This trip was AMAZING and we loved EVERY minute of it!
As we come off the tail end of what has been a crazy and very much unpredictable year in all of our lives, we made our way to Arizona... VIA AIRPLANE! This was the very first time our kids have flown on an airplane so we decided to SURPRISE them with this trip and all of it's details! The actual surprise moment at the airport did not go as we thought but the trip was PHENOMENAL and probably one of our better family vacations to date! We were able to check off yet another MLB baseball stadium off my BUCKET LIST as well as see one of the Seven Wonders of the World and so much more! We had many (MANY) cruises and trips planned and then cancelled in the past 12 months but this trip surely did not disappoint!
We have highlighted a lot of different places and tourist iconic stops in this blog as well as other tips and tricks for flying with kids, flying Southwest Airlines, and Arizona tourism. Once again we appreciate your consistent support and hope you can find something interesting!
This was an AMAZING trip and we are so grateful to have been able to take our kids on their first airplane as well as get to see such beautiful countryside. From start to finish, this trip had it all! This was truly a trip we will never forget!
You know when you are so excited you cry... That was me, this WHOLE trip! Thank you Chris for making my dreams a reality!
Thanks for following along! It's not our typical cruise blog but we LOVED getting to actually "travel" somewhere!
Our Baltic Cruise was cancelled by the cruise line in late April so unfortunately we do not have any cruises booked! Of course, there are some PLANNED but I am waiting to see the specific guidelines that will be set out by the CDC and cruise lines before I book anything! As always, follow my CruiseLikeaDavis Facebook page for up to date information on the Cruise Industry!
Up Next... California BAY AREA and Lake Tahoe- June 2021! It's not the Baltic Cruise have been dreaming about but I am beyond thrilled to see this part of the USA neither of us have seen! Stay tuned for that one... it will be EPIC!
Morning It was the last day of our trip and I had hoped to be nice and
refreshed after a somewhat early night the previous evening. At 5:15AM my
Fitbit alarm started going off. WHAT? Why? I guess when I set the alarm from
the previous day for our early Grand Canyon morning, I set it to daily alarm
instead of a one time only. Nonetheless, I was awake, so I went to the balcony
to read my Bible and just enjoy the silence. Around 6:15AM or so, they started
calling out names for tee times and then my crew was up. TIP- That is a
downfall if you do stay in this hotel. Since it is attached to a golf course,
they call out names for tee times constantly and if you are facing the golf
course, this could wake you up if you are a light sleeper.
This view was spectacular!
We all got up and got ready and then made our way to the
breakfast in Embassy Suites. We had missed it the day before due to our early
exit for the Grand Canyon, so we were all excited to get another omelet.
Unfortunately, the hot custom line was closed on this day, so we did not get
our omelet. They did still offer hot food on the buffet line which featured
eggs, French toast sticks and sausage links. TIP- Natalie and Chris both said
the eggs were very overcooked all the days on the hot buffet. When the custom
line was open, you can have eggs made to order but the pre-made eggs were not
as tasty as we would have hoped.
After breakfast we decided to walk along the golf course. We
walked about 7 holes before turning back to start getting ready for check out.
I had investigated the golf course prior to our arrival as an option for us to play a round, but
they required EVERYONE to have their own clubs and the rental fee was $75 per
person for clubs. This was not including the tee fees or golf cart rental. An
18-hole round of golf would have cost us about $450+ so we passed. However,
this was a gorgeous course if you are in the area.
The kids LOVED running up this hill! OH to be 8 again!
Luke loved being able to just run around!
We checked out of the hotel around 9:30AM. I was hoping to
be able to speak to the Manager about the issues from the previous night, but
she was nowhere to be found. In the end, the Embassy Suites did not do anything
other than apologize via the phone for the inconvenience of the pool times changing. As I
mentioned in the previous blog post, I was not expecting or even desiring a
free hand out, but rather a respectful explanation. This is no way shape or
form dilutes from our experience at Embassy Suites and I would still highly
recommend it.
