You better revise your list and ask Santa for one of those stainless steel water bottles, as there’s one place your plastic bottle is no longer welcome.

Initially the head honcho over at the National Park Service wasn’t totally cool with banning plastic bottles at the parks across the land, but now it sounds like things might move forward at places including the Grand Canyon. Parks considering getting ready of plastic need to do a few things first, however, including making a checklist to report how much waste they’ll eliminate, as well as the effect on businesses and other groups that benefit from selling stuff at the park. ]]> kjb 2011-12-19T09:44:55-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/12/7/61352/4395

If your ride aboard the commuter rail just isn’t giving you that warm and fuzzy feeling this holiday season, it might be time to look for a different kind of train. The Polar Express is certainly an option, especially the one offered by the Grand Canyon Railway in the days leading up to Christmas.

All your favorite aspects of the children’s book—and none of the creepy ones from the feature film—come alive as you board the train just outside the Grand Canyon in Williams, Arizona. After a customary declaration of “All Aboard,” the train chugs off through the woods and wilderness on its way to the North Pole. Cookies and hot chocolate are served on the train while enjoying a rendition of the classic story, and then the main event arrives when it's time to visit Santa and his reindeer. ]]> kjb 2011-12-07T10:04:23-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/6/29/232340/816

Whether it's awesome sandwiches or the latest frozen food fad we're all over airport dining, so we just had to pass along a few updates about the new eats options that are coming to Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport in the future. The best part of the new options is that it's just not Sbarro and Starbucks, as some local options are sneaking through the security line; however, no need to worry, as there will still be a Starbucks too.

Last week airport officials did their thing to grant approval to a bunch of new spots for the airport's Terminal 4, and everything should arrive both before and after the TSA checkpoint by sometime between now and 2013. There will be some Phoenix specific pizza from La Grande Orange, and Cowboy Ciao from over in Scottsdale will also be making an appearance in the airport. There will also be a few spots from Fox Restaurant Concepts including Sauce, Blanco's Tacos and Tequilia, and Modern Burger. ]]> kjb 2011-06-30T13:40:01-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/3/27/212940/455

Not too long ago we were all excited about rental car deals out of Florida to pretty much everywhere, thanks to the migration of old people and college kids south. Now the rental car party is moving the way of Lewis and Clark, as Arizona has some cheapo one-way deals.

Now through the end of May you can grab a car from Hertz for as little as $5 per day. There’s no mileage caps, no drop-off fees, and all kinds of places to pick up the car and drop it off. California, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Washington are just a few of the states where you can end your road trip. Just be sure to use the code DRV5 to get the deal or just click right here. ]]> kjb 2011-03-28T13:31:48-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/3/23/9442/83520

There’s some good news for those looking forward to visiting Grand Canyon National Park this summer, as the park is now fully prepared to quench your thirst for both beautiful scenery and clean drinking water.

The park is upgrading its water offerings, so you’ll no longer need to hunch over water fountains in the main buildings to fill up your Nalgene or Sigg. They're adding around nine new water bottle refilling stations around the park, and this will provide free access to some tasty—and refreshing—Grand Canyon spring water. ]]> kjb 2011-03-23T11:06:05-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/3/2/54641/28478

The Southwest might not be on your Spring Break short list, but they’ve got something that might be even better than the surf and sun. It’s definitely a little warmer there, and in just over a week one of the most unique festivals invades Chandler, Arizona.

This year’s Ostrich Festival—yep, it’s exactly what it sounds like—runs from March 11 through March 13. They’ve been putting on the party for almost 25 years, so at this point it’s pretty much a must-see. ]]> kjb 2011-03-02T15:39:44-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/10/28/84528/631

Arizona really isn’t known for their vast variety of roller coasters or theme parks, and that’s probably because it’s just too darn hot to even go outside during the summer. There’s a solution to this weather problem, and a group of investors is looking to build it, with a new kind of amusement park right in the desert that will keep visitors cool all day long.

Catalyst Land Holdings is planning an amusement park filled with snow. They want kids to be able to build snowmen, go sledding, and chuck snowballs at one another while temperatures soar well above 100 degrees outside, yes just like the one in Dubai (although without the skiing). ]]> kjb 2010-10-28T09:36:49-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/