Sedona

Our family took a trip last week to Sedona with Kari, Sandro and Graciela Garcia. Grace is 15 months and was the perfect playmate for Sofia and Audrey.

We went out Saturday evening and the girls did great. By the end of the flight, they were both asleep and Sofia looked like a seasoned traveler.

We stayed at the Xona suites in North Scottsdale. On Sunday, we spent the morning at the pool. We had Lunch with Pete Kelly, a Friend of Chris’ from Law School and then did a little shopping. If you ask Sofia about Phoenix, she will respond with one phrase, “Phoenix is Hot.” The day we were there was the hottest day of the year in Phoenix. It was 115 and by 9:00 p.m. it had dropped all the way to 108!

We met up with the Garcia’s on Monday and made the beautiful drive north up to Sedona. Because Phoenix has the most expensive cars to rent, we decided to share a Minivan. So the seven of us piled in, with all our luggage, and headed for a two hour drive north. We got to Sedona just in time for lunch and checked into the Hyatt at Pinion Point.

Kari, Sofia and I headed to the grocery store while the others took a nap. It took two carts, one for Sofia to sit in and the other for our food. I discovered Kari is one frugal shopper. She came prepared with coupons and tips for saving money. After shopping, Kari made us pork chops and Cuban rice. It was delicious.

That evening, we all headed to the pool and the girls really enjoyed the kiddy pool. Sofia shows us how quickly she is growing each day. She now swims with floaties or a life vest and does not want to sit in a float anymore. Audrey enjoyed floating in her new starfish float.

After the girls went down, we all sat on the patio and looked at the stars…something we don’t do often at home.

Tuesday Sofia woke up first. When I picked her up from the crib she said “Where is Grace?” Chris made us a quiche for breakfast and we spent time at the pool with the girls. It was so much fun just watching the girls play.

We had dinner that evening at Savanna’s in Sedona. They were smart and put our party of seven (with three under two) in a separate room. The girls were all so well behaved and seemed to really enjoy the blue mac and cheese. When we got back, Chris read the girls stories.

Wednesday we went to Tlaquepaque, an arts and crafts village, in Sedona. Sofia practiced saying it all morning long. Tlaquepaque, Tlaquepaque, she would yell through the Suite. The girls enjoyed playing in the courtyards and they posed, well mostly, for lots of cute pictures. After exploring Tlaquepaque, we had lunch at the Oak Creek Brewery and Grill. Kari and I shared a pizza and I enjoyed a local light beer. We went back to the hotel and after nap time, we spent time at the pool.

After dinner, Chris, Sofia, Audrey and I walked to old town Sedona and had a little ice cream. On our way back to the room, we stopped by the pool to dip our toes. When asked what the best part of the day was Sofia said “Ice Cream”.

Thursday Chris’ Friend Pete came to visit after visiting a client. He played with the girls and then left for Phoenix. We then drove through Oak Creek Canyon and looked at the beautiful rocks. The girls were great and napped through most of the drive.

Friday was a travel day. We stopped for a burger at In and Out. It was delicious and cheap…a great combination.
It took a while to get all our bags checked in and even longer to get through security. But with 15 minutes to spare, we made it to our gate. We flew through El Paso and made it home just in time for bed. We had a wonderful time vacationing with the Garcias. Thanks for inviting us along Kari, Sandro and Grace.