rawhide
attracted as many as 5,000 people on Saturdays and Sundays during peak seasons, with about 160
employees on it’s 120 acres of developed and vacant land.
Rawhide was purchased in December, 2004, and will move to a 100-acre site at Sheraton Wild Horse
Pass Resort & Spa on the Gila River Indian reservation several miles south of Ahwatukee Foothills. Rawhide
will close its Scottsdale location with a "huge going-away party" on Halloween and reopen with a "marvelous
welcome party" in December at its new home.
Page 2 – AGA Newsletter ~ August 2005
From the Arizona Republic – 2005
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We live in a state in which nearly 25% of all restaurants serve Mexican food.
There are a total of 55,145 rooms in the Valley which ranks 10th nationally. The state tourism industry has an
estimated $30 billion-a-year impact.
A search could be on for new "largest saguaro", since there is a possibility the world's largest saguaro cactus is
dying, due to the "Cave Creek Complex" fire. The "Grand One", a 46 - ft saguaro with a base over 7 ft in
circumference, and a tangle of 13 arms is not expected to survive. Some estimate the “Grand One” is 180 - 200
years old.
The Scottsdale Trolley is now a year round free trolley service. Downtown Scottsdale residents are now using it,
not just tourists. Trolley's run from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, every 10 minutes through
Scottsdale's historic Old Town, Main Street and Marshall Way arts districts, Fifth Avenue shops, the Galleria and
Scottsdale Fashion Square.
A resale house in metro Phoenix is now priced at nearly $250,000.
The pricey Scottsdale Waterfront condo towers at Scottsdale and Camelback Roads, will change downtown
Scottsdale. The condos, which start at $300,000 and climb to $4 million, will impact the downtown skyline. The
13-story condo tower will match the city's tallest existing building, the nearby AmTrust Bank on Camelback Road.
Phoenix population as estimated by the Census Bureau is 1,418.041.
Native Americans account for a third of the 66 ironworkers building Phoenix's new downtown convention center.
Most are Navajo, but others represent the Mohawk, Sioux and Apache tribes.
The world's top two destination spas are Miraval Resort and Spa, just outside of Tucson, and Sedona's Mii amo
spa at Enchantment Resort, according to Travel + Leisure's 10th-annual World's Best Awards.
Phoenix executives have the shortest commute to work among the country’s major cities. In a survey conducted
by theladder.com, an online job search service for executives, Phoenix topped the list of shortest commutes with
an average door-to-door time of 30.7 minutes, compared with the national average of 42.3 minutes.
Scottsdale CVB Tourism Updates....
New name for CVB’s…… With an overwhelming majority of member support (80%), a historic decision has been made:
the International Association of Convention & Visitor Bureaus (IACVB) will become the Destination Marketing Association
International, effective Aug. 2, 2005. The vote for new brand identity was put before the membership after research
showed that 70% of respondents had little or no recognition for the term “CVB” or “convention and visitor bureau.”
New luxury hotel chain set to launch…… Veteran hotelier Horst Schulze and his closely held lodging company, West
Paces Hotel Group LLC, plan to launch a chain to compete with top industry names like Four Seasons. The new chain,
called Solís Hotels and Resorts, has identified six initial properties. The Solís Hotels and Resorts brand will premiere its
resort portfolio with Montelucia – A Solís Resort & Spa. The Montelucia, formerly the La Posada Resort, is slated to open
mid-2007 in Paradise Valley. More than $700 million will be invested in the first six hotels. The 64-year-old Schulze is a
former president of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. (Wall Street Journal; Travel Advance, July 26; Scottsdale Tribune, July 27)
Tombstone may lose historic landmark status…… Tombstone, the famous Old West town in southern Arizona, could
lose its status as a National Historic Landmark after decades of violating historic preservation building codes. The
Department of the Interior has put the so-called "town too tough to die" on its threatened list, the highest warning level. A
popular tourist destination, Tombstone's historic integrity has declined into a blend of authentic history and fake Old West
ambiance, federal and state officials said. (AP; CNN.com; Travel Advance, July 26)
A new Ritz Carlton in Paradise Valley ……. has been proposed. The 120-acre property northwest of Scottsdale Road
and Lincoln Drive was sold to RC Paradise Valley Development LLC, a Marriott International entity for $74 million.
Eighteen acres of the site are in Scottsdale, while 102 acres are in Paradise Valley. The Scottsdale portion of the land
could be used for residences or possibly a restaurant. A Ritz-Carlton would be the third new resort for the town.
