Become Involved in the Attraction of Remote Controlled Cars

A remote operated car consists of a remote control and the model vehicle. By turning or pushing the controls up or down & left or right, the person has all the resources to make it go in whatever direction required.

There are so many various different types of different types of replicas out there at great discounts in the consumer market. The simple ones can only just travel a few feet. Consumers that yearn to experience the 100% genuine deal must obtain the radio control vehicle that requires being custom-built and adapted from scratch.

Radio operated toys are categorised either as electric operated or as nitro motorised. The superb attribute concerning cars that use an electric motor is that the battery is completely rechargeable. Radio control toys that adopt fuel will require to be topped-up and also greased after a certain period of time, which is incredibly similar to today’s road vehicles. Toy Shopper has details on a whole range of mini radio control cars .

These cars are regularly used by individuals of varying ages. Particular specialist department stores have remote controlled cars comparable to those driven in NASCAR & monster trucks that are time and time seen in the demolition derby. This clearly highlights that people can take pleasure in remote controlled vehicles both on and off the road.

Do these cool toys call for a substantial amount of TLC? Yes they do. The owner should check the battery unit, the shock absorbers and the tires on a regular basis. This will help ensure that the remote control vehicle is competent to uphold its speed and efficiency each & every time it is sent to the race track.

The hobbyist would be advised to be conscious that not all of the cars components can be patched-up. This is down to toy manufacturers designing their cars to work only up until the machinery just crack. Customers that want to enjoy the car will either need to exchange the parts, which occasionally can hard to stumble upon.

Radio operated toys do not just relate to cars. There are also lots of planes, ships and helicopters to get your hands on in the toy store.

Parents & kids alike who are interested and for some reason have never done this before maybe should stick to the entry level model(s) and then only upgrade later on if the individual is in fact serious about it and desires to participate in official remote control car competitions on a regular basis.

Top 5 Reasons Why You Need Polarized Sunglasses

Top 5 Reasons Why You Need Polarized Sunglasses

Boaters and fishermen have used HREF="http://www.sunglasshaven.com/polarized_sun_glasses.html" rel="nofollow">
polarized sunglasses a long time to reduce glare from the
lake. However, polarized sunglasses can offer benefits and
advantages when worn for most outdoor sports activities. The
popularity of polarized lenses has increased dramatically as has
availability. In the past few years, however, the benefits of
polarized sunglasses have been realized by a variety of other
outdoor sports enthusiasts as well as by drivers and general use
wearers.

How Do Polarized Sunglasses Work?

Light reflected from surfaces like a flat road or smooth water
is generally horizontally polarized. This horizontally polarized
light is blocked by the vertically oriented polarizers in the
lenses.

The result: a reduction in annoying and sometimes dangerous
glare.

Polarized sunglasses have five primary advantages: * They reduce
light transmission by only allowing light to transmit through
select angles. * They reduce UV light and reflected glare off
surfaces such as snow, water and pavement by blocking light at
certain angles. * They increase contrast sensitivity allowing
more distinction between under water objects and during sport
activities. * Boaters and fishermen have used polarized
sunglasses a long time to reduce glare from the lake. * They
reduce sunlight glare for driving, especially on the hot sunny
days of the summer when the heat is rising off the road causing
increased polarity.

By making an analogy to Venetian blinds we can describe the
principle of polarized sunglasses. The blind allows light to be
transmitted through select angles while blocking light at
certain angles. For enhanced clarity and reduced back glare,
some polarized sunglasses have an Anti-Reflective coating on
either the front or back of the lens.

Consequently, liquid crystal displays (LCD) may cause polarized
sunglasses to react adversely by making the LCD’s invisible when
viewed at a certain angle. This type of LCD displays can be
found on bank ATM machines, dashboards of some cars, and some
cell phones.

The jury is still out on the effects of polarized sunglasses on
snow-covered surfaces. Some experts say they can reduce the
intense glare that is caused by sunlight reflecting off snow.
Others state polarized sunglasses are not very feasible for
sports such as downhill skiing because they may not provide the
contrast the eye needs to distinguish changes in snow conditions.

