Arizona
Also known as the Grand Canyon State or the Copper State, Arizona will certainly be one of our most memorable trips. With so many great places to visit in the state, it was hard to choose where to stay and what to see but we narrowed it down to the Grand Canyon and Phoenix.
We flew into Phoenix and decided to make the 3.5 hour drive North to the Grand Canyon first so the end of our trip would have less driving and be more relaxing. I will say that Jess and I were not prepared for the lack of trees or color on the drive…..Arizona is the land of cactus and brown tones. On our way through we stopped at the Rock Springs Cafe’ for a pit stop and to grab a slice of their famous Blueberry Pie. This one one of the places I had researched before our trip and the pie did not disappoint! We considered grabbing some lunch as well but the wait was long and we were eager to get to the hotel. https://rocksprings.cafe/
Our arrival at the Grand Hotel at the Grand Canyon was a welcomed sight after a long day of travel. This hotel is located near the entrance of the South Rim of the Canyon. The hotel atmosphere is just what you would expect from the Grand Canyon…..lots of dark wood tones, Native American Art and Taxidermy on the walls. The hotel was very clean, the staff was friendly, and it’s a quick 5 minute ride to the entrance of the Grand Canyon Park. I do want to mention that this area in general is very sparce in terms of places to eat . I guess we just assumed the area would have more in terms of tourist attractions and food, but it is clear that camping at the Grand Canyon Park is the main attraction for tourists .https://www.grandcanyongrandhotel.com/
One of the nice things about seeing the Grand Canyon is that you have different options for viewing it. You can take the Grand Canyon Railway, a helicopter tour, a mule ride, or simply walk up to a viewing area. From what I read and by confirmation from the locals, the South Rim is the most popular side of the Canyon for tourists. On a side note, if you’re wondering, it is a 4 hour ride from the South Rim to the North Rim of the Canyon.
Walking up to the Canyon is as breathtaking as people say……it’s vastness is overwhelming, and pictures just don’t do it justice. This should be on everyone’s bucket list!!!!!
Jessica’s hat can be found on Amazon here:
When I was doing my trip research I knew that seeing the Canyon from a helicopter was a must do…. even though I knew it would be out of my comfort zone! Needless to say, I am so glad I did it! The 45 minute ride took us over the Kaibab National Forest as well as the North and South Rim, and what a rush!!! We shared the helicopter with another couple and had a very friendly and knowledgeable pilot that provided us with facts and information about the Canyon. There are many helicopter tour companies but we booked with Maverick Helicopters and felt it was well worth the $559.00 price tag. Please don’t miss this opportunity if you go to the Grand Canyon!!
You can find our waterproof phone holders on Amazon. It was a great way to have easy access to our phones without having to worry about dropping them. You can find it here:
We opted against the mule ride because it would have been 3 hours in the heat……. the train ride seemed fun as well, so those are other options if helicopters aren’t your thing.
There are also a few other noteables in the area. You will definitely want to stop at the Grand Canyon Chocolate Factory for some amazing chocolate and ice cream. We spent a little to much money in there and I highly recommend the Grand Canyon Crunch and their peanut butter cups. In terms of places to eat, whether or not you stay at the Grand Hotel you will want to eat at the hotel Steakhouse. I had a fantastic Filet Mignon and Jessica had flavorful Gnocchi with meatballs.
Whenever we travel I do a fair amount of research to find various adventures and places to eat, however it’s always a bonus to find fun things to do that weren’t on our original list. As we were driving back to Phoenix Jessica came across two places that we enjoyed. First was Bearizona Wildlife Park, which is a drive thru and walk thru animal park. We were able to see wolves, bison, elk and of course …BEARS! Once we were done with the drive thru we were able to do the walking tour of the park. It was extremely clean, had a good variety of animals, and had a few nice places to eat. Admission is $25 for adults, $15 for ages 4-12 and kids under 3 are free. It was definitely worth the price of admission. https://www.bearizona.com/
Keeping with our animal theme, The Grand Canyon Deer Farm was another unexpected gem during our travels. This is small mom and pop type place with well cared for animals.. It’s not huge but you can feed deer, get up close and personal with goats , and there are plenty of other animals to see along the way. If you have extra time and can plan ahead, they also have a few specialized programs like their Zoo Keeper and Interactive Program that would be great for kids…….or me if we had more time! Prices are more than reasonable at $14 for adults and $8 for children 3-13. More information can be found here:https://deerfarm.com/
**We were happy to have found The Deer Farm, and as a bonus realized that it was right off off the old Rt. 66 so we had to grab a few pictures! Then as an added bonus while driving on Rt. 66 we found this tiny general store where we grabbed a quick lunch and some snacks for the drive to Phoenix.
After 3 great days at the Canyon we headed back South to Phoenix where we stayed at the Omni Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Montelucia. This was truly a premier destination for relaxation and luxury with beautiful rooms, world- class service, Spa, several restaurants and an adult only pool and bar area that made for the ultimate getaway! Our only complaint is that parking was an additonal $25 a day but otherwise The Omni was definitely a winner! You can find all the specifics here: https://www.omnihotels.com/hotels/scottsdale-montelucia
Private patio for each room 
Phoenix is a very different area from the Grand Canyon so it was difficult to fit everything we wanted to do into 3 days, but with that said the adventures we chose were great! In our travels, I hope to see as many Major League Baseball parks as possible. We were lucky ( well I was, Jess isn’t big on baseball) to have the Arizona Diamonbacks playing at home during our stay. I was able to score great tickets ( probably because they are in last place) and as a bonus they had fireworks after the game. Check another ML ballpark off my list!!!!