Searching for "Natural Quiet" at the Grand Canyon…… Mounted at about ear level on tripods, microphones are
capturing the sound of quiet at the Grand Canyon. The four microphones are attached to sound-level meters and
computers that will later screen out all man-made sounds, such as the chatter of hikers, the rumble of cars and the buzz of
sightseeing planes and helicopters. All that will be left will be the sounds of nature: the wind in the trees, the chirping birds,
for example. Park officials are doing this because they need to establish the natural decibel level at the Grand Canyon
before policymakers can decide whether the current noise-reduction regulations governing flights over America's most
breathtaking natural wonder are adequate. (USA Today; Travel Advance, June 3)
Page 3 – AGA Newsletter ~ August 2005
Americans pick top U.S. Treasures……. The Grand Canyon, the Statue of Liberty and Yellowstone National Park were
the clear front-runners in a national survey that asked Americans to name the top U.S. treasures they would like to visit.
The online survey of 2,681 U.S. adults was conducted March 29-31 by the Travel Industry Association. Other top
selections included The White House and monuments in Washington, D.C., Niagara Falls, the Hawaiian Islands, Mount
Rushmore, the Redwood Forest, the Glaciers and Fjords of Alaska, and the Rocky Mountains. The survey was conducted
as part of TIA's new "See America's Treasures Campaign" to promote travel to and within the United States. (Travel
Advance, April 29)
Yoga presence increasing at resorts and hotels…. Just as the number of Americans doing yoga has exploded – up 43
percent to 16.5 million from 2002 – so, too, have the way travelers can take it on the road. With registration up at retreat
centers and yoga conferences selling out, mainstream properties have decided they want a piece of the $3 billion yoga
industry. Resorts, spas and cruise ships have added morning sun salutation classes to their fitness menus, and many are
promoting special yoga weekends and weeks. The Hilton and Kimpton hotel chains provide yoga mats and straps for use
in guest rooms, and Marriott has opened the first in a new group of health-oriented hotels with yoga sessions for kids.
(New York Times; Travel Advance, July 25)
Yoga KUDOS to Leslie!!!
Leslie Ullstrup has added to her skills – she’s now a registered yoga teacher, teaching in the Anusara tradition. You might
see her teaching at one of our resorts, too! She currently teaches on Saturdays at 9:30 in Scottsdale (602 418-0779). She
says she teaches lots of good stretches for those long days at the airport…..or on a tour bus!!
ITEMS OF INTEREST…..
The architecturally acclaimed "boulder house" in north Scottsdale has been purchased by the Fort McDowell
Yavapai Nation. The tribe paid $4.8 million in cash for the 8,200-square-foot mansion, which was designed by
Southwestern architect Charles F. Johnson. The house, nestled among outcroppings of petroglyph-covered Precambrian
boulders, was featured in Architectural Digest in 1983, and on the Discovery Channel as part of the Amazing Vacation
Homes program.
The home has three bedrooms and 2 1/2 bathrooms, and sits on 9 acres of land, which can be subdivided for other
development. The tribe bought the house as an investment and hasn't decided what it will do with the property. The
house was built and sold by Bill and Sunnie Empie, and sold by former KTAR talk show host Preston Westmoreland, and
his wife, Nancy, who are real estate agents with Russ Lyon Realty. The upscale golf community Whisper Rock surrounds
part of the property, which is just south of Carefree. The home had been listed for $5.9 million. (Jim Walsh, Arizona
Republic, 7/20/2005.)
Light Rail Update….. Crews have begun digging up streets and laying track at Central and First Avenues between
Polk and Washington streets in downtown Phoenix. Construction in the downtown area is expected to be constant for the
next two years. The $1.3 billion starter line will connect Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa, and is expected to be open by
December 08'.
Mesa Arts Center…… "A stunning civic achievement" is how those who attended the Spring Educational tour felt.
The $94.5 million facility is designed to evoke the shapes, colors and textures of the Sonoran Desert. It's main water
feature is a long arroyo that operates like a desert wash. The largest theater is modeled after a slot canyon and the very
sight sends chills up your spine. We also enjoyed the extremely informative tour given by Robert Brinton, Executive
Director of the Mesa CVB.
It’s a face lift for…… the Hilton Mesa/East hotel for it’s 20th anniversary. Raquel Welch, Farrah Fawcett, and Burt
Reynolds have all stayed in the hotel near the Superstition Freeway and Alma School Road. The $6.5 million face lift
comes only a year after the Phoenix Marriott Mesa spent $7.5 million on extensive improvements. Robert Brinton,
president of the Mesa Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the Hilton and Marriott are the city's only high-end hotels, with
78 percent of Mesa's hotel rooms in the budget or economy category. "We've had very few of the first-class properties.
