EMDR Therapy in Gold Canyon, AZ

By Timothy Rawles / NewsBreak Pinal County, AZ

From ladies dressed in their royal finery and the tavern wenches who serve them, to the chivalrous knights plated in armor atop their trusty steeds, the Arizona Renaissance Festival, starting on February 4, is like stepping back through England’s history and into the prosperity and exuberance of the Elizabethan age.

Although Arizona’s mild lingering chill might be in the air, this cosplay event isn’t letting something like the weather take control. Rain or shine the show will go on.

Almost any avid reveler, or "playtron" as they are called, will tell you a ren faire is more than just a weekend excursion, it’s a party for the senses. From colorful costumes and flowers to the aroma of artisanal foods and drinks to the blaring screams and cheers of the people watching a jousting tournament, this 50-acre festival is an immersive fever dream.

Celebrating its 35th anniversary, The Arizona Renaissance Festival is one of the largest festivals of its kind in America. The fun is non-stop. This year they will feature falconry, sea fairies, pirates, performances of music, dance, acrobatics, and comedy.

Jousting tournaments will occur three times a day on Saturdays and Sundays in February and March.

With over 2,000 cast members dressed in period costumes, attendees will be absorbed into a simulation of a 16th-century European village. Many historians consider this time in history as England’s golden age. Poverty was low and artistic creativity was high.

William Shakespeare was the celebrity playwright of the time. Authors such as Edmund Spenser and John Lyly wrote what some may consider literary masterpieces.

The era also saw the blossoming of new music, especially folk tunes and ballads performed by traveling bands that visited villages for fairs or other events.

For festival visitors who want a more leisurely pace through the folly, listening to live period music is almost hypnotic. They can do this while shopping in over 200 storybook shops, studios, and galleries filled with unique arts and crafts, handmade wares, kitchens and pubs, games, and people-powered rides.

Hungry playtrons wanting to gorge themselves are in for a treat at the Pleasure Feast event. They will be served five courses of fine food, and drinks, with 90 minutes of boisterous Renaissance entertainment.

This year, a friendly fairy named Primrose will make her debut, greeting guests throughout the park. Also making his first appearance is Professor Wrench and his comedy show.

And The Renaissance Men offer spectators a hilarious show filled with sword-fighting, excitement, and laughs as the two men strive to attain the ultimate prize: your validation and the title of The Renaissance Man!

On average The Arizona Renaissance Festival welcomes about 250,000 people through its castle gates annually, that’s more than the attendance of any year at San Diego Comic-Con. Both events are dedicated to the pop culture of their times. But while one celebrates the movies that depict medieval life, the other transports you inside it.

The Arizona Renaissance Festival takes place on Saturdays and Sundays and on President’s Day (Feb. 20) from 10 am to 6 pm beginning on February 4 and goes until April 2. Parking is free.

It is located at 12601 East US Highway 60, Gold Canyon.

For more information including tickets and pricing visit their website.

Here are 14 spots for the most stunning views of the Grand Canyon.

Millions of years of geological history can be seen in the bands of red rock that make up the Grand Canyon. In addition to offering a peek into Earth’s long history, the Grand Canyon is an impressive sight — it is around a mile deep and an average of 10 miles wide, and it stretches almost 300 miles. It is the only U.S. site included in the Seven Natural Wonders list and is revered alongside marvels like Mount Everest, the Great Barrier Reef, and the aurora borealis.

In addition to being physically impressive, the Grand Canyon is particularly photogenic — especially when the rising or setting sun seems to set the layered red rock on fire. Those looking to avoid the crowds can journey to the quieter North Rim of the Grand Canyon or visit the South Rim during the winter when a stark-white layer of snow makes the red rock of the canyon pop.

To experience the wonder of the Grand Canyon you need only to find a viewpoint, sit down, and take a moment to enjoy what’s laid out in front of you. Below are a few of our favorite spots to enjoy the view — including Grand Canyon viewpoints on the North Rim and South Rim, as well as a few hard-to-access spots where you can avoid the crowds.

Related: The 25 Best National Parks in the U.S.

Mather Point is one of the park’s most popular viewpoints, and for good reason. It is located a short walk from the South Rim visitor center, and on a clear day, you can see over 30 miles to the east and over 60 miles to the west.

