38 DECEMBER 2025 J ust beyond the shadow of the Superstition Mountains is Goldfield Ghost Town – a place that the Arizona Highways Crew will attest is very much alive. As we wrapped a day of filming on those dusty streets, we discovered that Goldfield has become a fun, family holiday adventure. Once a booming 1890s mining camp, today it’s a wild mix of frontier history, oddball attractions, and enough spooky charm to keep visitors guessing. “We’re so excited to welcome folks to our town,” Tour Guide Casey Jackson, who greets guests in full Western flair, said. “People – from little kids to older folks – walk in and they’re all so excited to see a little piece of history.” Goldfield welcomes hundreds, sometimes thousands, of people a day. Wooden boardwalks connect a mercantile filled with handmade fudge, an apothecary crafting Sonoran botanicals into skincare, a hat shop that can brand your Stetson on-site, and a photography studio where families dress up and pose like frontier legends. This ghost town isn’t stuck in 1893. As Casey jokes, “People get surprised when they walk in and see a zip line.” This attraction suspends riders 115 feet in the air and sends them soaring 1,200 feet toward the towering Superstitions. Owner Todd Riches calls it his modern twist on an old mining adventure. Miners once rode ore carts up steep hills by the pull of gravity alone. Today, riders go up backwards, down forwards with no helmet or harness, just a motorized seat, a little bravery, and seven seconds of “hang time” at the top to savor the panoramic desert views. The best part? You only have to be 42 inches to ride. For a deeper look at Goldfield’s past, you can head into Mammoth Mine on a guided tour. Guides will take you past old equipment and narrow tunnels while regaling tourists with stories of miners who earned five dollars, three dollars, or – unluckiest of all – two dollars a day pushing the infamous “honey pot wagon.” Visitors learn that 13-year-olds once set dynamite fuses because they were the fastest runners! After learning about life underground, you can wander into Goldfield’s slightly less scientific attraction, the Mystery Shack. Inside, water flows uphill, pool balls roll in the wrong direction, and guests stand at angles that defy logic. Whether it’s an optical illusion or pure desert mischief depends on whom you ask. If illusions aren’t enough, the bravest head upstairs to Lulu’s Bordello, a Victorian-era “lights-out” ghost tour led by a self-described Victorian ghost host. Flickering lanterns lead guests through dark hallways and bedrooms, where guides share tales of long-ago residents and unexplained cold spots, energy spikes on EMF meters, and, on at least one occasion, a guide who left with three mysterious scratches. Whether you are soaring over the desert, exploring underground tunnels, grabbing fresh fudge, testing your balance in the Mystery Shack, or tiptoeing through a haunted bordello, Goldfield Ghost Town proves the Old West still has a wild streak – and you’ll find it all just off an Arizona highway. Goldfield Ghost Town is alive with history, haunts and heights Robin is the host and executive producer of the Arizona Highways Television , Saturdays and Sundays on CBS. BY ROBIN SEWELL Lulu’s Bordello Goldfield zip line 7001 N Scottsdale Rd Suite C-138, Scottsdale, AZ 85253 Furniture | Lighting | Art | Accessories

39 DECEMBER 2025 As the holiday season settles over the Valley, residents have two spirited opportunities to connect with their community and celebrate the magic of December. The month begins with a relaxed chance to meet neighbors and local representatives at the upcoming December Coffee Chat, set for December 2 at Pecos Park (17010 S. 48th St., Phoenix). From 6 to 7:30 p.m., attendees are invited to stop by for casual conversation, community updates, and a chance to ask questions about neighborhood projects, concerns, or upcoming initiatives. The gathering is designed to keep residents informed and engaged, providing a friendly forum where issues can be discussed in a welcoming, approachable setting. Whether you have a specific topic you’d like addressed or simply want to stay in the loop, the Coffee Chat offers an easy and informal way to connect. A few days later, one of Phoenix’s brightest traditions will once again light up the night. The 2025 APS Electric Light Parade returns on December 7, bringing dazzling floats, glowing performances, and thousands of twinkling lights to the heart of the city. This annual event draws spectators from across the Valley who line the streets to watch the procession make its way from Central Avenue and Montebello Avenue to 7th Street and Indian School Road. The parade begins at 7 p.m., and while the exact ending time may vary, the festive atmosphere typically lasts well into the evening as families gather to enjoy one of Phoenix’s cherished holiday celebrations. Together, the Coffee Chat and Electric Light Parade offer two very different but equally meaningful ways to celebrate this December – one through conversation and connection, the other through lights, music, and shared seasonal joy. Happy Holidays! Councilman Kevin Robinson Let’s get together! ARCADIANEWSARCHIVES.COM Councilman District 6 602-262-7491 District6@phoenix.gov KEVIN ROBINSON  If you’ve ever plucked a paper angel from a tree at the mall, you’ve been part of a well- known Arizona tradition with heartfelt roots. It began in 1979, in the small city of Lynchburg, Virginia. The Salvation Army was looking for a way to bring joy to children who might otherwise go without, and the Angel Tree program was born. The idea was simple: place tags on a tree representing children in need, each listing their Christmas wishes, and let the community become Santa’s helpers. Fast-forward to Phoenix in 1986. On her first day as community relations director at KTVK Channel 3, Marlene Klotz-Collins had an idea. A dedicated volunteer with The Salvation Army’s Phoenix Advisory Board, she proposed bringing the concept of the Angel Tree into a mall. The idea got the green light, and that December, the “Secret Santa” program made its debut at Christown. In partnership with KTVK-TV and KMEO Radio, the very first year was a triumph: 3,200 children received brand- new clothes and toys. The name evolved into something even more fitting, and the program spread through shopping centers across the Valley. Each December, Arizona’s Family helps rally volunteers, donors, and shoppers to make sure every angel tag is taken, and every child’s wish fulfilled. Just before Thanksgiving, Christmas Angel trees appear in malls across the Valley, in Flagstaff and in Prescott. Each is adorned with hundreds – sometimes thousands – of Angel tags. Today, more than 50,000 Arizona children receive Christmas Angel gifts each year, thanks to the generosity of neighbors, coworkers, and strangers united by the joy of giving. From its modest beginnings in Virginia to its warm embrace here in the Valley of the Sun, the Christmas Angel program continues to remind us of what the holidays are really about: hope, kindness, and the magic that happens when we care for one another. 30 YEARS AGO How a simple idea sparked an annual holiday tradition