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Flagstaff, AZ

1 gallery with 91 photos.

Updated: Nov 29, 2008 11:29am PST

Mt. Lemmon

2 galleries with 129 photos.

Updated: Dec 27, 2007 9:54am PST

Sedona

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Updated: Nov 04, 2007 8:19am PST

Road Trips Galleries

San Diego, CA Labor Day weekend 2007 :

San Diego, CA Labor Day weekend 2007

Updated: Sep 04, 2007 9:08pm PST

Chihuahua Races at Petco Park Sept 2, 2007 : (Scroll down for pics after reading) San Diego Labor Day Weekend Sept. 2, 2007 Our friend Celeste's little Chihuahua "Cricket" was the Seattle regional winner and won a trip to San Diego for the national chance to be the fastest Chihuahua in the US, but alas, she did not win but we had a great time as Bella was holding Cricket, and Celeste was at the finish line. Newspaper coverage: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/329902_fastdog01.html Petco's Website: www.petco.com/petcounleashed Chihuahua Race Finals Tiny Terror Kicks Tail: New Yorker Maddy Wins PETCO Unleashed Finals Prevails Over Veteran Racers as America's Fastest Chihuahua SAN DIEGO (Sept. 2, 2007) - She may be on the small side, but Maddy from New York City showed she is top dog Sunday prevailing over 14 other pint-sized contenders to take the title of America's Fastest Chihuahua in the PETCO Unleashed national finals. The 2-year-old pup, weighing in at a mere 4-1/2 pounds, came out on top of the pack of the nation's fastest Chihuahuas - including national champions from the last two years - covering the 1/18th furlong (35-foot-long) track in 2 seconds. The fastest group of the world's smallest breed of dog kicked up the grass in a blaze of glory unfazed by thousands of cheering baseball fans gathered at PETCO Park in San Diego - the races venue - for Sunday's Padres-LA Dodgers game. "We knew she was a strong contender; she is very fast and focused. Last year she choked and this year she came out on top," said proud pet parent Sue Yee. Maddy's key to success was lots of love and intense training, including sprinting, racing up stairs and swimming, says Yee who plans to treat champion Maddy to a bone from PETCO when they return to the Big Apple. PETCO's third annual Unleashed races showcased 15 tiny regional winners with larger-than-life personalities - both veteran and rookie racers - proudly representing Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Orange County, Calif., Phoenix, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington D.C. Racers attended the event courtesy of American Airlines, Omni San Diego Hotel and San Diego Convention Center and Visitor's Bureau. Maddy unseated last year's champion, Tiger from Bakersfield, Calif. She won bragging rights, a trophy, a one-year supply of Royal Canin Chihuahua dog food and a $300 PETCO Gift Card. PETCO and race co-sponsor Royal Canin hold the event to celebrate one of America's favorite breeds of dog, and to encourage all animal enthusiasts to consider adoption as a first option when adding a pet to their family. "Chihuahuas might be the world's smallest breed, but they sure have huge personalities and are very devoted to their owners, making them wonderful companions," said Heather Olson, strategic partnerships and promotions manager at PETCO. "The PETCO Unleashed race isn't just about which tiny racer wins the gold, but it's also about connecting animal lovers with adoptable animals across the country that need loving homes." The national finals footage and pint-sized profiles of all regional champions will soon be available at www.petco.com/petcounleashed. Youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0cU9eTO5Vg *********************************************************************** Article from the Seattle P-I http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/329902_fastdog01.html Q: What goes 8.2 mph, weighs less than 10 pounds and runs on raw egg and tuna fish? A: Seattle's fastest Chihuahua. Make that "Cricket the Human Cheetah," beloved 4-year- old of owner Celeste Virago Lowe, who won the Seattle regional round of the Petco Unleashed National Chihuahua Race in Kirkland and advances Sunday to the final race in San Diego. Cricket acts every bit the princess in her rhinestone collar, giant eyes moving around to take in the world around her. While the little dogs are an increasingly common sight in Seattle, Virago Lowe says Cricket is still baffling to the other dogs she encounters. Cricket will travel to San Diego to compete in a national speed championship. "Big dogs don't know what to make of her because she's so small," she said. Virago Lowe, 38, of Seattle, admits that she expected nothing more than a good laugh when she entered Cricket in the local competition. "Cricket doesn't even sit on command. She's a princess," said Virago Lowe, still a bit mystified that the little dog, which sleeps under the covers of her bed and won't eat dog food unless gravy is added, has proven herself an athlete. "Speedy Gonzalez," chimes in niece Bella Stribling, 13, of Mercer Island. At the Seattle race, Virago Lowe said, she was shocked each time her dog progressed to another round. "I thought, 'There's no way she's going to win the whole thing.'" Bella was the only family member who didn't mock Virago Lowe for attending the Seattle race earlier this year. She serves as racing coach for the pint-sized dog, holding her in the "chute" until the race begins. Virago Lowe waits at the end of the racetrack, and Cricket runs to her. Some say Chihuahuas are just "yappy dogs," but the animals must meet strict standards, according to the Chihuahua Club of America. "A graceful, alert, swift-moving little dog with saucy expression, compact, and with terrierlike qualities of temperament," is what the group's breed standard requires of the true Chihuahua, and it goes on to spell that out in paragraph upon paragraph of detail. Purists say that Chihuahuas are not racing dogs, like greyhounds or whippets, and Cricket's experience proves the point. She won her heats to beat out 200 other area Chihuahuas mostly because she was one of the few dogs that would run straight to the finish line each time. But Daniel Luciano, the general manager of the Phoenix Greyhound Park in Arizona, doesn't look down at the pint-sized competition. "Dogs are dogs; they'll run up and down," he said. "I think they use the dachshunds and Chihuahuas because they have little legs and people get a kick out of it." And while 8.2 mph (35 feet in 2.9 seconds) may not seem very fast, Cricket is less than a foot long and weighs 7 pounds, so her speed is the equivalent of a car traveling more than 60 mph. (Just so you know, Luciano's racing greyhounds clock in at about 35 mph. That's the equivalent of a car traveling, well, 35 mph.) Bella Stribling, 13, gets a kiss from Cricket, held by her Aunt Celeste Virago Lowe after demonstrating how fast the little dog can go. Cricket's before-race meal is a can of tuna and a raw egg. Virago Lowe said she felt that was an appropriate athlete's breakfast. Cricket's straight-line-running abilities won't be enough to win the national title, though. She's up against 14 dogs who won in other cities, including the two past national champs. Virago Lowe and her niece say Cricket has already won the big prize: the all-expenses-paid trip to San Diego for the two of them. But they think a trophy calling Cricket the fastest Chihuahua in the United States would be great. Victory also would mean a year's supply of dog food and $300 gift certificate. It's not exactly Trouble Helmsley's $12 million trust fund. "I used to say it's too bad we can't race you for money," Virago Lowe said to the dog during a practice run Thursday night. " 'cause I'd be rich."