The best thing about Yavapai Point is that if the weather isn’t cooperating, you can enjoy the views from inside the Yavapai Geology Museum, which sits right on the edge of the canyon and has panoramic windows and plenty of geological information.

Bright Angel Point is the most popular viewpoint on the North Rim. To get there, you’ll need to walk a quarter mile on a paved trail (which is fairly steep). The reward is an excellent view of Bright Angel and Transept Canyons, plus the advantage of being over 1,000 feet higher than the South Rim.

The Redwall Bridge viewpoint is one of those lesser-visited sites where it’s easy to avoid the crowds and enjoy some solitude. The bridge, which is reached from the North Kaibab Trail (the least visited of the major inner-canyon trails), requires a 5.2-mile, round-trip hike with 2,200 feet of vertical gain. It’s a trek, but the still, quiet views are well worth it.

There are three ways to get to Hopi Point, which the national park website claims is “an ideal location for sunrise or sunset.” In the summer, you can hop on the park’s free shuttle bus service or hike along the Rim Trail (2.5 miles), and in the winter, you can drive your car down Hermit Road to get there. No matter how you get there, take the park’s advice and arrive early or stay until sundown so you can enjoy watching the sun kiss the canyon walls.

If you’re up for the challenge of getting to Plateau Point, which is located six miles down Bright Angel Trail, you’ll get the chance to enjoy vistas that most people will never see. Just make sure to budget time to make the six-mile return journey — which is uphill.

Point Imperial is the highest point on the canyon rim and the most northern boundary of the park. These two things make the views from Point Imperial particularly spectacular. You’ll get to see the eastern end of the Grand Canyon along with views of the Painted Desert.

Considering its location on the busier South Rim of the Grand Canyon, Shoshone Point is surprisingly quiet. To get there, you need only walk an easy mile along a dirt road before the canyon opens up before you. From the edge, you can get a sense of the sheer magnitude of the canyon — which drops at your feet.

Desert View is set near the eastern edge of the Grand Canyon along Desert View Drive — a scenic road that you can take from Grand Canyon Village. From the small settlement of Desert View, travelers can look out over the layered rock canyon walls or peer up at Escalante and Cardenas Buttes, two standout peaks.

Those focused on simply looking out over the canyon and sticking to well-worn routes might miss Angel’s Window, which is one of the park’s most unique sites. To reach the natural arch, which has an upside-down triangle window in the middle of it, take the path off the Cape Royal Trail and make your way to the top of the arch.

With a name like Ooh Ah Point, expectations are always sky-high, yet the viewpoint continues to deliver a famously wide and open view over the canyon that is nothing short of spectacular. To reach the point, hop on the South Kaibab Trail and follow the path for just under a mile. From there you can either continue on or make the trek back to the trailhead.

Toroweap Overlook is located in Tuweep, the ancestral home of the Southern Paiute people. To drive into the valley, you’ll need a backcountry permit in addition to your day or site pass, but the extra effort is worth the experience of driving into the broad valley and enjoying a bird’s-eye view of the Colorado River.

The best time to make your way to Powell Point is at sunrise or sunset when the broad expanse comes alive with color as the sun hits the rock. The point, which is on the South Rim of the canyon, is easy to access thanks to a two-way shuttle.

Part of what makes The Abyss so spectacular — and the reason for its name — is that it features the longest vertical drop on the South Rim at over 3,000 feet. The site’s drop-off has to be seen to be completely understood and is a wonderful example of how gravity plays a role in the shape of the canyon walls.

Thanks to an On Your Side report, Farmers Insurance is taking another look at a Gold Canyon couple's house that's caving in.

GOLD CANYON, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) — We have an update on a Gold Canyon couple whose home is literally caving in. Their insurance company says it won’t cover the problem. After our report aired, the company is taking a second look. Farmers Insurance sent a structural engineer to inspect Lynda Hammond’s and her husband’s home.

The couple’s house is falling in, due to what is believed to be a major structural mistake. “Since the ceiling is opened, we have discovered and been told by other experts that the beams are going in the wrong direction,” Hammond said. “They will not hold the weight that we have upstairs. And that has been the problem all along.”

