IMPORTANT MESSAGE

After much consideration, I have decided to place my Arizona real estate license on inactive status and have terminated my membership in the Arizona REALTOR® associations that I belonged to effective December 29, 2016. 

Although my husband and I have been living in South Carolina for 2 years now, I have kept my Arizona real estate license active in order to allow my existing clients and prospective clients to receive MLS information and to keep myself available to help them with their real estate needs. In order to do that, I maintained memberships in the Arizona Association of Realtors®, the Scottsdale Area Association of Realtors®, and the Arizona Regional MLS (ARMLS). Without my Arizona association memberships, any Arizona Regional MLS (ARMLS) updates that you have been receiving from me will stop. 

Since I'm also licensed in South Carolina, and live and work just south of Charlotte, NC, I belong to several additional associations. My primary membership is with the North Carolina Association of Realtors®, the Charlotte Regional Realtor Association, and Carolina MLS. Additionally, I have a secondary membership with South Carolina Realtors® and, of course, maintain membership in the National Association of Realtors®. 

Please note that although I am licensed in South Carolina, I can still help you with your real estate needs anywhere in the country through a great referral network. That, of course, includes Arizona, where I can help you with your Arizona real estate needs by referring you to one of my fabulous Arizona Best colleagues. Please contact me when you want me to introduce you to a great agent. 

Thank you to all who have entrusted me with your Arizona real estate needs over so many years. I am honored that you put your faith in me and allowed me the privilege of serving you. I cherish your friendship and look forward to maintaining that friendship. Please keep in touch!

Paradise Valley Landmarks

Below you will find some of Paradise Valley's most well-known landmarks. 

Barry Goldwater Memorial

On February 14, 2004, a one and one-half times life-size statue sculpted by noted Arizona artist Joe Beeler was unveiled and is the centerpiece of the Goldwater Memorial. The Memorial is located at the northeast corner of Tatum Boulevard and Lincoln Drive in the Town of Paradise Valley. Although the bronze statue is the focal point for the Memorial, the site is professionally landscaped with desert plantings and other features, and includes a pedestrian path inscribed with noteworthy quotes denoting some of Senator Goldwater's lifetime beliefs. (Source: Town of Paradise Valley Website)

Born in Phoenix (then known as the Arizona Territory), Senator Goldwater (January 2, 1909 – May 29, 1998) represented Arizona in the United States Senate for five terms (1953-1965, 1969-1987).  Known as "Mr. Conservative," in 1964 Senator Goldwater was the Republican Party's nominee for President of the United States.  He lost that election to incumbent Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson in one of the largest landslides in history.  (Source:  Wikipedia)   


Senator Goldwater loved his home state and is well-known for photographing its beauty.  The Barry Goldwater Memorial is the perfect setting for recognizing one of Paradise Valley's most prominent residents.

Camelback Cemetery

Located at 6800 E. McDonald Drive, between Scottsdale Road and Mockingbird Lane, is Camelback Cemetery.  With no sign indicating its name, the cemetery, located across the street from Kiva Elementary School and Valley Presbyterian Church, is easy to miss as you drive by.  There's no sign and it looks pretty sparse.


The cemetery was originally part of the 160-acre homestead of Hans and Mary Weaver.  In 1915, the Weavers’ daughter, Hattie, married Adolph Poenicke and, three weeks after the wedding, Adolph died and was buried on the family property.  The following year, Hans and Mary Weaver deeded a portion of their homestead as a cemetery, naming it Camelback Cemetery, after the nearby mountain.  That same year, Mary Weaver died and was buried there.


According to a History of the Town of Paradise Valley found at the Town's website, "The cemetery is the final resting place for many who died in the 1918 flu epidemic, Mexican-Catholics who had no other Catholic cemetery nearby, and military veterans. Some of the original white crosses that were placed on gravesites eroded over time and their markings were unclear. As they were replaced, many crosses were put up at random since there was no way of knowing who was buried in a particular grave. In 1954, a flagpole and a monument were built in honor of military veterans. Approximately 600 people are resting in this cemetery."

Camelback Mountain

Camelback Mountain, named for its resemblance to the back and head of a camel, is located at the south end of the Town of Paradise Valley and is favorite hiking area for locals and visitors alike.

