I’m hanging out with Quijote, who has decided the safest place to be is in our closet.
Initially, he played it cool – like the noise of the 4th of July fireworks wasn’t going to bother him. Then, all of the sudden, it was too much, and he began scampering wild-eyed around the house in a panicked search for the best hiding spot.
Even before Quijote, we didn’t always go to see fireworks. In the middle of the sweltering Arizona summer, it’s a good day for brunch with friends or swimming or barbecue or staying inside and crafting.
San Diego
Of course, we were way out of the house when we had our first Independence Day with Quijote on our San Diego trip a year ago.
It was a similar story, where he started out unfazed, and then suddenly switched to terrified.
We were staying at the Hawthorne Historic Inn, which has a deck that’s great for watching fireworks. Phillip found us a couple chairs and brought up some wine and snacks. It was so sweet and lovely until we realized Quijote was not going to be able to deal with noise after all.
We gathered up our stuff and climbed back down the wooden steps.
Phillip and I propped up pillows and sat drinking wine and watching tv in bed, while Q burrowed under the comforter.
Indiana
On the other hand, Phillip and I began one 4th of July on a red eye to Indianapolis.
We arrived, caught a few hours sleep, stopped by a square where there was a music festival we were too early for, and then drove to Madison County to see my extended family.
We ended the day outside a different hotel, watching fireworks and fireflies and mysterious orange lights that were floating across the sky.
When you’re with ones you love, you can have a good time whether you’re standing in an open field or hunkering down in a closet.
Eastbound trains start at 19th Avenue and Dunlap, retracing basically the same route, heading south and then east and ending at Gilbert Road and Main Street (as of 5/18/19).
Schedule
To find where to get on and off the train and get schedule information, download a Transit Book, check the Valley Metro website, get the Ridekick app, or try Google Maps. If you don’t want to bother with the schedule, you can just show up. Trains run about every 10-20 minutes until around midnight or 1am.
Park-and-Ride
If there’s not a stop near you, you can drive to one of the 11 Park-and-Ride lots, where there’s free parking for people riding the light rail or bus. You just find a spot, lock your car, and head to the station platform.
2. Get your ticket.
You can easily get a pass from a fare vending machine at your stop before you leave.
Follow the prompts on screen to select an all-day pass and activate it immediately. Then pay with cash, credit or debit.
Your pass and receipt print from two different places. Make sure to pick them both up!
On the Station Platform
While you’re waiting, check the signs to make sure in the right spot for the train going in your direction.
Stations have…
fare vending machines
scrolling LED signs that say when to expect the next train
seating
some shade
route maps (simplified to highlight the stops – not to scale)
drinking fountains
artwork inspired by the local area
Stations don’t have…
restrooms
food or anything for purchase (except rail passes)
You can bring your own food and beverage in sealed or spill proof containers.
3. Get on board.
Trains stop at every station. You don’t have to flag them down. If one looks like it’s not stopping, Don’t panic! It’s probably just pulling up farther.
When the train pulls up to the station, it will come to a complete stop, the doors automatically open, and you can step into any car. Find a seat or or a place to stand and hold on to the railing. If you are standing, try to move back away from the doors, so people can easily get on and off.
There’s usually not anyone checking tickets as you get on. It’s kind of on the honor system. Occasionally, though, transit officers in black and white uniforms will come through and check tickets after the train is in motion. Not having one can get you fined up to $500.
Watch and listen for your stop. You can find a route map above some of the doors. And before each stop, a recording will say “approaching station” then the station name and whether you’ll exit the train on the left or right side. The information is also on scrolling LED signs in the middle of the ceiling of each car. Once you arrive, wait for the train to stop and doors to open, and you’re there!
– More light rail info –
Fare details. Day (round trip) pass: $4 / Week: $20 / Month: $64
Make sure you are waiting for the train going the direction you want to go. Most of the platforms are in the middle of the street and trains going both directions share them. However, around downtown Phoenix the line splits. So if you’re at the Phoenix Convention Center for example, the station for westbound trains is at Washington and eastbound trains stop a block south of there at Jefferson.
If you’re only going one way (to the airport, for example), you can purchase a 1-ride ticket. Once you purchase it, take your ticket and receipt. You have a two-hour window after purchasing to make your trip in one direction.
You may notice that there’s a “buy online” option on the Valley Metro website. This is NOT for last-minute purchases! Since electronic tickets are not accepted, you can order tickets online, and then they’ll be shipped to you via snail mail.
Pets are allowed only in enclosed carriers or cages that fit on your lap. Of course, this doesn’t apply to service animals – they just need to be out of walkways.
RailRide: Talking Stick Resort Arena event tickets now include a free ride to the event!
Last Saturday was Smithsonian Magazine’s Museum Day. The weather was too good to be inside, but they count the Desert Botanical Garden (DBG) as a museum, so we took advantage of the free admission and spent the afternoon walking garden paths.
I guess a botanical garden is kind of like an outdoor museum with living plants and animals.
We saw a hummingbird and bees buzzing around the Garden’s flowers and a big lizard was just hanging out on a rock next to the bench where I was sitting.
Since the DBG no longer allows picnicking, we ate our lunch at a nearby picnic area in Papago Park and were entertained by ground squirrels scurrying around and birds attempting to carry off pieces of a pizza someone had left behind.
Maybe they’re the reason DBG banned picnicking. You really don’t want grackles flying through your museum and dropping half-eaten pizza slices.
a possible owl pellet that Phillip poked at with a stick
some beautiful black butterflies
2 very determined ants and 1 that could care less
2 trees full of bees
a handful of squirrels
a turtle
a snake
and 75 lizards (before we stopped counting).
I also spotted a fuzzy tail of an animal going into a thicket. I jumped out of the car while it was still running to see what it was. All I found was a fat, lumbering squirrel.
Also, if you go on a hot, humid Tuesday, you’ll practically have the place to yourself. With the exception of those mentioned above, of course.
P.S. For those of you interested in chronology, by “today,” I mean last Tuesday, when I wrote down what we’d seen earlier that day.
There was a chalk drawing of a robot on the ground. No explanation. Just an arrow.
So, of course, we followed it – and the next one and the next one – down the steps behind Pike Place Market in Seattle.
We tried to guess where they were leading. A street art project? A robot maker? Nowhere? The den of our new robot overlords? Continue reading “Chalk Robots”