Chihuahua Races at Petco Park Sept 2, 2007

(Scroll down for pics after reading) San Diego Labor Day Weekend Sept ...

Updated: Sep 04, 2007 6:34pm PST

Tijuana, Mexico Labor Day weekend 2007 :

Tijuana, Mexico Labor Day weekend 2007

Updated: Sep 04, 2007 5:37pm PST

San Xavier Mission, Tucson, AZ August 4, 2007 : We visited the San Xavier Mission, Tucson, AZ (for the second time) this time thou, they are renovating the exterior so not so great shots, but we got to go inside this time and shot (without flash, handheld) inside... Enjoy!

San Xavier Mission, Tucson, AZ August 4, 2007

We visited the San Xavier Mission, Tucson, AZ (for the second time) t ...

Updated: Aug 04, 2007 10:47pm PST

Crown King, AZ : Took a road trip to Crown King, AZ *up old dirt and rough mountain roads*, the road from I-17 to Crown King not too bad, the road down the OTHER SIDE, a bit more tough as I punctured a tire on the way down. Truck and passengers fine thanks to a can of "Fix-A-Flat" that I had with me and Discount Tires in Prescott, AZ

Crown King, AZ

Took a road trip to Crown King, AZ *up old dirt and rough mountain roa ...

Updated: May 27, 2007 8:08am PST