A Visit to Tom's Thumb Trailhead...

A Visit to Tom's Thumb Trailhead

After hiking two times at White Tanks Preservation Park near Surprise, AZ, I started thinking about other areas of Maricopa County that I haven't visited.

After recently watching a locally produced TV show called "Trail Mix'd" on the Phoenix, AZ PBS affiliate about the Tom's Thumb Trail, I thought that I would make the long drive from to Scottsdale, AZ from Sun City-Peoria, AZ to visit the trailhead.

This will be a post about my visit to the trailhead for Tom's Thumb Trail in the McDowell-Sonora Wilderness Preserve in Scottsdale, AZ.

After visiting the Tom's Thumb trailhead, I also visited Cave Creek, AZ.

As always, more to follow.

Hiking at White Tanks Preservation Park

Hiking at White Tanks Preservation Park

For two Saturdays in May 2025, I went hiking at White Tanks Preservation Park near Surprise, AZ.

I made two attempts at hiking the Mesquite Trail.

More to follow.

Cactus League Opening Day 2024...

Cactus League Opening Day 2024

This will be a post about attending the Opening Day of the 2024 Cactus League season at the Peoria Sports Complex in Peoria, AZ. The game was played between the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

I will have to spend some time on planning out this and all subsequent posts about the Cactus League games that I attended.

Meanwhile, you can read my previous post about the Cactus League at the following link. Think of this post as more of an introduction about the Cactus League.

The Peoria Sports Complex

In my previous post about the Cactus League, I created a map depicting the locations of the various Cactus League stadiums around Maricopa County, AZ. Since I currently live in the Sun City-Peoria, AZ area, the closest Cactus League stadium to me is the Peoria Sports Complex. The Peoria Sports Complex is located at 16101 N 83rd Ave, Peoria, AZ 85382. The stadium is close to boundary line Peoria shares with nearby Glendale, AZ. Based on the information that I found during my research, the Peoria Sports Complex opened in 1994. The architects who designed the Peoria Sports Complex were architecture firm Populous.

A Quick Word about Populous

Haven't heard of the architecure firm Populous? Until I started writing this post, neither have I. It turns out that Populous have designed quite a few famous buildings in their corporate history. The architecture firm seems to have made a specialty of designing sports stadiums and concert arenas. As a former Baltimore area resident for six years, I did not know that Populous designed BOTH Oriole Park at Camden Yards and M and T Bank Stadium for the Baltimore Ravens. Due to the critical acclaim received from designing Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Populous also designed the new Yankee Stadium in New York City, Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.,, PETCO Park in San Diego, CA, and Oracle Park in San Francisco, CA, among various other completed sports stadiums. Recent projects of note designed by Populous include the ultra-modern Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London and the iconic Sphere performance venue in Las Vegas, NV.

Incidentally, Populous has designed other Cactus League stadiums in Maricopa County.

UPDATE: For whatever reason, I seem to have hit a bad case of writer's block for this post. I will have to re-read and decide on how to repair this post.

No Posts for March 2025...

No Posts for March 2025

I have been so busy with other things that I completely forgot to make any new posts to my blog for the month of March 2025.

Making new posts here on my blog is always at the back of my mind.

Plus, blogging is something that I really enjoy doing.

As I have discovered as I restarted blogging in the past year or so, to do the kind of in-depth blogging that I want to do here at Blogger, it would require an enormous amount of time and dedication.

Unfortunately, there are only so many hours in a day.

Busy, Busy, Busy

Like I wrote earlier, I am quite busy. Probably too busy.

