Goodyear & Glendale, AZ (11/1-6/2019)

A huge area southwest of Phoenix was obviously all farmland until recent years, when serious residential development got underway.  Dozens of beautiful residential neighborhoods, all with spectacular landscaping, now occupy large chunks of land here.  However, there is still enough farmland, as well as raw desert, to allow future development to accommodate the large influx of new residents, most of whom seem to be coming from California.  This is probably the same pattern that has been occurring in the Valley of The Sun for the past 100 years or so.  Water will be the main limiting factor at some point.

Here is a photo of one of the many cotton fields still  visible, in addition to numerous vegetable farms and sod farms scattered about.  The climate is such that crops can be grown year-round, if there is sufficient water for irrigation.  I have no idea how long that may continue.

Since my arrival, skies have been mostly cloudless, with only a couple exceptions.  When I noticed clouds developing one day, I went out to enjoy a beautiful sunset.  To get a clear view without buildings marring the scene, it was necessary to drive some fifteen miles farther west.

Northeast of Goodyear, the city of Glendale has long been established as a Phoenix suburb.  Its growth has been spurred in part by sports facilities and events.  For example, several major league baseball teams conduct Spring training there.  Also, since 2006, a unique stadium for football and other large events has been a significant attraction.  Originally known as University of Phoenix Stadium, but now called State Farm Stadium, this marvelous structure not only has a retractable roof but also features a retractable playing field, one of only three in the entire world.

Starting with a blank slate, the stadium has fostered a whole community of related developments, such as an NHL hockey arena, multiple baseball fields, hotels and restaurants.  Of course,  roads, sewers, parking and other infrastructure items are all in place.

The retractable field was designed to allow natural grass as the playing surface.  When outside, the grass is fertilized, watered and soaks up that Arizona sunlight.  For games, the field moves inside via a system of wheels riding on train tracks, powered by a large number of 1 HP motors.  It takes more than an hour to complete the move, while the roof can be retracted in less than fifteen minutes.  Once the field moves inside, the outside space is used for VIP parking, such as team buses, players' families, game officials, etc.

Speaking of the roof, it is made of a special translucent fabric supported by a system of metal trusses.  The two main trusses are supported at either end by "super columns" that are quite large.  Those are used to display a variety of items, such as historical photographs, plaques representing local high school football champions, etc.

The stadium, of course, is home to the Arizona Cardinals, one of the NFL's founding members (then in Chicago).  The team actually formed in 1898, long before the NFL.  After Chicago, it was based in St. Louis for many years.

Several NFL championship games, including two Super Bowls, as well as college football championships and the Fiesta Bowl, have been played here.  Some of the memorable games for me include the Boise State victory over Oklahoma (in overtime) and the Florida Gators winning the 2006 national championship over Ohio State.  Many other events, such as soccer, wrestling, basketball, concerts, monster trucks, etc have been held here.  During my tour, preparations were underway for a major awards dinner that is conducted annually.  Permanent seating can accommodate over 63,000 people, but portable seating can increase capacity to 78,000.

Like most NFL venues, there is a Ring of Honor to recognize great players from the past.  Pat Tillman was not only a football hero, but gave his life in Iraq while serving his country, having volunteered following the 9/11/2001 terrorist attack.  There is also a statue of Tillman outside the stadium.

In an operation such as this, the requirement for communications capability is massive, particularly for TV broadcasts.  There is WIFI throughout the facility, as well as large cable runs, all managed by a data center with racks of servers and other equipment.  Two large, modern scoreboards are also controlled from here.

The tour included the visiting team's locker room and training room, said to be spartan in comparison to the Cardinals' facility, which we were not allowed to see.

I'm glad I finally got to tour this stadium.  Having visited many athletic facilities around the country, I can honestly say this place is special.

On a personal note, I want to tell you that I am in the process of selling my home in Colorado.  While I thoroughly enjoyed my time there, I want to get back to more Summer travel and will probably spend Winters in FL.  We'll see how it all develops.