36 MEGALOPOLITAN LIFE SEPTEMBER 25, 2025 | WWW.BESTOFPHOENIX2025.C0M | BEST OF PHOENIX 2025 B E S T L O C A L C L A I M T O F A M E HABOOBS When Phoenix makes international news, it’s usually for something we’re not too proud of, like our record-breaking summer temperature or Joe Arpaio. But on Aug. 25, a hot new bombshell entered the villa. The haboob, a massive dust storm, rolled into the Valley from the south in the late afternoon. From the moment it hit town, social media feeds were flooded with photos and videos of the dramatic, ominous weather phenom- enon. (“Anyone remember ‘The Mummy’ when the sand wall tried to eat Brendan Fraser?” one person wrote.) Within the next couple of days, our little dust-up got coverage from People magazine, the New York Times, National Geographic, the BBC and probably every Instagram account in Arizona. e e e B E S T R O A D R A G E R E D U C E R I-10 CURVE FINISHED More than 300,000 cars a day pass through the 11-mile stretch of Interstate 10 known as the Broadway Curve, which begins near Sky Harbor International Airport and continues south through Tempe. And we’ve probably screamed at the driver of every single one of them. For four years, construction crews worked on adding lanes and reconfiguring interchanges on the Valley’s busiest stretch of highway, causing untold short-term pain to the many residents who rely upon it to get to and from work. For years, it was like driving in a video game that hadn’t fully rendered: Lanes would suddenly diverge from each other, pass separately under an overpass like two branches of a stream, and then reconvene on the other side. But ever since the construction wrapped at the end of May, traffic just zooms along. It’s nothing but glorious, expanded lanes as far as the eye can see. Enjoy the commute while you can; by 2040, the Arizona Department of Transpor- tation anticipates an additional 75,000 drivers contributing to daily traffic on the Broadway Curve. Before too long, the Curve will suck again. e e e B E S T R O A D S I D E O D D I T Y ‘BIG BABY’ DUNCAN FAMILY FARMS 17072 W. INDIAN SCHOOL ROAD, GOODYEAR 623-853-9880 DUNCANFAMILYFARMS.COM Something mighty big is peeking out of the soil out at Duncan Family Farms in Good- year, and it ain’t this season’s crop of veggies. The 20-foot-tall cutout mural of a giant overall-clad toddler playing with a tractor is perched on the edge of the 2,500-acre organic farm. Is it something in the water? Nope, just the farm’s iconic and billboard- like spectacle. It’s the Valley’s largest and quirkiest roadside oddity, and it has been catching the attention of drivers for decades. Known as “Big Baby,” its first version was created “just for fun” in 1998 by California artist John Cerney to serve as a landmark for the farm. Commissioned by owners Kath- leen and Arnott Duncan, the bucolic behe- moth depicted the granddaughter of a farm employee and stood tall north of Interstate 10 by the Cotton Lane exit until freeway expansion caused its removal 15 years later. Fast forward to 2020, and a new version of the mural is turning heads along the Loop 303 near Camelback Road. You’ve come a long way, baby. e e e B E S T P E A C O C K C R O S S I N G 32ND STREET AND OSBORN ROAD Is there another? We don’t know. But we do love this one, hidden in plain sight just a few blocks west of Monte Vista Elementary. If you’re driving west on Osborn Road and really looking for it, you’ll see a small sign on the right with a peacock silhouette. And if you’re lucky, you’ll find yourself stopping as several peafowl saunter from one side of the street to the other. It’s not clear who, if anyone, owns the birds — having peacocks as pets violates Phoenix city code, it’s worth noting — and the birds very well could be annoying to live near. But if you’re cruising by this residential stretch of Osborn Road, you’ll never be so happy to cede the right of way to a jaywalker. e e e B E S T L A N D M A R K TOVREA CASTLE AT CARRARO HEIGHTS 5025 E. VAN BUREN ST. 602-256-3221 TOVREACASTLETOURS.COM It’s hard to miss Tovrea Castle. Cruise along the Loop 202 freeway between 52nd Street and Priest Drive and get an eyeful of the distinctive wedding cake-shaped building perched majestically atop a hill, surrounded by rings of cactuses. Between its Art Deco influences and prominent location, the gorgeous building grabs your attention. But that’s just one of the reasons why it’s the Valley’s most notable landmark. Here’s another: the aura of mystery surrounding the castle, which was built in 1929 by Italian immigrant and entrepreneur Alessio Carraro as the potential centerpiece for a resort. That particular dream fizzled, but the magic stuck. Arizona cattle baron Edward Tovrea bought it in the 1930s, and following his death, his widow, Della, lived there