That's why it's great to see the Hilton and Marriott keep up," he said. “It creates the attitude that everyone needs to do it
because the market leaders are doing it.” The Hilton has finished renovating 59 suites and is renovating the remaining 201
guest rooms. The hotel's atrium and lobby will be renovated next year. Rates range from $225 a night in peak season to
about $79 during the summer. On an annual basis, the hotel has an 80 percent occupancy rate. (Jim Walsh, Arizona
Republic, 7/18/2005.)
Watch Your Language…… "Um, ya know, what I'm, er, trying to say…" In Clay Thompson's Arizona Republic column,
he refers to this as "dummy words". "They give you time to gather your thoughts or remember what it was you wanted to
say in the first place." Sharon Waldie, a member of the Arizona Guide Association and the Toastmasters has encouraged
us to work at not using these “dummy words”. Thank you for the reminder, Sharon!
Page 4– AGA Newsletter ~ August 2005
Airport Update…… For the second year in a row, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport has set a record for the
number of passengers traveling through the airport. Sky Harbor’s passenger count for 2004 was 39.5 million, a new record
high for Sky Harbor, and a 5.6 percent increase over 2003.
Thirteen new stores have opened since spring 2005 in Terminal 4, and an additional 30+ stores will be added when the
renovation of Terminal 4 is complete in 2007.
The escalators in Terminal 3 were replaced, and the lights within the stained glass ceiling above the escalators have
been replaced.
In February, the airport launched their new, state-of-the-art paging system. Visitors not only hear pages, but see the
names of those being paged on screens throughout the terminal.
In March, eight new gates for Southwest Airlines were unveiled at the southwest side of Terminal 4. The concourse
includes a new security screening checkpoint, large windows with panoramic views of the airfield, free-standing binoculars
available at the window wall, additional restaurants and shops.
Terminal 2 will be remodeled over the next 18 months. Changes will include remodeling the lobby, doubling the number
of lanes at security checkpoint, relocating retail outlets and restaurants, and remodeling the terminal’s elevators and
escalators.
Passengers in Terminal 4 may now rent or buy a DVD to watch on the plane. Portable DVD players also are available
for rent. Customers may mail DVDs back to the store in a pre-paid return mailer purchased at the time of rental for $1.00
or FedEx the DVD player back to store for $7.95. They may also return items to an INMOTION ENTERTAINMENT store
at another airport, or bring them to the Sky Harbor store. They operate 26 stores in 22 airports across the United States
and Canada.
Scottsdale's official public rose garden……. an 8,000-square-foot garden northwest of Goldwater Boulevard
and Fifth Avenue - will be dismantled next year to make room for a mix of residential and retail uses. The Scottsdale City
Council voted unanimously last week to approve an agreement with developer Fred Unger, selling the garden and
surrounding 124-space public parking lot for nearly $2.85 million. Scottsdale staff members are working with the
Scottsdale Rose Society to secure a new site for the garden. There are four possible sites, three of which are downtown.
The fourth is at McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park, Indian Bend and Scottsdale roads. Scottsdale will spend as much as
$50,000 on basic infrastructure required for the garden. The Rose Society will raise the remainder. Unger's company,
Rose Garden Partners LLC, agreed to donate $5,000 to the cause. Under the city's agreement, Unger must begin building
by the end of 2006. His development, which includes property on the east side of Goldwater, includes 48 residential units,
a restaurant, 15,860 square feet of retail space and 358 parking spaces. The garages are scheduled to open in 2007.
Archaeologists unearth ancient canal system ……. Archaeologists working at a proposed development site in
Mesa say they have unearthed one of the largest integrated canal systems the Hohokam Indians ever built in the Phoenix
area. Twenty Hohokam canals, uncovered during an ongoing archaeological survey of the 240-acre site, have been found
since October. The largest measures 45 feet wide and 16 feet deep. "They are the size of canals in Phoenix today, but
these were done with digging sticks and baskets," said Tom Wilson, an archaeologist and director of the Mesa Southwest
Museum. "There are some extraordinary things there."
Other archaeological remains were also found, including a half-dozen pit houses and hundreds of pottery fragments and
artifacts. Historians believe the Hohokam lived in central and southern Arizona for about 1,500 years, sometime between
300 B.C. and A.D. 1400. They were a largely agricultural community known for their sophisticated canal systems. The city
could pay up to $250,000 for the archaeological study but would be reimbursed by the developers.
A portion of collected artifacts will be displayed at Banner Mesa Medical Center later this fall. And next May, the Mesa
Southwest Museum will unveil a major Hohokam exhibit that will feature finds from the site, Wilson said. City Manager
Mike Hutchinson said talks are also ongoing with the developers to incorporate part of what has been found at the site into
the project. "It's an important finding and cultural asset for the whole state in terms of what it tells us," Hutchinson said.
