Monday, September 6 is Labor Day and a transit holiday whereby light rail and bus will run on a Sunday schedule. Trains run every 20 minutes on Sundays and holidays.

-METRO Light Rail

Friday 8/27

Critical Mass is the monthly group bike ride through the streets of central Phoenix. The nationwide event is meant to draw attention to the growing bike culture in most cities and to get motorists accustomed to traveling on the same roadway as bikes. The group leaves the 3rd Street entrance to Steele Indian School Park at 7 p.m. and takes the following route: Indian School to Central Ave. North to Missouri. East to 7th street. 7th street south to McDowell. McDowell east to 3rd Ave. North on 3rd avenue (source). The ride usually ends at 8:30 p.m. and afterward, many people head over to the Clarendon Hotel for a dip  in the pool. Be sure to ‘like’ the Critical Mass Phoenix Facebook page and stay up to date on future rides. Steele Indian School Park is located directly across the street from the Indian School and Central Station on the east side of Central.

Improvisors with The Torch Theater are taking a break from renovating their new uptown digs (4721 N Central Ave) and heading to perform at Practical Art on Central Avenue just north of the Camelback Station. The event is free, but donations are being accepted to help The Torch Theater with work on their new home. I’ve heard so much about The Torch Theater and I’m looking forward to seeing my first performance at one of my favorite stores in central Phoenix: Practical Art has a wide selection of everyday household items hand crafted by local artists. The result is art that you can use at home. Show starts promptly at 8pm. For more information, check out the Facebook invite here.

Friday 8/27 and Saturday 8/28

The new kids on the block are a restaurant and a bar called Bliss and reBAR, which are taking over the spot once occupied by NINE 05 on 4th Street just south of Roosevelt. Bliss and reBAR promise to be the new downtown hot spots, offering American comfort food and a rustic contemporary outdoor bar. Read about the opening, and some of the low calorie options offered at both places in the Chow Bella blog over on the Phoenix New Times website here. FYI: There’s a brief, five block walk from Roosevelt Station.

Lucky Strike Lanes and Lounge opens this weekend at the new entertainment destination called CityScape, located in the heart of the downtown Phoenix. Lucky Strike is an upscale bowling alley with a full bar and a menu that has a dish for every appetite. (The Tuna Lolipops and Tomato and Cheese S’mores sound interesting!) I had the opportunity to attend the VIP preview last night – Lucky Strike is stylish and sexy…and gives visitors another option for entertainment in our urban core. You can read about the other stores and restaurants opening in CityScape over on the Downtown Phoenix website. CityScape is located near the Central and Washington Station for westbound trains and near the 1st Avenue and Jefferson Station for eastbound trains.

Information on how to ride the light rail to any of these destinations can be found here.

That’s about it from this end. What’s on your radar for Weekend Fun along the light rail? Share your event by posting a comment below.

]]> http://lightrailblogger.com/2010/08/27/weekend-fun-14/feed/ 0 http://lightrailblogger.com/2010/06/23/surviving-the-heat-during-your-carfree-commute/ http://lightrailblogger.com/2010/06/23/surviving-the-heat-during-your-carfree-commute/#comments Wed, 23 Jun 2010 20:18:35 +0000 Tony Arranaga http://lightrailblogger.com/?p=2378 The forecast in Phoenix on Thursday is hot hot hot! The Valley of the Sun will see the hottest day of the year (so far) as the temperature is expected to reach 111 degrees. People here in Phoenix have experienced triple digit temps off and on for a few weeks. Personally, I don’t consider it really hot until the temps reaches at least 110 degrees.

Last summer, I gave you some first hand tips for surviving the heat during your carfree commute. Whether your mode of transportation is a car, bus, light rail (or even a bike!), you’ll want to take these precautions when dealing with the warmest days this summer.

1) Plan to run your errands early to avoid the hottest part of the day, especially if you have alot of bags or items to carry.  You’ll find by running errands in the morning, you’ll have more time to work or relax in the afternoon when it’s typically the hottest.

2) Keep moving! I’ve noticed during my own carfree commute that standing still while waiting for the bus or light rail will make you feel hot and sweaty as opposed to when you’re on the move.  This is especially true when there’s no shade for cover.

3) Wear light colored and loose fitting clothes.  Nothing attracts heat more than a dark colored shirt, so be sure you’re ready to greet the hottest days this summer with the appropriate clothing.  Loose fitting clothes help your skin breathe and release heat from your body.

4) Stay hydrated! How much you drink is just as important as what you drink.  If you’re out and about all day, try mixing up straight water with a sports drink. METRO light rail stations also have water fountains, just be sure to let the water run for a couple seconds before going in for a sip. You can read my post on staying hydrated during your carfree commute here.

5) Eat properly. Besides staying hydrated, you’ll want to make sure you have a nutritious meal, especially in the morning before you head out the door. While there has been an emphasis in recent years on a high protein, low carb diets, those diets may not work for the carfree commuter who needs a personal fuel tank for energy through the day.  That means plenty of carbohydrates, like fruit, vegetables, and nuts.  Read more here.

Here’s the deal: parking is limited at the museum. Not only will there be a full house for the presentations, but there will also be even more people arriving for the after party. I strongly recommend taking the light rail to the museum. Getting to the Phoenix Art Museum is a cinch using public transportation and is very affordable. An all day pass will cost $3.50 and can be used for your after after party at one of my favorite local restaurants or bars in downtown Phoenix.

The Phoenix Art Museum is located directly across the street from the McDowell light rail station (Central and McDowell). Information on how to ride the light rail can be found here. See you at Ignite!

Planning your next trip on the METRO light rail or bus in Phoenix is a cinch thanks Google. Valley Metro announced today that riders can now use Google Transit to plan your commute. Valley Metro and the 14 member cities of the Regional Public Transit Association spent the last several months working with the internet giant to bring this feature to Valley residents. According to a release on the METRO light rail Facebook page.

The Phoenix area joins hundreds of cities in the U.S. who are providing transit, bicycle and walking routes with Google Maps. For those who are not regular bus or light rail passengers, and may need to find a way to work or to school, they can now go to the popular site and view their transit, walk or bike trip on a map.

“People who are familiar with Google, but not necessarily transit, will love this new tool,” said David Boggs, Valley Metro executive director. “Riders don’t have to sort through timetables to plan a trip, just enter your desired trip times and Google takes care of the rest.”

On a personal note, this is wonderful news for people who use public transit in Phoenix. The previous trip planner on Valley Metro’s website was a little challenging to figure out, so this should make planning a trip around Phoenix a breeze. Have you tried using Google Transit in Phoenix? What do you think? Click on the link if you need some instructions on how to use Google Transit in Phoenix.

UPDATE 1: Link to Google Transit