Here is a partial list of what I have been up to:

• I workout at a my local gym in Sun City, AZ several times per week.
• I try to go hiking at least once per week, usually on Saturday.
• I try riding my bike at least once per week. Unfortunately, I don't seem to ride my bike nearly enough.
• I was studying for Cisco's CCNA IT certification until I realized that my A+ IT certification from CompTIA expires on July 25th of this year. As a result, after completing chapter 8 in the first volume of the Official CCNA Study Guide, I had to start the online training for the A+ IT certification.
• I got bogged down on writing posts about at attending the WM Phoenix Open in Scottsdale, AZ and attending Opening Day of the Cactus League in Peoria, AZ.
• Since I live in Sun City for the time being, there is all of the stuff that my mother wants me to do during the day.
• I also had a couple of doctor's appointments during the month of March in downtown Phoenix, AZ.
• I have also discovered that X is quite a time waster that I need to get under control.

Getting Rejected by Google Ad-Sense

Also, during the month of March, I submitted an application to Google Ad-Sense to have advertisements placed throughout posts on my blog in order to generate an income stream. Unfortunately, after waiting for a couple of weeks, I received a notice that my application for Google Ad-Sense had been declined. The reason? Apparently, my blog doesn't meet the content requirements as set by Google Ad-Sense. I guess I have too many photos on my blog and not enough written content. Something like that. Oh, well. It was worth a shot. However, I do see a time when I leave Blogger for a different blogging platform. I am not too sure when it will happen, but it eventually will. For now, I am writing for myself and whomever else may be interested in what I write about.

Making Sense of Google Photos

Then there is the issue of how my collection of photos over at Google Photos is a complete mess. I really do need to sit down and spend some time getting my collection of photos organized into collections and adding key words to each photo. I should also inspect each photo and see if I need to make any enhancements. It can be a lengthy process.

Future Posts

In my Bullet Journal, I have a collection of future blog posts that always seems to get longer and longer.

For example, my post about the Cactus Baseball League in Arizona just kept getting longer and longer. As a result, I have decided to just go ahead and break that post into several shorter posts. I have A LOT of photos that I took last year and this year.

Before I tackle any new topics, I am also trying to finish several incomplete posts here on my blog, such as hiking the Shaw Butte Trail at North Mountain Preserve a second time as well as some posts about my bike rack and almost being the victim of a pig butchering scam.

Plus, I am rewatching the third movie I saw at the Cine Core movie theatre in Seoul on DVD. I am currently planning to write a lengthy post about that movie and how it relates to the Korean War. It's going to take A LOT of work. However, I know that I can do it.

Then, there is that list of blogging topics in my Bullet Journal that I constantly keep adding to.

Lastly, I should go over the HTML reference over at W3 Schools and see if there are additional ways that I can make my blog more sexy. I have learned quite a bit about how to use HTML, but there always seems to be more that I could learn about.

It will take some time, but I will get there.

Studying for CCNA Update...

Studying for CCNA Update

It has been a while since I have written a post about studying for Cisco's CCNA IT certification.

To be honest, progress has been slow.

However, there are reasons for that.

Back in late December 2024, I had just completed the reading the following chapters in the CCNA 200-301 Official Cert Guide, Volume 1, Second Edition by Wendell Odom, CCIE No. 1624.

• Part One: Introduction to Networking
• Chapter 1: Introduction to TCP/IP Networking
• Chapter 2: Fundamentals of Ethernet LANs
• Chapter 3: Fundamentals of WANs and IP Routing
• Part Two: Implementing Ethernet LANs
• Chapter 4: Using the Command-Line Interface
• Chapter 5: Analyzing Ethernet LAN Switching
• Chapter 6: Configuring Basic Switch Management
• Chapter 7: Configuring and Verifying Switch Interfaces

I also completed the exercises for Chapters 4, 5, 6, and 7 in Pearson Vue's CCNA Network Simulator training program. Furthermore, I even completed all of the exercises for Chapters 4, 5, 6, and 7 on Wendell Odom's CCNA Skills Blog. Do you need to use Pearson Vue's CCNA Network Simulator while studying for the CCNA IT certification? No, you don't. However, the CCNA Network Simulator does come with A LOT of guided practice exercises to get you experience using Cisco's IOS command-line interface for configuring switches and routers. In other words, using Pearson Vue's CCNA Network Simulator is completely optional. However, I believe that the money spent on Pearson Vue's CCNA Network Simulator is money well spent.

