| Arizona Vacation Safety - Stay AWARE to Stay | | | | problem when a person who hasn't had Valley Fever |
| SAFE by Andre D. Best | | | | comes in contact with it. |
| Why? To save yourself grief. And pain. ENSURE your | | | | And a person comes in contact with it by breathing |
| Arizona vacation safety. Learn about safety issues | | | | the bug in. |
| NOT found in the travel brochures or vacation | | | | And the bug is found in soils that are not old and dried |
| websites. | | | | out, but rather soils that are newly disturbed. |
| You see, when on vacation in Arizona there are a | | | | So, how can you protect yourself with regards to this |
| few things that one should be aware of when visiting | | | | vacation safety tip? Easy. |
| here. These are the type of things that you won't read | | | | Do all you can to stay away from soil disturbing |
| about in those slick brochures you find in the travel | | | | activities. |
| agent's office. | | | | * Like to visit new construction sites on your |
| These are the only things that one will learn about by | | | | vacations? * Like to do local gardening? * Like to take |
| living here for an extended period of time. | | | | up archaeology as a hobby when you're on vacation? |
| Let's face it. It's a real downer to not have a safe | | | | One word of advice... DON'T. |
| vacation. It's not fun to spend a night in the local | | | | Essentially, don't go digging around places or near |
| emergency room with the kids when they get sick | | | | digging activities that you shouldn't be around. At least |
| from eating some bad local food or have an accident. | | | | not while on vacation here in Phoenix. |
| Not fun indeed. | | | | I know, I know, why would you go on one of your |
| But, these vacation safety tips I'm going to share are | | | | southwest vacations in Arizona just to dig in the soil, |
| not about the infrequent accidents that do happen on | | | | right? Silly me. |
| vacation. The vacation safety tips I'll be sharing here | | | | Well, just so you know. I got Valley Fever the first |
| involve things that are totally preventable. | | | | year I moved here. It progressed on to walking |
| As long as one is aware of them first. | | | | pneumonia and left scars on my lungs. I was lucky that |
| So, let's get started with vacation safety tips that'll help | | | | that's all that happened to me. |
| you have a safer vacation here in Arizona. | | | | And what was I doing to be exposed to the bug? Just |
| 1. The first of these vacation safety tips is for you to | | | | some simple landscaping in my desert landscaped |
| be aware of where you go when you're vacationing in | | | | yard. |
| Phoenix. Phoenix is a big place and like most big cities it | | | | See? It doesn't take much. |
| has areas of the city that are not too upscale. | | | | So, just do your vacation planning while keeping this |
| Now, what are you to do about this? | | | | vacation safety tip in mind. Let's not have you getting |
| Well, just realize that there are certain places within a | | | | sick on us. Okay? |
| big city like Phoenix that one should be extra careful | | | | 3. The last of these vacation safety tips applies to |
| about visiting. | | | | most of Arizona. This one is about bugs too. But this is |
| If you find yourself in a part of town that has a lot of | | | | about a different type of bug. |
| run-down houses, properties with garbage strewn | | | | The real thing... |
| around them, and abandoned cars parked along the | | | | Scorpions and Black Widows. |
| streets - then common sense should tell you that | | | | Why is this one of our vacation safety tips? Because |
| these neighborhoods are not too safe. | | | | these little critters can be a nasty safety issue when |
| Trust that instinct. I'd suggest you find other areas of | | | | you vacation here and get bitten by one of them. |
| the city to visit or drive around. | | | | You see, these two bugs are extremely common |
| You see, Phoenix has, in my opinion, a high crime rate. | | | | here in the state. Not quite as common as |
| I moved here from Canada twelve years ago. What | | | | cockroaches, but almost. Why? Because it's a desert |
| truly shocked me when I moved here was that | | | | here and they're desert creatures. |
| Phoenix had more murders occur in two months than | | | | They like the heat and they like dark cozy places. So, |
| where I used to live had in a year. And I lived in, at the | | | | when you vacation Arizona just be aware that these |
| time, the 'murder capital of Canada'. | | | | little critters do like to live in places that the kids may |
| So, just do yourself a favor with this vacation safety | | | | go probing around in. Don't let them do that. |
| tip and stay aware of your surroundings. If it doesn't | | | | Keep probing hands away from dark crevices both |
| look like a good place to be - it probably isn't. | | | | inside and outside the house, rental, villa, hotel or |
| Trust your gut and get out of there. | | | | apartment. |
| 2. The second of these vacation safety tips involves | | | | And if someone does get bit, err on the side of caution |
| somewhat of a local health issue. I'll explain... | | | | and call the local poison control center ASAP and ask |
| The entire metropolitan Phoenix area is located within | | | | for help. |
| a large valley. It's surrounded by mountains and | | | | Oh, and by the way, unlike the Hollywood horror movie |
| mountain ranges. And within this valley is a certain type | | | | depictions, these bugs are NOT half the size of a |
| of 'bug' that lives in the soil. | | | | horse. They're SMALL. Black widows are maybe half |
| Actually, this bug issue is similar to most other country's | | | | an inch long. And scorpions get 'as big as' two inches. |
| bugs (e.g. Canada's Beaver Fever bug, Mexico's 'don't | | | | But... scorpions are FAST. And both can HURT you big |
| drink the water' type bug) because it's a bug | | | | time. |
| indigenous to Arizona. | | | | So, please ensure vacation safety for your family. |
| And what does this bug do? It wreaks havoc on a | | | | Stay away from places these critters habitate. And |
| persons health when a vacationing visitor is infected | | | | when you get up in the dark in the middle of the night |
| with it. In our case, this bug causes what is known as | | | | to get a drink of water - wear slippers. Just in case. |
| Valley Fever. | | | | So, to sum up... |
| And how does one get infected with Valley Fever? | | | | Don't get paranoid about these vacation safety tips. |
| By breathing in the microscopic spores that make up | | | | Go vacation. |
| this nasty bacteria. | | | | Have fun. Just keep your eyes open to possible |
| And what does this bacteria do to a person when | | | | vacation safety concerns. Simple, right?. |
| breathed in? Well, it can cause flu-like symptoms that | | | | Anyway, I hope these vacation safety tips prove |
| grow all the way up to pneumonia, internal bleeding, | | | | helpful to you. Do have a safe trip here to Arizona. |
| and very, very rarely... death (gulp). | | | | Just improve your vacation safety by ensuring you |
| Now, I'm NOT trying to scare you. So don't go | | | | remember these vacation safety tips I've shared with |
| cancelling your vacation plans to Phoenix... | | | | you. |
| ....Because we need your sales tax revenues. | | | | Good luck. |
| You see, this Valley Fever bug usually only becomes a | | | | |