Valley 101

In the modern age, you don't have to turn to a Spanish language channel on the radio to hear Latin music. Pop, hip hop, and dance music has all gone international as Latin music is booming in popularity. In the last year, the genre has seen a 15% boost in listens, making Spanish the second most listened to language in the United States. Artists like Bad Bunny and Karol G have infused Latin music i...

Much has already been said about Sandra Day O’Connor since her passing on December 1, 2023. The humble ranch girl grew up to serve in one of the highest offices in the land – as a supreme court justice. You might have read about her early days working on the Lazy B Ranch in eastern Arizona. The wide expanse is picturesque, if not iconic. It is a place you’d imagine a cowboy film would be set. And...

Whether you just moved here or are a Valley native, new bars and restaurants are yours to discover. Metro Phoenix is home to 21 James Beard Award winners, finalists or nominees. According to the Spirited Awards this year, downtown Phoenix has the best cocktail bar in the United States. While recognition in the past few years has certainly increased, Arizona always has had excellent eateries and ch...

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Valley 101. We're serving up a fowl episode stuffed with turkey facts that you probably don't know. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1971, a new art form officially premiered in Arizona. The first performance from the Tucson Opera Company was Gioachino Rossini's classic "The Barber of Seville." By 1976, the opera company had become the Arizona Opera and was performing full seasons of shows in both Tucson and Phoenix. Now housed in downtown Phoenix, the Arizona Opera is going strong almost 50 years later. In this week's episo...

You've heard of horse racing and dog racing, but what about burro racing? Each year in the town of Superior, Arizona, an adorable race filled with fuzzy donkeys takes place. Now don't expect to see jockeys riding the donkeys. Instead, the little equines are lead by their owners by a lead through Main Street and into Tonoto National Forest and back. In this episode, we find out how the race got sta...

While the rest of the nation is clocking an extra hour of sleep and making sure their oven clock matches their phone, Arizonans will continue their day like normal. Most people in Arizona, at least. In a bonus episode of our podcast, Valley 101, we explore how Daylight Saving came to be, why most of Arizona doesn't participate, and who in the state does.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit me...

Tucked into Tucson's Barrio Viejo is an unassuming broken-down adobe wall adorned with flowers, candles and little pieces of paper containing people's deepest wishes. The shrine to El Tiradito serves not only as a landmark to a vicious and titillating murder that happened in the late 1800s but as a symbol in this predominantly Mexican-American neighborhood. In this week's episode of Valley 101, a...

One of Halloween's most notorious ghosts is the Headless Horseman. The iconic figure on a black horse with a jack-o-lantern in place of a face can be found in books, movies, decor and more. But there is another headless ghost that haunts the western regions of our nation. And her tragic tale has been passed down by the tribe that lives near where she died. Then we'll hear a different tale. One of...

Sometimes you just need a break from the toils of life. And in Arizona, where better to go than one of the many scenic and historic lodges scattered throughout the state. Or perhaps hiding away in a remote cabin is more your style. But you might think twice about vacationing in the places in this episode. Valley 101 returns this week with another set of ghost stories the keep you up all night.  Va...

It's spooky season. And this Halloween season, Valley 101 presents a series of creepy ghost stories featuring the Phoenix Theatre Company and Vulture City guaranteed to keep you up at night. Listen if you dare! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Valley 101 guides you on the best places to see fall colors in Arizona. From Oak Creek Canyon to Big Lake, Arizona is full of color every fall. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It feels as if Arizona is finally starting to cool down after the record-setting summer.  However, according to the Phoenix Office of Heat Response and Mitigation and the state climatologist, our summer days are getting hotter, with no forecast that they will get any cooler.  As the planet is warming, the effects go beyond the environment. Multiple studies correlate violent crimes to excessive hea...

A RERUN FROM 2021: Have you ever wondered what traditional Japanese sushi and Mexican food create? Several years ago in Mexico, a combination of Mexican food ingredients and Japanese style were used to create a fusion dish known as Sonoran sushi. Traditional Japanese sushi’s main ingredient is vinegared rice. Sonoran sushi rolls have those base ingredients like rice and seaweed, but with their own...

A certain word has become standard in the past few years when discussing Arizona politics. At some point, maybe "recount" made people think of doublechecking that everyone in their group was accounted for, or the thing to do when they second-guessed the number of Easter eggs they were hiding. But politicos in Arizona, especially in Maricopa County, now associate the word “recount” with the word “b...

You know you live in Phoenix when it's still triple digits in September. If you're looking for an escape, Valley 101 has 10 cool locations to check out from Sabino Canyon, Bisbee, Verde Valley and the Mogollon Rim. You don't have to travel far to see a completely different side of Arizona. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Sun Devils, under the direction of then-coach Herm Edwards, had fallen behind in a crucial area for their future: high school recruiting. Smaller schools like Northern Illinois and Western Kentucky were finishing ahead of ASU in the recruiting rankings.  There were a number of reasons for this, most notably the NCAA investigation that ASU is still under for alleged recruiting violations that o...

Remote-controlled bombs consisting of 6 sticks of dynamite erupted underneath the drivers side of the car. The explosion was contained, but destructive. The lower half of his body was blown off, the driver’s door ripped open, and the reporter lay waiting for help. The story goes that he uttered three things while in the parking lot injured that day: “John Adamson” “Emprise” and “Mafia.” But storie...

Movies used to be the dominating driving force in pop culture.  Hollywood was the center of entertainment. Actors, producers, directors: dreams being made. The Silver Screen was a fantasy come true for many. But over the past decade, things have changed. That domination lessened as new players entered the game. Streaming apps gained more and more popularity, becoming the go-to spot to see a film....

Arizona has sharks. No, really. Around 300 million years ago, portions of the 48th state were covered in shallow seas. And prowling these primordial waters were some wild and bizarre sharks. A few might even rival the mighty megalodon. In this episode of Valley 101, we unearth which sharks called Arizona home, whether or not megalodon swam here, and what modern-day sharks you can see in the Valley...

Think you know Arizona? You might want to think again. The 48th state is filled with weird, unusual, and just downright quirky facts that even long-time residents might not know. We found three Arizona-only oddities that just might surprise you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Summers in Arizona mean heat, triple-digit temperatures, and desperately trying to stay cool. But summers in Arizona also mean monsoons - big, bright thunderstorms returning rain to the desert.  During the summer monsoon season, Phoenix receives one-third of its annual rainfall, a necessary relief to help combat the drought that 83% of the state is experiencing, according to the National Weather S...

This past Saturday, temperatures rose to 118 degrees, breaking a 25 year old record. Excessive heat warnings are planned throughout the week.  It’s that time of year when all your out of state friends ask, “Why do you live there again?” The answer is winters, but this week, they might have a point. It hasn’t been this hot for this long in almost 50 years. Arizona has now had 18 days in a row of te...

It's no secret that the Arizona Diamondbacks have struggled a lot. But, right now, they are in first place in the National League West behind budding star outfielder Corbin Carroll. Valley 101 talks baseball. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anyone who knows pizza or even knows Arizona cuisine knows Chris Bianco. Bianco skyrocketed to fame when his pizza became world-renowned, making Phoenix an unexpected go-to destination for foodies worldwide. Back in 2003, he was the first pizza maker ever to win the James Beard Award for Best Chef Southwest. Bianco is often referred to as the father of the modern pizza movement. Twenty years later...