Welcome to Meritage Active Adult!
Arizona Spotlight Arizona is known for its natural beauty, climate and diverse cultural history. Many active adults are choosing to make Arizona their home because of its casual lifestyle, year-round activities, attractions and readily available shopping. Meritage’s Arizona communities are designed to incorporate both the state’s scenic beauty and metropolitan areas. Below is a spotlight list of Meritage’s active adult communities and nearby attractions that you don’t want to miss. SUNDANCE
Buckeye, AZ A short drive west of Phoenix, the town of Buckeye is one of the fastest growing areas in the nation. Sundance, the Meritage Active Adult community in Buckeye recently held its grand opening in the fall. The new model park showcases six models with new floor plans and has a total of nine floor plans available. What’s nearby? Tovrea Castle
A must-see is the uniquely designed Tovrea Castle and surrounding Carraro Cactus Garden. Clearly visible from the Loop 202 freeway in Phoenix, the Tovrea Castle was one man’s “American Dream.” In 1928 an Italian immigrant named Alessio Carraro sold his San Francisco sheet metal company and bought 277 acres of desert at the edge of the city limits to create a resort castle. Carraro hired a Russian gardener to create a cactus garden surrounding the castle. Before his dream was fulfilled, Della Tovrea and her husband acquired the castle. The Tovreas used the castle as their winter home until 1970. In 1993, the City of Phoenix purchased the castle and the seven surrounding acres that comprise the cactus garden to restore and preserve them. For more information visit http://phoenix.gov/PARKS/tovrea.html
MISSION ROYALE
Casa Grande, AZ If you’re searching for wide-open spaces, look no further than Mission Royale in Casa Grande. The charming city of Casa Grande is situated between Phoenix and Tucson. What’s nearby? Big House
The Casa Grande Ruins, the nation's first archeological preserve, protects the Casa Grande or "Big House," a four-story structure built by the Hohokam in the mid-1300s. Constructed with layers of caliche mud, the walls of the tower are four-and-one-half feet thick at the base. This mysterious structure is thought to have been used for astronomical observations. Casa Grande is the largest structure built by the Hohokam and represents the pinnacle of their architecture. For more information visit http://www.nps.gov/cagr/ CANOA RANCH AND LAS CAMPANAS
Green Valley, AZ Meritage Active Adult Communities has two individual communities in Green Valley: Canoa Ranch and Las Campanas. Both of them are set among the backdrop of the majestic Santa Rita Mountains. Green Valley is a short drive south of Tucson and offers a world of amenities for residents to choose from. What’s nearby? Old Tucson Studios
Old Tucson Studios got its start in 1939 when Columbia Pictures wanted to build a 1860s replica of Tucson for a film entitled Arizona starring William Holden and Jean Arthur. This was a step toward Western realism and one of the first steps away from traditional studio backdrops where everything was created in a Hollywood studio. Fifty buildings were built in 40 days for the film, which was completed in 1940. Old Tucson Studios quickly became known as the “Hollywood in the Desert” because of its rich movie history. Many legends, current and past, have ridden, jangled and shot in the streets of Old Tucson Studios. Today guests can still experience the movie magic. Gunfights, stunts, musical revues and Western shopping attract people far and wide to this historic film town. For more information visit http://www.oldtucson.com/ |