However, for most other sports and activities, polarized
sunglasses can offer great advantages. And today, many types of
polarized sunglasses are available on the market. Whether you
spend your time boating or waterskiing, in-line skating or
mountain biking, driving or jogging, polarized sunglasses are an
excellent choice.

This article is sponsored by HREF="http://www.sunglasshaven.com" rel="nofollow">Sunglass Haven. Sunglass
Haven. is a major online retailer of custom and designer
eyewear. For questions regarding any of the information about
polarized sunglasses or designer sunglasses contact them at
Sunglass Haven

Please share the content of these articles with your friends
and family. Reprint rights granted. All reprints must include a
link to Sunglass Haven. Content may not be altered and articles
must be as distributed by Sunglass Haven .

Copyright Sunglass Haven 2005

New Bass Fishing DVD Bass Attacks

Bass Attacks brings you to the table as the fast and furious
largemouth bass dines for the camera!

Order the most revealing underwater DVD ever produced featuring
largemouth Bass. A spectacular video guaranteed to increase your
success on the water, and change forever how you fish for trophy
largemouth Bass. Bass Attacks takes you on a remarkable journey
into the underwater world of largemouth Bass. Your entire family
will be spellbound observing never-before-seen behavior of
largemouth Bass. This video covers nesting, feeding, schooling,
location, and aggressive feeding habits of the largemouth Bass.
With this digital-quality DVD there is much to learn and lots of
Bass fishing tips. If you’ve always wanted to see underwater
video footage of how largemouth Bass feed underwater, what they
prefer and what fish prefer and ignore about your fishing
technique and presentations, make it a point to purchase this
video, its not like any other videos out there. Bass Attacks
shows how largemouth Bass actually feed, where fish move to when
they are not feeding and more. It will show examples of
largemouth bass holding in various portions of the lake. Anglers
and non-anglers will be amazed at watching how a largemouth bass
can inhale a large bluegill. This video address and answers many
of the questions and problems anglers and fisherman have asked
about bass fishing. Get a fish-eye view on bass fishing for big
bass.

Bass, Big Bass and more Bass…

Bass Attacks http://www.bassattacksdvd.com

Tents and Their Uses

Outdoor weddings and garden parties are so beautiful, and the sky is the limit for decorating and themes- and the only concern is the inability to accurately predict the weather. Consider this; standing outside with your groom or bride, next to a babbling brook, with your friends and family seated in rows behind you. You’ve got a gorgeous decorated arbor for the minister to stand under, and the timing is perfect, as the setting sun is casting a bright, orange hue across the water and creating a feeling of warmth to all of your guests. But what is that overhead? That’s right, it’s a big, dark gray storm cloud, and it’s moving in threatening to ruin your outdoor wedding!

The weather is never completely predictable, and having an outdoor event means you are taking a chance on the weather. Unless, of course- you plan ahead and arrange for tents, gazebos or marquees to be set up- which is your best bet for an enjoyable outdoor event, regardless of the weather! Rain and wind are no match for the gorgeous tents you can set up to protect yourself and your guests from the elements and unpredictability of the weather. You can find suitable tents for any occasion, for the fanciest of weddings, you can rent or purchase all white canvas tents, with beautiful arched windows in each of the canvas walls, and high peaked ceilings, which you can use for decorating with twinkling lights, flowers, or other items of your choosing. Marquees and frame tents of this caliber are also used for outdoor corporate events and picnics often.

You’ve seen the tents used for weddings, garden parties and also by vendors at street markets and fairs. Vendors often used them to designate their space, for their outdoor “store”, and give their customers a place to come in out of the hot sun, wind, or rainy weather- hoping to encourage their guests to stay and shop some more! It also protects the items that they’re selling from adverse weather conditions, as well.

