John Stavely's Page

Enjoy your Independence Day this year in 5 historic cities that know how to celebrate. Here are 4th of July vacation ideas and things to do while enjoying the long weekend in star-spangled style.           Boston, Massachusetts   The Cradle of Liberty brings us the traditional Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular at the Esplanade. The Oval opens at 9am for this [...]

The Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona is a grand showcase of American Indian Art and crafts from the region. They have three locations now but I visited the main Museum in Downtown. I was lucky enough to join a 30 minute free tour given by the museum staff and I’m glad I did. He pointed [...]

“To inspire people to live in ways that promote the well-being of the natural world”   This is the mission of the Phoenix Zoo in Arizona. Who could argue with that? Since 1962, they have tirelessly worked towards conservation and diversity of animal species locally and internationally including the Mexican Wolf, Asian Elephant and Sumatran Tiger. Visiting [...]

  The Iron Horse sat quietly as we boarded her in the small town of Clarkdale, a few hours north of Phoenix, Arizona. The vintage FP7 Diesel engines gleamed in the desert sun waiting to pull the passengers through the Verde Canyon as they had so many times. As we settled into our oversized seats the [...]

The Phoenix Valley Highlights Tour in Phoenix, Arizona is a great overview of the area. Covering the history of the valley from the Hohokam peoples, who lived their for over 1000 years, to the present downtown renovation, this tour is the perfect way to understand the culture, geography and growth of the fifth most populous [...]