For CCNA study, Wendell Odom's CCNA Skills Blog is also entirely optional. The CCNA Skills Blog contains a lot of good resources for studying CCNA. Moreover, the CCNA Cert Skills Blog also features Wendell Odom's own CCNA practice exercises. While Pearson Vue's Network Simulator is a simulation, Wendell Odom's networking exercises require you to use Cisco's Packet Tracer program. Unlike the Network Simulator, Wendell Odom's networking exercises are entirely free. Plus, Cisco offers Packet Tracer as a free download from its website. You do have to create an account with Cisco to download Packet Tracer, however. It's irritating, but Packet Tracer is an invaluable program to have in your CCNA study.

What was the problem?

Despite reading the first seven chapters in the textbook and completing all of the exercises, what was the problem?

Since I had recently earned four training badges from Cisco Networking Academy (see previous post here), I was probably feeling a little too high and mighty when it came to basic networking. Thus, when it came to reading Chapters 4, 5, 6, and 7 in the CCNA 200-301 Official Cert Guide, I just read through the chapters without taking any notes. I was about to start Chapter 8: Implementing Ethernet Virtual LANs, when I realized that I probably committed a mistake by not taking any notes while reading those four chapters.

Chapter 4 from the CCNA Official Cert Guide

Chapter 5 from the CCNA Official Cert Guide

Chapter 6 from the CCNA Official Cert Guide

Chapter 7 from the CCNA Official Cert Guide

Thus, I made the decision to RE-READ all four chapters and TAKE COPIOUS NOTES. After re-reading each individual chapter, I went back to the Pearson Vue Network Simulator and completed the exercises for each chapter. To be sure, it was A LOT of work and required a lot of extra time. However, it was a necessary review to complete.

Chapter 8 from the CCNA Official Cert Guide

After all of that hard work, I was ready to start reading Chapter 8: Implementing Ethernet Virtual LANs. This time, there would be a difference, however. I would take notes as I read through the chapter. Predictably, taking notes while reading prolonged the amount of time it would have taken to complete the chapter if I had just read it. In the Introduction to the CCNA 200-301 Official Cert Guide, Wendell Odom mentioned that he tried to write each chapter so that it would take approximately an hour to read. That was an interesting comment, I thought. Whenever I read something technical, I tend to read slowly as I try to absorb all of the information. At over 30 pages, Chapter 8 is one of the longest chapters in the CCNA 200-301 Official Cert Guide. 

Why is Chapter 8 so long? Well, the chapter covers two topics. The first topic concerns what are known as virtual LANs. What is a virtual LAN? A virtual LAN is created when you essentially subdivide a switch into smaller segments. A typical switch has 24 ports. For example, let's say you have a small business with several departments, but you only have several departments, such as accounting, operations, sales, human resources, and so on. To improve security and network efficiency, you decide to group all of the devices used by the accounting department into a specific range of ports. Then, you do the same for all of the other departments. There is a problem. When you create a virtual LAN, the switch recognizes each virtual LAN as a separate network. You can't just send a message from a device on VLAN 1 to another device on VLAN 2 even though you are using the same switch. It just won't work. To send a message to another device on another VLAN on the same switch, you need a router. After all, the VLANs are located on different networks. That's where trunking comes in. Essentially, trunking identifies what VLAN the message is being sent to. Thus, you have to adjust the settings on the switch and the router to enable trunking, which will then allow devices on separate VLANs to send messages to each other. 

Yes, it's A LOT of information to digest as you are taking notes. However, I eventually made it to the end of the chapter. When you take notes while reading, the process makes you concentrate on what you are reading.   

Pearson Vue Network Simulator Chapter 8 Exercises

Now that I have completed reading and taking notes on Chapter 8 in the CCNA 200-301 Official Cert Guide, I have been slowly completing all of the Network Simulator exercises for Chapter 8. The Network Simulator contains three types of exercises for Chapter 8. 