Two main hiking trails lead to the 2704-foot summit. The Echo Canyon Trail is 1.2 miles and ascends 1264 feet up the north side of the mountain. The Cholla Trail is 1.4 miles and ascends 1200 feet from the eastern side. Both trails have steep grades and are considered to be strenuous, with dirt, gravel, and boulders to be encountered along the way. Depending on a hiker's fitness level, the hike can take from about 1.5 to 3 hours round trip. But the spectacular view from the top is certainly worth the trip! Unfortunately, many hikers don't anticipate the difficulty of the hike and come ill-prepared with improper foot gear and clothing and insufficient water for the trek. Each year a number of hikers require emergency evacuation by helicopter. 

There are a limited number of parking spaces at the Echo Canyon Recreation Area trailhead (east of Tatum Blvd. on McDonald) and there is no parking lot at the Cholla trailhead (Invergordon/64th Street and Cholla Lane).  As a result of this limited parking, hikers often have to park quite far away and have the additional distance to be covered at the beginning and end of their Camelback Mountain hike. 

The red sandstone "Praying Monk" rock formation is located on the northeastern end of Camelback Mountain.  It rises approximately 100 feet and is a popular rock climbing area, with several permanent anchor bolts in place.

"Efforts to protect Camelback Mountain as a natural preserve began in the early 1910s. However, by the 1960s, nearly all of the area had been sold to private interests. Federal and state authorities attempted to stop development above the one thousand and six hundred feet level. They failed to halt development and in 1963 efforts to arrange a land exchange failed in the Arizona State legislature. In 1965, United States Senator Barry Goldwater took up the cause and helped to secure the higher elevations against development." (Source: Wikipedia)

Cosanti

Located at  6433 E. Doubletree Ranch Road, Cosanti gallery is the home and studio of architect Dr. Paolo Soleri and his staff.  Located on five acres of land purchased prior to the Town’s incorporation, the gallery displays and sells Soleri's world-famous bronze and ceramic windbells, the proceeds of which are used to fund construction and to test his theoretical architectural work.  Designated as an Arizona Historic Site, Cosanti presents a unique bio-climatic architectural environment reflecting Soleri's life-long commitment to research and experimentation in urban planning.  Its structures feature many imaginative design elements, reflecting innovative construction techniques.

El Chorro Lodge

El Chorro Lodge, situated on 11 acres at 5550 E Lincoln Dr., was originally built by John C. Lincoln in 1934 as the Judson School for Girls and was converted to a restaurant and lodge in 1937. Clark Gable, Milton Berle and other prominent figures visited the lodge in its early days. In the 1950s, the lodge became a favorite of Arizona families and local celebrities.  It remains a local favorite today.


First owned by the Gruber family, El Chorro was purchased in 1973 by Joe Miller (who started as a bartender at El Chorro in 1952) and his wife.  Over the years, they expanded the restaurant's capacity from 70 to 200 seats and started keeping the restaurant open year-round instead of closing in the warmer months.

Noted Valley philanthropist and long-time Paradise Valley resident  Jacquie Dorrance, acquired El Chorro Lodge in 2009.  She and operating partners Kristy Moore and Tim Moore restored the restaurant, maintaining the original building while updating it with the latest technologies and working to meet "green" standards for sustainability. 

Mummy Mountain

"Some people called the mountain Windy Gulch and others called it Horseshoe Mountain but it was long-time town resident Charlie Mieg who finally named it Mummy Mountain. As a major landowner along the north and east sides of the Mountain, Mr. Mieg recognized that the names did not have much marketing appeal. He began to think of another name to use in selling his properties. One day, while riding along what would become Shea Boulevard, Mr. Mieg looked toward his Mountain. He thought that it looked like an Egyptian mummy lying down. Thus, he changed the name to Mummy Mountain."

The Mummy Mountain Preserve Trust
"The Mummy Mountain Preserve Trust was established in 1997. Its goals are to perpetuate the natural landscape, desert plants, wildlife and scenic beauty of the hillside areas of the Town. The Trust protects the land on the Mountain from future development and preserves it as natural open space. It is the intent of the Mummy Mountain Preserve Trust to include all land on the mountain above the 1800 feet elevation on the west side and above the 1600 feet elevation on the east side. By 1999, the Trust has accumulated more than 189 acres of land."

(Source:  Town of Paradise Valley Website)