In a previous On Your Side report, Hammond explained how the upper level of their home began to show signs of caving in. A golf ball illustrated how the floor has gradually sloped a few inches. And the flooring on their balcony is splintering because it’s starting to buckle.

To save the home from collapsing, a construction crew placed vertical beams in the garage to give more support. The couple submitted a claim to Farmers Insurance, but that claim was denied because Farmers’ policy says a collapse must be “sudden” and “complete” for it to be covered.

But the couple’s home is collapsing slowly, and that’s the sticking point. “Why else do we have insurance?” Hammond said. “We hire insurance companies to protect us, to give us peace of mind. And that’s what they should do here.”

Engineers say a support beam over the garage is too small and is now weakening under the pressure of the Hammond's home.

Due to an on-the-job injury that forced her to walk away from her career in TV news, it’s extremely difficult for Hammond to leave the house. She says her home is more than a sanctuary. In fact, she refers to it as her “Fortress of Solitude.” “I want my house to be comfortable and cozy, which is why we bought it in the first place,” she said. “It’s kind of a bigger house, but it’s still a cozy, comforting place for me to be. And I want that back. I really do.”

Since On Your Side’s report, Hammond says she and her husband have heard from people across the country with words of support. While she appreciates their thoughts, she’s also thankful Farmers is taking a second look at their unusual problem. “I kind of feel like I’ve got to pray to God and and put my faith in God and know that eventually down the road it’s going to be fixed,” she said, “and hopefully it’s not going to be as bad as it looks right now. Because it does look bad.”

Plenty of questions remain here, starting with how could the house pass inspection if major support beams were installed incorrectly? We’re looking into that, and we’ll have more in a follow-up report.

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Where: 12601 E. Highway 60 in Gold Canyon

When: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. rain or shine Saturdays and Sundays Feb. 4-April 2 plus Presidents’ Day

Information: Arizona.renfestinfo.com

Take a unique trip back in time to the Arizona Renaissance Festival in Gold Canyon near the Superstition Mountains.

One of the largest events of its kind in the U.S., this special event is a place to revel in the atmosphere of a 16th century European village. Join in the revelry every Saturday and Sunday through April 2 at 12601 E. Highway 60 in Gold Canyon.

The festival’s 50-acre village has 16 stages of nonstop entertainment, music, comedy, falconry, dance, mermaids and acrobatics. Foolish pleasures mix with artisan treasures as you shop, eat and mingle with a cast of nearly 2,000 colorfully costumed characters, according to a release.

Explore the village marketplace with more than 200 storybook shops, studios and galleries filled with unique arts and crafts, handmade wares, kitchens and pubs, games and people-powered rides.

Kids love the interactive games and people-powered rides: Da Vinci’s Flying Machine, The Slider Joust, Piccolo Pony — a rocking horse bigger than an elephant. The Dragon Climbing Tower, Castle Siege, the Maze, Archery Range and more.

The live jousting tournaments are one of the festival’s most popular attractions. Armored nights on charging steeds take up their lances and battle for the queen’s honor. Cheer on your favorite armored knight at one of the three daily jousting tournaments in the 5,000-seat arena.

“In addition to the revelry, the festival offers food fit for a king. Attend the Pleasure Feast and be treated like a true royal while you savor five courses of fine food, ample drynk, and enjoy an hour and a half of raucous renaissance entertainment at its best,” the release states.

The Pleasure Feast, held twice daily, includes admission to the festival and a special edition Pleasure Feast goblet. Advance reservations are recommended.

Food is plentiful and available throughout the village. The menu is diverse with offerings such as steak-on-a-stake, vegetable and meat pies, pastas, bread bowls filled with hearty stews and the smoked turkey legs. Desserts are decadent, from the crepes to a variety of other sweet treat surprises. A brand new dessert for the 2023 season is chimney rolls, prepared the same way as they were 400 years ago. The dough is baked on an open fire until the outside dough caramelizes to a perfect golden-brown color.

“More new additions for 2023 include: ‘The Renaissance Men’ Involves thrilling and hilarious sword-fighting- danger, excitement, and laughs abound as the two strive to attain the ultimate prize: your validation and the title of ‘The Renaissance Man,’” the release states. “Primrose the Fairy is also new, spreading joy and magic throughout the village. You can meet Prim in the lanes of Fairhaven or at the Twig the Fairy shop near the Carnevale Stage. A new comedic addition is Fool’s Medicine: Travel through time with Professor Wrench on a quest to prove that laughter truly is the best medicine.”