Sedona Updates by Satellite Reporter Nancy Elkins
Patio Del Norte at Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village is the new second-story pedestrian deck with a view, a new
reception room for private functions (La Sala Milagros or Room of Miracles), and two new ground retail spaces ( Kuivato
Glass Gallery and Taylor Fine Art from Tubac).
The Verde Valley Medical Center is opening an 8,000 sq ft medical clinic in Bell Rock Plaza in the Big Park/Village of
Oak Creek Community.
In the unincorporated community of Big Park/Village of Oak Creek, lies 1,000 acres of land that once belonged to Fannie
Belle Gulick. Fannie Belle was successful, as both a gold prospector in Goldfield, Nevada, and proprietor of a bordello in
Las Vegas. She moved to Sedona in the 1940's and began acquiring land. She called the land Big Park, which is now
part of the Village of Oak Creek.
Page 5– AGA Newsletter ~ August 2005
Winfield Scott Tri-Sculpture, Scottsdale Cultural Council Campaign by Lois Godward
On June 8, a festive Western evening event was held at Harkins Camelview 5 as a fund-raiser to purchase the $100,000
Winfield Scott tri-sculpture. The sculpture of Winfield, his wife Helen, and his army mule, Maud, will be placed near the
entrance of the Scottsdale Historical Museum. It is the work of local artist, George-Ann Tognoni, best known for the lifesize sculpture of three running horses, "The Yearlings", located in Old Town Scottsdale at Brown and Main, also near the
museum on the Scottsdale Mall.
Dan Harkins, a former Scottsdale High student, offered the theater along with free pop corn, hot dogs and beverages.
Marshall Trimble, Arizona's official state historian, was the emcee for the evening and he gave a little history of Winfield
Scott with his usual wit. There was a silent auction with items donated by many Scottsdale merchants.
Other interesting facts to share with visitors…..
Phoenix…….
has more than 100 miles of hiking trails…..elevation is 1,117 feet…..has an average rainfall
of 7.66 inches….averages more than 325 sun-filled days per year.
Greater Phoenix…….
covers 2,000 square miles…..has a median age of only 32.9 years….major
industries are high-tech manufacturing, tourism and construction…….Is one of 10 metropolitan areas with all
four major professional sports leagues……has more than 40 museums and 150 art galleries…..has more than
55,000 thousand hotel rooms……is home to more than 200 golf courses……has experienced a 65 percent
population increase since 1990…..has six lakes within a 75 minute drive of Phoenix…..has an average annual
temperature of 72 degrees.
A Note About Membership from Mary Lacy, Membership Chair
The 2005-2006 Membership Roster will be available at the September 12 meeting at Rawhide.
The information printed in the directory is taken from your membership application. If there are any
corrections or changes, please advise me as soon as possible. We can make corrections by e-mail
updates to our members, and in our newsletter.
AGA OBJECTIVES and PHILOSOPHY
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To encourage and promote high standards of integrity, proficiency, knowledge, and growth in the tour
guide profession.
To promote the aims of the Association to other associations related to the travel and tourism industry.
To encourage continuing education for all of its members.
Congratulations!!!
To AGA member, Melissa Ruffner, who has been awarded the Arizona Historical Society’s 2005 Al Merito
Award!! Melissa’s Prescott Company promotes historical tours, performances, and publications, and has been
described as “bringing Arizona history to life”.
A GREAT Web site to visit: arizonascenicroads.com
The Arizona Coach Talker
AGA Newsletter
P.O. Box 45302
Phoenix, AZ 85064-5302
Page 6 – AGA Newsletter ~ August 2005
AGA Executive Committee Members for 2005-2006
PRESIDENT
VICE-PRESIDENT & PRESIDENT ELECT
RECORDING SECRETARY
CORRESPONDING SECRETARY
TREASURER
Betsy Todd
Leslie Ullstrup
Marilynne Ransom
Marcia Fisher
Rebecca Ellison
602 943-2900
602 996-6713
602 285-0405
480 998-2473
480 837-6183
Mark Your Calendars!!
August 29
Sept 12
Nov 7
Nov 14
2005
Board Meeting at 11:00 a.m. in
Prescott at Betsy Todd's home.
RSVP 602-943-2900
Annual ‘Meet and Greet’ at 6:00 p.m.
at Rawhide. RSVP 480-429-1747
Board Meeting
AGA Meeting
Jan 2
Jan 9
March 6
March 13
May 1
May 8
2006
Board Meeting
AGA Meeting
Board Meeting
AGA Meeting
Board Meeting
Annual Dinner Meeting
Newsletter Contributors
Nancy Elkins, Lois Godward, C.S. McFadden, Betsy Todd, Sharon Waldie, Leslie Ullstrup