CopperWynd Women's Pro Challenge

CopperWynd Resort and Club is hosting the Women's Pro Challenge tennis tournament. This USTA Pro Circuit event is the largest professional tennis tournament in Arizona. The field includes 32 singles players and 16 doubles teams from up to 20 countries.
I attended this event this morning in Fountain Hills. It was very enjoyable seeing these young women compete. The weather was quite cool and lunch at Flourish, CopperWynd resort's signature restaurant was perfect. The view is magnificent and the soup was delicious and warmed us up!

Enchanted Pumpkin Garden

The Halloween spirit is in Carefree where master pumpkin carvers are displaying their pumpkins. It is held throughout the Carefree Desert Gardens and the pumpkin displays are exceptional. Such a great family outing!

Royal Palms

My husband and I spent a lovely evening at the Royal Palms Resort in Phoenix. We had a gift certificate for a one-night stay and breakfast for two at T. Cook's.
The Royal Palms estate dates back to 1929 as the winter home of Delos Willard Cooke, a New York industrialist and financier, his wife Florence, and son, Chauncey. Mr. Cooke was a nephew of banking mogul J.P.Morgan. They chose the 65 acre parcel near the base of the southern slope of Camelback Mountain and built the magnificent Spanish Revival villa.
T. Cook's is a fabulous restaurant at the resort.....our breakfast was supurb!!!

Swimming

In the 1985 Ron Howard movie, "Cocoon", a group of elderly adults discover that a nearby swimming pool has the power to give them new strength, enhanced energy and a more youthful sense of well-being.
Not only is swimming a relaxing activity, it has many health benefits. It is a low-impact aerobic activity that builds long, lean muscles and helps women maintain a healthy weight. Swimming also helps increase flexibility. I try to swim early in the morning at least 4 to 5 times a week. I am the only person in the pool at that time and can do my laps without any disturbances......a great way to start the day!

Monsoon Season

In Arizona we experience monsoon, a season of high temperatures, high winds and high moisture. June 15th is the first day of the monsoon and September 30th is the last day. Monsoon storms range from minor dust storms to violent thunderstorms.
In the past week, we have had very active weather. Last night, storms hit the Phoenix area hard, leaving motorists stranded and knocking down power lines. The lightning was almost non-stop.......4000 lightning flashes!

Dahlias

I recently travelled to Ontario, Canada. The dahlias at the Farmer's Market in Georgetown were just amazing. I bought a bunch and just had to show you the picture of them. They were grown in the area and each one is so different.
You can see more of my travels on my Travel and Photo page.

Tonto Bar & Grill at Rancho Manana

We took a ride to Cave Creek one afternoon recently. Our destination was actually the Tonto Bar & Grill for lunch. This restaurant was voted 2015 Top 100 Al Fresco Dining Restaurants in America. It is located at Rancho Manana Golf Course and the scenery is beautiful.
Although it is summer, I just had to order their Golden Corn Chowder with applewood-smoked bacon, pulled chicken breast, fresh thyme and Yukon gold potatoes......absolutely delicious!!