• Skill Builders
• Configuration Scenarios
• Troubleshooting Scenarios

So far, I have completed all 13 Skill Builder exercises. I recently completed all three Configuration Scenarios. Now, I just need to complete the remaining four Troubleshooting Scenarios. Once all of the Network Simulator labs are complete, it will then be time to either move on to Chapter 9: Spanning Tree Protocol Concepts or head on over Wendell Odom's CCNA Skills Blog and work my way through his VLAN exercises. 

Sounds like fun, doesn't it?  

Having Lunch at Huss Brewing...

Going to Downtown Phoenix

On Saturday, February 22, 2025, I drove my mom to downtown Phoenix, AZ, so she could attend QuiltCon 2025 at the Phoenix Convention Center. Right off the bat, I will tell you that I don't spend nearly enough time in downtown Phoenix. In a region of never-ending suburbs, retirement communities, mushrooming towns and cities, and various tourist-oriented cities, downtown Phoenix just doesn't seem to get a whole lot of respect or love. To many people where I currently live in Maricopa County, downtown Phoenix might as well be a foreign place to visit. It might as well be terra incognita.      

Poster for QuiltCon 2025

The easiest way for us to get to downtown Phoenix from the Sun City-Peoria, AZ area is to take Grand Avenue/Highway 60 right into downtown. Grand Avenue/Highway 60 runs right into Van Buren Avenue, one of the major east-west streets in downtown Phoenix. After driving a couple of miles east on Van Buren Avenue, I made a right turn and headed south on 2nd Street. Fortunately, there was a rather large parking garage near the Phoenix Convention Center. After parking the car and taking the elevator down to the ground floor, my mom and I exited the parking garage and started walking toward the Phoenix Convention Center along Monroe Street. As we walked, we passed by Huss Brewing Downtown Brewpub + TOGO tucked inside the Phoenix Convention Center. We saw people eating lunch outside on the patio and noticed that all of the doors were open. It made perfect sense as the weather was unusually warm for Phoenix in mid-February. The sky was blue without a single cloud. I made a mental note and continued walking.  

View of 1st Street from parking garage.

 

Attending QuiltCon 2025

It turns out that the Phoenix Convention Center is actually a grouping of three buildings. QuiltCon 2025 was located on the third floor of the North Building on 3rd Street and Monroe Street. We didn't actually know which specific building to go to for the convention. Instead, we just followed all of the people that were walking to the North Building. After taking the elevator to the third floor of the North Building, we had our tickets scanned at the entrance and then walked into QuiltCon 2025. 

Walking toward the Phoenix Convention Center.

Skyway connecting the West and North Buildings.

Exterior of the North Building.

Facade of the North Building.

Exterior of the West Building.

My mom loves to quilt, so she was very much in her element by attending QuiltCon 2025. A couple of years ago, QuiltCon was supposed to be held at the Phoenix Convention Center. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, QuiltCon in Phoenix ended up getting canceled. Thus, my mom was especially eager to attend QuiltCon. 

Inside the North Building of the Phoenix Convention Center

I don't quilt, but there were some amazing quilts on display for QuiltCon 2025. While viewing all of the exhibits, it occurred to me that quilting is very similar to painting. Instead of using canvas and paint, you use various kinds of fabric in various colors. Plus, quilts don't have to square or rectangular. Plus, I was also shocked at all of the vendors present at QuiltCon 2025. There's some serious money to be made in various sewing machines, types of fabric, various patterns, and in-person instruction.  

Having Lunch at Huss Brewing Downtown

After spending most of the afternoon at QuiltCon 2025, I had exceeded my minimum step count for the day. As a result, I was starting to get hungry and thirsty. My mom and I had considered going back down to the ground floor of the North Building and getting something to eat from the food court. Instead, my mom and I decided to have a late lunch/early dinner at the Huss Brewing Downtown Brewpub. After taking the elevator back down to the ground floor, we then walked across 3rd Street and briefly walked through the lobby of the West Building of the Phoenix Convention Center. Since we couldn't find a direct route to Huss Brewing Downtown Brewpub through the West Building, we walked north on 2nd Street and then made a right on Monroe Street. We were right back where we had started, at the north side of the West Building. 

