Tya's Top Tips for Water Safety

#1 Stay in the water with children. Even if they’re in a life jacket, they can drown.

#2 Have children practice asking permission to get into the water at home and away from home.

#3 Keep an eye on children in and out of the pool. Lifeguards are not there to babysit but to constantly scan the pool looking for safety concerns.

#4 Never swim alone. Using the buddy system for children and adults allows swimmers to look out for each other and call for help if something goes wrong.

#5 Teach children to enter the water feet first to avoid serious injury from diving into shallow water.

also love the fact that it means something. The way we train and how we practice is for real-life situations that could make a huge difference… I love this job because it’s important.”

Building community among the lifeguards is also something Kuzov points to that has kept her coming back to the program over the years and is something she values today.

“It’s a family,” she says. “You create relationships you didn’t think you’d create. We spend the whole day and evenings together and end up with long-lasting friendships.”

Kuzov is also building an environment of positive relationships through the community activities she has developed and will supervise all summer long.

The Anthem community pool will be the site for swim lessons, a synchronized swimming program, recreational swimming classes for ages 6 months to adult, the Aqua Bats recreational swim team and Dolphins competitive swim team. There will also be a middle school pool party and high school pool party. All the while, her lifeguard team and junior guards will be there to ensure the pool is a safe place to enjoy cooling off during our hot Arizona summer. onlineatanthem.com

TTwo years ago, Images Arizona showcased a selection of Cassell Archinuk’s photography that invited viewers to see themselves down the road. The intention was to beckon you, our readers, to visualize and embark on venturesome road trips of your own. After all, as any adventurer will tell you, the journey itself is oftentimes more memorable than anything experienced at the destination.

The response was remarkable. So, naturally, we just couldn’t wait to get on the road again.

“I think what is unique about Arizona’s roads is the fact that it does not take long for the scenery to change,” Archinuk says. “If you are in the Southwest, you will see the desert and cacti along your drive.

“Only two-and-a-half hours north, you have majestic mountains — like the San Francisco peaks in Flagstaff along with snow and skiing in the winter. Along the east, you get the Mogollon Rim with forests and lakes where you can camp and fish. Not to mention one of my favorite Arizona places — Sedona, with its stunning red rocks that surround the town.”

With this special summer edition’s photo essay, Images Arizona is again hoping to call our readers to the open road in search of adventure, wonder, amazement and — most of all — fun.

And this time, we want to see where that road takes you. Send photos of your Arizona expeditions to images@imagesaz.com or tag #imagesaz on Instagram for possible publication in the second of our special summer issues!

Happy Trails

Since we last spoke with Cassell Archinuk, the photographer has been able to fulfill one of her bucket list dreams — hiking to the Havasupai Indian Reservation in the Grand Canyon.

“I had been trying to get a permit there for the last seven years,” she says. “With the area being closed for the past two, this was the first year they reopened since the COVID shutdown. I was able to get on the cancellation list and snag a permit for mid-February. The waterfalls were beyond beautiful and the whole experience — from camping to hiking to just being there — was surreal for me and one I will never forget.”

Archinuk has, of course, also embarked on a few out-of-state adventures.

“This past year, I did an amazing summer hike at Mt. Rainier in Washington,” she says. “It was really amazing to see all of the colorful summer flowers, yet snow on the mountain where we were hiking.

“In the fall, I took a road trip to Durango and Telluride in Colorado to catch the last of the fall leaves — which were spectacular with the gorgeous mountains there. The Million Dollar Highway to Silverton and Ouray was definitely thrilling, as the elevation gets up to 11,200 feet and there is not much of a shoulder on these roads. But the mountains and views there make it worth driving. You just need to keep your eyes on the road.

“I also did a road trip in January to Moab and was pretty excited to see snow among the arches and red rock at Arches National Park. It was a great time to be there because the crowds were at a minimum during that time.”

As for the road ahead, Archinuk is looking into traveling to Iceland — another one of her bucket list dreams. She is also planning to explore areas around Page, such as White Pocket and the Vermillion Cliffs.

Arizona has a lot of history and there are many places that still tell their stories — from ghost and western towns to Indian ruins. One year, I visited 13 Indian ruins and had a blast learning about how these people lived here so long ago. You learn so much by visiting these places. Cassell Archinuk

My favorite season in Arizona is spring, because of the variety of wildflowers that line the roads — including the highways. Sometimes, there is a super bloom and so many places in the desert have poppies and other flowers scattered throughout, which makes for interesting hikes and Sunday drives. Cassell Archinuk