Phoenix, AZ
This year we decided to take a winter vacation to Phoenix. We have taken winter vacations to Georgia and South Carolina the last several years, and since we are “ocean” people always thought that we would probably make that our regular spot to go when we wanted to escape the cold of an Ohio winter. Arizona, however, surprised us with how first rate of a vacation spot it is. First off, the weather is unbeatable. In a southern state, if it’s warm, it’s muggy. In Phoenix, the warmth is super pleasant. Our typical morning temps were in the 40s, and generally they would peak out in the mid 60s to upper 70s. Every morning and evening the air is as clear as a midwestern spring or fall morning.
About a week before departure, we came to the sudden realization that Jackson was old enough that wearing a mask would likely be mandatory. We came close to a panic when we saw news stories of families being kicked off of airlines for “unmasked” 2 and 3 year olds. Stories of small kids with sensory disabilities that make mask wearing impossible, kids that have a lot more reason to be allowed not to wear masks than a kid who’s only defense is stubbornness. He ended up wearing it for some of the time but the flight crew was pretty understanding.
Jack was enamored enough with the ‘thrill of the flight’ that he did really well on the airplane.
The weather made walks with the kids so much fun.
So much sunshine!!
Phoenix is about 2-3 hours north of the Mexican border, so we decided to hop the border and get some dental work done while we were in the area.
Proper lemon trees right next to the house.
We took a trip up Apache Trail to take a ride on the Dolly Steamboat Tour. This was a definite highlight of the trip. Next time we get a chance to go, we plan to think ahead and book a twilight tour. If you are lucky, you can see bighorn sheep, and eagles, and multiple other species of wildlife.
Jackson had so much fun with his cousin Keagan!
There is a reason everyone that gets Dutch Bros Coffee takes a picture like this... Their drinks are fantastic! They have the customer service of Chick-fil-A with the taste of a small coffee shop.
The Phoenix Park n’ Swap (flea market) it a pretty interesting stop. Jackson loved his little toy gun.
So much good food!
On our final evening in Arizona, we drove to the Salt River area to see if we could see the local population of wild horses. Unfortunately we only saw tracks and heard them in the distance, but the area held some of the most breathtaking scenery we have ever encountered.
We had to get a impromptu family picture with a cactus.
Heading home…