I was able to take a little vacation with Luke over last weekend. We decided to go to Arizona because it’s warm, it’s sunny, and I have some family out there. It’s a five hour flight from Newark to Phoenix. I was in Phoenix for just about 48 hours, but I made every moment count!
4/21/17:
11:00pm PST, 2:00am EST
My weekend in Phoenix started off on a pretty crappy note with a three hour delay that didn’t get me to my hotel until around 2am. I was exhausted and dehydrated to say the least.
4/22/17:
6:00am PST, 9:00am EST
Saturday started off great! I woke up around 6:00am and was able to just chill in bed for a little bit. It was nice not having to get up and go right away. Then around 8:30am I met up with my cousin and his wife at the Otro Cafe for breakfast. It was a little unassuming joint in a strip mall. We walked in at it was such a cute little place with a outdoor patio in the back. It was quiet and the food was so freaking good! We got a breakfast burrito with all the good stuff and banana pecan flapjacks. We split each meal and got some savory and some sweet! This is where we planned our day!
9:00am PST, 12:00pm EST
We decided to go to Sedona! We drove for around two hours and tried to reach a hiking path, but the path was too packed and decided to just drive around and take in the sites.
12:00pm PST, 3:00pm EST
After about an hour of seeing all the red rocks we decided to was time for lunch. We stopped by a place called the Hideaway House. I got a Veggaterrainean salad, it was basically a mediterranean salad with no meat. It was so good! I love salads especially when there in feta cheese involved! We sat on this outdoor patio with a great view of the red rocks Sedona is known for. Did I mention the weather was gorgeous?! It hovered around 75 degrees all day. This is something I was not used to due the garbage weather that has been happening on the east coast. Arizona was my ideal temperature while I was there.
2:00pm PST, 5:00pm EST
On our way back to the hotel we stopped by a little local coffee shop and grabbed a quick pick me up! I got a chai latte and it was very delicious! The guy making it even added cinnamon to the top.
7:00pm PST, 10:00pm EST
When we got back to the hotel we took about two hours to relax, shower, and get re-hydrated. Then it was off to our only dinner together that weekend. We chose a spot called Disoto Market a large building with little restaurant booths throughout with a bar at the front. We grabbed drinks and put food and sat at the outdoor seating. It was so nice. Just warm enough that you don’t need a jacket we comfortably ate our meal together talking about life. Out on the patio was mostly large groups of people around out age. It was the most relaxed I’ve felt in a while.
9:30pm PST, 12:30pm EST
Afterwards we took at walk around town until around 10 when I became extremely tired. It’s a three hour time difference from the east coast so I was ready for bed.
4/23/17:
6:00am PST, 9:00amEST
Making sure to get as much time in Arizona as we could! Luke and I got up early, and decided to go for a hike. We hiked the Thunderbird Reservation which was a challenge, but the views from the top make it worth it. We also went early enough that it wasn’t too hot.
8:30am PST, 11:30am EST
After the hike we visited the Ortro Cafe and got banana pecans flapjacks again! Along with a dish with sourdough bread base, smoked salmon, avocado, and topped with a poached egg. This meal was just as good as the first and this is my top recommendation for breakfast places in Phoenix. I hear they also have a good lunch and dinner selection.
10:00am PST, 1:00pm EST
After breakfast we headed back to the hotel to get my bags packed and get me ready to go! After a very bittersweet goodbye to this city and Luke I headed to the airport to return to the rainy east coast.
2:00pm PST, 5:00pm EST
I have to say when I first started this journey I wasn’t sure if it would be worth it. After my basically 12 hours of travel for a barely two day visit. But between the weather and the company, I’m just waiting for my next chance to return to this fun filled state!