Tempe Conventions & Visitors Bureau

To me, Memorial Day weekend is always the signal that summer is upon us. And, since that means relaxing by the pool, cook outs and fun events, I welcome the lazy days ahead. If you’re in Tempe this weekend, here are a few ideas for you:

Rula Bula Irish Pub has live music most nights of the week. But, I’m most excited to check out Sunday Afternoon Live on their lovely patio from 2-6 p.m. Sunshine, drink specials and great tunes sound like the perfect outing.

Art and cartoon lovers alike will love the Chuck Jones exhibition at the Gallery at the Tempe Center for the Arts. Now in its final weeks, you’ll see classic drawings of your favorite characters like Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd and Daffy Duck. And, you’ll get a glimpse into the life of the great Chuck Jones. The Gallery is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday – Friday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday. Admission is free.

If it’s summertime, then it’s time for water parks. Big Surf, America’s original water park, opens this weekend on Friday, May 28. The wave pool will be in full swing for those looking to recreate a beach experience in the desert. There are also exhilarating slides, and play areas for toddlers and children. Golfland/Sunsplash is fun for the whole family. Guests can enjoy miniature golf, laser tag, race cars, waterslides, a lazy river, a wave pool and more in one location. Sunsplash, the water park, is open on weekends only. Don’t miss Thunder Falls, the thrilling new attraction that is 5 stories high, with 3 breathtaking drops.

Stroll through “The District” at Tempe Marketplace on Friday or Saturday night to hear some of the best local musicians perform for free. The bands are located in front of Barnes & Noble and at the District Stage. The music starts at 7 p.m. And, don’t forget to bring a swimsuit for your kids. The Splash Pad fountain is the perfect spot to cool off.

If you love jazz, then you’ll love Dennis Rowland. This local musician always draws a crowd. He’ll perform this weekend on Friday night at Desert Botanical Garden’s Jazz in the Garden event. And, you can end your Memorial Day weekend on a high note with Dennis at “JAZZ at Monti’s,” a Monday night event at Monti’s La Casa Vieja.

If you want to stay in town, but feel like you’ve taken a trip, head to Tortilla Flat. This unusual spot has a population of 6, but lots of Old West charm. Travelers come from miles around to try the tasty chili, burgers and prickly pear ice cream. Tortilla Flat is located just past Canyon Lake on the Apache Trail, about 45 minutes from Tempe.

Have fun this weekend and don’t forget your sunscreen!

Desert Botanical Garden Flashlight Tour

Just because it’s a little warm out doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy the Desert Botanical Garden. Every summer, they give visitors a chance to see the Garden in a whole new way – by the light of a flashlight.

Garden Flashlight Tours take place every Thursday and Saturday evening from May through August. Beginning at 7 p.m., guests can observe how the desert comes to life when the sun goes down. You might see nighthawks, snakes and rare, but oh so cool, night blooming flowers. If you’ve never been to the Garden, or if you’ve been many times, don’t miss this event. You’ll also see something new. Last summer, I used my flashlight to search for toads, but found a mouse instead.

This is a perfect outing for families and couples searching for a unique date night. For more information, go to www.dbg.org.

Splash Playground at Tempe Town Lake

Grab your swimsuit and sunscreen…Splash Playground is now open at Tempe Beach Park! This is the perfect place for families to cool off this summer. Admission is free and the playground is open from 10 am to 7 pm daily. There are areas perfect for toddlers and the littlest water lovers. And, of course, there is a slide and water cannons for older kids. There are lifeguards on duty at all times, but the playground only has a maximum of about 2 inches of water at any given time. If they look closely, your children could learn a drop of rain falls from the sky and either becomes part of the ocean or the city water supply. But honestly, they might have too much fun at the park to notice the educational part. And that’s okay. Splash Playground is a great way to beat the heat. It is located on the south bank of Tempe Town Lake, near Rio Salado Parkway and Mill Avenue. For more information, visit http://tempe.gov/lake/Recreation/SplashPlayground.htm.