Huss Brewing Company Brewpub at the Phoenix Convention Center.

The Huss Brewing Company Brewpub at the Phoenix Convention Center offers both indoor and outdoor seating. The brewpub was surprisingly really busy. Customers appeared to be a mix of locals, tourists, and attendees from QuiltCon. It was a gorgeous Saturday afternoon in February, so I was hoping to be seated outside. Instead, we were seated just inside the main dining area. We were near the bar and near the patio. Plus, there were people constantly walking back and forth. Hey, I understood that it was late Saturday afternoon, and it was starting to get busy. 

Huss Brewing Company Brewpub from across the street.

After our server gave us our menus, I ordered a pint of Scottsdale Blonde, the flagship beer of Huss Brewing. At 4.7% ABV, Scottsdale Blonde is a very, VERY, V-E-R-Y easy beer to drink. The Scottsdale Blonde is one of the first beers I had to drink when I moved back to Arizona after living in the Washington, D.C.-Baltimore area for 13 years. Wherever I am at, if Scottsdale Blonde is on the menu, I will order a pint of Scottsdale Blonde. It's that good. According to Huss Brewing, Scottsdale Blonde has one two major beer awards. 

• Winner: 2016 US Open Beer Championship Bronze Medal
• Winner: 2018 US Open Beer Championship Silver Medal

Scottsdale Blonde.

Scottsdale Blonde is a German-style Kölsch beer. Here is a good description of Kölsch beer: 

Kölsch is a pale, top-fermented, and filtered ale beer style originating from Cologne, Germany, known for its delicate balance of malt sweetness and hop bitterness, and a crisp, slightly dry finish. 

The idea of Kölsch beer is that it is a light and refreshing beer that you would drink on a warm summer day in Cologne as you watch boats sail by on the Rhine River. However, if you like, you can drink Kölsch year-round. For more information about Kölsch beer, check out this article from CraftBeer.com.

Scottsdale Blonde from Huss Brewing.

For a late lunch/early dinner, I ordered "The Bear" Italian Beef Sandwich. My eyes went right to it. I completely ignored the rest of the menu. Here is how Huss Brewing describes "The Bear" Italian Beef Sandwich: 

Slowly braised beef, sweet peppers, Italian spices with melted sharp provolone, and giardiniera on a crusty roll. Served with au jus dipping sauce. 

"The Bear" Italian Beef Sandwich

Instead of French fries, I ordered the Cole slaw as a side dish. My mother also ordered "The Bear" Italian Beef Sandwich with Cole slaw. "The Bear" Italian Beef Sandwich did not disappoint. The sausage was wonderfully spicy. Before I knew it, it was time to order another beer. This time, I ordered the Copper State IPA. 

Copper State IPA from Huss Brewing.

The Copper State IPA paired rather well with "The Bear" Italian Beef Sandwich. In my experience, IPAs pair well with spicy food. Dare I say, the Copper State IPA was almost as good as the Scottsdale Blonde. It is definitely a beer that I will order again. For additional information about the India Pale Ale style of beer, check out this article from CraftBeer.com. 

As we ate our Italian beef sandwiches, I noticed that the Huss Brewing Company Brewpub was starting to get more crowded. Interestingly, more people from QuiltCon 2025 started to show up at various tables across the restaurant. After finishing our meal, my mother and I walked around the area near the Phoenix Convention Center before deciding to make the drive back up to Sun  City.  

Opening Day of the Cactus League...

Introduction

Originially envisioned as a single post, this will be a series of posts about Cactus League baseball in the Phoenix, AZ area. Unfortunately, there is just too much information that I would like to cover about this subject. Plus, I took a TON of photos at all of the Cactus League games that I have attended. As a result, I would not be surprised if I end up writing four or five posts about the Cactus League.