There is something for everyone at the Arizona Renaissance Festival.

There are many ways to save on admission. Visit Arizona.RenFestInfo.com for more information and like the Arizona Renaissance Festival on Facebook for special offers, information and contests.

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The LPGA Tour today released its 2023 schedule, which will include a stop just outside of Apache Junction at the Superstition Mountain Golf Club in Gold Canyon in March.

In a breakthrough moment in the history of women's sports, the athletes of the LPGA Tour, the world's leading destination for female professional golfers, will compete for more than $101 million in official purses in 2023. The LPGA today announced that the 2023 schedule will comprise 33 official events, with a total official prize fund of $101.4 million, along with the biennial playings of the Solheim Cup and the Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown.

"Because of our athletes, partners, volunteers and incredible fans, 2023 will be a banner year for the LPGA Tour," said LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan. "The schedule features new events, elevated purses, unique formats and world-class golf courses. Our athletes are playing for more total prize money than any time in history, and we have over 500 hours of broadcast television. All those things combine to make the LPGA the leading women's professional sports property in the world. The LPGA Tour has never had better or more committed partners who see the commercial value in investing in women's sports and who understand how their partnerships elevate women and girls on and off the golf course. As the home to the world's best female golfers, the LPGA provides a platform to inspire young girls and women to dream big."

The 2023 global schedule will take the LPGA Tour to 11 states across the United States and 12 countries and regions. Starting with the annual season kickoff at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, the Tour will visit Asia before heading to Superstition Mountain Golf Club in Gold Canyon, Ariz., for the fifth playing of the LPGA Drive On Championship. Superstition Mountain, the home club for numerous LPGA Tour stars, hosted the 2004-2008 Safeway International, with a Hall-of-Fame list of winners in Annika Sorenstam (2004, 2005), Juli Inkster (2006) and Lorena Ochoa (2007, 2008).

The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas, will make its debut as host of The Chevron Championship, the first women's major of the season, with a newly elevated purse of $5.1 million. The following week, the JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro will join the Tour schedule at Wilshire Country Club in Los Angeles, boasting a $3 million purse.

New Jersey will host four events in 2023, starting with the Cognizant Founders Cup at Upper Montclair Country Club in Clifton, the LPGA Tour's annual celebration of the past, present and future of the women's game. The Mizuho Americas Open at Jersey City's Liberty National Golf Club will include 24 elite female amateurs competing in a concurrent AJGA Invitational, playing alongside their professional heroes.

The Bay Course at Seaview in Atlantic City will host the 35th playing of the ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer, and the swing through the Garden State will end with a minimum $9 million purse at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, just the second elite women's competition to be held on the Lower Course at the famed Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield.

Two weeks later, the U.S. Women's Open presented by ProMedica will bring female professional golfers to Pebble Beach for the first time, adding a new page to a history book that includes seven men's majors. Players will compete for at least $10 million at one of the country's most popular venues.

In July and August, the Tour will make its usual swing through Europe, opening in France with the Amundi Evian Championship and its $6.5 million purse. The AIG Women's Open, which will be contested with a purse of at least $7.3 million, will take place at Walton Heath, host venue for the 1981 Ryder Cup. The LPGA Tour will then compete across the United States and Canada before heading back to Asia for the month of October.

2023's competitive schedule will culminate with back-to-back events along the Southwestern Florida coast. THE ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican, featuring a purse of $3.25 million, will welcome 72-time LPGA Tour winner Annika Sorenstam as the official tournament host. Finally, the season will end at Tiburon Golf Club for the CME Group Tour Championship, with the winner receiving $2 million, the largest single prize in the history of women's golf.

The 2023 season will also feature two exhilarating team competitions. The Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown, a team match-play competition that showcases the best female golfers from the top eight countries across the globe, will return to the LPGA Tour calendar for the first time since 2018 and will be held at San Francisco's famed TPC Harding Park on May 4-7. And on Sept. 22-24, the Solheim Cup, featuring the 12 best U.S. players versus the 12 best European players, will be held at Finca Cortesin in Spain.