For all of us desert dwellers lizards, snakes, dessert tortoises, scorpions and other land-loving critters are the norm.  Usually, the closest we get to exotic tropical fish is at a pet shop or the big fish tank in our doctor’s or dentist’s office. Actually swimming and snorkeling with fish involves a major trip to an ocean.   But this Friday, May 14 all of us Sonoran Desert land lubbers will be able to experience a fish-eye view of  all kinds of shimmering finned and tentacled creatures at Sea Life Arizona without getting wet.

The 26,000 square foot space that was formerly a Hi-Health store at Arizona Mills mall has been transformed into a beautiful aquatic environment designed to provide a fun, interactive and educational experience for kids.  Twelve different habitat zones housing more than 32 tanks will display thousands of examples of marine life, including colorful coral reefs, jewel-colored fish, undulating sting rays, a huge slithery eel and graceful sea horses.  An underwater tunnel will give you 360 degree view and the sensation of swimming underwater, surrounded by sharks and other deep ocean dwellers. 

Things will kick of at 9:00 a.m. when more than 80 students from Children First Academy of Phoenix, the nation’s largest school for homeless children, will join Sea Life Arizona staff for the kelp cutting grand opening ceremony.  Doors will open to the public at 10:00 a.m.

I think Sea Life Arizona will be a great attraction for families and a nice, cool, refreshing experience this summer. Let me know if you go and what was your favorite fish.  I’m partial to sea horses and jelly fish myself.

Okay, the temperatures are staying in the 90’s. I know that in July I’ll long for those balmy 90s, but right now it’s feeling pretty toasty outside. Toasty enough to make me start thinking about things I enjoy doing indoors, under air conditioning. Reading is one of my favorite indoor activities and now is the time to start stocking up on books, so that I’ll be fully armed with a cache of great reads when the real heat hits. I plan on getting started this weekend by going to Changing Hands Bookstore to pick up Dave Barry’s newest book. He’s one of my favorite funny writers and I’m looking forward  seeing him in person at Changing Hands on Saturday, May 14.  He’ll be there signing I’ll Mature When I’m Dead: Dave Barry’s Amazing Tales of Adulthood.  It’ll be fun to see Dave in person and I know his most recent ruminations on middle-aged adult male hood will help keep my spirits right up there with the temperatures this summer. 

Actually, Dave Barry is just one of many amazing authors who will be at Changing Hands Bookstore all month long. Other author events will feature: Rebecca Skloot, whom you may have heard on NPR or seen on the Colbert Report with her New York Times bestseller The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks; Rick Reilly, the ESPN host with his latest, Sports from Hell: My Search for the World’s Dumbest Competition; Carolyn Jessop, former member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints and author of Triumph: Life After the Cult; and Judy Shepard, mother of the late Matthew Shepard with her book The Meaning of Matthew: My Son’s Murder in Laramie, and a World Transformed.  I’ve barely scratched the surface. There are lots more.  

Visit www.changinghands.com for more information on author events and books. I’m sure I’ll be heading to Changing hands a lot this month and all through the summer.

A mash-up is when you take multiple sources and combine them into one. It works in music, especially in my favorite episode of “Glee”, and now, it’s fashion’s turn.

The Mill Avenue Fashion Mash-up, this Saturday, May 8, combines fashions from Mill Avenue’s boutiques and Arizona’s top designers. Attendees can find out what’s hot for summer 2010 as these looks are featured during a runway show at MADCAP Theaters. Downtown restaurants will also participate, giving patrons of the show samples from their tasty menus. Mood Swings Salon is donating makeup and hair styling.

This one of a kind event takes place from 5-7 p.m. Tickets are $8 in advance or $10 at the door. They can be purchased at www.madcaptheaters.com. For more info, go to www.millavenue.com/fashionmashup