Jack Edwards and the Cactus League

Whenever someone talks about Cactus League baseball, I always think of the following quote that sportscaster Jack Edwards once said while co-hosting ESPN's SportsCenter TV program sometime during the 1990s. 

"Some are grapefruit, some are cactus. These games don't count. They're just for practice." 

- TV sportscaster Jack Edwards on ESPN

 

Former ESPN TV Sportscaster Jack Edwards

I'm not sure if Jack Edwards actually sat down and wrote those lines before going before the cameras or if he improvised them on-air. Either way, I just remember laughing out loud when he said those words. The short nursery rhyme has stayed with me ever since. Jack Edwards' short nursery rhyme perfectly encapsulates what the Cactus League and the Grapefruit League are all about.  

The Beginnings of Spring Training

According to an informative article by Matt Monagan over at Cut4, Spring Training for Major League Baseball started in 1886. At the time most of the professional baseball teams were located in either the Midwest or in the Northeast. In February and March, cities like Chicago and New York were still struggling with snow and cold temperatures, forcing teams to practice for the upcoming season inside gymnasiums. Albert Spalding, the president of the old Chicago White Stockings, wanted a location warm enough for his players to practice outdoors. After a preliminary search, Albert Spalding decided to move the Chicago White Stockings to Hot Springs, Arkansas for Spring Training. Hot Springs, AR had a favorable climate for practicing outdoors and, more importantly, it had a local hot spring for players to relax in after practice. The idea of professional baseball teams relocating to warmer climates for Spring Training quickly caught on. Professional baseball teams established training camps in California and Florida. In the case of Florida, the mayor of Tampa had a vision of professional baseball teams using Florida as a base for Spring Training and offered to pay the travel expenses of the Chicago Cubs. The concept worked and the Grapefruit League in Florida was born.   

What is the Cactus League?

Cactus League Annual Supplement from Sun City Independent newspaper.

What is the Cactus League? That is a good question. The Cactus League refers to the pre-season practice games that are played in the Phoenix, AZ metropolitan area by professional baseball teams from Major League Baseball. The pre-season practice games typically start in late February and last for about one month. For 2025, Cactus League games started play on Friday, February 21st. Teams from both the American League and the National League both participate in Cactus League play. While Cactus League games are for practice, the games allow teams to get their star players back into playing shape prior to the official start of the new baseball season after a layoff of a couple of months. Likewise, Cactus League games are also a chance for young players to make an impression on team management before being sent down to the minor leagues.  Lastly, Cactus League games also allow recently traded players and newly acquired free agents to get better acquainted with their new teams. As a result, team management can experiment with starting lineups and starting pitchers. For fans, Cactus League games allow fans to get closer to their favorite team and favorite players in a more intimate setting than you would be allowed to during a regular season game.  

Origins of the Cactus League

According to a second article by Matt Monagan over at MLB.com, the Cactus League got its start in 1946. At the time, a businessman named Bill Veeck had just bought the Cleveland Indians (now known as the Cleveland Guardians). Since he owned a ranch near Tucson, AZ, he felt that the Cleveland Indians should hold their Spring Training in Arizona. Bill Veeck had also just signed the American League's first black player, Larry Doby, for the Cleveland Indians and did not want to subject the player to the realities of the American South at that time. The was a problem with moving the Cleveland Indians to Arizona for Spring Training, however. There weren't any other teams for the Indians to play against. Bill Veeck then convinced the owner of the New York Giants, Horace Stoneham, who also had a home in the Tucson area, to move the New York Giants to Arizona for Spring Training. It worked. When the New York Giants relocated to San Francisco, the Giants kept coming to Arizona for Spring Training. Another key figure in the history of the Cactus League was Dwight Patterson, who is credited with luring the Chicago Cubs to the Mesa, AZ area for Spring Training in 1949. For more information about Dwight Patterson, see this article. 