for years. Tovrea Castle remained closed to the public and fell into ruin until the city of Phoenix acquired it in 1993 and restored it two decades later. Want a closer look or a peek inside? The Tovrea Castle Society holds a twice-yearly lottery for limited public tours in the spring and fall. It’s free to enter, and tickets are $22 per person if you’re selected. The next lottery is scheduled in October. e e e B E S T YA B B A - D A B B A - D U D E JACK MAVERIK Diogenes — a fourth-century B.C.E. Greek philosopher and social critic known for wandering Athens in daylight with a lit lantern saying he was “looking for an honest man” — had nothing on Jack Maverik at the Jan. 23 Tempe City Council meeting. During the meeting’s public comment session, more than 30 people rebuked the council earnestly, passionately or some combination thereof on a variety of issues. But Maverik takes the prize for the funniest use of elected officials’ time and the most ludicrously scathing diatribe in recent memory — all while dressed as Fred Flintstone. “Hi guys, my name’s Jack,” Maverik began comically, before adding, “I’m from the cave in Tempe.” He was referring to a secret and illegal council meeting in which several members were recorded laughing at the “CAVE people,” which stands for “citizens against virtually everything.” For the next three minutes, Maverik proceeded to tear the council to shreds for their double-faced treatment of Tempe residents publicly and behind closed doors. And this wasn’t just a kitschy joke — this was truly ferocious, commanding rhetoric spoken from a place of deep truth. To make it even funnier, after Maverik finished the speech, Mayor Corey Woods responded like an animatronic char- acter with a hilariously chipper “Thank you!” e e e B E S T S T O L E N VA L O R WENDY ROGERS Irony is dead, and MAGA state Sen. Wendy Rogers earned a medal for killing it. Or so she may claim. When she wasn’t desperately trying to get Donald Trump to notice her, Rogers placed herself in the middle of one of Arizona’s spiciest Republican vs. Republican feuds. Army veteran and GOP State Rep. Walt Blackman ran a bill to criminalize the exaggeration or fabrication of military service, otherwise known as stolen valor. Rogers, an Air Force vet, refused to give the bill a hearing in her committee. It appeared to be a naked favor to her MAGA buddy Steve Slaton, a Trump superfan who ran against Blackman in the GOP primary last year and who — what a coincidence! — was caught lying about serving in Vietnam. Blackman managed to circumvent Rogers and pass the bill into law, only for Rogers to claim credit for pushing it over the finish line. Hmm, taking credit for something you didn’t do — what’s that called again? e e e B E S T L AW S U I T F A C T O R Y KRIS MAYES In the aftermath of Donald Trump’s election victory last year, Democrats have struggled to get their shit together. Congressional Dems — including some from Arizona — have crossed the aisle to confirm Trump’s horrible Cabinet picks and even rubber- stamped some of Trump’s preferred legisla- tion. To the extent Trump’s agenda has been slowed, state attorneys general such as Kris Mayes are to thank. She and a collective of other Democrat AGs have rattled off lawsuit after lawsuit against the Trump administra- tion, fighting back against its attempts to rip up birthright citizenship, claw back money appropriated by Congress and expose Amer- icans’ personal information to Elon Musk and his DOGE minions. Mayes is now party to a whopping 25 suits against Trump and his cronies, some of which have been more successful than others. With a Republican- dominated Supreme Court, the ultimate outlook is less than rosy, but Mayes’ lawsuit onslaught is having one sure effect: Rather than imposing his will by fiat, Trump is having to fight a painstaking, slow court battle to put his agenda into action. e e e B E S T A N G R Y M O B ANTI-TRUMP PROTESTS These are tough times if you’re into democ- racy and inclusiveness and not authoritari- anism and racism. With Trump back in power and sycophants enabling his every whim, there aren’t many viable ways to resist his power grabs. (But give Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes credit for trying.) What we can do is gather in one place and yell that we’re mad as hell and not going to take it anymore. Such mass catharsis events have been organized by a loose confederation of grassroots groups under the banner of the 50501 movement, which has put on large- scale protests across the country. Every few weeks, throngs of people have gathered around the Valley and around the country to broadcast their displeasure with what Trump and his henchmen are doing. The turnout has been impressive — especially on Flag Day, which happened to coincide with