This hotel was phenomenal and I highly recommend!
We made our way to Old Town Scottsdale to meet my college
roommate Katy Foster. We were roommates at OU for our freshman year of college
and had not seen each other since mid- Junior Year of college. We met up at
Cartel Coffee Shop in Scottsdale and sipped coffee while we caught up on life
and memories. TIP- This was a great LOCAL coffee shop in Old Town Scottsdale.
The coffee was strong, and the service was superb! It was so good to see Katy
and truly wish we lived closer! She was a FANTASTIC roomie and I will never
forget her! Thanks, Katy, for the morning fellowship! I Miss you!
Katy, Thank you SO MUCH for this time of fellowship! BOOMER!
This commute would never get old to me!
Afternoon We left Old Town Scottsdale and made our way back to downtown
to eat at Pizzeria Bianco. This came highly recommended by my sister in law, D’Ann,
as well as a few other friends who frequent Phoenix often. Then when talking to
Katy, she too, recommend it. This chef has been awarded the James Beard Award for
Best Chef: Southwest in 2003. We even got to meet him while we dined outside
this restaurant. The pizza was fabulous and cooked to perfection in the brick oven
inside. We ordered the classic Margherita and the Wise Guy Pizzas. I was a
little nervous as Luke can sometimes be really picky, but this boy destroyed
the Margherita pizza. In fact, he said this was the best pizza he had ever had!
Well Lukey, I tend to agree. We dined at the red brick downtown location but
there is also a location in Heritage Square and near Town and Country. This place
is NOT TO BE MISSED! The prices and service were SPOT on and the pizza was
PHENOMENAL! Thank you, Chef Bianco, for a FABULOUS experience!
This is a MUST DO when in Phoenix!
The Pizzeria Bianco menu!
We LOVED this place!
This is the kitchen and brick oven... BEST PIZZA EVER!
The Classic Margherita!
The Wise Guy (Sausage, onion and mozzarella... We did change the sauce from white to red)
Chris Bianco... he was so cool and laid back!
WE LOVED THIS PLACE!
After lunch we drove down to South Mountain to drive up to
Dobbins Lookout. This was a look out perched on the top of South Mountain overlooking
downtown Phoenix. However; this was not a drive for the faint of heart. Chris
was driving our rental minivan, while Luke and I were as nervous and anxious as
we could be. Those twists and turns were NO JOKE! We made it about ¾ of the way
up the mountain before even Chris felt a little anxious as well. We stopped at one of
the lookouts and got a phenomenal view of Phoenix and the desert surrounding
it. TIP- This is a FREE activity and well worth the pictures but be sure you
are comfortable driving up the winding road!
We were a "wee bit" anxious driving to the top!
Just a bit of the WINDING road to get to the top!
Downtown Phoenix from about 3/4 up Dobbins Lookout!
Panoramic View
Another view of Phoenix!
Once again... Thank you Chris for making all of this happen!
My mini-me and I enjoying the view!
You can see Chase Field!
Family Selfie #100+ of the trip! HAHA
While at the top of the mountain, I ran into a swarm of
flies and gnats. They were attracted to my shirt, it seemed. We made our way
back down the mountain and stopped at the foot of South Mountain to do some
hiking. These trails were very well defined and offered easy to moderate
hiking. The boys ventured off the beaten path a few times to see some iguanas,
while Natalie and I stayed on the beaten path. TIP- There were MANY trail options,
but we chose the easy “Judith Trailways” at the entrance of the South Mountain
area. This was a 1.8-mile LOOP trail that was PERFECT for our family!
The boys enjoying the trail.
We loved the scenery of this area and this trail!
The guys found an iguana!
One of the few cacti in bloom while we were in the area!
These were absolutely gorgeous and only stay in bloom for 24 hours or less!
We then ventured out to Tempe to see one of the MLB Spring
Training Sites. This one happened to be the Los Angeles Angels Tempe Diablo stadium,
and it was AWESOME. It was much bigger and nicer than I would have imagined. We
even got to a see some new up and coming MLB players practicing! We drove all
around the site and saw the Hilton Hotel where these players stay while training
here! This was so cool and another Bucket List check off! One of these days, we
will come out here and see actual spring training! If you are a baseball fan,
do this when in Phoenix! You will not be disappointed and there are MANY team
stadium options!
This was such a nice Spring Training Stadium!
It was now close to 3PM and we still had time before we
needed to go to the airport so we asked the kids what they wanted to do and
Luke said go back to Papago Park and Hole in the Mountain... so off we went. Chris
stayed in the car and enjoyed some peace and quiet while the kids and I made
our way back to the Hole in the Mountain. It was not crowded at all and we
enjoyed the space all to ourselves for about 20 minutes. TIP- As mentioned
before, this is an EXCELLENT and FREE attraction right in the heart of Phoenix
and is a very easy hike. Even for those who are a bit older or hesitant to do “hiking”.
The slopes are not steep, the trails are well defined and even the tiny amount
of stepping over rocks to get to the top are very much worth it! Just do it… You
will thank me later! We then spent our last hour in Phoenix just hiking along
the trails of Papago Park near the Botanical Gardens. This was a great way to
get out all our energy before our flight home.
Chris took this one from the ground! This was so cool... We got it all to ourselves!
This kids loved being able to move around freely and truly enjoy this area!
Picture perfect end to our trip!
Selfie #101 (haha)
We got in some miles before we got on our flight!
We then made our way to the Rental Car Center outside of the
Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. The rental car return was incredible easy and fast.
We hopped aboard the shuttle back to the airport and was in line for TSA security
well before our 2-hour window. The security was the absolute shortest we had
EVER seen, and we were through that within just 6 minutes! That is HIGHLY
IMPRESSIVE and will probably never happen again!
This was waiting for us as we arrived in the terminal! (It took us about 6-8 minutes to get through this security check point!)
Times are a' changing...
We made it... Next Stop-HOUSTON!
Evening The Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport is laid out a little different
than most airports we have traveled. There are MANY terminals/ concourses (6-8 I believe)
and each offers only 8 gates. These terminals each have 3-4 restaurants and a convenience
store but if you want other food options you must travel to a different
terminal via the sky course or walking. With COVID being an issue and travel JUST
NOW (after 12 months) picking back up, the food options were scarce at best. Some that were available were not open due to "lack of foot traffic". Then when a place WAS open, it was CRAZY OVERPRICED. In fact, I have never seen
such outrageous prices for airport food. We traveled all over A, B, C, D and
even E terminals before settling on a “grab and go” option in our B terminal.
This was sandwiches, burgers and pizza… all costing $18-25 EACH! The kids each
got pizza and Chris and I got burgers. It was a $82 tab in the end!And
laughingly (well not at the time… TRUST ME) the kids didn’t even eat HALF of a
pizza each! We ended up taking theirs with us, only to throw away before we boarded
the plane! TIP- Even though Phoenix Airport is known for having “The best airport
food”, next time we will grab McDonald’s before we get to the airport! This was
ridiculous!
The menu and prices for one of the ONLY places open in Terminal C. This place also had a 1hour+ wait time! NO THANK YOU!
The kids were both really dehydrated and did not feel well
leading up to the actual flight. I was a little worried they were going to get sick
and we might not be able to board the flight but after some much needed water
and Gatorade, and a brief nap in the terminal, they were both fine. REMINDER- The Arizona desert temperatures are MUCH hotter than other places. Be sure to STAY hydrated and drink water, even when you are not thirsty! Lesson learned... the hard way!
Our flight was supposed to leave at 7:50PM but the plane did
not arrive until 7:45PM. Southwest did a great job of cleaning the plane and
turning it around quickly and we were taking off by 8:15PM. We were boarding group
A this time and got GREAT middle of the plane seats. The flight was “full” but
somehow, both Natalie and I and Chris and Luke got an empty seat in our rows! AND the screaming baby was far away from us! We enjoyed this flight MUCH better than the outbound flight on Sunday! The kids
did remarkably well and STAYED AWAKE the entire duration of the flight, thanks
to in-flight movies and games.
Thank goodness for iPads... Am I wrong?
We touched down in Houston at 12:15AM, just 5 mnutes late
of our original arrival time. Surprisingly, it took longer than expected to get
our luggage and take the shuttle to our parking spot. TIP- The Parking Spot 2 IS MUCH CLOSER to the terminal (and offered faster shuttle service it seemed) than
the “original Parking Spot” on Airport Blvd. We will be booking there on our
flight in June!
It was 1:10AM before we even made it to our car, and then we
had an hour drive to our home in The Woodlands. It was a long and very
exhausting evening, but it was worth it! We got home shortly after 2AM and were
all four wiped out and asleep by 2:15AM. This trip was AMAZING, and we were
able to do and see SO MUCH! Thank you, Jesus, for protecting us, keeping us
safe and healthy and providing for us in order to be able to take this trip!
God is so good!
Thank you all so much for following along! I hope we have shared
some tips and tricks with you about Phoenix and Arizona travels! Up next, the
kids are off to Florida with Gigi and Poppy and Chris and I are headed to the
California Bay area in June! It's not cruising but I refuse to NOT TRAVEL!
Morning The alarm rang at the usual 5AM but it was not a school
day. We got up and at em’ as quick as possible and out the hotel door. We had
ordered breakfast via the Whataburger ap at a Whataburger near our hotel. We
were in the drive thru awaiting our order before 6AM. Unfortunately, there were
only 2 workers there so despite it being past the pick-up time, our order was not
ready. We waited 15 minutes and finally got our order. We went to a nearby gas
station to fill up and get ice for our coolers in the back of the van.
We were on the interstate headed north by 6:30AM; albeit a
bit later than I wanted but still in plenty of time to make it to the Grand
Canyon before the rush.
We decided to take the EAST ENTRANCE to the Grand Canyon near Cameron, Arizona. I had been researching the entrances to the Grand Canyon since we booked this trip and the South Entrance was the only one open until just DAYS before we arrived. The south entrance had 2+ hour long wait to get into the park and crowds were growing daily with Spring Break and late March trips. Once the Indian tribes decided to open the East Entrance, I knew that was the route we wanted to take. This was the best decision of the entire trip. If there was ONE TIP I could give to sum up the trip… TAKE THE EAST ENTRANCE! Just do it… TRUST ME!
The trip from our hotel to the East Entrance was about 3 hours and 20 minutes with 1 stop for gas and bathrooms. The drive was absolutely stunning and the full of God’s handiwork. It started with desert interstate lined with countless HUGE cacti and followed up with forests and even a snowcapped mountain. It was one of the most beautiful drives I can remember. However, we soon realized that we would want to drive back through these mountains in daylight and not nighttime due to the incline of 6-10%. In fact, I didn't want to drive these mountains! I think I would have a panic attack! Thanks Chris for driving!
This was not the commute we are used to!
There were Cacti EVERYWHERE!
We are on our way!
Getting higher...
Luke- "Mommy, LOOK! SNOW ON THE MOUNTAIN"
I was having so deja vu ... Back to our Shawnee lives living off of I-40!
Seriously, this drive was AMAZING!
We arrived at the East Entrance at 9:45AM and there were
only 3 cars in front of us. This was such a huge blessing as even the week before
our trip, the south entrance had 100+ cars waiting at this time. We paid our $35
entrance fee and we were on our way to the parking lot at the Desert Tower. My
heart was racing with excitement to get to see this natural wonder I had been
waiting to see for so long.
Highway 64 from Cameron to the East Entrance
We made it!
Bucket list picture- CHECK!
The East Entrance at 9:45AM (April 14, 2021)
I had realized about 1 hour into the trip from the hotel that
I left the hoodies in the hotel room. We had brought an additional separate
suitcase just for these hoodies (thank you Southwest for Bags Fly Free) and I went and left them in the hotel room at
5:30AM. #MOMFAIL! It was a very windy 48* and the kids were pretty fussy, but
they adjusted very well.
