Take a wildflower trail ride In Cave Creek
CAVE CREEK — The wildflower season is upon us, and what better way to experience its glory than on horseback? “You can really enjoy the wildflowers this way,” said Deb Bitton, co-owner of Cave Creek Trail Rides, based at the Cave Creek Regional Park, just north of Carefree Highway in Cave Creek. “A trail ride gives you a chance to get out, enjoy the desert, and let the horses watch where they step.” Wildflowers typically begin blooming in early- to mid-March.

“Based on the rains we got this winter, we should see an above-average wildflower display this year – possibly even spectacular!” said Amy Ford, the park’s supervisor.

Along the trail, guides inform riders about the Sonoran Desert landscape. “You’ll get up close and personal with the saguaro cactus,” said Bitton. “We talk about how they grow, when they get their first arms, their life spans, what makes them unique and what makes some have the deformities they have.”

The rides - Cave Creek Trail Rides offers one- and one and a half-hour “Wildflower Rides.” The longer ride offers two options: one with an elevation of 2,500 feet and the other, peaking at 2,000 feet. The higher trail offers Valley-wide views while the lower one gives a closer-up perspective. Both are expected to delight riders with bursts of color. “People from other places may think the desert is just a dry, colorless place. Here, they can realize that the desert is really alive,” said Bitton. “This is their chance to see it in vibrant color―golds, yellows and fuschias.”

You don’t have to be a skilled horseman to enjoy the event. Rides are open to all ages, six and up. Jeff and Deb Bitton’s 40-year experience translates to safe trail rides on well-trained horses.

“It was my six-year-old’s first time on a trail ride, and I have never seen him enjoy something so very much,” said Charlotte Moore of San Dimas, Calif. “He was so at peace and excited during the ride! Our guide Joe was also wonderful―very knowledgeable about the surroundings, the environment and history of the area, which made the beautiful and scenic ride so interesting.”

Trail rides can be scheduled throughout the day, any day of the week. Sunset rides return to the stables at dusk, taking best advantage of the radiant scenes.

“I found the ride to be one of the most beautiful and enjoyable I've ever taken,” said Kim Cofman-Bolourtchi of St. Louis, Mo. “Our guides were attentive and fun, and it was a great experience from beginning to end.”

While waiting for the trail ride to begin, guests can pet some of the 25 ride-ready horses and see how well-cared for they are. “We take great pride in our horses, our corral area and our employees,” said Bitton, “and we treat them like we would our own home and family.”

Cave Creek Trail Rides - Jeff and Deb Bitton began offering trail rides in Stanley, Idaho in 1969. They opened Cave Creek Trail Rides in 1999, creating a true Western experience just on the northern fringes of the Greater Phoenix area. Families, friends and neighbors, as well as corporate, school, church and civic groups can all have fun while learning about horses and spending quality time together. Cowboy and cowgirl boots, hats and chaps are available for those who want to dress the part. And toy guns along with lassos add to the photo opportunities.

“We’re in the memory-making business,” said Bitton. “It’s so great to see people having fun, getting on a horse, and enjoying the whole cowboy and cowgirl experience.”

More information - Cave Creek Trail Rides, located at 37019 N. 32nd St. Cave Creek, 85331, is open every day from Columbus Day weekend through the first weekend of May. Round-trip transportation can be scheduled through Pepper’s Private Car Service, 602-501-3328 or www.pepperscarservice.com . More information about Cave Creek Trail Rides is available at 623-742-6700 or www.cavecreektrailrides.com.

Local Job Growth in Booming In-Home Senior Care Industry
(March 9, 2010) – With the national unemployment rate remaining stubbornly high at 9.7 percent and more and more news of companies going under, where on earth can you find a job in this town? Look no farther than your aging parents and relatives, who are creating one of the biggest economic booms this country has ever seen. In the coming years, two out of ten people in the U.S. will be age 65 or older and there just aren’t enough people to take care of them. That’s why care giving for the elderly is an exploding sector of the growing local and national senior care industry. This year alone, the in-home care industry is expected to grow by 12.5 percent, adding more than 100,000 new jobs, many of them right in our area.

“Senior care is a thriving industry with no sign of a slow down in sight,” says Peter Ross, CEO of Senior Helpers, the nation’s fastest growing provider of in-home senior care with offices locally and nationally. “We employ more than 6,000 caregivers nationally and we are hiring at most of our 283 locations.  In-home care is recession-resistant, rewarding work that provides peace of mind for families who just can’t be with their senior loved ones all of the time.”

WHY LOCAL JOB GROWTH IN SENIOR CARE?

