Phun in Phoenix

Last week, my hubby and I spent five glorious days in the Phoenix area. It was our first "real" vacation together in six years and long overdue! We spent some time with friends, with relatives, and a little time going off in separate directions to pursue our individual interests.

The first day there, Mr. RM went golfing, which left me to venture off to the Desert Botanical Garden. May I just say that this is definitely one of the most beautiful places I have ever been?

I walked around for three hours with the cheesiest grin on my face! In fact, one of the volunteers in the butterfly pavilion said to me, "You sure look happy." Well, that was an understatement!

It was so great that even my getting lost in 7-lane traffic (having an adolescent-style melt down and almost crying) and driving in circles on my way back to the hotel, didn't put a damper on my enthusiasm for the day :)

Vacation Day 2 brought a drive north to the gorgeous vistas of Sedona. We had the good fortune to view some of God's artwork...red rock mountains, green valleys, and blue skies. It was so restorative to spend time in nature. I felt like a wide-eyed child who was seeing something magical for the first time.

While in Sedona, we spent a little time in the Tlaquepaque arts and shopping area and had an excellent lunch. We had to find a restaurant that had tv's so we could watch the NCAA Sweet 16 (obviously!)

Then, on the advice of our friends, we visited the Chapel of the Holy Cross. We weren't necessarily that excited about going but decided to stop on our way out of town. It turns out that it was worth the time. Being inside a church surrounded by such natural beauty and panoramic views was a spiritual experience. I had to quickly compartmentalize my thoughts, though, because as soon as we left, there was more basketball to watch (this family takes its basketball seriously, let me tell you!)

There was a lot more "phun" in Phoenix (see what I did there? Haha) over the next few days. We ate great food, drank a few margaritas (when in Rome, you know), visited friends and family, walked the ASU campus, and researched possible areas for retirement...yes, moving to a warm climate is our goal. With luck, maybe someday I'll be blogging from Arizona... ;)

Sharing with: Cozy Little House, Share Your Cup, Common Ground, Shabby Art Boutique, The Charm of Home