Category Archives: Phoenix

Heading Out of Phoenix…

Despite the lure of the Tempe Block Party and the Fiesta Bowl festivities, we pack it up and head out of Phoenix. The “higher elevations” in Arizona are expecting somewhere between 2 inches and 24 feet of snow, so we opt to return by way of the southern route. Thank God for Yahoo! maps and weather.com…and a little common sense.

This decision also grants the wishes of the kids who have been requesting to return to White Sands for sledding…of course, we play off our destination change as “wish granted” rather than “Holy crap! We can’t drive through the mountains in 10 feet of snow in an RV!” Some may call that shielding or spoiling the kids…we call it parental karma.

And, since no good deed goes unpunished, we collectively spend no less than 3 hours routing, rerouting, remapping and re-researching RV parks on our changed destination as well as trying to find a Wal-Mart that sells plastic saucers (hoping to avoid the gift shop surtax at the Visitor’s Center). Did I mention thanking Al Gore for inventing the Internet in general?

Jen

Phoenix…and the Grand Canyon

Surely there is something to do in Arizona while we wait for the big football game on the 28th…

Oh yeah.

The 26th is about getting settled in at the Desert’s Edge RV Park, finding a great Mexican restaurant – Los Reyes de la Torta – via Yelp! (do you see a trend here?) and watching some movies from redbox. All as we rest up for a little 3-hour (one way) road trip on the 27th…

…When we pack up the rental car and head north to the Grand Canyon. It takes about 30 minutes before we 1) are very thankful that we are NOT in the RV and 2) start remapping our route home in our heads. It takes another hour or so before we stop for gas and a new road atlas so we can take action on that thing #2.

The Grand Canyon (South Rim view) is amazing, stupendous, breathtaking, awe-inspiring…and COLD. Thankfully, we all brought our winter coats. We walk a mile-long South Rim trail and watch the sunset from Yavapai Observation Station (which is enclosed with heat!). It is also THE BEST spot to watch the sunset – really. There are posters that say so…and here’s a pic to prove it (just in case any of you are doubters…you know who you are!).

Max & Mara at Mather Point
Bundled up after the South Rim walk
Sunset at the Grand Canyon
See…I told you!  Yavapai Point is the best!
Sunset at the Grand Canyon…another view

We all agree that we want to come back…during a summer…and do a white water raft river trip.

We further invest in Wendy’s (thinking maybe we should also buy stock not just food) for dinner and head home…watching the car thermometer tick up the whole way. I’m starting to think we should move to the Southwest…

Jen