City of Scottsdale Teaches About Water Safety

Here in Scottsdale, Arizona, there are many swimming pools (at people's homes as well as at hotels and public areas), not to mention our local rivers and lakes. So a lot of swimming takes place here. On July 13th, a 20 month old child drowned in her family's back yard pool, the first drowning reported this summer. In response, the city of Scottsdale is sponsoring many activities as part of Arizona's Drowning Impact Awareness Month.

This Wednesday, August 1st, there will be a water safety day at each of Scottsdale's four public pools (Cactus, Chaparral, Eldorado, and McDowell Mountain Ranch). The event will include games and prizes, and of course, water safety tips along with a mock water rescue.

On August 19th, Scottsdale will have a Water Walk from 6 PM to 9 PM to bring water safety information to residents at their homes.

For more information, call 480-312-POOL.

Yes, Scottsdale residents definitely enjoy their swimming and their lounging by the pool. If you'd like to be one of them, contact Choice Group Realty today and we will help you find your perfect Scottsdale home, swimming pool and all.

Fountain Hills, Arizona - Natural Beauty and Room to Stretch Out

We've talked about some of the more up-scale, "planned community" type areas to live in around the Phoenix area. Today we're going to discuss a wonderful little town called Fountain Hills, famous for its fountain that shoots water over 500 feet in the air.

Fountain Hills is surrounded by desert on all sides - the Fort McDowell Indian Community to the East, the McDowell Mountain Range to the West, the McDowell Mountain Regional Park to the North, and the Salt River Pima Indian Reservation to the South. The naturally enclosed nature of the town and the fine people who live there give the area a special "down-home" kind of feel, even though it is still just a short drive from the big city. Houses in the community tend to be bigger, and lots bigger, than other similar communities around Phoenix.

One of the main advantages to buying a home in Fountain Hills is that no matter where it is located, you will have a spectacular view. There are numerous parks, ball fields, walking paths, and of course, golf courses - some of the finest (and most difficult) golf courses in the country.

Fountain Hills offers its own complete eduction for its children, serving pre-school through 12th grade. Montessori and Christian eduction is available, and there is even a strong network available for home schooling.

In terms of attractions, there are numerous staged events every year as well as a plethora of outdoor activities that can be engaged in year-round. As mentioned above, the town is home to a fountain that is capable of pumping water over 500 feet into the air, although it is generally set to about 300 feet. It has been featured in the Guinness Book of World's Records as the world's tallest fountain. If you are a gambler, the Fort McDowell Casino has the state's largest card room. Whitewater rafting is a popular activity down the Salt River. These are just a couple of the MANY activities available to the residents of Fountain Hills.

If quality of life, room to stretch, and peacefulness are what you are looking for, there are fewer places that will give you that like Fountain Hills. If you would like to investigate living in this wonderful little town, contact Choice Group Realty today.

Phoenix, Arizona: Let's Go River Rafting!

Today we thought we would talk a little about one of the greatest activities you can do while in the Phoenix, Arizona area: river rafting. Rafting is the act of utilizing a raft to navigate a river or other body of water. It is usually done on what is called "whitewater," which is water that has a bubbly, frothy appearance because of the rapid and unstable current. Whitewater rafting is an incredibly exhilarating experience, and central Arizona has some of the finest rafting in all the world. Following are a few companies you can contact to arrange a river rafting trip here:

Mild to Wild Rafting - www.mild2wildrafting.com - rafting tours on the Salt and Verde Rivers in lengths ranging from an afternoon to multi-day.

Desert Voyagers Guided Rafting Tour - www.desertvoyagers.com - specializing in trips that combine a desert jeep tour with river rafting.

Salt River Tubing & Recreation - www.saltrivertubing.com - spend the day or afternoon tubing the Lower Salt River rapids near Mesa, Arizona.

There are more rafting companies to choose from. We just wanted to get you started. If you do venture out into the river, remember to wear your life vest, wear shoes (to protect your feet from the rocky river bottom), stay sober, use sun block, and drink lots of water. Now get out there and experience some real river rafting, like only Arizona offers!