Tents really do have a variety of uses. At first thought, the word “tent” probably brings to mind the smaller sized tents that are mainly used for camping. Typically, they can be set up by just one or two people, and are just large enough for a few people to get into and sleep fairly comfortably. There are, however, tents for camping that are much larger- designed for groups and large families to use for extended vacations. Some camping tents are actually part of a trailer, so they are set up to allow for easy traveling, you just hook your trailer to your vehicle and take off!

You’ll find a variety of uses for tents, as well as tents that are available in very small sizes and shapes all the way to sizes that are best compared to houses! In fact, many of the larger tents resemble homes, in that they have separate rooms and doorways, and storage areas designated. Tents really extend the amount of living space you have at home, since they allow you to enjoy the great outdoors even when the weather isn’t conducive to spending time outside.

For more information please visit www.uk-tents.co.uk

Phil Edwards is a writer and publisher living in london. His work can be seen at http://www.uk-tents.co.uk and
http://www.househobby.com

Mount St. Helens is a National Monument

In December 2005, Manaro, the volcano in the Pacific Island nation of Vanuatu showed signs it was about to erupt. Smoke and ashes shot up from the crater and many of the population fled their homes. In point of fact the volcano did not erupt. However, as the old year came to an end and we entered a new one, news flashed around the world that the South Pacific had experienced a large earthquake. Could there, I wonder, be a connection?

Mount St. Helens, located in the Washington State in the Pacific Northwest, also a volcano, erupted in May 1980. The eruption is attributed to an earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale. Certainly, this was not the first time this mountain had outbelched larva, smoke and ash in its 50,000 history of eruption. This time the north face collapsed in a gigantic avalanche of sand, rock and larva, taking with it 230 square miles of verdant forest. The volcano spewed a mushroom cloud high into the sky that turned day into night and scattered gray ash over most of eastern Washington State and the surrounding area. The eruption itself lasted a mere nine hours but the affects felt as far away as Canada, have changed the area out of all recognition. It was as if an atom bomb had exploded in the area on that day almost 26 years ago.

In 1982, President Reagan and Congress voted to create 110,00 acre National Volcanic Monument not only to mark the events of that fateful day in May 1980, but also to take from what was described as a national disaster and turn something negative into a positive creation. Within the Park that comprises the Monument the land is left alone to recover from the shattering disturbance it had experienced. Slowly and without the help of man the area is beginning to return to life. The once gray, larva strewn terrain is now gently turning green as plants and shrubs take root within the ash and debris. Bird life, which deserted the area after the eruption, is now coming back and the elk that lived and grazed within the surrounding forest are now straying back to what was once their natural habitat. Who says these creatures do not have instinctual memory?

For the traveler who remembers the graphic TV pictures of the Mount St. Helen’s disaster a trip to the National Monument will help restore faith in the notion that no matter what happens, it will pass and life will move on to its next mighty stage of growth and development.

Interested in this subject? Try this link http://www.northwesttravelspots.com

Learning about Hummingbirds

Hummingbirds are a joy for a birdwatcher to observe. They are
found only in the Western Hemisphere, from as far north as
Southeastern Alaska and the Maritimes of Canada and as far south
as Southern Chile. There are approximately 350 species of
hummingbirds with 320 species found in the tropics. Within the
family of hummingbirds is found the smallest bird in the world,
the Bee Hummingbird of Cuba at 2.17 inches (5.5 cm) and weight
1.95gm (0.07 oz). Hummingbirds range in size from 2 inches to 8
inches.

