Arizona Vacation Safety – Stay AWARE to Stay SAFE
Posted on | December 31, 2009 | 9 Comments
Arizona Vacation Safety – Stay AWARE to Stay SAFE by Andre D.
Best
Why? To save yourself grief. And pain. ENSURE your Arizona
vacation safety. Learn about safety issues NOT found in the
travel brochures or vacation websites.
You see, when on vacation in Arizona there are a few things that
one should be aware of when visiting here. These are the type of
things that you won’t read about in those slick brochures you
find in the travel agent’s office.
These are the only things that one will learn about by living
here for an extended period of time.
Let’s face it. It’s a real downer to not have a safe vacation.
It’s not fun to spend a night in the local emergency room with
the kids when they get sick from eating some bad local food or
have an accident. Not fun indeed.
But, these vacation safety tips I’m going to share are not about
the infrequent accidents that do happen on vacation. The
vacation safety tips I’ll be sharing here involve things that
are totally preventable.
As long as one is aware of them first.
So, let’s get started with vacation safety tips that’ll help you
have a safer vacation here in Arizona.
1. The first of these vacation safety tips is for you to be
aware of where you go when you’re vacationing in Phoenix.
Phoenix is a big place and like most big cities it has areas of
the city that are not too upscale.
Now, what are you to do about this?
Well, just realize that there are certain places within a big
city like Phoenix that one should be extra careful about
visiting.
If you find yourself in a part of town that has a lot of
run-down houses, properties with garbage strewn around them, and
abandoned cars parked along the streets – then common sense
should tell you that these neighborhoods are not too safe.
Trust that instinct. I’d suggest you find other areas of the
city to visit or drive around.
You see, Phoenix has, in my opinion, a high crime rate.
I moved here from Canada twelve years ago. What truly shocked me
when I moved here was that Phoenix had more murders occur in two
months than where I used to live had in a year. And I lived in,
at the time, the ‘murder capital of Canada’.
So, just do yourself a favor with this vacation safety tip and
stay aware of your surroundings. If it doesn’t look like a good
place to be – it probably isn’t.
Trust your gut and get out of there.
2. The second of these vacation safety tips involves somewhat of
a local health issue. I’ll explain…
The entire metropolitan Phoenix area is located within a large
valley. It’s surrounded by mountains and mountain ranges. And
within this valley is a certain type of ‘bug’ that lives in the
soil.
Actually, this bug issue is similar to most other country’s bugs
(e.g. Canada’s Beaver Fever bug, Mexico’s ‘don’t drink the
water’ type bug) because it’s a bug indigenous to Arizona.
And what does this bug do? It wreaks havoc on a persons health
when a vacationing visitor is infected with it. In our case,
this bug causes what is known as Valley Fever.
And how does one get infected with Valley Fever? By breathing in
the microscopic spores that make up this nasty bacteria.
And what does this bacteria do to a person when breathed in?
Well, it can cause flu-like symptoms that grow all the way up to
pneumonia, internal bleeding, and very, very rarely… death
(gulp).
Now, I’m NOT trying to scare you. So don’t go cancelling your
vacation plans to Phoenix…
….Because we need your sales tax revenues.
You see, this Valley Fever bug usually only becomes a problem
when a person who hasn’t had Valley Fever comes in contact with
it.
And a person comes in contact with it by breathing the bug in.
And the bug is found in soils that are not old and dried out,
but rather soils that are newly disturbed.
So, how can you protect yourself with regards to this vacation
safety tip? Easy.
Do all you can to stay away from soil disturbing activities.
* Like to visit new construction sites on your vacations? *
Like to do local gardening? * Like to take up archaeology as a
hobby when you’re on vacation?
One word of advice… DON’T.
Essentially, don’t go digging around places or near digging
activities that you shouldn’t be around. At least not while on
vacation here in Phoenix.
I know, I know, why would you go on one of your southwest
vacations in Arizona just to dig in the soil, right? Silly me.
Well, just so you know. I got Valley Fever the first year I
moved here. It progressed on to walking pneumonia and left scars
on my lungs. I was lucky that that’s all that happened to me.
