Town Common Vignette

It’s hard to believe my family has lived in this community for fourteen years and we never knew we had access to the resort pools. I mean, that’s what you do in Phoenix in the summer – or any time of year, really - you go to the pool. We walk up to the counter where an overly smiley teenager asks for our last name and room number. I explain that I’m a resident, and his plastered smile diminishes a bit as he reaches for wristbands and towels. I guess you don’t get the royal treatment at the Hilton if you’re not actually a “guest”. We start searching for Travis and Tara, and find them tucked under an umbrella by the waterslide. It’s way too hot to be in the sun, even when you’re lying by the pool.


We pick some lawn chairs and pull out the sunscreen, books and iPods. The lotion that Chad’s rubbing into my shoulders smells so much like a Pina Colada that I can almost taste it. Tara must have had the same idea, because she leans over to Travis and a few seconds later he says “Hey Chad, wanna go get some drinks for us and the girls?” They’re back a few minutes later, blended $9 drinks in hand.


I settle back into my chair. This place is a melting pot of fascinating people. At this time of day there are mostly small kids splashing each other, fighting to be first down the water slide, running up to their parents with dripping hair, asking for a smoothie or some ice cream. I love seeing families spend time together; it’s kind of a rarity in a big city. You have to get to the watering holes to find normal life. We finish off our refreshing ice cold drinks and decide we need another method of cooling down. We head for the lazy river.


Everyone in Phoenix must be in this sliver of shallow water filled with bumping tubes and slippery skin. On the opposite spectrum of cute adventurous kids are the people all around me. Most of the girls I see are wearing swimsuits that are two sizes too small, and aren’t the least bit shy about it. I try to keep a hold on Chad’s tube so that the cluster of overly tanned guys with their shorts a bit too low don’t think I’m open for comments. These are all the other twenty-somethings who live around the corner. These are Phoenicians.


We manage to squeeze out of the crowd and paddle our way ahead so we can relax as we float along. The tennis courts are pretty empty which is not surprising when it’s over one hundred degrees. The driving range at the golf course, on the other hand, is packed. This is also not surprising; one of the main reasons people come to Phoenix is for the resort/golf course combination. I guess that’s why there are so many people here all of the time. I’m just here to relax. I lay on my back, slide my sunglasses back on, and shut my eyes. Places like this are the only way for a local to survive a Phoenix summer.