Current State of the Cactus League

As of 2025, there are 15 professional baseball teams that play in the Cactus League. Eight teams are from the National League, while seven teams are from the American League. The teams from the National League are the following: 

• Arizona Diamondbacks
• Chicago Cubs
• Cincinnati Reds 
• Colorado Rockies
• Los Angeles Dodgers
• Milwaukee Brewers
• San Diego Padres
• San Francisco Giants

The teams from the American League include: 

• Chicago White Sox
• Cleveland Guardians
• Las Vegas Athletics
• Los Angeles Angels
• Kansas City Royals
• Seattle Mariners
• Texas Rangers

Those 15 teams play at 10 stadiums located across Maricopa County, AZ. Most of the stadiums are shared by two teams. That is, the teams alternate use of the stadium for home games. One team will use the stadium for a home game, while the other team will play at another stadium in the Phoenix area for their Spring Training game. Only five teams are the exclusive occupants of their stadium. Those teams are the Milwaukee Brewers, the Las Vegas Athletics, the Chicago Cubs, the San Francisco Giants, and the Los Angeles Angels. Interestingly, the Arizona Diamondbacks, who are the hometown team, share their Spring Training stadium with the Colorado Rockies. Based on the information that I could find, the stadium with the highest capacity for spectators is Sloan Park in Mesa, AZ, the Spring Training home of the Chicago Cubs. Sloan Park has a seating capacity of 15,000. The oldest Cactus League stadium currently in use is the Tempe Diablo Stadium located in Tempe, AZ. The newest Cactus League stadium is Salt River Fields at Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale, AZ, which was built in 2011. 

Here is a map that I created displaying all of the locations of Cactus League stadiums throughout the Phoenix, AZ area. 

Location of Cactus League Stadiums around Maricopa County, AZ.

As you can see, the Cactus League stadiums are scattered across Maricopa County. Five of the stadiums are located in what is locally referred to as the East Valley, which consists of southeast Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, and Mesa.  The other five Cactus League stadiums are located in what is known locally as the West Valley, which consists of Glendale, Goodyear, Surprise, and Peoria. 

Based on data that I took from the A Spring Tradition: A Look at Baseball in the Valley produced by the Sun City Independent newspaper, here is a table I constructed in HTML containing information about each Cactus League stadium.

Stadiums in the Cactus League

Stadium	Address	Seating Capacity	Year Opened	Team(s)
American Family Fields of Phoenix	3805 N. 53rd Ave, Phoenix	7,000	1998	Milwaukee Brewers
Camelback Ranch	10710 W. Camelback Road, Phoenix	13,000	2009	Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox
Goodyear Ballpark	1933 S. Ballpark Way, Goodyear	8,000	2009	Cleveland Guardians, Cincinnati Reds
Hohokam Stadium	1235 N. Center St, Mesa	10,000	1997	Las Vegas Athletics
Peoria Sports Complex	16101 N. 83rd Ave, Peoria	12,518	1994	San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners
Sloan Park	2330 W. Rio Salado Pkwy, Mesa	15,000	2014	Chicago Cubs
Salt River Fields	7555 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale	11,000	2011	Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies
Scottsdale Stadium	7408 E. Osborn Road, Scottsdale	12,000	1992	San Francisco Giants
Surprise Stadium	15850 N. Bullard Ave, Surprise	10,000	2003	Kansas City Royals, Texas Rangers
Tempe Diablo Stadium	2200 W. Alameda Drive, Tempe	9,558	1968	Los Angeles Angels

Cactus League Stadiums Near Me

The Cactus League stadium that I am most familiar with is the Peoria Sports Complex, which is located in Peoria, AZ. It is the Cactus League stadium that is closest to where I currently live. I will go into greater detail about the Peoria Sports Complex in a future post. The other Cactus League stadiums that are a short drive away, in Maricopa County terms, are Camelback Ranch, where the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago White Sox play, in Glendale, AZ and Surprise Stadium, where the Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals play, in Surprise, AZ.