Another must see on your list should be Old Town Scottsdale! With a old western town feel, the Old Town is hopping with quaint shops, eateries, and a feeling of yesteryear. We grabbed a quick lunch and were able to do all of our souvenir shopping right in town. Old Town Scottsdale is just a quick 10 minute drive from the Omni but be sure to make plans to see this town turned back in time wherever you choose to stay.
Our other “extreme” adventure in Arizona was the Desert Wolf Tours. They have several different options, but we chose the Tomcar Scorpion Hunt Sunset Tour. As a point of information Tomcar is the type of military grade car that we would be driving for the tour. We met our guide Kevin and our tour mates at the Roadrunner Restaurant to get instructions and sign waivers for the tour. I have to say that it was a bit intimidating to hear about all the animals and things we might encounter while on the tour, but we were excited to get out and have some fun. The Tomcars seat 4 people but for an extra $99 you can choose to have your own car. We, along with all the other couples had our own car. Kevin offered us cold waters throughout the tour and we were also able to bring any non- alcoholic beverages with us to store in his cooler. We made several stops during the tour where Kevin would provide us with facts about the desert and the animals we might encounter. His vast knowledge of the area made the entire experience great from start to finish. Once it was dark we stopped and started our hunt for scorpions. We were all given black lights so we could search for the scorpions that would otherwise have been difficult to see. We were lucky enough to see several scorpions up close and a baby rattlesnake ( we did NOT get close to the snake). It was definitely something that we will never forget! If you’re in Phoenix you have to do one of the Desert Wolf Tours!!!! For pricing and detailed information click here: https://desertwolftours.com/
Ponderosa Stables Horseback Riding was our last “adventure” before heading back home. The owner was extremely friendly and the “wranglers” staff clearly loved each horse. Jessica fell in love with her horse Rubble and wanted to take him home…. I would love that !!!! We did an hour ride ($40 each) through the desert trails, and other than it being extremely hot ( we were allowed to take water with us) it was a relaxing and fun ride. https://www.arizona-horses.com/
After our ride we went back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. I should add that when we go away we would prefer to spend our money on adventures rather than food. That’s why when we decided to start this blog, we wanted it to be a food and travel blog. We feel that as much as we love food, more memories are made from fun adventures especially when we it’s not something we have at home.
Now, with that said, we always try to find one special place to have dinner before heading back home. Well, I must say that we hit the jackpot two-Michelin star chef Danny Grant at Maple and Ash! Located in Scottsdale’s business district, Maple and Ash checked off all our boxes….great service, amazing food and relaxing ambience.
The restaurant had a full house and I didn’t feel comfortable taking pictures but I can tell you that the interior of Maple and Ash exudes elegance and class……certainly not two words that you would associate with me….. 😉 With that being said, we played as though we belonged and no one was the wiser. I knew I was out of my element when our server came to the table a complimentary prickly pear martini for both of us. Normally we would say no thank you as we aren’t drinkers but when in Rome……..we took a few sips, and called it done. Within a few minutes of our martini service, we were also surprised by complimentary warm bread, olives, pastrami and seasoned cucumbers. If this was how we started, I knew we were in for a treat!
For an appetizer we chose the sizzling beef ($14) and it was phenominal! I could hear it sizzling its way to the table and the aroma had my senses doing a happy dance. The thinly sliced beef was sweet, savory, and melted in your mouth. It took everything in our power not to finish them but we knew we needed to save room for dessert. If this was how we started, we knew we had to make it to dessert.
For dinner I had the Petite Filet Mignon ($62) and Jess had the Fire Roasted Chicken with spring onions, potato puree and pan jus ( $36). The filet didn’t come with any sides so I ordered Whipped and Buttered Potatoes ($12), and House Smoked Maple Glazed Bacon ($12). Yes, you read that correctly, BACON as a side!!!! The filet was so tender I used a butter knife to cut it and the seasoning was spot on. The potatoes were smooth, creamy and swimming in butter, and the bacon……thickly cut, and full of sweet maple flavor. I could have made a meal out of the potatoes and bacon!!!!! Jessica’s chicken was moist, full of flavor and enough for two people but she couldn’t resist ordering a side of Mac and Cheese ($14). It was obvious Jess was in heaven eating the Mac and Cheese, but due to my being lactose intolerant I had to believe her when she said it was absolutely phenominal. As you can imagine, we had leftovers but were extremely sad that we were leaving early the follwing morning and couldn’t take them with us. I think my heart broke a little leaving it behind.
At this point we were both at our limit but we knew we had to have dessert. We decided to split a slice of Chocolate Cake but they should have called it chocolate heaven! The cake was light, moist and had a smooth chocolate mousse filling. The cake itself was surrounded by sweet frosting ,velvety dark chocolate with chocolate shavings and a dollop of vanilla ice cream. Jess and I are certianly not quitters so we did everything in our power to make sure we finished every bite.
It was certainly one of our more expensive meals to date but what a phenominal way to end our trip. If you’re in the Scottsdale area and want an amazing meal be sure to make a reservation for Maple and Ash. Simply amazing!
For reservations: https://mapleandash.com/
I hope we were able to give you a small peek into what the Grand Canyon and Phoenix has to offer. We had a great week of new adventures in a landscape that is very different from home and we were excited to check this beautiful state off our bucket list. Wherever you choose to go in the world we wish you happy trails and safe travels!!
Happy Spooning ! Sara and Jess
These neck pillows made the 6 hour flight so much more comfortable. You can find them here:
