Arizona

"The mountains are calling and I must go."~John Muir

 This quote. I have seen it a thousand times on Pinterest and the like; until this past weekend I had no idea how true it is. Doug and I went on a little adventure in Arizona this past weekend, and we fell in love with all of it. The weather, the sunshine and blue skies, the changing, breathtaking scenery. All of it. My hiking partner wasn't bad either. It really was a trip to remember. 

When we stepped off the plane Saturday morning we hit the ground running. We had asked our niece Courtney for her Arizona recommendations and she delivered. First up, coffee and picnic food. Then Butcher Jones. One of her favorite hikes. 

After this trip I have a new found obsession for cactus. They were everywhere in Phoenix. This was my first desert experience, and I couldn't get over how different it was from home. Where are all the cornfields??

This hike was about a 5 mile trek centered around a lake. As we started to climb up, the views just got better and better. Everywhere we looked the scene was different. 

Exhibit A. 

Exhibit B. 

Look at that sun shining on us; I miss it. 

Near the end of the hike we sat by the water and snacked. It felt so good to soak in the sun and have no timeline. We give Butcher Jones a 10 out of 10!

After Butcher Jones we headed north for a few hours. We had questioned whether we wanted to spend so much time in the car this trip, but to be honest it was one of my favorite parts. We went from desert and cactus to snow topped mountains to the most beautiful red rocks. The sunsets and sunrises we saw were colors I have never seen before. Plus, when do Doug and I ever get to talk for hours uninterrupted?

Told you the drive was worth it.

That night we stayed in Camp Verde. A small town nestled at the base of a mountain. The little airbnb was so cute, and the Mexican food that night was yummy. We were in bed early after our long day of travel and hiking. 

Sunday morning we got up before the sun and headed north another hour into Sedona. As much as I loved Phoenix, Sedona was the clear highlight of the trip. It was breathtaking. 

It was much cooler when we started hiking at Devil's Bridge. The first half of the way up was wide and flat with great big red rock mountains all around. 

Then we started to climb (and get out of breath....). The views just got better and better. Every time we stopped to take it all in, someone passing would say "just wait"...

We understood what they were saying once we finally saw the "bridge". There were a few others at the bridge when we got there, so we took turns taking pictures of each other. From where this picture was taken, the bridge looks super skinny, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little scared to walk out on it. In reality it wasn't scary at all, just super cool. After this we kept going past the bridge for a little bit and enjoyed a picnic with a view and not a soul around. Again, one of my favorite parts. 

I'm not normally a kiss and share the picture type of girl, but I think I am going to make an exception for this one. I love getting to go on adventures with this man; I am a very lucky girl. 

Sedona you were amazing. We will be back!

After two days of hiking, we decided it was time to treat ourselves with wine and relaxation. Not far from Devil's Bridge we found a little trail of unique wineries. At the first one we ate and enjoyed two wine flights where we got to taste and learn about local wines. It was fun to taste wines that we would never buy ($$$). The second winery was totally different. It was a great big house with farm animals and a little pond to relax by. And relax is just what we did. Oh--and Doug found a friend. 

That afternoon we traveled back to Scottsdale. We found big burgers for supper and enjoyed some live music at a club. Every restaurant and bar there is outside. Like no roof, no walls. Just outside. I guess since the weather is perfect from November to May there would be no reason to ever be inside. Monday, my last day, we had no plans, but we knew we had to be outside. We decided to rent bikes and check out Scottsdale and Arizona State campus. 

We treated ourselves to one last hurrah margarita before taking me back to the airport. 

I was sad to leave but very ready to get back to my babies. Two nights away was perfect.

These three were in excellent hands at home. Nana and D flip-flopped entertaining and getting them healthy. Thank you so much you two! Yesterday morning the big kids were hard to wake, but Bennett literally jumped into my arms with excitement to see me. I swear he grew an inch and added fifty words to his vocabulary in the two days I was gone. Distance does in fact make the heart grow fonder, and I haven't quite gotten enough kisses from any of them yet. 

If you need a warm and adventures vacation spot, I highly recommend Arizona. It was unlike anywhere I have ever been, and it just makes me want summer and adventures to get here quick. I feel very fortunate to be able to travel to places and get away with Doug. This trip and its beauty was just the winter pick-me-up I needed.