The hummingbird derives its name from the humming sound that is
produced by its rapid wingbeat. Generally the wingbeat is so
rapid that the individual only sees a blur as most of these
birds flap their wings about 50 times per second. The speed of
the wingbeat depends on the size of the bird, the largest the
Giant Hummingbird, has a wingbeat rate of 10-15 times per
second. The fastest recorded rate was about 80 times per second,
on a tiny Amethyst Woodstar, and the slightly smaller Bee
Hummingbird - the world’s smallest bird - may have an even
faster rate. A hummingbird’s wing is flexible at the shoulder,
but inflexible at the wrist, this enables them to fly in many
different directions. They can fly right, left, up, down,
backwards and even upside down. To move away from the flowers on
which they feed hummingbirds fly backwards and are the only bird
able to fly backwards. While other birds get their flight power
from the downstroke only, hummingbirds also have strength on the
up-stroke. Though they fly very fast, they can suddenly stop and
make a soft landing. They are so light they do not build up much
momentum. Hummingbirds have poorly developed feet, so that
although they are able to perch and will do so when feeding or
resting, they do not walk. In order to move, even along a
branch, they fly. Hummingbirds lift from perches without pushing
off; they rise entirely on their own power, flapping their wings
at almost full speed before lifting off. Hummingbirds sleep
perched on branches with their neck retracted and their head
forward, the bill pointed up at a sharp angle, and the feathers
fluffed.

It is believed that hummingbirds live for only 3 to 4 years.
They have a fast heartbeat with a rate of 1260 beats per minute
having been measured in a Blue-throated Hummingbird. In torpid
hummingbirds, the heart rate can drop to 50-180 per minute.
Their fast heart rate and rapid wing motion require them to feed
regularly throughout the day. It is reported that they must feed
every 10 minutes and they may consume 2/3 of their body weight
in a single day. A major part of a hummingbird’s diet is the
nectar they obtain from flowers and their bills are perfectly
adapted to the various types of flowers that they feed on. Some
hummingbirds have especially curved or elongated bills that
allow them to feed on special flowers, eg the White-tipped
Sicklebill hummingbird whose downward curving bill allows it to
draw nectar from heliconias. The HREF="http://www.birdsoftt.com/birds_info/ruby topaz
hummingbird.htm" rel="nofollow"> Ruby-Topaz Hummingbird has a short and
slightly decurved bill that is suited to feeding on the flowers
of the
ixora shrub. The HREF="http://www.birdsoftt.com/birds_info/blue-tailed
emerald.htm" rel="nofollow"> Blue-tailed Emerald has a short bill that is
suited for feeding on the HREF="http://www.birdsoftt.com/scenes info/hibiscus.htm" rel="nofollow">
Hibiscus flower. the HREF="http://www.birdsoftt.com/birds_info/copper rumped
hummingbird.htm" rel="nofollow"> Copper-rumped Hummingbird has a straight
long bill that allows it to feed on medium sized tube shaped
flowers such as the allamanda. In feeding, hummingbirds use
their tongue to lap the nectar in a similar manner to cats
lapping milk. Their tongue can extend a distance equal to their
beak length. As they feed hummingbirds accidentally collect
pollen and as they move from flower to flower, they help the
flowers to reproduce.

Hummingbirds have little or no sense of smell, so colour is
important to a hummingbird’s search process for locating flowers
containing nectar. While they will visit any flower that has
sufficient nectar they prefer flowers that are red to orange in
colour. It is believed that there are several reasons for this
colour preference. Red flowers standout in a green
background and so are more easily seen by the hummingbird. It is
also believed that because hummingbirds compete with insects for
nectar they choose flowers that are less likely to be visited by
insects. Most insects do not see well at the red end of the
colour spectrum and so may not visit red flowers while
hummingbirds see the full visible spectrum.

Hummingbirds also need protein in order to build muscles, so
they eat insects. They prefer to feed on small spiders and
slow-flying insects such as gnats, small wasps and leafhoppers,
which are rather buoyant in air and easy to catch. They also
probe the bark and foliage for insects such as aphids, spiders,
caterpillars and insect eggs. It is believed that up to one-half
of their diet is made up of small insects. Hummingbirds are
capable of living for extended periods without nectar as a
component of their diet. They can quickly convert fat reserves
and recently ingested insects to energy when deprived of nectar.
Hummingbirds compete for nectar and insects and so they develop
territories, which they guard aggressively. They will fight with
other hummingbirds that enter their territory but serious harm
is seldom inflicted during these fights. Also when food sources
are scarce they fight to protect their source.

