Update - New Golf Course - Road Construction

I've been meaning to post some new Queen Creek area photos. These were taken in December.

Sheep grazing on Arizona Farms Rd.
Road construction on Queen Creek.Encanterra Golf Club and Gated Community, coming along nicely.

Another early drive through construction on Ocotillo. Can anyone do anything to make the turn lane lights longer at Ironwood and Ocotillo? 3 cars turning left per light is horrid.

See you Monday morning in QC traffic. Expect delays in getting out of town!

Sushi in Queen Creek?

We finally tried the new Sushi Bar in Queen Creek. We drove into the parking lot in the evening and were not sure it was open as the windows have a very dark tint. We were pleasantly surprised with a nice modern interior and to our surprise there was a pretty decent crown inside. There is a bar and you can either eat at the bar or at a table.

The food was fresh. Be prepared to share as your order is not delivered all at one time. It is delivered as it is made. We truly enjoyed our visit.

Support your local restaurants - especially the good ones like Sushi Creek in Queen Creek.

Location 21805 S. Ellsworth Rd, Queen Creek, AZ 85242

http://www.getoutaz.com/story/2943

Christmas in Arizona

I've been pretty busy and neglecting my blog. I have more Queen Creek photos to share soon. Below are a few photos I took today in Tucson. A little Christmas cactus humor.

Gorilla in our Midst

Foreclosures in Arizona?... Say it ain't so.

I've had a few friends and relatives share the following article with me about foreclosures in the Queen Creek area. Why are there so many foreclosures in this area? My guess would be that people are greedy. We had a major building boom in this area in the past 5 years. There were stories about people buying houses cheap and then reselling them for huge profits. Every Tom, Dick and Harry suddendly mortgaged themselves to the limit with shady loans so that they could become flippers. (I blame the TV show Flip This House). So that's my theory.

Has the foreclosure situation stopped the builders from building like crazy in this area? - No. It has however affected resale values in this area. If you need to sell quickly, it may not happen. If you need to make a profit on the sale of your house, don't count on it. But if you want a new house in a new neighborhood for a decent price and don't mind a long commute to work - then Queen Creek and Pinal County is the place to live.

Here is a link to the news article:

ABC News: Boom, Bust in Area Beset by Foreclosures

Note: I was amused that my relatives in Ohio and Florida saw this article in their newspapers before we saw it here in the Phoenix area.

Rubbernecking

Fat Hawk watching the sun come up in Queen Creek.

I admit. I'm a totall rubbernecker in traffic. A rubbernecker for birds that is. I'm surprised thatI have not been in an accident yet (Thank God).Fat Hawk on his morning perch.

There is an intersection on my commute that I call Hawk Central. On a good morning you can sight about 10 fat hawks sitting on the farm irrigation systems and lightposts. It takes all I have not to pull over and look at them closer. These are the small gifts in life that we get for free. You might miss them if you blink.

You lookin' at me?Another local bird strutting his stuff on the side of the road - Beep Beep!
Take time to notice the little things around you. The payoffs can be huge. (Especially if you love to watch birds)

Halloween Spirit in Pecan Creek

Fall is the best time in Arizona. The weather is awesome and people are out and about again after a hot summer. This time of year I dream of carmel apples and pumpkins. I took a little walk this morning around the neighborhood and was happy to see the Halloween Spirit is alive and well in Pecan Creek. I personally tire of people trying to change Halloween into a "Harvest Festival". Barf.

Please enjoy these Halloween photos from my neighborhood. Happy Halloween!

See you in bumper to bumper traffic on Monday!

Queen Creek Walk Score

Photo: The Pork Shop on Combs Rd. - Highly recommended.

I recently found a site called Walk Score. Walk Score shows you a map of what's nearby and calculates a Walk Score for any property. The scoring system is from 1 - 100 with 100 being the best. ( www.walkscore.com )

I checked my walk score in Queen Creek and we made a miserable 34 to of 100. Photo: The Pork Shop - On my list for Best of Queen Creek - but can we walk there?
Admittedly, I drive everywhere. I know I am not the only one. Believe me, if I could walk to a restaurant, bookstore, movie theater or shop I would. For one thing I need the extra exercise to offset the amount of time I spend sitting on my posterior during my commute and then for eight hours at my uber interesting office job in central Phoenix.

Photo: View of field across from the Pork Shop on Combs. How long will this view last?

So, what does my walk score mean? I let the website tell me what I already know....

Your Walk Score is a number between 0 and 100. The walkability of an address depends on how far you are comfortable walking—after all, everything is within walking distance if you have the time. Here are general guidelines for interpreting your score:

90 - 100 = Walkers' Paradise: Most errands can be accomplished on foot and many people get by without owning a car.
70 - 90 = Very Walkable: It's possible to get by without owning a car.
50 - 70 = Some Walkable Locations: Some stores and amenities are within walking distance, but many everyday trips still require a bike, public transportation, or car.
25 - 50 = Not Walkable: Only a few destinations are within easy walking range. For most errands, driving or public transportation is a must.
0 - 25 = Driving Only: Virtually no neighborhood destinations within walking range. You can walk from your house to your car!

I implore our city and county planners to keep walking in mind. It's so sad that we have to drive everywhere. Wouldn't it be nice if our kids could ride their bikes on sidewalks and trails to a store or their friends houses only one or two sub-divisions away? I know when we purchased our house the model homes all had nice sidewalks and the developed street did too. When our home was built, surprise - no sidewalks. Feel free to walk in the street suckers.

Community planning can make or break a community. To the powers that be... Please slow down, take a breath. Consider what an intelligently planned Queen Creek and Pinal county could be and do for Arizona living. Get it right now because once the farms are gone and the infrastructure is complete, there is no going back. Make it pleasant and livable from the get go.

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This week I photographed the entrance to a new development that is coming up quickly on Gantzel and Combs. This is the Golf Club Gated Community of Encanterra. It looks like it will be very nice and exclusive. Please note that this community will add another 2,400 homes to the neighborhood here in Pinal County. I'd love if it would add a few decent paying jobs. (Please add some connecting walking and biking trails)

Photo: Encanterra - coming soon. ( www.encanterra.com ) Get pumped you golf freaks!

Get ready for 2,400 more commuters on the Ironwood-Gantzel corridor!
Photo: Looking East on Combs.
Empty field across from Encanterra - just ripe for development.

As always - see you in Monday morning traffic. Looking forward to sharing the road with another 2,400 people. -QCEVO