• A recent study by the National Caregivers Association (NCA) shows that over the next 25 years as the Baby Boomers continue to age, the proportion of people needing care will increase while the number of adult children able to take care of them will decrease. Bottom line: There will be fewer American adults able to take care of aging parents! 

• More than 43 million people in the U.S. – 19 percent of adults – provide care for an elderly family member or friend.

• The NCA reports the typical caregiver is a middle-aged daughter caring for an elderly parent or grandparent while juggling a family and a job simultaneously. Nearly 100 percent report emotional strain, most report financial strain and 68 percent miss work because of care giving responsibilities.

 “The burden usually falls on one of the adult children who already juggles a family, a job and all the responsibilities that go with their own life,” says Ross. “More and more seniors want to stay in their own homes and professional caregivers can make this possible by taking the burden off of adult children.” 

REWARDING WORK FOR AMERICANS – AN ECONOMIC BRIGHT SPOT   Nichole  Henry was out of work when she got the job as a Senior Helpers’ caregiver. She is studying to become a registered nurse (RN) and works helping elderly clients prepare meals, take their medication on time and simply listen when they want to talk. “I wanted a rewarding job and I’ve found my calling,” says Henry. “There is no job greater than helping others who can’t do for themselves. I listen to their concerns with an open heart and it makes all the difference in the world!”

About Senior Helpers:   Senior Helpers connects professional caregivers with seniors who wish to live at home as opposed to a nursing or assisted living facility. The company has 283 franchises in 39 states and one in Canada offering a wide range of personal and companion care services to assist seniors living independently with a strong focus on quality of life for the client and peace of mind for their families. Senior Helpers strives to be the leading companion and personal care provider that offers dependable, consistent and affordable home care. For more information, please visit: http://www.seniorhelpers.com/

The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel offers a year-round whale watching package
Sometimes called the Whale Capital of the West, scientists believe that Dana Point may possibly serve as a reference “landmark” for whales and is a famous gathering area, attracting not only marine mammals but marine biologists and whale lovers from around the world.  In celebration of the California Gray and Blue whale’s annual journey, The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel offers a year-round whale watching package.  

A Whale of a Package starts at $500 for garden/pool view accommodations. The package includes overnight accommodations, a 2-hour whale watching excursion with Dana Wharf Sportfishing, including an on-board snack and beverage, and American breakfast for two in the ocean front Restaurant 162’.

 From January through April, California Gray Whales leave the cold Arctic Seas and follow the coastline to the warm, calm waters of Southern California and Baja. This migration brings much of the pod past Dana Point, where the whales can be easily seen and photographed.  Blue whales, the largest mammal ever to roam the earth, migrate to tropical waters to mate and give birth to their calves from May through November.  The Blue whale migration also takes these amazing creatures past Dana Point. 

 The Gray Whale are essentially black, but have a grayish appearance caused by the accumulation of marine parasites on their skin.  They measure 30 to 45 feet as adults and weigh about a ton a foot.  Gray Whales do not have a dorsal fin like other whales; instead they have a series of "knuckles" along the after portion of the back.  The whales travel up to 12,000 miles every year from their feeding grounds in the cold arctic waters where to the warm, shallow lagoons of Baja California where they mate and bear their young.  Twice hunted to near extinction, the Gray whale population has rebounded in the last 50 years to an estimated population of nearly 30,000 animals.

 Blue whales are an overall blue-gray color and are long and streamlined. Their dorsal fins are extremely small, and their pectoral flippers are long and thin. Blue whales are rorqual whales, a family of baleen whales with pleated throat grooves that expand when the animal takes in water while feeding. Blue whales can be up to 100 feet long, weigh as much as 150 tons and have been found in every ocean of the world. They swim individually or in small groups, and they are commonly seen traveling in pairs. Approximately 2,000 blue whales live off the California Coast and migrate to Mexico, and Costa Rica.  The historic population of Blue whales, prior to commercial hunting, has been estimated at 200,000. Today there are anywhere from 5,000 to 12,000 blue whales in the world.  The Blue whale is listed as endangered.   

Dana Wharf Sportfishing is dedicated to helping visitors enjoy the unique wonders of Dana Point Harbor and the Orange County coastline. The warm waters off of Dana Point flourish with sea life including whales, dolphin, harbor seals, and California sea lion. The thriving coastal waters provide bountiful fishing of sand bass, calico bass, halibut, bonito, yellowtail, yellowfin tuna, bluefin tuna, albacore, and dorado.

 Consistently ranked among the best resorts in the world, The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel is located halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego and sits on a 150-foot bluff with panoramic white-water views of the Pacific Ocean and two-miles of sandy beach.  For more information or reservations call 800-241-3333, the hotel directly at 949-240-2000, a travel professional or visit The Ritz-Carlton Web site at www.ritzcarlton.com.