And what was I doing to be exposed to the bug? Just some simple
landscaping in my desert landscaped yard.
See? It doesn’t take much.
So, just do your vacation planning while keeping this vacation
safety tip in mind. Let’s not have you getting sick on us. Okay?
3. The last of these vacation safety tips applies to most of
Arizona. This one is about bugs too. But this is about a
different type of bug.
The real thing…
Scorpions and Black Widows.
Why is this one of our vacation safety tips? Because these
little critters can be a nasty safety issue when you vacation
here and get bitten by one of them.
You see, these two bugs are extremely common here in the state.
Not quite as common as cockroaches, but almost. Why? Because
it’s a desert here and they’re desert creatures.
They like the heat and they like dark cozy places. So, when you
vacation Arizona just be aware that these little critters do
like to live in places that the kids may go probing around in.
Don’t let them do that.
Keep probing hands away from dark crevices both inside and
outside the house, rental, villa, hotel or apartment.
And if someone does get bit, err on the side of caution and call
the local poison control center ASAP and ask for help.
Oh, and by the way, unlike the Hollywood horror movie
depictions, these bugs are NOT half the size of a horse. They’re
SMALL. Black widows are maybe half an inch long. And scorpions
get ‘as big as’ two inches. But… scorpions are FAST. And both
can HURT you big time.
So, please ensure vacation safety for your family. Stay away
from places these critters habitate. And when you get up in the
dark in the middle of the night to get a drink of water – wear
slippers. Just in case.
So, to sum up…
Don’t get paranoid about these vacation safety tips.
Go vacation.
Have fun. Just keep your eyes open to possible vacation safety
concerns. Simple, right?.
Anyway, I hope these vacation safety tips prove helpful to you.
Do have a safe trip here to Arizona. Just improve your vacation
safety by ensuring you remember these vacation safety tips I’ve
shared with you.
Good luck.
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- A Well Planned Vacation Is A Hassle-Free Vacation
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- How to Take a Money-saving Eco-friendly Staycation (stay-at-home Vacation)
Comments
9 Responses to “Arizona Vacation Safety – Stay AWARE to Stay SAFE”
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December 31st, 2009 @ 9:43 am
The only all inclusive trips I have taken have been cruises which I liked because I just unpacked once, settled in, then could choose if/when I wanted to go on shore excursions, or explore all the wonderful activities offered aboard the ship.
As the other answerer said – drinks, massages, beauty salon, etc. on board were NOT included, but there was a lot that was. It all depends on what you like to do & what your tastes are.
Best thing would be for you & your wife to do what he did – type in all inclusive vacations in your browser search line & review what comes up, then keep adding a keyword until you narrow it down to just those that fit the activities, locations, etc. that both of you like.
Good luck!!
December 31st, 2009 @ 10:11 am
My brother & I took a vacation, or more like a trip. Here is our story:
The wildwood flower grew wild on the farm
And we never knowed what it was called
Some said it was a flower and some said it was weed
I didn't gave it much thought…
One day I was out there talking to my brother
Reached down for a weed to chew on
Things got fuzzy and things got blurry
And then everything was gone
I Didn't know what happened
But I knew it beat the hell out of sniffin' burlap
I come to and my brother was there
And he said, 'What's wrong with your eyes?'
I said, 'I don't know, I was chewing on a weed'
He said, 'Let me give it a try'
We spent the rest of that day and most of that night
Trying to find my brother, Bill
Caught up with him 'bout six o'clock the next mornin'
Naked, swinging on the windmill
He said he flew up there
I had to fly up and get him down
He was about half crazy
The very next day we picked a bunch of them weeds
And put 'em in the sun to dry
Then we mashed 'em up and we cleaned 'em all
And put 'em in the corncob pipe
Smokin' them wildwood flowers got to be a habit
We didn't see no harm
We thought it was kind of handy
Have you ever take a trip and never leave the farm
A big ol' puff on the wildwood weed
Next thing you know
We's just wandering behind the little animals
All good things gotta come to an end
And it's the same with the wildwood weed
One day this feller from Washington come by
And he spied us and he turned white as a sheet
And he dug and he burned
And he burned and he dug
And he killed all our cute little weeds
Then he drove away
We just smiled and waved
Sittin' there on that sack of seeds
Y'all come back now, ya hear
December 31st, 2009 @ 4:56 pm
book supplier direct to avoid cancel or non refundable fares.