Most hummingbirds are green except hermits, which are mainly
brown, and are known for the iridescence. These brilliant,
iridescent colors of the hummingbird plumage are caused by the
refraction of incident light by the structures of certain
feathers. These structures split light into its component
colors, and only certain frequencies are refracted back to the
viewer. The brown colour in some hummingbirds is the result
however of pigmentation. Hummingbirds groom themselves with
their bills and claws, using oil from a gland near their tail.
They also use their claws like a comb to groom their heads and
necks. They sunbathe positioning their breast towards the sun
and fluffing out, extending their neck and spreading their tail.
Hummingbirds also take water baths using the water in shallow
pools or cupped leaves. They flutter their wings or pull them
straight back while lifting and spreading their tail; they dip
their chins and bellies into the water. At times they can be
seen sitting on a bare branch allowing the rain to soak through
to their skin. After bathing they will preen and dry their
feathers.

Hummingbirds build cup shaped nests, however hermits build long
hanging nests usually attached to foliage. Male hummingbirds do
not contribute to the building of nests or the care of young.
All feeding is therefore left to the female. When feeding the
female perches on the side of the nest, arches her back,
stretches her neck, lifts her head, and holds her bill down to
regurgitate nectar and half-digested insects to her babies. Her
throat swells and she pumps her beak like a sewing needle.

Although various larger birds, snakes, and mammals raid
hummingbird nests for eggs and chicks, this is not a major cause
of death.

Get Your Mail While RV Traveling

One of the challenges long term RV travelers face is how to get important mail while traveling. Your power and phone bills still need to be paid even when you’re not at home. If you’ve given up your house for full-time traveling, you’ll still need to get your Social Security checks, DMV documents, bank statements and credit card bills. How, then, can you get your mail while on the road?

With over 25 years of experience handling mail for RV travelers, here are some tips that The Postal Depot can offer for mail receiving and mail forwarding:

Step 1:

Rent a mailbox with a physical address. If you rent a box at the local Post Office branch, you won’t be able to receive packages or mail from any carrier other than the good old U.S.P.S. Also, the Post Office can’t forward your mail to various addresses you might be at while traveling around the country. A mailbox at a commercial mail service center, like The Postal Depot, can offer you a true street address place for receiving your mail.

Step 2:

Sign up for a mail forwarding service. Choose a reliable mail forwarding service that’s experienced in forwarding mail to RV travelers. You’ll be able to have your mail sent to you as often or as little as you’d like anywhere you might be in the United States . The best services forward your mail to you for the actual cost of postage plus a flat handling fee. This handling fee should include the cost of the envelope used and all other supplies. Be careful of the hidden costs some forwarding agencies tack on to their so called low handling fees.

Step 3:

Plan your trip around small towns. When you need your mail forwarded to you, look on a map for a small town that you’ll be traveling through in five to seven days. Why a small town? Because you can have your mail sent to that town’s Post Office c/o General Delivery. Big city Post Offices probably won’t offer this service. The Post Office receiving your mail will hold it for 10 days before returning it to the sender. Your general delivery mail address will look like this:

Your Name
c/o General Delivery
City, State, Zip Code

Remember that not all Post Offices will accept and hold mail arriving c/o General Delivery, so it’s a good idea to call before you have your mail sent. Call the Post Office’s toll-free number (1-800-ASK-USPS) and ask if the Post Office in that town will receive General Delivery mail.

Step 4:

Use Flat-rate Priority Mail Envelopes. If possible, have your mail forwarded to you in a Priority Mail Flat Rate envelope. As long as your mail fits in this envelope, the postage price is the same regardless of weight. Also, Priority Mail usually arrives at its destination (anywhere in the United States ) in two to three days.

Step 5:
Consider having only first-class mail sent. Most bills, statements, payments, letters, postcards and other important mail are sent via first-class mail. Advertisements, sales magazines and basic “junk mail” are usually sent presorted standard (second-class). You can save money on postage by having your mail forwarding service send you first-class mail only. The remaining mail can be held in your mailbox. If you enjoy looking through ads and sales magazines, like many people do, have all your mail forwarded.