We walked from our car to the first lookout and our breath
was literally taken away. I have NEVER IN MY LIFE SEEN SUCH BEAUTY! It was one
of those moments that people can describe to you but until you see it for yourself
you do not really understand. We stood there at the Desert Tower Lookout spot
for about 20 minutes just in awe of it all. Even the kids, shivering in their short
sleeve t-shirts and shorts were just speechless about the beauty of the canyon.
It was incredibly windy and at times was even blowing us (especially Luke)
around. It felt like tornado season in Oklahoma. We walked all around the
Desert Tower area getting pictures here at the there before heading back to our
car to make the 22 miles trip back to the South Entrance.
I'm here... I'm REALLY HERE!
My fist view... It will always be my FAVORITE VIEW!
This view was literally unbelievable! You just have to see it for yourself!
Family picture!
Looking west at Desert Tower
My heart is so happy!
Desert View lookout
Desert View
BEST DAY EVER!
This was a "what are we going to do but just sit here and stare all day" kind of moment!
This 22-mile drive westward involved about 6-7 different
stops and lookouts of the Grand Canyon. The park and the parking lots were not
as crowded as I thought they would be, but I can attest to the fact that most
of the people were driving in the opposite direction of us and headed towards
the East Entrance and not the South. This allowed us to take our time and
really enjoy each look out. It was so windy this day. I had never experienced
wind like this in a canyon and at times it was scary. Not to mention cold as we
did not bring our hoodies. This did not detour from our experience or trip, but
the wind was very uncomfortable at times. There was even a picnic stop along
the way that offered a bathroom stop as well. This was a glorified outhouse,
but it worked for us.
Moran Point
The Colorado River from Moran Point
Moran Point
This girl loved the Grand Canyon so much!
Thank you Chris for this trip!
A day we will NEVER FORGET!
Grand View Point
Snow at Grand View Point
Before arriving at the South Entrance, our last stop was
Pipe Creek Vista just before the Grand Canyon Village area. This was a tram stop
for the Grand Canyon Bus route and did not offer a lot of parking but managed
to find a spot to parallel park. This area of the park did not offer the
railing that many of the other tourist spots offered so we were incredibly cautious
with the kids. Without any railing and the incredibly amount of wind on this
day made me very nervous and anxious. This spot meant more to me than any other
in our day and I stopped and prayed for a while. After I had my moment, sang
Amazing Grace and found my closure, we ventured on to the South Entrance Area.
This spot is very special to me and I will never forget this moment!
Afternoon
It took us about 2.5 hours to get from the East Entrance to the South Entrance
and it was well worth this time as most people do the Village area at the South
Entrance and call it a day. Once at the Village Center we put on more sunscreen
and then found the Bike Rental shop to grab a sandwich lunch. This was a quaint
little shop offering pre-made sandwiches, chips, cookies and candy as well as
drinks and other equipment you would need for biking and hiking. However, I
would not say it is “Family Friendly” as they did not offer a traditional
sandwich. All their sandwiches were “fancy” and had olive spread or Dijon mustard
or cranberry jelly on them. This was fine for Chris and I but Luke did not like
the spread being on the sandwich already and not able to completely take it
off. Luke is 8 (almost 9) but he is very picky about food and things like this.
I was not expecting to be able eat a real lunch inside the park, so this was a
blessing to me but families with young ones, especially picky eaters, be
advised of this option.
We enjoyed our lunch at a picnic table at the Village Center,
but it was VERY WINDY! So windy that even my cup of coffee wouldn’t stay standing.
That made for a very unpleasant lunch with two kids who were cold, but we survived.
From here we went to Mather Point, the most populated tourist lookout according
to the NPS, and it did not disappoint. It was MUCH MORE CROWDED than any of the
other lookout points from Desert Tower to the South Entrance, but it is worth
the crowds. It was just breathtaking!
Rim Trail near Mather Point
View from Mather Point
We respectfully wore our masks in the more populated area.