dig up association member cards, like AAA or AARP, you can get 10-15% off the weekly rate, (weekly rates are 5x the daily)
check with the company you work for, they may have a coporate agreement in place that may be available- many of these agreements waive airport fees and taxes, add'l driver and underage driver fees- real expensive fees here.
Also return the car to same location to avoid drop off charges and lastly, reserve a Compact car, most people are looking for smaller cars now with the most fuel efficiency. So reserve a smaller car and most likly they will upgrade you for free at counter.. if you wanbt a larger car, reserve in advance as paying for an upgrade at counter is usually much higher. oh, yeah, bring a copy of insurance card with you as well..
January 1st, 2010 @ 12:12 am
you seem underweight. If you are going on vacation, the best advice i can give you is to HAVE FUN and eat the best and tastiest foods while you are at it. With an active lifestyle, your not going to add or lose too much weight.
January 2nd, 2010 @ 6:12 am
This website might help , check it out –
http://www.usairwaysforum.com/
January 2nd, 2010 @ 7:46 am
January 3rd, 2010 @ 3:09 pm
It must be a slow day in the J.J. household today. But to answer another of your fabulously funny questions, I will give it my best shot. Go out in the garage, climb up into the attic and get out all the seldom used camping equipment. Then, after you have removed all the camping stuff, take into the living room and set up the tent with your sleeping bags, etc. You may have to go outside to find enough rocks to build your fire pit, but place it near the tent so you will not get cold during the night. Go to your local convenience store and pick up enough wood to last through the night. Then return home, turn your air conditioner down to 60 degrees. When your husband comes home, you can have a nice roaring fire going, with a cup of hot chocolate and only wearing a smile. It will be the best at home vacation ever. Good luck with that.
January 3rd, 2010 @ 7:39 pm
You need to get a Japan Rail Pass which gives you unlimited travel for the time you opt to purchase for………1 week, or 2 or 3 weeks .If you are just going to be on Honshu Island you can actually get a pass that is a bit cheaper just for that island.You could also look at the JAL flight passes but you miss the scenery if you fly.You must buy this Pass in YOUR country…………..you cannot buy them in Japan and you will save yourself a huge amount of money.
Look around Tokyo ………and do take a day trip to Kamakura…….go to the Tsukiji Fish Market on the way.
If you plan to go to Kyoto which is gorgeous you can mostly walk if you choose accommodation in a good location. There are maps with walking routes you get at the station.You won't get top see it all just do one section – we opted for the area near Murayama Park.There are so many shrines, temples gardens etc near here.
Catch the bus to Fuji go ko – Fuji Five Lakes…it is only an hour and a half and just beautiful …….at the base of Mt Fuji. Then take the bus to Gotemba which is a beautiful trip round the base of Mt Fuji through old traditional villages with thatched cottages etc.Change to a bus for Mishima – just catch the bus behind they call it Station 2 to Station 3.but was quite literally just the bus behind the one we got off. This bus takes you right to the Shinkansen which you can catch through to Kyoto.
If you go to Osaka, you should try and go further on to Himeji and see the castle …………probably the best in Japan and the Shrine and then on to Osaka. You could go on a little further to Okayama which has one of japan's best gardens but from Okayama you can take an ordinary train to Kurashiki – only 30 minutes ……..which is a really beautiful Edo period town.
You can look at these places at http://www.fascinating-travel-destinations.com/japanese-holidays.html
January 3rd, 2010 @ 8:25 pm
at grand teton national park go hiking up to lake solitude, its 15 miles round trip but 100% worth it. In yellowstone I would recommend spending time just driving around looking at the wildlife, maybe hike to the top of Mount Washburn (only like 6 miles) oh and go to Bubba's Barbeque in jackson hole!!!!!