Step 6:
Rent a mailbox with a Nevada address. Even though the typical full-time RV traveler is retired, many continue to maintain a corporation. Consider incorporating in Nevada to save money. Nevada is one of the most tax-friendly states in the U.S. For a nominal amount of money, you can rent a mailbox with a Nevada physical street address, obtain the services of a Nevada Resident Agent and incorporate your business through the Nevada Secretary of State while enjoying Nevada ’s corporate tax benefits.

The last thing on your mind while relaxing in your RV should be worrying about your mail. By becoming familiar with the above tips, mail delivery won’t be much of an issue.

The Postal Depot - http://www.thepostaldepot.com

The Laws of the Forest: A Camper’s Guide

In the woods and fields and camping grounds there are certain rules to be obeyed, certain laws to be respected. Like most rules and laws, there is a good reason for them. You already know that you must put out your fires completely and not trespass on private property, nor will you harm a living tree. As you feel more and more at home in the out-of-doors, you will be able to make your own list of do’s and don’ts. But here are a few tips to help you improve your camping skills.

The rabbit gives birth four to five litters of one to five young during the year, the first toward the end of February. The doe has one or two fawns in April. The badger has three to five young in February. Everywhere in the woods the young creatures cower in fear, and the older animals worry about their young. You should not frighten them by making noise and beating the bushes.

Don’t close the openings of fox and badger burrows, and don’t build a fire in front of the burrow. Closing up the openings means starvation for the young, and they would suffocate in the smoke.

Rabbits and deer bring their young into the thickest part of the underbrush for safety when there is a disturbance. For that reason leave these places alone.

Every good outdoorsman knows that animals always flee uphill when there is a disturbance. Therefore, if you have to make a lot of noise, do it along the streams and in the hollows. If a mother is forced to leave her young, the babies can easily fall victim to dogs and foxes when they are unprotected and helpless.

Be careful of trees of any age. You can damage a tree even by climbing on it with hobnailed shoes.

Woodpiles are the fruit of much hard work. Do not take the result of some stranger’s labor.

Light fires only in ditches, stony spots, paths, or sizable clearings.

Route signs and no-trespassing posters were not put up as targets for stones.

Farmers spend a lot of time and money every year to keep their fences in shape, so do not use them for gym equipment.

If you find young animals out-of-doors, leave them where you find them without touching them. Attempts to raise them at home seldom succeed. As soon as you leave quietly, the mother will return to pick up her young.

When you prove, by following the rules of the woods, that you know how to be considerate and sensible, you will have made friends of the farmers, foresters and all the people who love the forest. And this can only work to your own advantage.

FREE collection of activities for family camping trips. Tree houses, tepees, animial tracking, games and more! It’s FREE! Click here: http://www.FamilyCampingIdeas.com

Mountain Climbing Snafu

Beginners in any adventure activity are prone to some hilarious
mistakes. To those that make the mistakes, they aren’t all that
humorous and can result in a lot of ego smashing ribbing from
fellow adventurers. If you are one of these snafu committing
newbies, take heart. It happens to all of us. In case you are
thinking you just pulled a blunder that no one could ever top,
and that no one will ever forget it, I am about to tell you a
story of the first time I took some guests up the side of a
mountain.

This is a true event. It happened when I first moved to Colorado
and discovered that I am a rockhound and treasure hunter by
nature. Of course, I have come a long way since this happened 20
years ago, but I won’t be offended if you laugh your face off at
me for it. I find it pretty hysterical myself — now.

I moved to Colorado from Michigan. We had no mountains back
there. Other than hunting Petosky stones, I had never realized
that I loved rock hunting til I found some crystals while hiking
around the backside of Pikes Peak. When I learned what I could
find, I became a voracious rockhound, and that included a lot of
letters home to my friends and family about my trips out to the
mountains where everything was a new and exciting adventure for
me.

Needless to say, the people back home started viewing me as a
sort of Ms. Indiana Jones/Ms. Grizzly Adams combination. My
stories held their fascinations and imaginations.