I really appreciated the National Park Services putting up these signs! This was very helpful and I think more tourist attractions should do this!
We walked about ¾ of a mile on the Rim Trail before turning
back to get our car and drive the Grocery Store and Visitor’s Center. The Visitor
Center was closed due to COVID, but the grocery store was open, and we were
able to get some snack as well as souvenirs. The worker told me that this was
the worst wind she had seen in years, maybe even a decade! I would tend to
agree! TIP- This is a MUCH CHEAPER
option than the Grand Canyon Conservatory store at the Village Center.
We sent out a few postcards at the Grand Canyon post office
and then continued westward towards Bright Angel Trailhead and the El Tovar
Hotel and Restaurant. This area was just as picturesque as the previous lookouts
but was a little more touristy. Parking was an issue at this point in the day
(About 3-4PM) but we were finally able to get a spot near the Grand Canyon
railway. We walked along the rim trail for another 1/2 mile or so before sitting
down and taking it all in before we left for the day. This area of the park was
much more populated with people and there were at least 2 hotels in this area.
Near Bright Angel Trail
We loved this day so much!
Looking westward at Bright Angel Trail
El Tovar Hotel and Restaurant
One last family picture!
We went back through the park towards the South Entrance and
left the park around 4:30PM. There were not very many cars trying to enter at that time.
We had to make a brief stop in Tusayan and discovered this is a much bigger
town than what we thought. It offers MANY small motels and restaurants. It is
only 6 miles from the Grand Canyon and would be a great option for those who
want to be close and not have to stay IN the park.
The South Entrance at 4:30-5PM on a Wednesday
This was a very easy entrance at 4PM! Since we entered via the East Entrance, I do not know how the line was in the morning!
Tusyana, Arizona (Not the "tiny" town we thought it was)
We did quite a bit of walking today!
Evening
We spent the rest of the daylight hours traveling back to Phoenix. The drive
was gorgeous and uneventful. We made it to the north part of the metro just
before nightfall which was an answer to prayer since Chris really didn’t want
to drive unfamiliar mountains in the dark.
Near Sedona on I-17 south to Phoenix!
Once back in Paradise Valley/ Scottsdale, we found a
restaurant to get dinner at before heading back to the hotel for the night. We
chose to eat at Cold Beer and Cheeseburgers, which seemed like a weird name for
a restaurant and I was thinking it was going to be a random hole in the wall, but
it was a chain of sports bars in Phoenix. The meal was ok but very overpriced
and the kid’s meal was tiny for the amount we paid. The service was not exceptional,
but we had no complaints.
$17.95 All American Cheeseburger
$18.95 Swiss- Mushroom Burger
I got us all checked in for our flight home on Southwest Airlines
before we left the restaurant. TIP- Remember, be sure to set alarm to help you
remember to check in 24 hours before your flight departure. I did this for about
15 minutes prior to the 24-hour mark so I could retrieve the confirmation
number etc. I promise, without the alarm, I would not have remembered!
Once back at the hotel we noticed our cooler was leaking and
had leaked all over the back seat. We quickly dried it up as best we could and
then went to the hotel swimming pool one last time. When we checked in, we were
told it was open 8AM to 11PM but there was a sign on the pool entrance saying
it closed at 9PM. It was already past 8:30PM so we hurried to get the kids pool time
in. At 9PM a worker came and yelled at us (and a group of men) to “Get Out Now.
We’re closed, can’t you read”. It was incredibly rude and very disrespectful. Before
we could even get out and dry off, she had gone and got another worker to tell
us to get out. I was not happy. I called the front desk to speak to a manager
but left a message. We booked this hotel based on the pool hours and location,
so this was not a great way to end our trip.
We got ready for bed and the kids were asleep in no time. It
was a very long day but so fulfilling! I am so glad we decided to make the 7+
hour drive to see the Grand Canyon! This was a bucket list item and trip and it
certainly lived up to its hype! Thank you, God for this beauty YOU CREATED! You
sure do paint a pretty picture!
