20 FEBRUARY 2018 Arc A d A News Cape Town, South Africa. By Michelle Donati-Grayman A new year brings the promise of new beginnings and resolutions to experience new destinations. For those who vowed to travel more in 2018, AAA’s Via Blog suggests checking out these eight destinations: NEW ORLEANS 2018 marks the Big Easy’s tricentennial, or 300th anniversary. Celebrate the city with everything it’s famous for: Mardi Gras, jazz music, beignets, swamp boat tours of the bayou, and, of course, Bourbon Street. LISBON The AAA Via Blog describes the capital of Portugal as “a time capsule wrapped in contemporary chic.” Lisbon is Europe’s second-oldest capital, and is one of the least visited capital cities in Europe, which gives it extra value, as it is less costly and less crowded than other cities. PASO ROBLES This California central coast city is known for its wine and healing waters. The surrounding region produces more than 40 diverse grape varieties, whose wines can be sipped in tasting rooms dotting the city’s historic downtown. The town is also famous for its hot springs and natural mud baths, making it an ideal spot for spa getaway. SEATTLE Washington State’s largest city is constantly reinventing itself. Pike Place MarketFront opened in 2017 in Seattle’s historic waterfront market, providing a new space for farmers, craftspeople, and artisans alike. The iconic Space Needle rising over the Emerald City sports a renovated observation deck, and Junebaby, with its stellar southern comfort menu, has just been named the best new restaurant in America. DENVER The sunniest city in North America is a must-see mixing cowboy culture, a slew of modern micro-breweries and major sports franchises with the great outdoors. No matter where you look, the Rocky Mountains dominate the city, with 200 visible, named peaks. ALASKA In recent years, cruise lines have expanded their fleets in the Last Frontier to include small boats that can ferry visitors into the less traveled waters of the Inside Passage. While experiencing ice walls, waterfalls, and fjords, visitors can watch in awe as they take in majestic bald eagles soaring above and orcas surfacing from below. CAPE TOWN South Africa’s Mother City is a melting pot of history and culture. Experiences range from the V&A Waterfront, which features five shopping districts (it’s one of South Africa’s most-visited attractions) to Table Mountain, one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. CHARLESTON The past meets present in South Carolina, as visitors can walk or take a horse-drawn carriage down cobblestone streets lined with ancient hickory trees to modern hotels, trendy boutiques, and celebrated restaurants. Take in the history of the city with a stay in a charming B&B. The AAA Via Blog describes Charleston as “a belle of the South, in tune with the times.” If a destination is calling your name this year, work with a travel professional, like AAA, to help make it a reality. For more travel tips and information, visit Viamagazine.com. 8 distinct travel destinations for 2018 PHOENIX COUNTRY CLUB SEVENTH STREET & THOMAS ROAD O A S I S URBAN A N (602) 636-9823 MGrass@PhoenixCountryClub.com PhoenixCountryClub.com CHECK OUT OUR SPECIALS NOW SERVING ON OUR PATIO WARMED BY A COZY FIRE BOOK YOUR PRIVATE PARTY ON ONE OF OUR PATIOS OR WE CAN PROVIDE FULL CATERING SERVICE 602-956-0178 | 4144 E. Indian School Rd. ENJOY YOUR NEXT FIESTA ON THE TEEPEE PATIO! CALL KATHY AT 602-300-7133 FOR RESERVATIONS OR CATERING

21 FEBRUARY 2018 ARCAD A NEWS By Jeff Pearson, Tom Helms and Jonell Sloekers Long before email salutations, true romantics found ways to express themselves with valentines. Just because the expressions were made of paper, often by hand, doesn’t mean they were simple. Your grandparents were in love once and so were their parents before them. So, before you throw any heart-shaped, crusty old cards in the dump, maybe you can see if there is a little money to share as well as heartfelt words. Many American valentine crafters used not only ink and paper, but adorned their creations with sketches, watercolors, pinpricks and cutouts to make them more interesting and personal. Occasionally semiprecious stones and jewels found their way into a valentine. Sometimes natural elements such as bark and dried flowers were used along with cloth, yarn, ribbon and even locks of hair. The earliest valentines were sealed with wax and delivered by hand. If the greeting was anonymous, it would be left where the intended recipient would surely find it. Most of the oldest valentine treasures are in museums now and rarely found by romantic collectors today. Mass-production of valentines found its way to marketplaces in the late 1830s, and the first printed ones started to be made in the United States in the early 1840s. By the middle of the 19th century, hearts, roses and Cupid with his bow became popular with both valentine creators and givers. During the 1870s, George C. Whitney developed domestic material and the equipment needed to create fancy embossing. Before this machine-age introduction, paper lace was most often imported from around the world. Stand-up cards and three-dimensional cards hit popularity around 1895, along with honeycomb paper puffs which opened to form bells, Asian fans, hearts and other various shapes. Being convenient to mail, these cards remained popular for many years to come. Honeycombs were easily mailed to happy recipients who folded them out and placed them on a mantle or dresser for all to see. The Victorian versions often featured automobiles, ships and trains with moving parts to add special effects. Unfortunately, the movement and playtime caused them to deteriorate more rapidly than other types of valentine greetings. This scarcity adds to their value however, and they are currently prized by collectors… that is when you can find one! For goods made of paper more than 100 years old, Victorian cards can be found in relatively good condition. In fact, the colors on the cards are usually still quite vibrant if properly stored. Anyone seeking vintage valentines will find the supply of older cards dwindling. The popularity of Victorian decorating and reproductions on calendars and other paper goods during the past 20 years introduced many new collectors to the field. Those just starting to collect often seek valentine postcards produced from about 1900 to 1930, and newer flat cards exchanged between children during the 40s and 50s due to their affordability and availability on auction sites like eBay. As collectibles of the future, cards have the potential for increasing in value. So, I would think twice about throwing out grandma’s shoe box full of memories! — Do you have an appraisal question? Email us at editor@arcadianews.com. We look forward to hearing from you. All you need is love! ASK THE APPRAISERS A brief history of Valentines and how they became mainstream Paper lace was used for Valentines during the Victorian era. experience in the heart of scottsdale Luxury Living Sales representation by: EnclaveAtBorgata.com 6166 N. Scottsdale Road Scottsdale, AZ 85253 480-362-5283 Luxury Condominiums Priced from the 700’s to 3.9M Information provided through the marketing materials, sales center, sales brokers, or models is preliminary in nature; changes may be made to our project, including but not limited to the designs, floor plans, residence sizes, services, amenities, and pricing. This is not an offer to sell. All plan illustrations are artist renderings only and are not part of a legal contract. Walk able Convenience to Shops, Dining, & Entertainment Move-In Ready!