One day some friends of mine came out from Michigan to visit me
and I was bound and determined to show them the most fascinating
time of their lives. So I hiked them up the side of a mountain
to a little known abandoned mining site. We had a great time up
there and I was feeling like the Ultimate tour guide and
adventure leader.

When it was time to come down the mountain, I handed my
backpack, which contained some group supplies, to my fiancee to
carry down for them as I decided to go down the ravine to check
a few spots and rocks out on the way down. I didn’t stop to
think that I might need any of those supplies myself. So off
they went down the mountain side, my knife with them, and off I
went down the ravine.

The slope was very steep at one point. Climbing down, I stepped
in a bunch of vines. I didn’t think any thing of it and
continued down, but the vines, instead of falling away,
tightened against my ankle. In my attempt to shake them off I
ended up laying upside down on the mountainside, strapped by my
ankle. I was not having fun. Everyone watching me from below was
though. They were having a great time sitting and eating their
snacks from my pack and watching me as I hung upside down
wondering what to do about it.

Finally, I had no choice but to scramble myself up enough to
where I could chew the vine that held me in half. When it
finally broke, I tumbled about fifty feet before I could stop my
roll. Getting up and brushing myself off, I looked down to find
my pals had gotten some very interesting pictures of Ms. Jones
Adams to take home.

At the bottom, I was subject to much revelry as my fiancee
helped pull the cactus needles out of me that I had picked up
during my roll. More than my ego smarted from that little
escapade.

Just one of those little mishaps that turns beginners into
experienced climbers.

Oh - incidentally - you will NOT see the pictures anywhere on
the net. HAHA.

Doggin’ Phoenix: Where To Hike With Your Dog When In The Valley Of The Sun

Encanto Park, in the heart of downtown Phoenix is an oasis for people and dogs, named for the Spanish word for “enchanted.” Acquisition of the 222 acres began in 1934 through donations and land buys. You can walk your dog in the park at 15th Avenue and Encanto Boulevard around the palm-studded lagoon where the sternwheeler “Encanto Queen” plies the gentle waters.

South Mountain Park in southern Phoenix is actually three mountain ranges - the Ma
Ha Tauk, Gila and Guadalupe - where prospectors probed for riches in the early
1900s. The city of Phoenix acquired 13,000 acres of land in 1924 for just
$17,000 from the federal government and the park was on its way to becoming the
largest municipal park in America.

The National Park Service also did the bulk of the development work when the
Civilian Conservation Corps carved out trails and picnic areas and built many of the
park facilities.

This is pure Sonoran desert hiking - open, rocky and hot. Canine hikers are advised
to stick to dog-friendly South Mountain’s shorter trails and there are plenty to
choose from of less than two miles. Bring more water than you’ll think you need and
pay close attention to your dog’s paw pads. The rocks and packed dirt can get
blisteringly hot.

Once common-sense precautions in the desert are accounted for, the going at
South Mountain is suitable for most any dog. The highest point you can reach on
foot is 2,330-foot Dobbins Lookout and steep climbs are spread out on the park
trails.

The National Trail cuts through the spine of the park for more than 14 miles and
can be used for loops. It moves though chiseled rocks and crags amidst a desert
environment of more than 300 species of plants.

Expect to adopt a pack mentality when taking your dog to South Mountain Park -
more than three million hikers sample its trails each year. To reach South Mountain
Park go south on Central Avenue to the park entrance.

copyright 2006

Doug Gelbert is the author of over 20 books, including The Canine Hiker’s Bible.
To subscribe to his FREE Newsletter on hiking with your dog and receive a copy
of Rules for Dogs in 100 of the Most Popular National Park Service Lands, visit
http://www.hikewithyourdog.com In the warmer months he leads canine hikes
for hikewithyourdog.com tours, guiding packs of dogs and humans on hiking
adventures. Tours, ranging from one-day trips to multi-day explorations, visit
parks, historical sites and beaches.